The Ballantyne Series - 05 - King of Kings by Wilbur Smith

Author:Wilbur Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 1499862083
Published: 2019-04-01T23:00:00+00:00

Ryder approached the camp the following day in the late morning. They had made good progress since parting from Ras Alula. Ryder always moved quickly when he was thinking and he hardly saw or felt the miles of trails, the steep climbs and trackless descents, the views of the impossible mountains, the golden craters of the high plains, the groups of shepherds and farmers moving through the landscape.

He felt his heart lift as he reached the familiar landscape within ten miles of his home and began to watch for signs of game, the spoor of the mountain ibex and nyala, the pad prints of the leopard, marking them in his mind for the next time he came out with his rifle to provide something extra for the feasts. Perhaps the political problems of Ethiopia would pass them by after all.

Then, where the trail towards his home crossed the path that led from Mekelle in the south to Adrigat in the north, he stopped dead and called for Maki to join him.

Maki whistled between his teeth, examining the scuffed sandy soil. ‘Many men, Mr Ryder, and turning towards our camp.’

He pointed at one mark with his walking stick and the wood glimmered in the sunlight. Ryder looked at the place he was pointing. A hoof print, walked over by many barefooted men, but it was certainly a hoof print and that of a horse rather than a mule or donkey. Very few men could afford to ride horses in the highlands. Mules and asses were far more sure-footed on the leaping and plunging trails. Only princes and kings rode horses. Ryder felt his skin prickle and his mouth grew dry.

‘Not bandits. A big man. A very big man,’ Maki said, his voice low and serious.

‘How long ago?’ Ryder asked.

‘A day, and they only go towards the camp. None coming back. Whoever they might be, they are still there.’ Maki turned towards him again, and his words came quick and urgent. He had a wife and children at the camp too.

‘Let me run on, Mr Ryder. I swear by Mary and St George, I will only look and then return. No matter what I see.’

Ryder did not reply, only began walking more quickly up the trail to the escarpment. Maki decided silence meant consent. He tossed his walking stick to Geriel, who caught it out of the air, and ran off ahead of them with the graceful, fluid lope of a born runner. He was soon out of sight.

Ryder and the others followed in silence. They saw the fires as they reached the summit of the next long gradual climb. When Ryder noticed the smoke, his imagination filled with horrors: Saffron dead, the camp destroyed. He had an image of little Leon face down in the river, of Amber eviscerated like the bandit in the gorge. He was about to break into a run himself, then they heard someone approaching. It was Maki. He ran up the hillside towards them and, as he came closer, Ryder tried to read his expression.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.