Zeshin looked ill. He was worse than he had been in the air. His chest heaved violently as he sucked in the thin air and he had a gruesome pallor. As he opened his mouth to speak again the girl said. "Hush, ojisan, be quiet. I will tell them." She turned and looked across the cabins at Ellis and Ashton. "My uncle's name is not Zeshin," she said levelly. "We are not even Japanese. His name is Zinthrīchāi." She said it as if it was an explanation, whole and complete in itself.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDhVJytGFk
There was a moment of blank silence, then Ellis snapped his fingers and said softly. "Omigod! The Eagle Man himself!" He stared at the sick man.
"Yes, Mr. Ellis," whispered Zinthrichai. "But a crippled eagle, I fear."
"What the hell is this?" grumbled Humphrey. "What's so special about him?!"
Hope gave Humphrey a look of dislike and got to his feet. "I wouldn't have put it that way myself," he said. "But I could use a little more input."
Ellis said, "Mr. Zinthrichai was possibly the best prime minister this country ever had until the army took over five years ago. He got out of the country just one jump ahead of a firing squad.
"General Tetkhang always a hasty man," agreed Zinthrichai with a weak smile.
"You mean the government arranged all this---this shit we're in now---just to get you?" Hope's voice was shrill with incredulity.
Zinthrichai shook his head and began to speak, but the girl said, "No, you must be silent." She looked at Ellis appealingly. 'You must not question him now, honorable Ellis. Can you not see that he is ill?"
"Can you speak for your uncle?" asked Ashton gently.
She looked at the old man and he nodded. "What do you wish to know?" she asked.
"What is your uncle doing back in Tsamphan?"
"We have come to bring back good government to our nation," she said. "We have come to depose Tetkhang."
Ellis gave a brief chuckle. "To depose Tetkhang," he said flatly. "Just like that. An old man and a girl are going to throw out a man with an army backing him up." He shook his head disbelievingly.
The girl flared up. "What do you know about it; you are a foreigner---you know nothing. Tetkhang is finished---everyone in Tsamphan knows it, even Tetkhang himself. He has been too greedy, too corrupt, and the country is sick of him."
Ashton rubbed his chin reflectively. "She could be right," he said. "It would take just a puff of win to blow Tetkhang over right now. He's run this country right into the ground in the last five years----just about milked it dry and salted enough money away in Swiss banks to last two lifetimes. I don't think he'd risk losing everything now if it came to a standoff----if someone pushed hard enough he'd fold up and run. I think he'd prefer wealth and comfort instead of power and the chance of being shot by some trigger-happy student with a vendetta."
"Tetkhang has bankrupted Tsamphan," the girl said. She held up her hand proudly. "But when my uncle appears in our capital city, Minarahoi the people will rise up, and that will be the end of Tetkhang."
"It might work," agreed Ashton. "Your uncle was well liked. I guess you've prepared the ground in advance."
She nodded. "The Democratic Committee of Action has made all the arrangements. All that remains is for my uncle to appear in Minarahoi."
"He might not get there," said Ellis. "Somebody's trying to stop him, and if it's not Tetkhang, then who the hell is it?"
"The Tsam Khong," the girl spat out with loathing in her voice. "They cannot afford to let my uncle get into power again. They want Tsamphan for themselves."
"The who?" demanded Humphrey.
"The Tsam Khong," repeated Ellis. "It's a communist guerilla army that operates in this part of the country. Like the Viet Cong in Vietnam."
Ashton said. "Figures. Tetkhang is a dead duck, come what may; so it's Zinthrichai vs. the Tsam Khong with Tsamphan as the grand prize."
"They are not quite ready," the girl said. "They do not have enough support among the people. During the past two years they have been infiltrating the government very cleverly and if they had their way the people would wake up one morning to find Tetkhang gone, leaving a communist regime to take his place."
"Swapping one dictatorship for another," said Jefferson. "Very clever."
"But they are not yet ready to get rid of Tetkhang," she said. "My uncle would spoil their plans---he would get rid of Tetkhang and the government, too. He would hold elections for the first time in nine years. So the Tsam Khong are trying to stop him."
"And you think Gongpho was one of them?" queried Ellis. "A communist guerilla?"
Ashton snapped his fingers. "Of course he was. That explains his last words. He was a communist, all right---Soviet blend; when he said 'haillen' he was trying to say 'Hail Lenin.' His voice hardened. "And we can expect his buddies along any minute now."
"We must leave here quickly," said the girl. "They must not find my uncle."
Ellis suddenly swung around and regarded Kwai, whi had stayed unusually silent. He said, "What do you import, Mr. Kwai?"
"It is all right, Mr. Ellis," said Zinthrichai weakly. "Beck is my secretary."
Ashton looked at Kwai. "Looks more like your bodyguard."
Zinthrichai flapped his hand limply as if the distinction was unimportant, and Ashton said, "What put you onto him, Ellis?"
"I don't like men who carry guns," said Ellis shortly. "Especially men who could be communists." He looked around the cabin. "All right, are there any more Jokers in the pack? What about you, Ashton? You seem to know a hell of a lot about local politics for an American businessman."
"Don't be an asshole," said Ashton. "If I didn't take an interest in local politics my corporation would fire me. Having the right kind of government is important to us, and we sure as hell don't want a commie setup in Tsamphan."
He took out his wallet and extracted a business card which he handed to Ellis. It informed him that Juno Ashton was the East Asian sales manager for the Trand Corporation, a machine-tool firm.
Ellis gave it back to him. "Was Gongpho the only communist on board?" he said. "That's what I'm getting at. When we were coming in to land, did any of the passengers take any special precautions for their safety?"
Ashton thought about it, then shook his head. "Everyone seemed to be taken by surprise---I don't think any of us knew just what was happening." He looked at Ellis with respect. "In the circumstances that was a good question to ask."
"Well, I'm not a communist," said Miss Rasmussen sharply. "The very idea!"
Ellis smiled. "My apologies, Miss Rasmussen," he said politely.
Kwai had been tending to Mrs. Yates; now he stood up. "This lady is dying," he said. "She has lost much blood and she is in shock. And she has the lhimihwon----the mountain-sickness. If she does not get oxygen she will surely die." His black eyes switched to Zinthrichai , who seemed to have fallen asleep. "The prime minister also must have oxygen---he's in grave danger." He looked at them. "We must go down the mountain. To stay at this height is very dangerous."
Ellis was conscious of a vicious headache and the fact that his heart was thumping rapidly. He had been long enough in the country to have heard of lhimihwon and its effects. The lower air pressure on the mountain heights meant less oxygen, the respiratory rate went up and so did the heart rate, pumping the blood faster. It killed a weak constitution.
He said slowly, "There were oxygen cylinders in the plane---maybe they're not destroyed."
"Good," said Kwai. "We'll look, you and I. It'd be better not to move this lady if possible. But if we do not find the oxygen, then we must go down the mountain."
Ashton said, "We've got to keep a fire going---the rest of us'll look for wood." He paused. "Bring some gasoline from the plane---we'll need it."
"All right," said Ellis.
"C'mon," said Ashton to Humphrey. "Let's go."
Humphrey lay where he was, gasping. "I'm pooped," he said. "And my head's killing me."
"It's just a hangover," said Ashton callously. "Get on your feet, asshole."
Kwai put his hand on Ashton's arm. "Lhimihwon ," he said warningly. "He will not be able to do much. Come along, sir."
Ellis followed Kwai from the cabin and shivered in the biting air. He looked around. The airstrip was built on the only piece of level ground in the vicinity; all else was steeply shelving mountainside, and all around were the pinnacles of the high Himalayas, clear-cut in the cold and crystal air. They soared skyward, blindingly white against the blue where the snows lay on their flanks, and where the slope was too sleep for the snow to stay was the dark gray of the rock.
It was cold, barren, and utterly devoid of life. There was no restful green of vegetation, or the flick of a bird's wing----just black, white and the blue of the sky, a hard, dark metallic blue as alien as the landscape.
Ellis pulled his jacket closer about him and looked at the other huts. "What is this place?"
"It's a mine," said Kwai. "Iron, copper, lead, and zinc---the tunnels are over there." He pointed to a cliff face at the end of the airstrip and Ellis saw the dark mouth of his several tunnels driven into the cliff face. Kwai shook his head. "But it is too high to work---they should never have tried. No man can work well at this height; not even our mountain tribesmen."
"You know this place, then?"
"I know these mountains well," said Kwai. "I was born not far from here."
They trudged along the airstrip and before they had gone 100 yards Ellis felt tired. His head ached and he felt nauseated. He sucked the thin air into his lungs and his chest heaved.
Kwai stopped and said, "Do not force your breathing."
"What else can I do?" asked Ellis, panting. "I've got to get enough air."
"Breathe naturally, without effort," said Ellis. "You will get enough air. But if you force your breathing you will wash all the carbon dioxide from your lungs, and that will upset the acid base of your blood and you will get muscle cramps. And that is very bad."
Ellis moderated his breathing and said, "You seem to know a lot about it."
"I studied medicine once," said Kwai briefly.
They reached the far end of the strip and looked over the edge of the cliff. The Dakota was damn well smashed up; the port wing had snapped off, as had the whole tail section. Kwai studied the terrain. "We needn't climb down the cliff; it will be easier to go around."
It took them a long time to reach the plane. When they got there they found only one oxygen tank intact. It was hard to get it free and out of the aircraft, but they managed it after chopping away a part of the fuselage with the axe that Ellis found on the cockpit's floor.
The gauge showed the cylinder was just 1/3 full and Ellis cursed Hardy and his corner-cutting, but Kwai seemed content. "It will suffice," he said. "We can stay in the hut tonight."
"And if these Tsam Khong blokes show up?" asked Ellis.
Kwai seemed unperturbed. "Then we will be forced to defend ourselves," he said equably. "One matter at a time, Mr. Ellis."
"Gongpho seemed to think they were here already," said Ellis. "I wonder what held them up?"
Kwai shrugged. "No reason that need concern us, obviously."
They couldn't manhandle the oxygen tank back to the yurts without help, so Kwai went back, taking with him some mouthpieces and a jerrycan of gasoline tapped from a wing tank. Ellis searched the fuselage, looking for anything that might be of value, foodstuffs particularly. All he found was half a bar of Japanese chocolate in Gongpho's seat pocket.
Kwai came back with Ashton, Hope and Jefferson and they took turns carrying the oxygen cylinder, two by two. It was very hard work and they could only manage to move it 20 yards at a time. Ellis estimated that back in Nilaka he could have picked it up and carried it for 1/2 a mile, but the altitude seemed to have sucked all the strength from their muscles and they could work but a few minutes a time before they fell down in exhaustion.
When they got it to the yurt they found that Miss Rasmussen was feeding the fire with wood from a door of one of the other yurts that Hope and Jefferson had torn down and smashed up thoroughly with rocks. Hope was particularly glad to see the axe. "It'll be easier now," he said.
Kwai administered oxygen to Mrs. Yates and Zinthrichai. She remained unconscious, but it made a startling difference to the old man. As the color returned to his cheeks his niece smiled for the first time since the crash.
Ellis sat before the fire, feeling the warmth flood him, and produced his air charts. He spread the relevant chart on the floor and pinpointed a position with a penciled cross. "That's where we were when we changed course," he said. "We flew on a true course of 184 for a spot of at least five minutes." He drew a line on the charge. "We were flying at little over 200 knots---say, 240 miles per hour. That's about 20 miles---so that puts us about---here." He made another cross.
Ashton looked over his shoulder. "The airstrips not even marked on the map," he said.
"Kwai told me it was abandoned," said Ellis.
Kwai came over and looked at the map and nodded. 'You are correct," he said. "That is where we are. The road down to the mountain leads to the refinery. That too is abandoned, but I think some mountain tribesmen still live there."
"How far is it to that place?" asked Ashton.
"40 kilometers," said Kwai.
"25 miles," translated Ashton. "That's one helluva long way in these conditions."
"It won't be so bad," said Kwai. He put his finger on the map. "When we get to this valley where the river runs we'll be nearly 5,000 feet lower and we'll breathe more easily. That is about 16 kilometers by the road."
"We'll start early tomorrow," said Ellis.
Kwai agreed. "If we had no oxygen I would have said go now. But it would be better to stay in the shelter of this yurt tonight."
"What about Mrs. Yates?" said Ellis quietly. "Can we move her?"
"We must," said Kwai positively. "She cannot live at this altitude."
"We'll piece together some kind of stretcher," said Ashton. "We can make a sling out of clothing and poles---or maybe use a door."
Ellis looked across to where Mrs. Yates was breathing stertorously, closely watched by Miss Rasmussen. His voice was harsh. "I'd rather that bastard Gongpho was still alive if that would give her back her legs," he said.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvTRqmVOOO
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Mrs. Yates died during the night without regaining consciousness. They found her in the morning cold and stiff. Miss Rasmussen was in tears. "I should've stayed awake," she sniffled. "I couldn't sleep most of the night, and then I had to drift off."
Kwai shook his head gravely. "She would have died anyway," he said. "We could not do anything for her---none of us."
Ashton, Ellis and Humphrey dug out a shallow grave. Humphrey seemed better and Ellis thought that maybe Ashton had been right when he said that Humphrey was only suffering from a hangover. However, he had to be prodded into helping to dig the grave.
It seemed that everybody had had a bad night, nobody sleeping very well. Kwai said that it was another symptom of lhimihwon and the sooner they got to a lower altitude the better. Ellis still had a splitting headache and heartily concurred.
The oxygen tank was empty!
Ellis tapped the gauge with his finger but the needle stubbornly stayed at zero. He opened the cock and bent his head to listen but there was no sound from the valve. He had heard the gentle hiss of oxygen during the night and had assumed that Kwai had been tending to Mrs. Yates or Zinthrichai.
He beckoned to Kwai. "Did you use all the oxygen last night?"
Kwai looked incredulously at the gauge. "I was saving some for today," he said. "Mr. Zinthrichai. needs it."
Ellis bit his lip and looked across to where Humphrey sat. "I thought he looked pretty spry this morning."
Kwai growled something under his breath and took a step forward but Ellis caught his arm. "It can't be proven," he said. "I could be wrong. And anyway, we don't want any tiffs right here. Let's get down this mountain." He kicked the tank and it clanged emptily. "At least we won't have to carry this."
He remembered the chocolate and brought it out. There were eight small squares to be divided between ten of them, so he, Kwai and Ashton did without and Zinthrichai.had two pieces. Ellis thought that he must have had three because the girl didn't appear to eat her ration.
Jefferson and Hope appeared to work well as a team. Using the axe, they had cut down the poles holding up one of the yurts and made a rough stretcher by pushing the wooden poles through the sleeves of two overcoats. That was for Zinthrichai, who was unable to walk.
They put on all the clothes they could and left the rest in suitcases. Ashton gave Ellis a bulky overcoat. "Don't mess it about if you can avoid it," he said. "That's paangh---it cost a lot of dough." He grinned. "The boss's wife asked me to get it this trip; it's the old man's birthday soon."
Humphrey grumbled when he had to leave his luggage and grumbled more when Ellis assigned him to a stretcher-carrying stint. Ellis resisted taking a poke at him; for one thing he did not want open trouble, and for another he didn't know whether he had the strength to do any damage. At the moment it was all he could do to put one foot before the other.
So they left the yurts and went down the road, turning their backs on the high peaks. The road was just a rough track cut out of the mountainside. It wound down in a series of hairpin bends and Hope pointed out where blasting had been done on the corners. It was just wide enough to take a single vehicle but, from time to time, they came across a wide part where two trucks could pass.
Ellis asked Kwai, "Did they intend to truck all the ore from the mine?"
"They would have built a telfer," said Kwai. "A perpetual rope with buckets. But they were still proving the mine. Gasoline engines don't work well up here---they require superchargers." He stopped suddenly and stared at the ground.
In a patch of snow was a tire track.
"Well, somebody's been up here lately," observed Ellis. "Supercharged or not. But I already knew that."
"How?!" Kwai demanded.
"The airstrip had been cleared of snow."
Kwai patted his breast and moved away without saying anything. Ellis remembered the pistol and wondered what would happen if they came up against opposition.
Although the path was downhill and the going comparatively good, it was just possible to carry the stretcher 100 yards at a time. Ashton organized relays, and as one set of carriers collapsed exhaustedly another took over. Zinthrichai was in a comatose condition and the girl walked next to the stretcher, anxiously watching him. After one mile they stopped for a rest and Ellis said to Kwai, "I've got a flask of spirits. I've been saving it for when the going gets really tough. Do you think it would help the old man?"
"Let me have it," said Kwai.
Ellis took the flask from his hip and gave it to Kwai, who took off the cap to sniff the contents. "Jamwhang," he said. "Not the best drink but it will have to do." He looked at Ellis curiously. "Do you drink this?"
"Only because I'm a poor man," said Ellis defensively.
Kwai smiled. "When I was a student I too was poor. I also drank jamwhang. But I do not recommend too much." He looked across at Zinthrichai. "I think we shall save this for later." He recapped the flask and handed it back to Ellis. As Ellis was replacing it in his pocket he saw Humphrey staring at him. He smiled back pleasantly.
After a rest if 30 minutes they started off again. Ellis, in the lead, looked back and thought they looked like a bunch of war refugees. Hope and Jefferson were stumbling along with the stretcher, the girl keeping pace alongside; Miss Rasmussen was sticking close to Kwai, chatting as if on a Sunday afternoon walk, despite her shortness of breath, and Ellis was in the rear with Ellis shambling beside him.
After the third stop Ellis found that things were going better. His step felt lighter and his breathing eased, although the headache stayed with him. The stretcher-bearers found that they could carry for longer periods, and Zinthrichai had come around and was taking notice.
Ellis mentioned this to Kwai, who pointed at the steep slopes about them. "We're losing a lot of height," he said. "It'll get better now."
After the fourth halt Ellis and Ashton were carrying the stretcher. Zinthrichai apolized in a weak voice for the inconvenience he was causing, but Ellis forbore to answer---he needed all his breath for the job. Things weren't that much better.
Ashton suddenly stopped and Ellis thankfully laid down the stretcher. His legs felt rubbery and the breath rasped in his throat. He grinned at Ashton, who was beating his hands against his chest. "Never mind," he said, "It should be warmer down in the valley."
Ashton blew on his fingers. "I hope so." He looked up at Ellis. "You're a damn good pilot," he said. "I've done some flying in my youth, but I don't think I could do what you did yesterday."
"You might if someone was holding a gun to your head," said Ellis, grimacing. "Anyway, I couldn't leave it to Gongpho---he'd have killed all of us, starting with me."
He looked past Ashton and saw Kwai coming back up the road at a stumbling run, gun in his hand. "Something's happening."
He went forward to meet Kwai, who gasped, his chest heaving. "There are yurts here---I had forgotten them."
Ellis looked at the gun. "Do you need that?"
Kwai gave a stark smile. "It's possible, sir." He waved casually down the road with the pistol. "I think we should be careful. I think we should look first before doing anything. You, me, and Mr. Ashton."
"I agree," said Ashton. "Gongpho said his pals would be around and this seems like a likely place to meet 'em."
"All right," said Ellis, and looked around. There was no cover on the road but there was a jumble of rocks a little way back. "I think everybody else had better stick behind that lot," he said. "If anything does break, there's no point in being caught in the open."
They went back to shelter behind the rocks and Ellis told everybody what was happening. He ended by saying: "If there's shooting you don't do a damn thing----you freeze and stay the hell put. Now I know we're not an army but we're likely to come under fire all the same---so I'm naming Doctor Hope as second-in-command. If anything happens to us you take your orders from him." Hope nodded.
Zinthrichai 's nice was talking to Kwai, and as Ellis went to join Ashton she touch him on the arm. "Mr. Ellis."
He looked down at her. "Yes, miss?"
"Please be careful, you and Mr. Ashton. I would not want anything to happen to you because of us."
"I'll be careful," said Ellis. "Tell me, is your name the same as your uncle's."
"I am called Mary-Anne Zinthrichai," she said.
He nodded. "I'm Garrick Ellis. I'll be careful."
He joined the other two and they walked down the road to the bend. Kwai said, "These huts were where the miners lived. This is just about as high as a man can live permanently---a man who is acclimatized such as our mountain tribesmen. I think we should leave the road here and approach from the side. If Gongpho did have friends, here is where we will find them."
They took to the mountainside and came upon the camp from the top. A level place had been roughly bulldozed out of the mountainside and there were about twelve wood-and-cloth yurts, very much like the yurts by the airstrip.
"It's no good," said Ashton. "We'll have to go over this little cliff before we can get at them."
"There's no smoke," Ellis pointed out.
"Maybe that means something---maybe not," said Ashton. "I think that Kwai and I will go around and come up from the bottom. If anything happens, maybe you can cause a diversion from up here."
"What do I do?" asked Ellis. "Throw stones?"
Ashton shook with silent laughter. He pointed down the slope to beyond the camp. "We'll come out about there. You can see us from here but we'll be out of sight of anyone in the camp. If all's clear you can give us the signal to come up." He looked at Kwai, who nodded.
Ashton and Kwai left quietly and Ellis lay on his belly, looking down at the camp. He didn't think there was anyone there. It was less than 5 miles up to the airstrip by the road and there was nothing to stop anybody going up there. If Gongpho's confederates were anywhere, it was unlikely that they would be at this camp---but it was just as well to make sure. He scanned the huts but saw no sign of movement.
Presently he saw Ashton wave from the side of the rock he had indicated and he waved back. Kwai went up first, in a wide arc to come upon the camp at an angle. Then Ashton moved forward in the odd scuttling, zigzagging run of the experienced soldier who expects to be shot at. Ellis wondered about Ashton; the man had said he could fly an airplane and now he was behaving like a trained soldier. He had an eye for ground, too, and was obviously used to command.
Ashton vanished behind one of the yurts and then Kwai came into sight at the far end of the camp, moving warily with his gun in his hand. He too vanished, and Ellis felt tension. He waited for what seemed like a very long time, then Ashton walked out from behind the nearest yurt, moving quite unconcernedly. "You can come down," he called. "There's nobody here."
Ellis let out his breath with a rush and stood up. "I'll go back and get the rest of the people down here," he shouted, and Ashton waved in assent.
Ellis went back up the road, collected the party and took them down to the camp. Ashton and Kwai were waiting in the main "street" and Ashton called out: "We've struck it rich! There's a lot of food here!"
Suddenly Ellis realized that he hadn't eaten for a day and a half. He didn't feel particularly hungry, but he knew that if he did not eat he could not hold out much longer---and neither could any of the others. To have food would make a lot of difference on the next leg of the journey.
Ashton said, "Most of the yurts are empty, but three of them are fitted out as living quarters complete with kerosene heaters."
Ellis looked down at the ground which was criss-crossed with tire tracks. "There's something weird going on," he said. "Kwai told me that the min has been abandoned for a long time, yet there's all these signs of life and nobody around. What the hell's going on?"
Ashton shrugged. "Maybe the commie organization is slipping,' he said. "The Asians have never been known for good planning. Maybe someone's put a spoke in their wheel."
"Maybe," said Ellis. "We might as well take advantage of it. What do you think we should do now---how long should we stay here?"
Ashton looked at the group entering one of the yurts, then up at the sky. "We're pretty beat," he said. "Maybe we should stay here until tomorrow. It'll take us a while to get fed and it'll be late before we can move out. We should stay here tonight and stay warm."
"We'll consult Kwai," said Ellis. "He's the expert on mountains and altitude."
The yurts were well fitted. There were paraffin stoves, bunks, plenty of blankets and a large array of canned foods. On the table in one of the yurts there were the remnants of a meal, the plates dirty and unwashed and frozen dregs of tea in the bottoms of tin mugs. Ellis felt the thickness of the ice and it cracked beneath the pressure of his finger.
"They've not been gone long," he said. "If the hut was unheated this stuff would have frozen to the bottom." He passed the mug to Kwai. "What do you think?"
Kwai looked at the ice closely. "If they turned off the heaters when they left, the yurt would stay warm for a while," he said. He tested the ice and thought deeply. "I would say two days," he said at last.
"Say yesterday morning," said Ellis. "That would be about the time we took off from Nikala."
Ashton groaned in exasperation. "It doesn't make sense. Why did they go to all this trouble, make all these preparations, and then clear out? One thing's sure: Gongpho expected a reception committee---and where the hell is it?"
Ellis said to Kwai: "We're thinking of staying here tonight. What do you think?"
"Better here than at the mine," said Kwai. "We've lost a lot of height. I would say that we are at an altitude of about 4,000 meters here---perhaps a little more. That will not harm us for one night; it will be better to stay here in shelter than stay in the open tonight, even if it is lower down the mountain." He contracted his brows. "But I suggest we keep a watch."
Ashton nodded. "We'll take it in turns."
Miss Rasmussen and Mary-Anne were busy on the pressure stoves making hot soup. Jefferson had already gotten the heater going and Hope was sorting out cans of food. He called Ellis over. "I thought we'd better take something with us when we leave," he said. "It might come in handy."
"Good idea," said Ellis.
Hope grinned. "That's all very well, but I can't read those squiggly-squirrely pictograms. I have to go by the pictures on the labels. Someone had better check on these when I've got 'em sorted out."
Ashton and Kwai went on down the road to pick a good spot for a sentry, and when Ashton came back he said, "Kwai's taking the first watch. We've got a good place where we can see bits of road a good two miles away. And if they come up at night they're sure to have their lights on."
He looked at his watch. "We've got six able-bodied men, so if we leave here early tomorrow, that means 2-hour watches. That's not too bad---it gives us all enough sleep."
After they had eaten, Mary-Anne took some food down to Kwai and Ellis found himself next to Jefferson. "You said you were a historian. I suppose you're over here to check up on the Tibetans," he said.
"Oh, no," said Jefferson. "They're not my life of country at all. My line is medieval history."
"Oh," said Ellis blankly.
"I don't know anything about Tibet, Ladakh, or any other Himalayan culture and I don't particularly want to," said Jefferson frankly. He smiled gently. "For the past 10 year I've never had a real holiday. I'd go on holiday like a normal man---maybe to France, maybe to Italy---and then I'd see something interesting. I'd do a bit of investigating---and before I knew it I'd be hard at work."
He produced a pipe and peered dubiously into his tobacco pouch. "This year I decided to come to Asia for a holiday. All there is here is ancient and modern history---no medieval history at all. Clever of me, eh, what?"
Ellis smiled, suspecting that Jefferson was indulging in a bit of leg-pulling. "And what's your line of work, Dr. Hope?"
"I'm a physicist," said Hope. "I'm interested in cosmic rays at high altitudes. I'm not getting very far with it, though."
They were certainly a mixed lot, thought Elis, looking across at Miss Rasmussen as she talked animatedly to Zinthrichai. Now there was a sight---a New England spinster schoolmarm lecturing a statesman. She would surely have plenty to tell her pupils when she arrived back at the little schoolhouse.
"What was this place, anyway?" asked Hope.
"Living quarters for the mine on top," said Ellis. "That's what Kwai told me."
Hope nodded. "They had all their workshops down here, too," he said. "All the machinery has gone, of course, but there are still a few bits and pieces left." He shivered. "I gotta say, I wouldn't like working in a place like this."
Ellis looked around the yurt. "I wouldn't either." He caught sight of an electric conduit tube running down from the yurt's roof to the floor. "Where did their electricity supply come from, I wonder."
"They had their own plant; there's the remains of it out back. The generator's gone---they must've salvaged it when the mine shut down. They scavenged everything, I guess; there's not a damn thing left."
Jefferson drew the last of the smoke from his failing pipe with a disconsolate gurgle. "Well, that's the last of the tobacco until we return to civilization," he said as knocked out the bottle. "Tell me, Captain; what're you doing in this part of the world?"
"Oh, I fly airplanes from anywhere to anywhere," said Ellis. Not any more I don't, he thought. As far as Hardy was concerned, he was finished. Hardy would never forgive a pilot who wrote off one of his aircraft, no matter what the reason. I've lost my job, he thought. It was a lousy job but it had kept him going, and now he'd lost it.
The girl came back and he crossed over to her. "Anything going on down the road?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nothing. Beck says everything is quiet."
"He's quite a character," said Ellis. "He certainly knows a lot about these mountains---and he knows a bit about medicine too."
"He was born near here," Mary-Anne said. "And he was a medical student until..." She stopped.
"Until what?" prompted Ellis.
"Until the coup." She looked at her hands. "All his family were killed by Tetkhang's military police---that's why he hates the general. That is why he works with my uncle---he knows that my uncle will ruin Tetkhang."
"I suspected he had a chip on his shoulder," said Ellis.
She sighed. "It is a great pity about Beck; he was going to do so much. He was very interested in the lhimihwon, you know; he intended to study it as soon as he had taken his degree. But when the coup came he had to leave the country and he had no money so he could not continue his studies. He worked in Hawaii for a while, and then he met my uncle. He saved my uncle's life."
"Oh?" Ellis raised his eyebrows.
"In the beginning Tetkhang knew that he was not safe while my uncle was alive. He knew my uncle would organize an opposition---underground, you know. So wherever my uncle went he was in danger from the assassins hired by Tetkhang---even in Hawaii. There were several attempts to kill him, and it was one of these times that Beck saved his life."
Ellis said, "Your uncle must have felt like another Trotsky. Josef Stalin had him killed in Mexico."
"That is right," she said with a grimace of distaste. "But they were communists, both of them. Anyway, Beck stayed with us after that. He said that all he wanted was food to eat and a bed to sleep in, and he would help my uncle come back to Tsamphan. And here we are."
Yes, thought Ellis; marooned up a bloody mountain with God knows what waiting at the bottom.
Presently, Jefferson went out to relieve Kwai. Miss Rasmussen came across to talk to Ellis. "I'm sorry I behaved so stupidly in the airplane," she said crossly. "I don't know what came over me."
Ellis thought there was no need to apologize for being half scared to death; he had been bloody scared himself. But he couldn't say that---he couldn't even mention the word fear to her. That would be unforgivable; nobody likes to be reminded of a lapse of that nature---not even a maiden lady getting up in years. He smiled and said diplomatically, "Not everyone would have come through an experience like that as well as you have, Miss Rasmussen."
She was mollified and he knew that she had been in fear of a rebuff. She was the kind of person who would bite on a sore tooth, not leaving it alone. She smiled and said, "Well now, Captain Ellis---what do you think of all this talk about communists?"
"I think they're capable of anything," said Ellis grimly.
"I'm going to put in a report to the State Department when I get back," she said. "You ought to hear what Mr. Zinthrichai has been telling me about General Tetkhang. I think the State Department should help Mr. Zinthrichai against General Tetkhang and the Tsam Khong."
"I'm inclined to agree with you," said Ellis. "But I think your State Department has too much to do in Vietnam to bother with Tsamphan."
"Bullshit," said Miss Rasmussen with acerbity.
"We're supposed to be fighting the communists, aren't we? Besides, Mr. Zinthrichai assures me that he'll hold elections as soon as General Tetkhang is kicked out. He's a real democrat just like you and me."
Ellis wondered what would happen if yet another Asian state went communist, just like China, North Korea and North Vietnam. Soviet agents were filtering all through Asia like woodworms in a piece of furniture. He tried to think of the strategic importance of Tsamphan---it was landlocked, yes, but it straddled the Himalayas, a gun pointing to the heart of the continent. He thought the Americans would be very upset if Tsamphan went communist.
Kwai came back and talked for a few minutes with Zinthrichai, then he crossed to Ellis and said in a low voice: "Mr. Zinthrichai would like to talk to you." He gestured to Ashton and the three of them went to where Zinthrichai was resting in a bunk.
He had brightened considerably and was looking quite spry. His eyes were lively and no longer filmed with weariness, and there was a strength and authority in his voice that Ellis had not heard before. He realized that this was a strong man; maybe not too strong in the body because he was getting old and his body was wearing out, but he had a strong mind. Ellis suspected that if the old man had not had a strong will, the body would have crumpled under the strain it'd undergone.
Zinthrichai said: "First, I must thank you gentlemen for all you have done, and I am truly sorry that I have brought this calamity upon you." He shook his head sadly. "It is the innocent man who always suffers in the cauldron of our Asiatic politics. I am sorry that this should have happened and that you should see my nation in this sad light."
"Well, what else could we do?" asked Ashton. "We're all in this together."
"It is good that you see it that way," said Zinthrichai. "Because of what may come next. What happens if we meet up with the Tsam Khong who should be here yet are not?"
"Before we get to that there's something I'd like to query," said Ellis. Zinthrichai raised his eyebrows and motioned him to go one, so Ellis said deliberately: "How do we know they're Tsam Khong? Ms. Zinthrichai tells me that Tetkhang has tried to liquidate you several times. How do you know he hasn't got wind of your return and is taking another whack at you."
Zinthrichai shook his head. "Tetkhang has----how do you say it?----shot his bolt. I know. Do not forget that I am a practical politician and give me credit for knowing my own work. Tetkhang forgot about me several years ago and is only interested in how he can safely relinquish the reins of power and retire. As for the Tsam Khong----for years I have watched them work in my country, undermining the government and wooing the people. They have not gotten far with the people, or they would have disposed of Tetkhang by now. I am their only danger and I am sure that our situation is their work."
Ashton said casually, "Gongpho was trying to make a clenched fist salute when he died."
"All right," said Ellis. "But why all this rigmarole of Gongpho in the first place? Why not just put a time bomb in the Dakota---that would have done the job very easily."
Zinthrichai smiled. "Mr. Ellis, in my life as a politician I have had four bombs thrown at me and every one was defective. Our politics out here are emotional and emotion does not make for careful workmanship, even of bombs. And I am sure that even communism cannot make any difference to the native characteristics of my people. They wanted to make sure of me and so they chose the unlucky Gongpho as their instrument. Would have you have called Gongpho an emotional man?"
"I should think he was," said Ellis, thinking of Gongpho's exultation even in death. "And he was pretty slipshod too."
Zinthrichai spread his hands, sure he had made his point. But he drove it home. "Gongpho would be happy to be given such work; it would appeal to his sense of drama. As for being---uh---slipshod, Gongpho bungled the first part of the operation by stupidly killing himself, and the others have bungled the rest of it by not being here to meet us."
Ellis rubbed his chin. As Zinthrichai drew the picture it made a strange kind of sense.
Zinthrichai said, "Now, my friends, we come to the next point. Supposing, on the way down the mountain, we meet these men---these Tsam Khong? What happens then?" He regarded Ellis and Ashton with bright eyes. "It is not your fight---you are not Tsamphanese---and I am interested to know what you would do. Would you give this heathen politician into the hands of his enemies or...."
"Would we fight?" finished Ashton.
"It's my fight," said Ellis bluntly. "I'm not Tsamphanese, but Gongpho pulled a gun on me and made me crash my plane. I didn't like that, and I didn't like the sight of the Yates. Anyway, I don't like the sight of communists, and I think that, all in all, this is my fight."
"I agree," said Ashton.
Zinthrichai raised his hand. "But it is not as simple as that, is it? There are others to take into account. Would it be fair on Miss---er---Rasmussen, for example? Now what I propose is this. Beck, my niece and I will withdraw to another yurt while you talk it over---and I promise to abide by your decision."
Ashton looked speculatively at Humphrey, who was just leaving the question of fighting until there's something to fight. It's possible that we might just walk out of here."
Zinthrichai had seen Ashton's look at Humphrey. He smiled sardonically. "I see that you are a politician yourself, Mr. Ashton." He made a gesture of resignation. "Very well, we will leave the problem for the moment---but I think we will have to return to it."
“It’s a shame we had to come down the mountain,” said Ashton. “There’s sure to be an air search, and it might've been better to stay by the Dakota.”
“We could not have survived up there,” said Kwai.
“I know, but it’s a still a damn shame.”
“It doesn’t make any difference,” said Ellis. “The wreck will be tough to spot from the air — it’s right at the foot of a cliff.” He hesitated. “As for an air search---don't count on that right now."
Ashton jerked his head. “What the hell do you mean by that?”
“Himalayas Airlift isn’t known for its efficiency and Hardy, my boss, is lousy at paperwork. This flight didn’t even have a number — I remember wondering about that just before we took off. It’s on the cards that Nilaka control didn't bother to notify Tshamphan to expect us.” As he saw Ashton’s expression he added. “The whole set-up is chewing gum and bailing wire — it’s just a small field.”
"Won't your boss get a little bit antsy when he doesn't hear from you?"
“Yeah, he'll get antsy," agreed Ellis. “He told me to phone him from Tsamphan — but he won’t get too antsy at first. There've been times when I haven't phoned through on his say-so and had a biggie for losing cargo. But I don't think he'll fret over losing the plane for two days at least."
Ashton blew out his cheeks. "Jesus Christ! What a Gilbert & Sullivan organization. Now I really feel lost!"
Kwai said, “We'll have to depend on our own efforts. I think we can be sure of that."
“We flew off course too,” said Ellis. “They’ll start the search north of here — when they start, that is.”
Kwai looked at Zinthrichai, whose eyes were closed. “There is nothing we can do now,” he said. “But we must sleep. It will be a hard day tomorrow.”433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1rtNmmNV6
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Once again, Ellis didn't sleep very well, but at least he was resting on a mattress instead of a hard floor with a full belly. Humphrey was on watch and Ellis was supposed to relieve him at 2:00; he was glad when the time came.
He donned his leather jacket and took the oilskin jacket that Ashton had given him. He suspected that he would be glad of it during the next 2 hours. Ashton was awake and waved lazily as he went out, although he didn't speak. The night air was thin and cold and Ellis shivered as he set off down the road. As Kwai had said, the conditions for survival were better here than up by the airstrip, but it was still pretty dicey. He was aware that his heart was booming and that his respiration rate was up. It would be much better when they got down to the loya, as Kwai called the lateral valley to which they were heading.
He reached the corner where he had to leave the road and headed towards the looming outcropping of rock which Kwai had picked as a vantage point. Humphrey should have been perched on top of the rock and should have heard him coming, but there was no sign of his presence.
Ellis called softly: "Humphrey!"
Silence.
Cautiously he circled the outcrop to get it silhouetted against the night sky. There was a lump on top of the rock which he couldn't quite make out. He started to climb the rock and as he reached the top he heard a muffled snore. He shook Humphrey and his foot clinked on a bottle....Humphrey was drunk!
"Bloody fool!" he said and started to slap Humphrey's face, but without appreciable result. Humphrey muttered in his drunken stupor but did not recover consciousness. "I ought to let you die of exposure," whispered Ellis viciously, but he knew he couldn't do that. He also knew that he couldn't hope to carry Humphrey back to the camp all by his lonesome. He would need assistance.
He stared down the mountainside but all was silent, so he climbed down the rock and headed back up the road. Ashton was still awake and looked up inquiringly as Ellis entered the yurt. "What's the matter?" he asked, suddenly alert.
"Humphrey's passed out," said Ellis. "I'll need help to bring him up."
"Damn this altitude!" said Ashton, putting on his shoes.
"It wasn't the altitude," Ellis said coldly. "The bastard's stone drunk."
Ashton muffled an imprecation. "Where'd he get his booze?"
"I guess he must've found it in one of the yurts," said Ellis. "I've still got my flask---I was saving it for Zinthrichai."
"All right," said Ashton. "Let's haul the silly bastard up here."
That was easier said than done. Humphrey was a big, flabby man and his body lolled uncooperatively, but they managed it at last and dumped him unceremoniously in a bunk. Ashton gasped and said. "This asshole will be the death of us all if we don't watch him." He paused. "I'll come down with you---it might be better to have two pairs of eyes down there right now."
They went back and climbed up on to the rock, lying side by side and scanning the dark mountainside. For 15 minutes they were silent, but saw and heard nothing. "I think it's okay," said Ashton at last. He shifted his position to ease his bones. "What do you think of the old man?"
"He seems okay to me," said Ellis.
"He's a good joe---a good liberal politician. If he lasts long enough he might end up by being a good liberal statesman---but liberals don't last long in this part of the world, and I think he's a shade too soft." Ashton chuckled. "Even when it's a matter of life and death---his life and death, to say nothing of his niece's---he still sticks to democratic procedure. He wants us to vote on whether we shall hand him over to the Tsam Khong. Imagine that!"
"I wouldn't hand anyone over to a bunch of communists," said Ellis. He glanced sideways at the dark bulk of Ashton.
"You said you could fly a plane---I suppose you do that as a matter of business; company plane and all that."
"Hell, no," said Ashton. "My outfit's not big enough or advanced enough for that. I was in the Air Force---I flew in Korea."
"So did I," said Ellis. "I was in the R.A.F."
"Well, whaddya know!" Ashton was delighted. "Where were you based?"
Ellis told him and he said: "Then you were flying Sabers like I was. We went on joint operations---hell, we must've flown together."
"Most likely."
They lay in companionable silence for a while, then Ashton said, "Did you knock down any of those MiGs? I got four, then they pulled me out. Boy, was I mad about that! I wanted to be a war hero; an ace, you know."
"Don't you have to score five in the USAF?"
“That’s right,” said Forester. “Did you get any?”
“Two,” said Ellis. Yes, he had shot down 8 MiGs but it was a part of his life that he wanted badly to forget, so he didn't elaborate. Ashton sensed his reserve and was silent. After a few minutes he said, "I think I'll go back and get some sleep---if I can. We'll be on our way early."
When he had gone Ellis stared into the darkness and thought about Korea. That had been the turning point of his life: before Korea he'd been on his way up; after Korea there was just the endless slide, down to Hardy and now beyond. He wondered where he would ultimately end up.
Thinking of Korea brought back Rita and the letter. He had read the letter while on ready call on a frozen airfield. The Americans had a name for that kind of a letter---they called them "Dear Johns." She was quite matter-of-fact about it and said that they were adults and must be sensible about this thing----all of the usual rationalizations which covered plain infidelity. Looking back on it afterwards Ellis could see a little humor in it---not much, but some. He was one of the inglorious 10% of any army fighting thousands of miles away from home, and he had lost his wife to a civilian. But it wasn't funny at all reading that letter on the cold airfield in Korea.
5 minutes later there was a scramble and he was airborne and 30 minutes later he was in combat. He went into battle with cold ferocity and a total lack of judgment. In 3 minutes he shot down two MiGs, surprising them by sheer recklessness. Then a Chinese pilot with a cooler mind shot him down and he spent the rest of the war in a prison camp.
He didn't like to think of that period and what happened to him. He had come out it with honor, but the shrinks had a field day with him when he got back to England. They did what they could but they couldn't break him out of the shell he'd built around himself---and neither, by that time, could he himself break out.
And so it went---cashiered out of the RAF with a pension which he promptly commuted; the good jobs---at first---and then the poorer jobs, until he got down to Hardy. And always the drink.....more and more booze which had less and less effect as he tried to fill and smother the aching emptiness inside of him.
He moved restlessly on the rock and heard the bottle clink. He put out his hand, picked it up, and held it to the sky. It was 1/4 full. He smiled. He could not get drunk on that little bit but it'd surely be very welcome. Yet as the fiery fluid spread and warmed his gut he felt guilty.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eHVnWHHox
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Humphrey was blearily belligerent when he woke up and found Ellis staring at him. At first he looked defensive, then his instinct for attack took over. “I’m not gonna take any shit from you,” he said shakily. “Not from some goddam limey.”
Ellis just looked at him. He had no wish to tax Humphrey with anything. Weren’t they members of the same club? he thought sardonically. Fellow drunkards. Why, we even drank from the same bottle. He felt terrible.
Kwai took a step forward and Humphrey screamed. “And I’m not gonna take any shit from a slant-eyes either!”
“Then how about taking it from me," snapped Ashton. He took one stride and slapped Humphrey hard on the side of the face. Humphrey sagged back on the bed and looked into Ashton’s cold, hard eyes with an expression of fear and shock on his face. His hand came up to touch the red blotch on his cheek. He was just going to say something when Ashton pushed a finger at him. “Shut up! One peep out of you and I’ll beat the livin' shit outta you. Now get your big fat ass off that bed and get to work — and if you step out of line again I swear to God I’ll kill you.”
The ferocity in Ashton’s voice had a chilling effect on Humphrey. All the belligerence drained out of him. “I didn’t! mean to...." he started.
"Shut up!" said Ashton and turned his back on him. "Let's get this show on the road," he announced generally.
They took food and a pressure stove and fuel, carrying it in awkwardly contrived packs cobbled from their overcoats. Ellis didn't think that Ashton's boss would thank him for the oilskin jacket, already showing signs of hard use.
Zinthrichai said he could walk, provided he wasn't asked to go too fast, so Ashton took the stretcher poles and lashed them together in what he called a travois. "The Plains Indians used this for transport," he said. "They got along without wheels---so can we." He grinned. "They pulled with horses and we have only manpower, but it's downhill all the way."433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12mqOEBZtS
The travois held a lot, much more than a man could carry, and Ashton and Ellis took first turn at pulling the triangular contraption, the apex bumping and bouncing on the stony ground. The others fell into line behind them and once again they wound their way down the mountain.
Ellis looked at his watch---it was 6:00 a.m. He began to calculate---they had not come very far the previous day, not more than 4 or 5 miles, but they'd been rested, warmed and fed, and that was all to the good. He doubted if they could make more than 10 miles a day, so that meant another 2 days to the refinery, but they had enough food for at least 4 days, so they would be all right even if Zinthrichai slowed them down. Things seemed immeasurably brighter.
The terrain around them began to change. There were tufts of grass scattered sparsely and an occasional wildflower, and as they went on these signs of life became more frequent. They were able to move faster, too, and Ellis said to Kwai, "The low altitude seems to be doing us good."
"That---and acclimatization," said Kwai. He smiled grimly. "If it does not kill you, you can get used to it---eventually."
They came to one of the inevitable curves in the road and Kwai stopped and pointed to a silvery thread. "That is the loya----where the river is. We cross the river and turn north. The refinery is about 24 kilometers from the bridge."433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGBDujUNXJD
"What's the height above sea-level?" asked Ellis. He was beginning to take a great interest in the air he breathed---more interest than he'd ever taken in his life.
"About 3,500 meters," said Kwai.
12,000 feet, Ellis thought. That's much better.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvi1Ndk10y
They made good time and decided they would be able to have their noon rest and some hot food on the other side of the bridge. “A little over 5 miles in half a day,” said Ashton, munching on a piece of dried beef. "That won't be bad going. But I hope to God that Kwai is right when he says that the refinery is still inhabited."433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOuxaEujVr
“We will be all right,” said Kwai. “There is a village 10 miles on the other side of the refinery. Some of us can go on and bring back help if we must.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC5xrDjsuke
They pushed on and found that suddenly they were in the valley. There was no more snow and the ground was rocky, with even more clumps of tough grass. The road stopped twisting and they went past many small ponds. It was significantly warmer too, and Ellis found that he could stride out without losing his breath.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0yNTGt1xT
We’ve got it made, he thought exultantly.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFW2Fq4fCJR
Soon they heard the roar of the river which carried the melt-water from the snow fields behind them and suddenly they were all happy. Miss Rasmussen chattered unceasingly, exclaiming once in her high-pitched voice as she saw a bird, the first living, moving thing they had seen in two days. Ellis heard Zinthrichai’s deep chuckle and even Humphrey cheered up, now fully recovered from Ashton’s tongue-lashing.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rm2MQlzUX
Ellis found himself standing next to Mary-Anne. She smiled at him and said. “Who has the pressure stove? We are going to need it soon.”433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2x51qhdwk
He pointed back to where Hope and Jefferson were pulling the travois. “I packed it up in there,” he said.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSl3oINB8Dl
They were very near the river now and he estimated that the road would have one final turn before they came to the bridge. “C'mon,” he said. “Let’s see what’s around the corner.”433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡka2yULL8iy
They stepped out and rounded the curve. Just then Ellis suddenly stopped. There were men and vehicles on the other side of the swollen river and the bridge was out.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrXExa4382
A faint babble of voices rose above the river’s mighty roar as they were seen and some of the men on the other side began running. Ellis saw a man reach into the back of a truck and lift out a rifle and there was a popping noise as others opened up with pistols.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMwhR2BK43
He lurched violently into Mary-Anne, sending her flying just as the rifle cracked, and she stumbled into cover, dropping some cans in the middle of the road. As Ellis fell after her one of the cans suddenly flew into the air as a bullet struck it, and leaked a tomato-colored bloodiness.433Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ZNdzA0f8P
