had jumped on to Heather’s skirt.
That had only been an hour ago, Coburn realized. Yet in such a short length of time the village had been put on what amounted to a war footing – a lesson on how swiftly conditions could change in a place like this, and why all he could do now preparations were complete was hope like hell that everyone’s time had been well spent.
He was less apprehensive than he’d been before the raid on the Pishan , listening for the sound of an approaching boat above the noise of the insects, knowing that he alone was responsible for guarding a thirty-yard stretch of river-bank, but gaining in confidence whenever he lifted the Steyr to his shoulder and sighted in on some distant moonlit mark.
He was doing just that when he discovered that he wasn’t going to be alone at all.
Heather had arrived. She was carrying a rifle and she’d brought someone with her.
‘Hi.’ She jumped into the ditch and waited for her companion to join her. ‘This is Indiri.’
Coburn had seen the young woman working around the village. Apart from a missing front tooth she was quite pretty, but until tonight she’d always been too shy to say hello or return his smile.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ he said.
Heather checked the safety on her rifle before she answered. ‘Hari sent us to say that one of the boats has stopped upstream to unload men, but the other one looks like it’s coming here.’
‘OK. You’ve told me. Now get back to where you’re supposed to be. Go on – do it.’
‘No, no.’ Indiri shook her head. ‘The containers have room only for the wounded and for mothers with young children. Like Heather I have no babies, so we both must help to stop these men who wish to drive us from our homes.’
Coburn swore under his breath. ‘Have you any idea how to use that?’ He pointed at the rifle she was holding.
‘My family comes from Aceh.’
Since she evidently saw no need to elaborate, he didn’t enquire again. Nor was Heather going to let him question her ability to handle the M16 she’d brought with her from the armoury.
‘Don’t ask,’ she said. ‘While you were in Iraq, I was running food convoys in Darfur. If you want to worry about something, what about those three huts that have still got their lights switched on? One of them has even got music coming from it.’
Coburn had been told about the lights, but this close to the water it was impossible to hear anything above the buzzing and clicking of the millions of insects that came to life after dark along the river-bank.
‘The huts are come-ons,’ he said. ‘Hari called them sacrificial. They’re supposed to make it look as though we’re not expecting company. That’s why the launch has been left there too.’
‘That’s silly.’ She tried to see the launch in the moonlight. ‘No one’s going to be stupid enough to be taken in by a boat and a few lights.’
Indiri knew better. ‘The men we must fight will not be stupid,’ she said. ‘They will be crazy – crazy in their heads from the amphetamines they are given, or from the mixture of rum and gunpowder they are forced to drink before they come. They are told it will make them brave, but instead it makes them easier to kill.’
So casually had the information been supplied that she could have been talking about cockroaches, Coburn thought, an indictment if there ever was one of the culture Hari was fostering in the village.
He listened again for the sound of an engine, endeavouring to filter out the background noise while he searched for signs of movement in the estuary.
‘Maybe both of the boats have stopped,’ Heather said.
‘Maybe. Did Hari say anything about who could be behind this?’
‘He’s telling everybody that only natives or local pirates would know the marsh trails are OK to use at the moment, but after what happened on the Pishan I think he believes the whole thing’s been organized by someone from outside.’
‘Who’s paid
That had only been an hour ago, Coburn realized. Yet in such a short length of time the village had been put on what amounted to a war footing – a lesson on how swiftly conditions could change in a place like this, and why all he could do now preparations were complete was hope like hell that everyone’s time had been well spent.
He was less apprehensive than he’d been before the raid on the Pishan , listening for the sound of an approaching boat above the noise of the insects, knowing that he alone was responsible for guarding a thirty-yard stretch of river-bank, but gaining in confidence whenever he lifted the Steyr to his shoulder and sighted in on some distant moonlit mark.
He was doing just that when he discovered that he wasn’t going to be alone at all.
Heather had arrived. She was carrying a rifle and she’d brought someone with her.
‘Hi.’ She jumped into the ditch and waited for her companion to join her. ‘This is Indiri.’
Coburn had seen the young woman working around the village. Apart from a missing front tooth she was quite pretty, but until tonight she’d always been too shy to say hello or return his smile.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ he said.
Heather checked the safety on her rifle before she answered. ‘Hari sent us to say that one of the boats has stopped upstream to unload men, but the other one looks like it’s coming here.’
‘OK. You’ve told me. Now get back to where you’re supposed to be. Go on – do it.’
‘No, no.’ Indiri shook her head. ‘The containers have room only for the wounded and for mothers with young children. Like Heather I have no babies, so we both must help to stop these men who wish to drive us from our homes.’
Coburn swore under his breath. ‘Have you any idea how to use that?’ He pointed at the rifle she was holding.
‘My family comes from Aceh.’
Since she evidently saw no need to elaborate, he didn’t enquire again. Nor was Heather going to let him question her ability to handle the M16 she’d brought with her from the armoury.
‘Don’t ask,’ she said. ‘While you were in Iraq, I was running food convoys in Darfur. If you want to worry about something, what about those three huts that have still got their lights switched on? One of them has even got music coming from it.’
Coburn had been told about the lights, but this close to the water it was impossible to hear anything above the buzzing and clicking of the millions of insects that came to life after dark along the river-bank.
‘The huts are come-ons,’ he said. ‘Hari called them sacrificial. They’re supposed to make it look as though we’re not expecting company. That’s why the launch has been left there too.’
‘That’s silly.’ She tried to see the launch in the moonlight. ‘No one’s going to be stupid enough to be taken in by a boat and a few lights.’
Indiri knew better. ‘The men we must fight will not be stupid,’ she said. ‘They will be crazy – crazy in their heads from the amphetamines they are given, or from the mixture of rum and gunpowder they are forced to drink before they come. They are told it will make them brave, but instead it makes them easier to kill.’
So casually had the information been supplied that she could have been talking about cockroaches, Coburn thought, an indictment if there ever was one of the culture Hari was fostering in the village.
He listened again for the sound of an engine, endeavouring to filter out the background noise while he searched for signs of movement in the estuary.
‘Maybe both of the boats have stopped,’ Heather said.
‘Maybe. Did Hari say anything about who could be behind this?’
‘He’s telling everybody that only natives or local pirates would know the marsh trails are OK to use at the moment, but after what happened on the Pishan I think he believes the whole thing’s been organized by someone from outside.’
‘Who’s paid
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