The Trespass (24 page)

“So, what’s the plan, Prof?” Carey asked matter-of-factly. “You might find a reception committee at Lalibela – then what? If that plane’s anything to go by, someone doesn’t want you poking around.”

Dracup smiled grimly. As they had checked into Weldiya’s Lal hotel he had scrutinised every face – waiter, guest or otherwise – for signs of bad intent. It had taken a couple of hours and a few beers to put his worries to rest. Carey seemed unperturbed, as if he were used to being shot up on a standard ‘weekender’, as he liked to call their trip. Dracup wished he could adopt some of the Kiwi attitude himself – Carey had accepted his story with no more surprise than if Dracup had been recounting a successful fishing trip. Maybe it would rub off.

“I’ll tread carefully.”

“You’d better. The aim is to get hold of the missing piece of this sceptre, right? The
Omega
section?”

“Yes. But I’ve no intention of removing it – not that I’ll have the option anyway, judging from what you’ve told me about the custodians of Lalibela’s treasures. I just need to get some clear photos of the cuneiform inscriptions. That’s it – Charles can do the rest.” You’d better, Charles, Dracup thought. You’d better.

Carey was silent for a moment, digesting this information. He inclined his head in a swift gesture of assent. “You’re the boss. We’ll check into the New Jerusalem. The view is something else.”

Dracup raised his eyebrows. “The what?”

“The New Jerusalem. Best guesthouse in Lali. Trust me.” Again came the lopsided Kiwi grin. “The whole of Lalibela is structured on the belief that it represents a kind of New Jerusalem – the churches all fit into different aspects of that concept. They’re a pretty amazing sight.”

“I know. I had a look on the web. The tradition is fascinating, the way it links back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.”

Carey looked reflective. “Yeah – the original Ark of the Covenant is supposed to be in a church back up north at Axum – brought here by Solomon himself. Almost makes you believe there’s something in it all. Well let me tell you, Lali has a kind of feel about it – tranquillity. It’s a strange place all right. It’s kind of hard to explain – you’ve got to experience it yourself. All I can say is that if there are any secrets to be found, Lali’s the place to find ’em.” He took his hand off the gear shift and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I reckon you’re headed in the right direction, mate, I really do.”

Lalibela was smaller and busier than Dracup expected. They drove past a motley collection of ramshackle houses, peaked huts and tin-roofed buildings, Carey skilfully picking his way through the busy streets clogged with wood-carrying women, farmers, pilgrims and holy men.

“Market day,” Carey observed. “Most of this lot will have set off at dawn to get here. They’ll have walked miles.” He pointed to a group trudging the last few steps to their destination, some pulling makeshift carts behind them, others carrying bags of produce.

Carey swung the jeep around, beeping the horn. Dracup drummed his fingers on the dash. As the jeep pulled up in front of the hotel Dracup was already swinging himself out, one hand on his bag.

“No, let me, boss! Nothing a problem, okay?”

Dracup turned to see a boy of around eleven grinning up at him.

“No problem. Mister let me take the bag.”

Dracup patted his pockets and made an empty-handed gesture.

Carey dispensed a few words in the boy’s direction; he shrugged dismissively in response, throwing back a few choice words of his own. He turned his back on Carey and made as if to leave them in peace, but couldn’t resist a last-ditch attempt. Dracup smiled at his persistence.

“Come on, boss.” He fixed Dracup with a persuasive grin. “I can help you out, man.”

“
A bo teu weun!
” Carey aimed a kick. The boy yelped and ran off, shouting and waving his fist.

“I take it he’s not wishing you a nice day.” Dracup watched the boy until he disappeared from view.

“Give ’em an inch and they’ll take a hundred miles,” Carey warned. “Do anything if you cross their palm. Trouble is, once you say yes you never get rid of ’em.”

Dracup’s bedroom window overlooked Lalibela’s rooftops and beyond these the distant mountains. The view was spectacular, the contoured peaks undulating like waves across the Ethiopian plains. The sheer immensity of the landscape reminded him of India. His boyhood seemed closer in this climate, the connecting years of adulthood pressed into a dim, grey background. Dracup retrieved his grandfather’s tablet from the suitcase and scanned the markings.

Loc. Remaining part staff, trad. Ethiop.

Ityopp’is – Cush – sn of Ham- fnded Axum.

Match. crest. Lal.,
Ω
1921, TD,GRC. Left in situ.

Formed basis of expo. 1922 C of Tr.

K. zig. - 7 by 7

1921. Left in situ
. Dracup clung to the phrase. Eleven churches to choose from. Or maybe what he was looking for lay hidden elsewhere, perhaps not even here in Lalibela. He drew out a photograph from his pocket. Natasha’s face smiled back at him, small hands clasping her favourite teddy. He had spent a fruitless hour showing the image to the locals. Every approach had produced the same reaction. Dracup didn’t understand the language but simply read the faces.
Pretty girl. Yes. Very pretty
. Then a sad shake of the head, a sympathetic smile.
No. Sorry. I haven’t seen her
. He kissed the photograph and replaced it carefully in his breast pocket. Eleven churches. A lot of space to cover. Dracup set his mouth in a determined line. A one in eleven chance was as good as he was likely to get, and there was no time to lose. He needed answers and he needed them now.

“Sara!” Natasha ran to her, leaving Ruth and Jassim behind. Sara hugged the child, dreading the next question. When it came she tried to smile confidently.

“Is Daddy here?”

She saw the warning look on Ruth’s face. “Not yet, Natasha.” She ignored the disappointed, questioning look and pressed on. “And how are you? What do you think of all this?” Sara lifted her arm and swept it in an expansive movement towards the worked stone roof.

“It’s a bit spooky, but I like it mostly. I miss Mummy.”

Sara looked at Ruth, then Jassim. Their faces were inscrutable. Had Jassim heard of their altercation?

They walked on towards the east passages where Ruth had her quarters. Sara decided to tackle the problem head-on. “Ruth, we must talk.” One arm wrapped protectively around Natasha, she touched Ruth’s shoulder. To her surprise, Ruth’s face softened. She took Sara’s offered hand and clasped it.

“Yes. We can go to my chamber. Jassim?”

“I will take the girl.” Jassim turned to Natasha. “Come, little one. We shall do some exploring.”

Natasha looked at Sara for affirmation. She pursed her lips and nodded. “It’s all right. I’ll see you later.”

The sisters watched Jassim lead Natasha away along the passage. The girl looked back once and gave a small wave. Sara’s heart went out to her. She took a deep breath and smiled at Ruth. “Come.”

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s been – so hard.” Ruth sat, contrite, hands in her lap. Passive.

“I understand.” Sara sipped her drink, a warm concoction of herbs and fruit. “Believe me, I do.”

“Did you love him so much?” Ruth asked. “The girl’s father?”

Sara stared into her cup, steam rising from the heady mixture. She felt uneasy, wondering at her sister’s shift in mood. Ruth had always been constant in temper, pouring calm on her troubled waters. Sara wasn’t sure if she knew this person any more. She nodded slowly. “Yes, yes I did – I do.”

“But you came back.”

“I had no choice. You know that.”

Ruth came and sat next to Sara. “You came for the child, not him. Not for the
Korumak
. Kadesh knows that, but –” she smiled, a faraway look in her eye, “he will not hurt you.” She took Sara’s hand and squeezed it. “If you stay. He cares for you too much. But the girl, I don’t know –”

“Surely he wouldn’t harm her.”

Ruth shook her head. “He has changed. He is obsessed with revenge. Since his father died he has taken the anger to himself. Remember it was a Dracup who stole our treasure all those years ago. And now
another
Dracup has killed his brother, Tarshish. In Kadesh’s mind, an eye for an eye is the only retribution that will satisfy.”

Sara swallowed hard. “She is a child. A little girl.”

“He doesn’t see it like that. He sees only the crime.”

Sara held her head in her hands. “Can’t you persuade him? You have looked after Natasha well –”

“He is playing with me. One minute he says he will spare her, the next –” Ruth raised her hands in a gesture of hopelessness.

“He should have left his bitterness behind,” Sara whispered. “What is done is done. Why cause further pain? The girl will be our undoing – God will judge him for taking her.”

“No. Kadesh wants what God himself wants.” Ruth said the words slowly, as if their weight would make them true.

Sara changed tack. Natasha’s fate seemed to strike a note of urgency in her sister. She had to exploit that while she could. “I have to get her out.” Sara watched Ruth carefully. She remembered the wild-eyed Ruth, the stinging slap to the face.

“Yes, yes. I know.” Ruth bowed her head. “I know. I can’t keep her. Not when her life is at risk.”

Sara hugged her sister. “I love you, Ruth. I’ll help in any way I can. But we have to think. We may not have much time.”

“He’ll come after you.”

“We have to give Natasha a chance.”

“If he finds you he will kill you.”

“He may kill me anyway. I failed, as Ibrahim failed.”

“But you have returned as he commanded.”

“The copies Simon made... it was my responsibility. Kadesh knew – and then poor Ibrahim. Oh Ruth, I’m so scared.”

Ruth began to hum, a low, smooth sound like the wind soughing through the upper caves. She opened her arms. “Hold me.”

Sara looked at her sister and saw the dark rings beneath her eyes, the lines of disappointment at the corners of her mouth. She frowned and touched Ruth’s cheek. Ruth responded by running her fingers through Sara’s hair, a gentle, soothing motion and then began to sing softly, a song their mother had taught them. She combed and brushed, combed and brushed, and for a moment they were children again; the burden of their future lay ahead, not behind them. Sara joined the chorus and as their voices blended she felt a hard pain in her throat, the prelude to tears. “We were happy once, weren’t we?”

“Yes,” Ruth said. “Yes, my sister.” Her voice was soft and unhurried.

Sara turned and inhibited the comb’s progress with a light pressure. “Come with me. We will leave together. We can go anywhere.”

Ruth hung her head. The comb fell to the ground with a clatter. “Don’t you think I’ve thought of that? Every day I think: today is the day I will leave him. Never to come back.” She seemed to shrink, her body wilting into itself. “I want to be free, Sara. But I cannot. I have to be here.”

“Close to him?” Sara nodded and caressed her sister’s cheek. She understood. “I will pray for your heart’s desire, sister. Tomorrow is not for us to know; only God knows the future. We both have to trust in Him.” She squeezed Ruth’s thin hand. They were sisters; they had to support each other. “Will you help me?”

Ruth tilted her pale face up to Sara’s and gave a weak smile. “You know I will.”

The women met no one on their way to the stream. They had chosen this time of day for its stillness. Above the deep, the sun would be at its zenith. Sara linked her arm in Ruth’s as they walked. They spoke in guarded whispers until they reached the waterfall, confident that its roar would drown their voices.

“They are dealing in weapons,” Ruth told Sara. “Kadesh is meeting with the enemies of the United States.”

“With insurgents?” Sara gasped. “What is this? We have no need to walk with such people.”

“Protection. Money. Long term. These are the words they use,” Ruth replied.

“Tell me Kadesh hasn’t opened the caverns to men like this.” Sara put her jar down and seized her sister’s arm. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“They have a meeting place – far from here. Their vehicles return laden with guns.”

“But what does Kadesh offer in return?”

Ruth smiled. “Safe passage. Guides, who travel the old routes and assist their comings and goings.”

Sara swallowed. This was all wrong. It could only lead to disaster. “These men will take what they can then destroy us. Kadesh is jeopardising everything.” She had a terrible vision of armed terrorists wandering the tunnels of her home, the staccato of sub-machine gun fire invading the tranquillity of millennia.

“He believes the American intelligence will find us. He is taking necessary steps. This is what he tells the elders.”