"So we can go down into St Pierre as soon ass the hurricane passes"

"Yes, there'll be nothing to stop you"

"What about the flooding in the Negrito--how long will that take to subside?"
Wyatt hesitated "That's a different matter The river had backed up from the mouth
and It's still blocked by the floods here,
in Santego Bay Then there's all the water coming down from the mountains to make
things worse and it will all have to
drain to the sea on the original river course That's going to make a long time, but
I coulden't tell you exactly how long"
"That is what I through," said Favel "My estimate is a week, at least" His finger
traced a line on the map "I've send a
regiment up the St Michel road with instructions to spread out along the ridge over
the Negrito and dig in When the
hurricane has gone they will go down and conduct the people over the hills to the
St Michel road, bringing them back
that way to avoid the floods"
He looked up "Other of that regiment will push on to St Michel and down the coast
There are other towns on San
Fernandez beside St Pierre sending those men now is risky but it will save two
hours, and a lot of life can be saved in
two hours, Mr Wyatt" He shook his head "We will need medical supplies, blankets,
clothing; we will need everything it
takes to keep men alive"
"The Americans will be coming back,"said Wyatt "Commodore Brooks will have radioed
for assistance I'll bet They're
loading up rescue planes in Michel right now"
"I hope so," said Favel "Do you think the airfield will be usable?"
"That's hard to say I should think your own airfield will be written off, but the
military aircraft at the Base is build for
heavy weather so it may be all right"
"I will have it checked as soon as the hurricane is past," said Favel "Thank you,
Mr Wyatt--you have been of great service
How much longer have we got?"
Wyatt started at the grey sky, then looked at his watch He felt the faintest of
zephyrs blowing on his cheeks "Less than an
hour," he said "Call it three-quarters of an hour, then the wind will come again I
don't think there'll be much rain this
time"
Favel smiled gentely "A small blessing"
Wyatt withdrew a little way and Manning thrust an open can into his hand "You'd
better eat while you can"
"Thinks" Wyatt looked about "I don't see your pal Fuller around"
A look of pain crossed manning's face "He was killed," he said in a low voice, "He
was wounded in the last attack and died
during the hurricane"
Wyatt did not know what to say To say that he was sorry would be inadequate so he
said nothing
Manning said, "He was a good chap--not to good with his brains but dependable in a
tight corner I suppose you could say
I killed him--I got him into this" It come to wyatt that others had their guilty as
well as he
It did not make him feel any batter, but it gave him more understanding He said,
"How did it all happen?"
"Wevwere in the congo," said Manning "Working for Tshombe--mercenaries, you know
That job was coming to an end
when I got on to this job and I asked fuller if he'd like to come along The pay was
so bloody good that he jumped at it, not
that good pay will do him much good now" He shrugged "But that's in the game"
"What will you do now?"
"There's not much lift here," said Manning "Julio asked me to stay on, but i don't
think he really wants a white man to
play any big part in what's going to come next I hear that there are jobs open in
the Yemen, working for the Royalists--
maybe I'll go across there"
Wyatt looked at this big man who spoke of working when he meant fighting He said,
"For God's sake, surely you can find
easier ways of making a living?"
manning said gently, "I don't think you're got it, after all Sure, I get paid for
fighting--most soldiers do--but I pick the side
I fight for Do you think I'd have fought for serrurier?"
Wyatt groped for an apology and was glad to be interrupted by Dawson, who come over
and said excitedly, "Hey, Dave, I
think there's somthing you ought to known One of these guys has just come down from
the Negrito--he says there's an
American women up there At least, that's what I think he says, this is a bastard of
a language" Wyatt swung round
"Which man?"
"That guy there--the one who's just finished talking to Favel"
Wyatt strode over and grasped the man's arm "Did you see an American women in the
Negrito?" he asked in the island
patois
The man turned an exhausted face towords him and shook his head "I was told of her
I did not see her"
" Where was this?"
"Beyond the St Michel road--down in the valley" Wyatt tugged at him urgently "Can
you show me on the map?"
The soldier nodded tiredly and suffered himself to be led He bent over the map and
laid down a black finger "About
there"
Wyatt looked at the map blankly and his heart sank Julie would not be there, so far
down in the Negrito The party had
gone along the coast road He said, "Was this an old women?--A young women?--What
colour hair?--How tall?"
The soldiers blinked at him stupidely, and Dawson cut in, "Wait a minute, Dave This
guy's beat, he can hardely stand up"
He pushed a bottle into the man's hand "Have a snort of that, buster; it'll wake
you up"
As the man drank from the neck of the rum bottle Dawson looked at the map "If this
guy has come from where he says he
has, he's come a hell of a long way in double-quick time"
"It can't be Julie," said Wyatt in a depression voice "That note she left in the
Imperiale said they were going up the coast
road"
"Maybe they didn't," said Dawson "Maybe they couldn't There was a war going on at
the time, remember" He stared at the
map "And if they did go to where they said, they'd get mixed up with Recambean's
army when it retreated If Rawsthorne
had any sense he'd move them out of there fast Look, Dave, if they travelled in a
straight line over the hills they could get
into the Negrito It would be one hell of a tough trip, but it could be done"
Wyatt turned again to the man and questioned him again but it was no use He had not
seen the women himself, he did
not know her age or her colouring or anything more about her other than that an
American women had been seen up the
Negrito And Wyatt knew that meant nothing, not even that she was American; to these
people all whites were
American
He said drearily, "It could be anybody, but I can't take a chance I'm going up
there"