Part 18 (1/2)

'This fella of yours has the nose and the instinct,' John Bigelow told her with respect in his tone. 'He is just like Henry at the same age.'

Bannock Oil's affairs had been lagging of late but now they took an upward turn, not entirely because of the increasing price of oil. Hector flew to Abu Zara and after five days of discussion with the Emir he obtained the offsh.o.r.e drilling rights for the entire coastline of the Emirate ab.u.t.ting the Zara No. 8. They brought in the first productive gas well eleven months later. It was a storming success.

Hazel and Hector flew out to Abu Zara together to inaugurate the new well. Paddy O'Quinn and Bert Simpson and a dozen other senior Bannock Oil employees were at the Sidi el Razig airstrip to greet them. Both Hazel and Hector embraced Paddy and shook hands with the others. Then Hector looked around.

'Where's Tariq?' he demanded. Paddy gave him a strange sideways glance.

'He will be back in a couple of days.' There was something in his tone that set off alarm bells in Hector's head.

'What?' Hector demanded.

'Later!' Paddy side-stepped the question. They did not have chance to speak again until they reached the oil terminal building. As they climbed out of the vehicle Hector gave Hazel his hand to help her down, and at the same time he glared at Paddy.

'Okay, Paddy, now tell me what's happened to Tariq.' There were just the three of them standing together, screened from the others by the bulk of the Hummvee truck, but still Paddy dropped his voice.

'Tariq has gone up to Ash-Alman to bury his wife Daliyah and their child and to mourn for them.' Both Hector and Hazel stared at him open-mouthed. Hazel broke the shocked silence.

'Daliyah? Dead?' Hazel burst out. 'No! I cannot believe it.'

'Their house burned down. Daliyah and the baby were caught in the blaze. It was late at night and they didn't have a chance to escape.'

'Baby?' Hazel shook her head. 'Daliyah was married to Tariq? They had a baby?'

Paddy nodded. 'A son. He was born six months ago.'

'I never knew,' Hector said softly.

'Tariq told me he wrote to you.'

'Then I never received the letter. I never knew.' Paddy had never seen him so distraught. Beside him Hazel began to weep quietly.

'Oh, G.o.d!' she mumbled. 'Daliyah and her baby, dead. Oh, G.o.d. It's too cruel.' Hector put his arm around her and led her into the terminal.

The next morning when they walked into the terminal control centre Hazel was still pale and her eyes were red-rimmed. Hector was drawn and taciturn. Bert Simpson and Paddy stood up from their seats in front of the computer screens at the long system control table.

'Tariq is here,' Paddy said. 'He heard that you'd arrived, and he came back from Ash-Alman early this morning.'

'Call him in,' Hector said. Paddy reached for the intercom and relayed the order. Within a few moments there was a soft knock on the door.

'Come in!' Hector called, his voice harsh with emotion. Tariq stood in the open doorway. His expression was cold and remote. Hector went to him swiftly and embraced him.

'It is hard, old friend,' he said and his voice was still rough.

'Yes, it is hard,' Tariq agreed. They stepped back from each other, both of them embarra.s.sed and at a loss for words. Hazel went to Tariq and touched his right shoulder.

'My heart goes out to you. Daliyah was a lovely woman. I owed her my life.'

'Yes,' Tariq said softly, 'she was a good wife.'

'And your son?'

'He was a good boy.'

'How did such a terrible thing happen?' Hazel demanded.

'You were her friends,' Tariq replied obliquely. 'Can we walk together and remember her?'

This is 'Need to Know Only', Hector told himself. Tariq is playing this thing very close to his chest. Tariq is playing this thing very close to his chest. He took Hazel's arm and said gently, 'We will be honoured to walk with you, Tariq.' They went out into the bright Gulf suns.h.i.+ne. The sky was cloudless and the waters mirrored its brilliance. It seemed too beautiful for all this sorrow. Hazel walked along the beach between the two men in silence. At last she could contain herself no longer. He took Hazel's arm and said gently, 'We will be honoured to walk with you, Tariq.' They went out into the bright Gulf suns.h.i.+ne. The sky was cloudless and the waters mirrored its brilliance. It seemed too beautiful for all this sorrow. Hazel walked along the beach between the two men in silence. At last she could contain herself no longer.

'Paddy told us there was a fire in your house?' She framed the statement as a question.

'Yes, Mrs Bannock. There was a fire.' He was silent again and they saw his eyes glisten in the sunlight with tears and with anger. 'I tried to hide them. I took a house in a village where we are not known. I used another name. I had her brother stay with her to protect her when I could not. Her brother died in the flames with them.'

'It wasn't an accident, then?' Hazel asked.

'It was no accident,' Tariq confirmed. He looked at Hector. 'You know who did this thing.'

Hector nodded. 'I know,' he said flatly. Hazel stared into his eyes, and then she knew also.

'It was Uthmann Waddah!' Hazel whispered. 'It was the Beast again. Wasn't it?' Hector nodded. 'But how did you know?' she demanded.

'Mrs Bannock, Hector knew with his heart, not with his head. As did I.' Tariq explained, 'He and I know Uthmann as we know a beloved brother, or a mortal enemy.'

'Do you know where Uthmann is now?' Hector asked.

'Yes. He is with Sheikh Adam Tippoo Tip at the fortress by the Oasis of the Miracle.'

'You know this for certain?' Hector demanded, and Tariq nodded.

'After the funeral of my wife and my son and her brother, after the three days of mourning, I left them and went again by bus to Gandanga Bay in beggar's rags to look for their murderer. I could not reach the fortress. It was too heavily guarded. But I waited at Gandanga Bay for twelve days. I saw many things. I saw the great new fleet of attack boats that Sheikh Adam has built since the death of his grandfather, and which his uncle Kamal commands. I saw the s.h.i.+ps they have captured lying at anchor in the bay. I heard men talk of Uthmann Waddah. I heard them say that he walks at Adam's right hand, and wields great power under his master.'

'Did you see them, Tariq?' Hector asked gently.

'I saw them both. On the twelfth day they came to Gandanga Bay in great state with many men. Adam is now a mighty man of power, and Uthmann is his general. I could not reach him. There were too many of their men and they were careful. I might have to wait years, but my time will come,' Tariq ended simply.

They were all silent for a while, and then Hazel asked, 'What will you do now, Tariq?'

'This is a thing of the knife,' Tariq answered. 'Blood calls for blood. It is a debt of honour. My wife and my son lie unquiet in their grave. I must give them rest.'

'Must you do this thing, Tariq? We have lost Daliyah, must we now risk you?'

'Tell her, please, Hector.'

'Tariq has no choice in the matter,' Hector told her. 'He has to do what duty and honour demand.' He turned back to Tariq. 'Go then, old friend. If there is anything I can do, you know you can get a message to me through Paddy O'Quinn.'

'It may take time ... years even,' Tariq warned him.

'I know.' Hector nodded. 'You will be on the Cross Bow payroll for as long as it takes. Come back to us when it is done.'