TW06 The Khyber Connection NEW (16 page)

"I doubt they'll give us a chance," said Finn. "They know what they're doing."

"Well, we can't just sit 'ere!" said Mulvaney. "We've got to do something! C'mon, mates, we've been in tougher scrapes than this!"

"The best thing we can do is bide our time and wait for an opportunity," Delaney said, worried that the headstrong Mulvaney might do something foolish. "I'm in command here, and I won't have any man throwing his life away trying to be a hero. Getting ourselves killed won't solve anything."

"He's right, you know," Learoyd said. "We've got to keep our heads cool. Lieutenant, you say there's no way down off that balcony. Might there be a way up?"

Delaney shook his head. "We'd have to stand on each other's shoulders to reach the rocks above, and we'd never make it without climbing gear. It would be suicide."

"It could be worth a try," Learoyd said. "If one of us could make it—"

"I say we give it a go!" Mulvaney said.

"What do you say. Lieutenant?" said Learoyd,

"What have we got to lose?"

"A man's life," Delaney said.

Learoyd shrugged. "That's not so very much, now is it? Let's have a look."

They went up the stairs and stood out on the wind-swept parapet high above the pass. Learoyd looked up.

"Lord. I see what you mean," he said. "We would indeed have to stand on one another's shoulders for one of us to reach that overhangin' rock up there, and then there's no tellin' what's beyond."

Mulvaney spat into his hands and rubbed them together. "Well, who's first then?"

"I think I'll have to go," Learoyd said. "I'm the lightest."

"Sahib," said Din. "Let me. I am smallest, no? Din good climber."

"You're sure you want to try it, Din?" Learoyd said.

" 'E is the lightest," Ortheris said, "and I ain't much good with me sore arm."

"All right, Din," said Finn. "Be careful."

"Up you go, Lieutenant," said Mulvaney. He braced himself and Finn climbed up on his shoulders. Ortheris stood beside Mulvaney to brace him and Andre took the other side as they started to form a human pyramid.

Finn stood up on Mulvaney's shoulders, only too aware of the yawning abyss beneath them.

"All right, Learoyd, you're next," said Finn.

Learoyd carefully climbed up, balancing himself on Mulvaney's shoulder and Ortheris's good shoulder. Slowly he stood up and placed an arm around Delaney for support.

"Don't look down," said Finn.

Learoyd, of course, looked down at the drop below them, and quickly shut his eyes. "On second thought, perhaps this wasn't such a very good idea," he said.

"You all right?" said Finn.

Learoyd swallowed hard and nodded. "Right. Next man."

"Come on, Din," said Finn.

Carefully Din climbed up Mulvaney's back, holding onto the private's burly shoulders for support.

"Come on, old son," Learoyd said, holding out his hand, "you'll make it."

Slowly, ever so slowly, so as not to upset their precarious balance, Din stood up and Ortheris groaned, gritting his teeth from the pain as Din put his weight on his bad shoulder.

"Forgive me, Sahib!"

"Never mind that," said Ortheris, "just get on up there!"

Carefully, Din climbed up to the next level of the pyramid, putting one foot on Delaney's knee. Transferring his weight slowly, he moved to sit astride Delaney's shoulders.

"Can you reach it, Din?" said Learoyd.

Din looked up and swallowed hard. "Must stand, Sahib."

"All right, then, stand. But slowly, mind!"

Moving as slowly as he could, Din placed his knees on Learoyd and Delaney’s shoulders. He could see, directly below him, the dizzying drop to the bottom.

The wind whipped at them and the human pyramid swayed slightly.

"Hold on there, Stanley, damn your eyes!" Learoyd shouted.

'It's me shoulder, Chris. It's killin' me."

"I'll bloody well kill you if you move again! You so much as twitch and I'll have your guts for garters!"

Muttering a prayer to himself, Din slowly stood up as Learoyd and Delaney held onto his ankles to give him some support. He didn't dare look down. The rock outcropping was directly above him. If he stretched his arms out, he could reach it.

Behind them there was the sound of the heavy bolt being drawn back and then the massive door opening.

Men ran into the room. Gritting his teeth, Din pushed off Learoyd and Delancy's shoulders and jumped.

"You! Get down from—"

The pyramid collapsed. Andre, Ortheris, and Mulvaney fell to the floor of the parapet. Finn hit the surrounding wall as he went down and scrambled for a purchase. He felt Learoyd beneath him, grabbing onto his legs for dear life. The added weight almost took him over. Learoyd hung over the abyss, clinging to his legs.

"Hold on, Chris!"

"Don't you worry about me, mate," Learoyd called back. "Just you hold on!"

Above them Din clung to the rock, straining to pull himself up. There was no going back now. If he lost his grip, he would plummet to his death. Using every ounce of strength he had, he clawed desperately for a hold.

Several tribesmen peered over the side at Delaney and Learoyd, grinning. The officer named Martin looked down at them.

"Very cute," he said. "I ought to let you fall." He glanced back at the others, being held back at gunpoint.

"You." he said, pointing to Mulvaney. "Give them a hand."

Mulvaney came forward and braced Finn while Learoyd slowly shimmied up Delaney's legs until he could reach Mulvaney's outstretched hand. Moments later they were safe.

"That was a damn fool thing to do," said Martin. He frowned and made a quick count. "Somebody's missing. The Hindu."

One of the tribesmen shouted out something and fired his rifle at the rock above them. They caught a glimpse of Din's legs disappearing out of sight atop the rock outcropping.

" 'E made it!" shouted Mulvaney. "Good ol' Din!"

Martin turned to several of the tribesmen and addressed them in Pushtu. "Get him. Bring him back alive if you can, but if you have to, shoot him."

"You bloody bastard!" roared Mulvaney, lunging at him.

The tribesmen at once shifted their aim to Mulvaney, and Learoyd leaped at them, knocking three down with his weight. Finn grappled with Martin as Andre and Ortheris took on the other tribesmen. Two men grabbed hold of Mulvaney, but he wrenched loose and one of the men fell back against the wall. His momentum carried him over the side. His scream receded in the distance.

One of the tribesmen slammed Ortheris against the wall with his rifle, and the soldier cried out from the pain in his wounded shoulder. The tribesmen struck him in the stomach with the rifle butt and was about to bring it down upon his head when Andre intervened. She had disarmed one of the tribesmen by kicking his rifle out of his grasp, then continuing the motion to launch a spinning back kick that knocked him down the stairs. She grabbed the other tribesman's rifle before he could bring it down on Ortheris's head, and kicked his legs out from under him.

Learoyd was still struggling with the men he had knocked to the floor, trying to keep them front drawing their knives, when Finn yelled out in Pushtu, "Stop or I'll kill the holy one!"

He had wrestled Martin's laser away from him and held the soldier before him, weapon to his head. The tribesmen stopped fighting.

"I was right," said Finn. "They think you're some kind of sacred demigod. That's how you've been keeping them in line, isn't it?"

Mulvaney had knocked one of the tribesmen senseless, and when Finn yelled, he had another hoisted high above his head. He stood, holding the man aloft.

"Put that man down, Mulvaney," Finn said.

"Right you are. sir!"

He dropped the tribesman over the side. His scream sent the others cowering back.

"Well, you did say to put 'im down, sir," said Mulvaney.

"There's no way you're going to get out of here," said Martin. "Using me as a hostage might work with these superstitious Ghazis, but my men will never fall for it. They'll shoot us both."

"Then we'll go together, won't we?" said Finn.

"Learoyd, Ortheris, Andre, get their weapons. And shut that door."

Moments later they had the Ghazis tied up and gagged with strips torn from a couple of their robes. The other robes were saved for use as disguises.

"All right," said Finn, covering Martin. "We're going out of here the same way you came in. I'll be right behind you."

Martin shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Mulvaney came up behind him and twisted his arm up behind his back. Martin gasped with pain. "You'll do as the lieutenant says, mate, or I'll break yer bloody arm and then I'll start on somethin' else."

With Mulvaney keeping a firm grasp on Martin's arm, they moved out into the corridor. "Which way?" Mulvaney said.

"Go to hell," said Martin.

Mulvaney forced his arm up higher, and Martin cried out.

"Enough of that," said Finn. "1 remember the way. We go left."

Frog-marching Martin before them, they headed toward the main chamber. When they reached the corridor that led to it. Delaney had them stop.

"You three go on," he said.

"What do you mean, go on?" Learoyd said. "What about you?"

"We'll follow you. It'll attract less attention if we don't go out as a large group. Whatever happens, don't turn back. You understand? That's an order."

"Right. Miss Cross, you come with us. Mulvaney'll stay behind and follow with the lieutenant."

"No. You go ahead. I'm staying with Finn."

"Don't let's argue about it," said Learoyd. "Come on, now, we haven't got much time."

"I said I'm staying. I can take care of myself, Chris. Now go. Hurry."

Learoyd shook his head. "I swear, you're the most stubborn woman I ever laid eyes on, but you can handle yourself in a pinch, I'll grant you that. For God's sake be careful. Off now, lads."

Finn let them get a good start, then he forced Martin up against the wall. "All right, where'd you put our warp discs?"

Martin smiled. "Why don't you guess?"

"Okay, we'll take a little walk and look for them."

Martin grinned. "Suit yourselves."

Keeping him in front of them, they headed back toward the room where they had spoken with the twin Priest. They passed a number of tribesmen on their way, but Martin didn't try anything, and they kept their heads down to keep from being recognized.

"So far, so good," said Andre.

"So far it's too easy." Finn said.

"You complaining?"

"No, but where are all the soldiers we saw before?"

"I don't much care, to tell you the truth," said Andre. "Long as they're not here."

They reached the room they were seeking and shoved Martin inside ahead of them. There was no one there.

Finn pushed Martin into a chair and gave Andre the laser to cover him while he searched the room.

"What's going on, Martin?" he said. "Where is everyone?"

"Maybe they all went on leave," said Martin.

"We're not going to get anything out of him," said Andre. "He's no different from our Martin in that respect."

"I'll take that as a compliment," said the soldier from the alternate timeline.

"Shut up," said Delaney, searching the gear in the storage cabinets at the far end of the room. "Where the hell did they put them?"

"Are these what you're looking for?"

A pair of warp discs landed on the table in front of Martin. Finn spun around. Captain Bryant stood in the entrance with four soldiers behind him. He had a laser trained on Finn. "Go ahead," he said, with a half smile. "Do you feel lucky?"

Gunga Din perched precariously on a rocky ledge above the balcony. He had managed to climb perhaps twenty feet. To his left, about fifty feet away, was a large hollow in the rock wall where part of the temple stood, surrounded by the cliffs. He could see the walled enclosure of an open space, a large balcony with several carved statues of Kali between pillars supporting the rock overhead, and farther in, another part of the temple.

A number of Ghazis had come out onto that balcony and shot at him with their jezails, but he scuttled around to the far side of the small ledge, out of their line of fire. They kept shooting for a short while, laughing, but soon wearied of the game and went away. They could not get at him, but neither could he go anywhere.

There was no place left to go. He could not climb any higher, there was no place that would afford him adequate hand or footholds to the right or to the left, and he could not go back down. He was trapped.

He sat there, miserable, shivering from the wind which lashed at him. He had no idea what to do. There was nothing he could do. He had failed. The soldiers had counted on him, and he had failed. He would sit on that ledge, unable to go anywhere, until he became weak or desperate and could bear it no longer, and then he would die. He could see no point to prolonging the inevitable. He closed his eyes and muttered a brief prayer to Brahma the Creator, giving thanks for the life he had led and asking his blessings in the next one. Then he said a prayer to Vishnu the Preserver, to redeem the karma of his soul as the sun redeems the earth from darkness.

He said a prayer to Shiva the Destroyer, asking that the end be swift, and at the last, he prayed to the avatar of Vishnu, the hero-god Krishna, asking that his karma lead him to a better existence in the next life. Then he raised his battered bugle to his lips, determined to die not as the regimental
bhisti
he had been, but as the bugler he dreamed of being. He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, preparing to sound Retreat.

"What in heaven's name are you doing?"

Din jerked so forcibly he almost fell off the ledge.

Just before he lost his balance completely, a hand reached out to steady him. He looked up, wide-eyed, at the tall dark figure standing on the ledge beside him. He was dressed entirely in black. The coal-black eyes seemed to burn into him.

Din shut his eyes. Shiva! He had to be dead. The Destroyer had come to escort his soul to the next plane. He bent his head down low, touching the rock at Shiva's feet and praying out loud, praising the Destroyer.