Part 32 (1/2)
The Italian gunners still inside the hulls fired their ly, but there was no power on their traversing gear and the turrets were frozen The guns could not be aimed They were blinded also for Jake had arine oil and dirt ooey handfuls over the drivers” and gunners” visors The tank creere helplessly imprisoned and the attackers pranced and howled like des The din was such that Jake did not even hear the approach of the other car
It stopped on the crest of the dune opposite where Jake stood
The hatches were flung open, and Gareth Swales and Ras Golam leaped out of the hull
The Ras had his sith hied down the slope to join his men around the crippled tanks
Across the valley that separated them, Gareth threw Jake a cavalier salute, but beneath the mockery, Jake sensed real respect
Each of theallon cans of gasoline were buried under a fine layer of sand and cut branches
Gareth spared a second to punch Jake lightly on the shoulder
”Hit the beggars for six, what? Good for you,” and then they stooped to drag the cans out of the shallow hole, and with one in each hand staggered through the waist-deep scrub to the tank carcasses
Jake passed a can up to Gregorius as already perched on the turret of the nearest tank where his grandfather was trying to prise open the turret hatch with the blade of his broad-sword His eyes flashed and rolled wildly in his wrinkled black head, and a high-pitched incoherent ”Looloo” keened fro artificial teeth for the Ras was transported into the fighting asoline can up on to the tank's sponson, and plunged his dagger through the thin metal of the lid The clear liquid spurted and hissed froases
”Wet it down good!” shouted Jake, and Gregorius; grinned and splattered gasoline over the hull The stink of it was sharp, as it evaporated fro haze
Jake ran on to the next tank, unscrewing the cap of the can as he cla the stationary barrel of the forward un, he stood tall on the top of the turret and splashed gasoline over the hull, until it shone wetly in the sunlight and little rivulets of the stuff found the joints and gaps in the plating and splattered into the interior
”Get back,” shouted Gareth ”Everybody back” He had doused the other steel carcasses and he stood now on the slope of the dune with an unlit cheroot in the corner of his mouth and a box of Swan Vestas in his left hand
Jake juasoline from the can he carried as he backed up to where Gareth waited
”Hurry Everybody out of the way,” Gareth called again
Gregorius was laying a wet trail of gasoline back to Gareth
”Soet that old bastard out of the way” Gareth called with exasperation A single figure pranced and howled and loolooed on the nearest tank, and Jake and Gregorius dropped the e arc of the sword, Jake got an ar hirandson Between theling
Gareth struck one of the Swan Vestas and casually lit the cheroot in hisnicely, he cupped the o, chaps,” hehiasoline-sodden earth, and leave hi happened, and then with a thuasoline ignited
Instantly the belt of scrub turned to atoll roaring red inferno, and the flah into the desert air, engulfing the four stranded tanks in sheets of fire that obscured theirsilhouettes
The Ethiopians watched froeant of destruction they had created Only the Ras still danced and howled at the edge of the fla flames
The hatches of the nearest tank were thrown open, and out into the searing air leaped three figures, indistinct and shadowy through the fla unifor out on to the slope of the dune
The Ras flew toThe head of the tank commander seemed to leap froh The head struck the ground behind him and rolled back down the dune like a ball, while the decapitated trunk dropped to its knees with a fine criht up into the air
The Ras raced on towards the other survivors, and his rily and swarmed forward after him Jake uttered a horrified oath and started forward to restrain the him away
”This is no time for one of your boy scout acts” Froly blood roar of the destroyers, as they fell upon the survivors of the other tanks, and the Italians” screams cut like a whiplash across Jake's nerves
”Let's leave them to it” Gareth drew Jake away ”Not our business, old boy The beggars have got to take their own chances
Rules of the gaainst the steel hull of Priscilla Jake was panting heavily frohtly crumpled cheroot in the inside pocket of his tweed jacket, and straightened it carefully before placing it between Jake's lips
”Told you before, your sentiet us both into trouble They'd have torn you to pieces also if you'd gone down there” He lit Jake's cheroot
”Well, old boy-” he changed the subject diploest problem No tanks no worries, that's an old Swales fahtly ”We'll be able to hold thee for another week now No trouble at all” Abruptly the sunlight was obscured, and instantly the telanced up involuntarily at the sky, at the gloom and the sudden chill
In the last hour, thedown fro out on to the fringes of the Danakil desert
Fro cloud, fine pale strea doards the plain Jake felt a droplet splatter against his forehead and he wiped it aith the back of his hand
”I say, we're in for a drop or two,” murmured Gareth, and as if in confirmation the deep mutter of thunder echoed down fro flared sulkily, trapped within the towering cloudinfernal glow
”That's going to s-” Gareth cut himself off, and both of them cocked their heads
”hello, that's decidedly odd” Faintly on the brooding air, carrying above theof un fire, like the sound of tearing silk,banks of heavy cloud
”Deuced odd” Gareth repeated ”There should not be any firing fro to coe itself
”Co his binoculars out of Priscilla's hatch and scrah the loose red sand for the crest of the tallest dune
The cloud and e, but now the sound of gunfire was continuous
”That's not just a skirht,” Jake agreed, peering through the binoculars
”What is it, Jake?” Gregorius carandfather but the old e and the after ”Jake did not lower the binoculars
”I don't understand it” Gareth shook his head ”Any Italian probe from the south would have run into our positions in the foothills, and from the north it would have run into the Gallas Ras Kullah is in a pretty strong spot there We would have heard the fighting They can't have gone through there-”
”And we are here in the centre, ”Jake added, ”they didn't coh here”
”It doesn't make sense” At that moment, the Ras reached the crest He paused wearily and removed the teeth from his mouth, wrapped them carefully in a kerchief and tucked them away in some secret recess of his sham ma The mouth collapsed into a dark eain