The Damascened Blade(85)

Lily looked at Grace expectantly, waiting to hear her story. Negligently Rathmore accepted a tin mug of tea from the Scout and sat down a little apart from the women.

‘Wouldn’t it be great if someone emerged from those rocks and shot him – just shot him!’ Lily thought viciously.

‘We can’t stay here long if we’re to be back at the fort before sunset,’ said Grace with an anxious glance at the sky. ‘Sunset! What a day! It seems to be an eternity since I set off at dawn.’

‘Won’t they be thrilled to see us back again, all in one piece!’ said Lily with satisfaction.

‘Especially Joe?’ said Grace, slyly.

‘Joe! Fat lot of use he was!’ said Lily. ‘Funny – all along it was Joe I was expecting to come to my rescue. For a while back there I really thought he cared about me! But when it came to the point, well! – where was he? Probably playing squash!’ Pink with indignation, Lily looked from one to another. As she spoke the third Scout, the silent, enigmatic third Scout looked up.

‘Jor ye?’ he said. ‘Jor ye, missy baba?’

Grace began to laugh. ‘Very good,’ she said. ‘Very good, Joe! And speaking Pushtu, it seems?’

‘Can’t spend a day in the exclusive company of these boys without picking up a bit. Anyway – I enjoyed the “hallagullah”! I think I’ve got that right – it seems to mean “uproar”. Useful word.’

Lily stared and stared again. She reached out a hand to touch Joe’s shoulder to make sure he was real. ‘Why!’ she sputtered. ‘You old devil! There you were all along! You fooled them all!’ And more soberly, ‘You darned well fooled me! You did come for me! And,’ she added seriously, ‘I’m not going to forget that. And when I’m a little old lady in mittens in a rocking-chair I’ll tell my grandchildren about you and all the hairy bandits who didn’t spot you! But Joe! That was a dangerous thing to do! Those men would have killed you if they’d known!’

‘Well, I’m damned,’ drawled Rathmore, not pleased by this turn of events. ‘So the forces of law and order make a belated appearance!’

‘I don’t know what you mean by “belated”!’ Suddenly angry, Grace turned on him. ‘It was Joe who worked out where you were being held and it was Joe who risked his skin coming into enemy territory to get you out of the spot you’d blundered into, smug, self-satisfied and supremely unaware. I think a little more gratitude wouldn’t come amiss.’

Undismayed, he opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by an excited shout from the Scouts patrolling the area. All turned to look and look again as they took in the sight of the two Scouts. Between them was a third man, a man in Afridi dress. He was being encouraged along with a pistol in his side towards the group by the fire. At the sight of him, Lily and Joe leapt to their feet calling out his name, Joe in puzzlement, Lily with recognition and relief.

‘Iskander!’

‘Joe, you’re not to shoot him!’ said Lily urgently. ‘He’s an outlaw now, did you know? And we’ve got an arrangement. At least I think we’ve got an arrangement,’ she hissed mysteriously.

‘I think I’ll wait to hear what he has to say for himself before I shoot him,’ said Joe easily. ‘Tea, Iskander? I think I can squeeze another one out.’

Aslam handed Iskander’s weapons, a pistol and a dagger, to Joe.

‘Well, this is very jolly!’ said Grace. ‘Anyone else lurking in the rocks you’d like to invite?’

‘No, no,’ said Iskander, completely unabashed. ‘Be reassured! We are alone. I waited here, knowing you must pass this way. This is the place everyone stops on their way to Peshawar or the fort and there is adequate cover for brigands or outlaws as many less careful than yourselves have found to their cost.’

He settled down between Grace and Joe, confident of his welcome. ‘I was hoping to hear your news.’ His eyes flicked to Lily and she was quick to reassure him.

‘Your sister is fine, Iskander. And, thanks to Grace, so is the child. It’s a boy. They both looked very healthy when we left them.’

Joe noticed again the instant understanding between these two and wondered with trepidation what exactly was the nature of the arrangement Lily had mentioned. He began to fear that his career as chaperone might have been compromised. ‘I think we all have many questions but the main one must surely be addressed to Dr Holbrook. What magic did you use, Grace, to prevail on the Malik to release us? Are you able to tell us now?’