Alistair Maclean - Guns Of Navarone - bzelbublive.info

Louki had sunk back into the shadows.Stevens was stretched in a sleeping-bag, his breathing harsh and shallow and quick. He had been awake when theyhad arrived but had refused all food and drink, and turned away and drifted off into an uneasy jerky sleep. He seemedto be suffering no pain at all now: a bad sign, Mallory thought bleakly, the worst possible. He wished Miller wouldreturn. . . .Casey Brown washed down the last few crumbs of bread with a mouthful of wine, rose stiffly to his feet, pulled thescreen aside and peered out mournfully at the falling snow. He shuddered, let the canvas fall, lifted up his transmitterand shrugged into the shoulder straps, gathered up a coil of nope, a torch and a groundsheet. Mallory looked at hiswatch: it was fifteen minutes to midnight. The routine call from Cairo was ahnost due."Going to have another go, Casey? I wouldn't send a dog out on a night like this.""Neither would I," Brown said morosely. "But I think I'd better, sir. Reception is far better at night and I'm going toclimb uphill a bit to get a clearance from that damned mountain there; I'd be spotted right away if I tried to do that indaylight.""Right you are, Casey. You know best." Mallory looked at him curiously. "What's all the extra gear for?""Putting the set under the groundsheet, then getting below it myself with the torch," Brown explained. "And I'mpegging the rope here, going to pay it out on my way up. I'd like to be able to get back some time.""Good enough," Mallory approved. "Just watch it a bit higher up. This gully narrows and deepens into a regularravine.""Don't you worry about me, sir." Brown said firmly. "Nothing's going to happen to Casey BrOwn." A snow-ladengust of wind, the flap of the canvas and Brown was gone."Well, if Brown can do it . . ." Mallory was on his feet now, pulling his snow-smock over his head. "Fuel,gentlemen--old Leri's hut. Who's for a midnight stroll?"Andrea and Louki were on their feet together, but Mallory shook his head."One's enough. I think someone should stay to look after Stevens.""He's sound asleep," Andrea murmured. "He can come to no harm in the short time we are away.""I wasn't thinking of that. It's just that we can't take the chance of him falling into German hands. They'd make himtalk, one way or another. It would be no fault of his--but they'd make him talk. It's too much of a risk.""Pouf!" Louki snapped his fingers. "You worry about nothing, Major. There isn't a German within miles of here. Youhave my word."Mallory hesitated, then grinned. "You're right. I'm getting the jumps." He bent over Stevens, shook him gently. Theboy stirred and moaned, opened his eyes slowly."We're going out for some firewood," Mallory said. "Back in a few minutes. You be O.K.?""Of course, sir. What can happen? Just leave a gun by my side--and blow out the candle." He smiled. "Be sure tocall out before you come in!"Mallory stooped, blew out the candle. For an instant the flame flared then died and every feature, every per-V son inthe cave was swallowed up in the thick darkness of a winter midnight. Abruptly Mallory turned on his heel andpushed out through the canvas into the drifting, wind-blown snow already filling up the floor of the gully, Andrea andLouki close behind.It took them ten minutes to find the ruined hut of the old goatherd, another five for Andrea to wrench the door offits shattered hinges and smash it up to manageable lengths, along with the wood from the bunk and table, another tento carry back with them to the rockshelter as much wood as they could conveniently rope together and carry. Thewind, blowing straight north off Kostos, was in their faces now--faces numbed with the chill, wet lash of the drivingsnow, and blowing almost at gale force: they were not sorry to reach the gully again, drop down gratefully between thesheltering walls.Mallory called softly at the mouth of the cave. There was no reply, no movement from inside. He called again,listened intently as the silent seconds went by, turned his head and looked briefly at Andrea and Louki. Carefully, helaid his bundle of wood in the snow, pulled out his Colt and torch, eased aside the curtain, lamp switch and Coltsafety-catch clicking as one.The spotlight beam lit up the floor at the mouth of the cave, passed on, settled, wavered, probed into the farthestcorner of the shelter, returned again to the middle of the cave and steadied there as if the torch were clamped in a vise.On the floor there was only a crumpled, empty sleeping-bag. Andy Stevens was gone.CHAPTER 9Tuesday Night0015--0200"So I was wrong," Andrea murmured. "He wasn't asleep.""He certainly wasn't," Mallory agreed grimly. "He fooled me too--_and_ he heard what I said." His mouth twisted."He knows now why we're so anxious to look after him. He knows now that he was right when he spOke about amill-stone. I should hate to feel the way he must be feeling right now."Page 50