‘Madness,’ Kane said. ‘You’ll all go down to hell together.’
‘I don’t think so. You see, we have the big battalions. We also have Captain Carlos Romero and his friends, who are Spanish volunteers in the SS. They will arrive here in the Catalina tomorrow. The following day they will land on the Suez Canal, seed it with mines and blow it up. That should give our English friends in Egypt and London something to chew on.’
Kane struggled to take it all in. ‘I can’t believe it.’
‘A matter of indifference to me.”
Kane took a deep breath. ‘What happens now?’
‘To you?’ Skiros shrugged. ‘For a day or two, Muller has a use for you, but after that…’ His voice trailed away and he sighed as if genuinely sorry.
‘That wouldn’t be very wise,’ Kane said.
Skiros raised his eyebrows slightly. ‘Presumably you have a reason for saying that?’
Kane tried to sound completely sure of himself. ‘I sent a letter to the American Consul at Aden telling him exactly where we were going.’ He shrugged. ‘It was a natural precaution – anything can happen in the desert, you know that.’
‘You’re lying, of course.’
Kane shook his head. ‘I gave you the letter to put in the mail bag for me – remember?’
‘Very clever, my friend,’ Skiros said softly.
Complete panic had appeared on Muller’s face and he subsided on to an ammunition box and wiped sweat from his face and neck with a handkerchief. ‘We’ve got to get out of here,’ he said and his voice was shaking.
‘Pull yourself together.’ Skiros selected a cigarette and tapped it on the packet thoughtfully.
Kane smiled. ‘If we don’t return within a reasonable period of time, the American Consul in Aden will set the usual machinery in motion. They’re bound to come looking for us.’
Skiros smiled thinly. ‘Quite correct, but as you your- self have so helpfully pointed out, the Consul will make no move until a reasonable period of time has elapsed.’
Kane cursed softly because Skiros was right and he knew it. The troubled frown disappeared from Muller’s face and he sagged with relief. ‘God in heaven, but you’re right.’
Skiros nodded complacently. ‘You should know by now that invariably I am. The American Consul will make no move for at least a month. We on the other hand, will be out of here within two days.’
‘Two days!’ Muller said and he seemed to be genuinely perturbed. ‘That doesn’t leave me much time. I don’t know if we’ll be through by then.’
‘Frankly, my dear Muller, the question of whether or not you manage to break into your wretched tomb before we leave, doesn’t interest me.’
‘Can I put Kane to work with the other two?’ Muller asked.
Skiros turned to Kane. ‘I’m sure you won’t object. After all, this sort of work is more in your line.’
Kane tried to think of something to say, but for the moment, he was beaten. ‘I guess this is your round.’
Skiros grinned good-humouredly. ‘That’s it, Kane. Be philosophical about the thing.’ All at once, his manner changed and he became brisk and businesslike. ‘And now you must excuse me. I have much to do.’
He swung round in his chair and picked up the earphones. Muller touched Kane on the arm and led the way outside. He turned to the right and walked along a broad ledge to where two armed men squatted before the entrance to another cave. It was no more than four feet high and Kane bent down to peer inside.
Muller wiped sweat from his face with a handkerchief and said awkwardly, ‘I’m sorry about this, Kane.’
‘I’m not in the mood to take confession today,’ Kane told him. ‘What am I supposed to do in here?’
Just inside the entrance was a spot-lamp, and the German switched it on and led the way in. The cave was only thirty or forty feet across, and the roof a couple of feet above their heads. The powerful beam moved slowly across the wall, and with startling suddenness, the outlines of two human figures with bows in their hands sprang into life.
Kane went forward and examined the figures with interest. ‘Polychrome wall painting,’ he said, touching them gently with his fingers. ‘Remarkably well preserved.’