I knelt beside her and looked at her shoulder. The bullet had grazed her, tearing the pad of muscle on top of the shoulder. It would be painful later, but it was not serious. Wed better put a dressing on that, I said.
He shot me! Her voice was stronger and there was something like wonder in her tone.
I doubt if hell shoot anyone again, I said, and turned the light on him. He was lying quite still with his head turned away.
Is he dead? asked Elin, her eyes on the haft of the knife which protruded from his chest.
I dont know. Hold the light. I took his wrist and felt the quick beat of the pulse. Hes alive, I said. He might even survive. I pulled his head around so that I could see his face. It was Graham and that was something of a surprise. I mentally apologized for accusing him of having been wet behind the ears; the way he had approached our camp had been all professional.
Elin said, Theres a first-aid box in the Land-Rover.
Carry on, I said. Ill bring him over. I stooped and picked up Graham in my arms and followed Elin. She spread out the sleeping bag and I laid him down. Then she brought out the first-aid box and sank to her knees.
No, I said. You first. Take off your shirt. I cleaned the wound on her shoulder, dusted it with penicillin powder, and bound a pad over it. Youll have trouble in raising your arm above your shoulder for the next week, I said. Otherwise its not too bad.
She seemed mesmerized by the amber light reflected from the jewelled pommel of the knife in Grahams chest. That knife do you always carry it?
Always, I said. We have to get it out of there. It had hit Graham in the centre of the chest just below the sternum and it had an upwards inclination. The whole of the blade was buried in him and God knows what it had sliced through.
I cut away his shirt, and said, Get an absorbent pad ready, and then I put my hand on the hilt and pulled. The serrated back edge admitted air into the wound and made extraction easy and the knife came away cleanly. I half expected a gush of arterial blood which would have been the end of Graham, but there was just a steady trickle which ran down his stomach and collected in his navel.
Elin put the pad on the wound and strapped it down with tape while I took his pulse again. It was a little weaker than it had been.
Do you know who he is? asked Elin, sitting back on her heels.
Yes, I said matter-of-factly. He said his name is Graham. Hes a member of the Department working with Slade. I picked up the sgian dubh and began to clean it. Right now Id like to know if he came alone or if he has any pals around here. Were sitting ducks.
I got up and walked back into the trees and hunted about for Grahams rifle. I found it and took it back to the Land-Rover; it was a Remington pump action carbine chambered for .30/06 ammunition a good gun for a murderer. The barrel not too long to get in the way, the fire rapid five aimed shots in five seconds and a weight and velocity of slug enough to stop a man dead in his tracks. I operated the action and caught the round that jumped out. It was the ordinary soft-nosed hunting type, designed to spread on impact. Elin had been lucky.
She was bending over Graham wiping his brow. Hes coming round.
Grahams eyes flickered and opened and he saw me standing over him with the carbine in my hands. He tried to get up but a spasm of pain hit him and the sweat started out on his brow. Youre not in a position to do much, I said. You have a hole in your gut.
He sagged back and moistened his lips. Slade said He fought for breath. said you werent dangerous.
Did he, now? He was wrong, wasnt he? I held up the carbine. If youd come empty-handed without this you wouldnt be lying where you are now. What was supposed to be the idea?
Slade wanted the package, he whispered.
So? But the opposition have it. The Russians I suppose they are Russians?
Graham nodded weakly. But they didnt get it. Thats why Slade sent me in here. He said you were playing a double game. He said you werent straight.
I frowned. Now, thats interesting, I said, and sat on my heels next to him with the carbine across my knees. Tell me this, Graham who told Slade the Russians hadnt got it? I didnt tell them, thats for sure. I suppose the Russkies obligingly told him theyd been fooled.
A look of puzzlement came over his face. I dont know how he knew. He just told me to come and get it.
I lifted the carbine. And he gave you this. I suppose I was to be liquidated. I glanced at Elin, and then back at Graham. And what about Elin here? What was to happen to her?
Graham closed his eyes. I didnt know she was here.
Maybe not, I said. But Slade did. How the hell do you think that Land-Rover got here? Grahams eyelids flickered. You know damned well youd have to kill any witnesses.
A trickle of blood crept from the corner of his mouth. You lousy bastard! I said. If I thought you knew what you were doing Id kill you now. So Slade told you Id reneged and you took his word for it you took the gun he gave you and followed his orders. Ever hear of a man called Birkby?
Graham opened his eyes. No.
Before your time, I said. It just happens that Slade has played that trick before. But never mind that now. Did you come alone?
Graham closed his mouth tightly and a stubborn look came over his face. Dont be a hero, I advised. I can get it out of you easily enough. How would you like me to stomp on your belly right now? I heard Elin gasp, but ignored her. You have a bad gut wound, and youre liable to die unless we can get you to a hospital. And I cant do that if someone is going to take a crack at us as we leave Asbyrgi. Im not going to put Elin into risk just for the sake of your hide.
He looked beyond me to Elin, and then nodded. Slade, he said. Hes here about a mile
At the entrance to Asbyrgi?
Yes, he said, and closed his eyes again. I took his pulse and found it very much fainter. I turned to Elin. Start to load; leave enough room for Graham to lie in the back on top of the sleeping bags. I stood up and checked the load in the carbine.
What are you going to do?
Maybe I can get close enough to Slade to talk to him, I said. To tell him his boy is badly hurt. Maybe I wont in that case Ill talk to him with this. I held up the carbine.
She whitened. Youll kill him?
Christ, I dont know! I said exasperatedly. All I know is that apparently he doesnt mind if Im killed and you, too. Hes sitting at the entrance to Asbyrgi like a bloody cork in a bottle and this is the only corkscrew Ive got.
Graham moaned a little and opened his eyes. I bent down. How are you feeling?
Bad. The trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth had increased to a rivulet which ran down his neck. Its funny, he whispered. How did Slade know?
I said, Whats in the package?
Dont know.
Who is bossing the Department these days?
Dont know.
Who is bossing the Department these days?
His breath wheezed. Ta Taggart.
If anyone could pull Slade off my back it would be Taggart. I said, All right; Ill go and see Slade. Well have you out of here in no time.
Slade said Graham paused and began again. He seemed to have difficulty in swallowing and he coughed a little, bringing bright red bubbles foaming to his lips. Slade said
The coughing increased and there was sudden gush of red arterial blood from his mouth and his head fell sideways. I put my hand to his wrist and knew that Graham would never tell me what more Slade had said because he was dead. I closed his staring eyes, and stood up. Id better talk to Slade.
Hes dead! said Elin in a shocked whisper.
Graham was dead a pawn suddenly swept from the board. He had died because he followed orders blindly, just as I had done in Sweden; he had died because he didnt really understand what he was doing. Slade had told him to do something and he had tried and failed and come to his death. I didnt really understand what I was doing, either, so Id better not fail in anything I attempted.
Elin was crying. The big tears welled from her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. She didnt sob but just stood there crying silently and looking down at the body of Graham. I said harshly, Dont cry for him he was going to kill you. You heard him.
When she spoke it was without a tremor, but still the tears came. Im not crying for Graham, she said desolately. Im crying for you. Someone must.
II
We struck camp quickly and loaded everything into the Land-Rover, and everything included the body of Graham. We cant leave him here, I said. Someone will be sure to stumble across him soon certainly within the week. To quote the Bard, we lug the guts into the neighbour room.
A wan smile crossed Elins face as she caught the allusion. Where?
Dettifoss, I said. Or maybe Selfoss. To go over a couple of waterfalls, one the most powerful in Europe, would batter the body beyond recognition and, with luck, disguise the fact that Graham had been stabbed. He would be a lone tourist who had had an accident.
So we put the body in the back of the Land-Rover. I picked up the Remington carbine, and said, Give me half an hour, then come along as fast as you can.
I cant move fast if I have to be quiet, she objected.
Quietness wont matter just belt towards the entrance as fast as you can, and use the headlights. Then slow down a bit so I can hop aboard.
And then?
Then we head for Dettifoss but not by the main road. We keep on the track to the west of the river.
What are you going to do about Slade? Youre going to kill him, arent you?
He might kill me first, I said. Lets have no illusions about Slade.
No more killing, Alan, she said. Please no more killing.
It might not be up to me. If he shoots at me then Ill shoot back.
All right, she said quietly.
So I left her and headed towards the entrance to Asbyrgi, padding softly along the track and hoping that Slade wouldnt come looking for Graham. I didnt think it likely. Although he must have heard the shot he would have been expecting it, and then it would have taken Graham a half-hour to return after searching for the package. My guess was that Slade wouldnt be expecting Graham for another hour.
I made good time but slowed as I approached the entrance. Slade had not bothered to hide his car; it was parked in full sight and was clearly visible because the short northern night was nearly over and the sky was light. He knew what he was doing because it was impossible to get close to the car without being seen, so I settled behind a rock and waited for Elin. I had no relish for walking across that open ground only to stop a bullet.
Presently I heard her coming. The noise was quite loud as she changed gear and I saw a hint of movement from inside the parked car. I nestled my cheek against the stock of the carbine and aimed. Graham had been professional enough to put a spot of luminous paint on the foresight but it was not necessary in the pre-dawn light.
I settled the sight on the driving side and, as the noise behind me built up to a crescendo, I slapped three bullets in as many seconds through the windscreen which must have been made of laminated glass because it went totally opaque. Slade took off in a wide sweep and I saw that the only thing that had saved him was that the car had right-hand drive, English style, and I had shot holes in the wrong side of the windscreen.
But he wasnt waiting for me to correct the error and bucked away down the track as fast as he could go. The Land-Rover came up behind me and I jumped for it. Get going! I yelled. Make it fast.
Ahead, Slades car skidded around a corner in a four-wheel drift, kicking up a cloud of dust. He was heading for the main road, but when we arrived at the corner Elin turned the other way as I had instructed her. It would have been useless chasing Slade a Land-Rover isnt built for that and he had the advantage.
We turned south on to the track which parallels the Jökulsà à Fjöllum, the big river that takes the melt water north from Vatnajökull, and the roughness of the ground dictated a reduction in speed. Elin said, Did you talk to Slade?
I couldnt get near him.
Im glad you didnt kill him.
It wasnt for want of trying, I said. If he had a left-hand drive car hed be dead by now.
And would that make you feel any better? she asked cuttingly.
I looked at her. Elin, I said, The mans dangerous. Either hes gone off his nut which I think is unlikely or
Or what?
I dont know, I said despondently. Its too damned complicated and I dont know enough. But I do know that Slade wants me dead. Theres something I know or something he thinks I know thats dangerous for him; dangerous enough for him to want to kill me. Under the circumstances I dont want you around you could get in the line of fire. You did get in the line of fire this morning.
She slowed because of a deep rut. You cant survive alone, she said. You need help.
I needed more than help; I needed a new set of brains to work out this convoluted problem. But this wasnt the time to do it because Elins shoulder was giving her hell. Pull up, I said. Ill do the driving.
We travelled south for an hour and a half and Elin said, Theres Dettifoss.
I looked out over the rocky landscape towards the cloud of spray in the distance which hung over the deep gorge which the Jökulsá á Fjöllum has cut deep into the rock. Well carry on to Selfoss, I decided. Two waterfalls are better than one. Besides, there are usually campers at Dettifoss.
We went past Dettifoss and, three kilometres farther on, I pulled off the road. This is as close to Selfoss as we can get.
I got out. Ill go towards the river and see if anyones around, I said. Its bad form to be seen humping bodies about. Wait here and dont talk to any strange men.