The quiet voice was almost a prayer.That's all I ask. He shook out his pack of cigarettes.Have one? Jus' daydreamin', boss he said easily.Jus' daydreamin'. He risked a quick peep round one of the boulders, eased himself back again.Eight, mebbe ten of them still down there, boss, he reported.The poor bastards are like ostriches-trying to take cover behind stones the size of an orange. Won't try again, huh? Miller was already sliding his gun around the rock in front of him when Mallory caught his arm and pulled him back. Bitter-mouthed, savage, the American was swearing softly and continuously, oblivious to the pain as he pounded his fist time and again into the sharp-edged gravel before him. Then he became aware of the low murmuring to his left, shifted round again. The gravelly earth beneath his elbows grated harshly as Mallory shifted his weight slightly, looked at the two men to his right, Andrea with his impassive face empty of all expression, Louki with the sheen of tears in his eyes. The sudden silence was curiously oppressive, louder, more obtrusive than the clamour that had gone before. The frenetic stammering of the machine-guns stopped abruptly and in unison, the sound sheared off as by a guillotine. A six-inch mortar, almost certainly using fragmentation bombs-you use a brush and shovel for clearing up afterwards. Guaranteed to turn the knees to jelly, especially after nightfall-but it's stifi the other one you have to watch. They will, Mallory assured him.Just as soon as we fire and they find out where we are.Īlso a mortar, Mallory explained.A five-barrelled job, and very nasty. Miller studied the guns drawn up on the road behind the two trucks and cleared his throat.
Mallory touched his arm.What is it, Dusty? But he was grateful to the New Zealander for trying to take their minds off what they had to do.Why don't they use them? That's right, Miller gowled.Cheer us all up.
I was only sayin' what Louki told me, he said defensively.
Mallory stared at him, slowly released his grip on the glasses, nodded several times in succession. Gawd help us, Miller muttered.Fragmentation bombs, you said He lapsed into gloomy silence. He reached out for his field-glasses but stopped in surprise as Andrea leaned across Louki and caught him by the wrist before he could lift the binoculars.Whats the matter, Andrea? I do not believe it, Andrea said flatly.You couldn't make a mistake like that, my Captain.Īny second now, Mallory said softly.I only hope that our friend Turzig isn't among this lot.
0 kommentar(er)
