「Beg pardon, sir,」 said the soldier, saluting at the doorway to the officer』s bathroom. 「Duty officer』s pliments and you e straight away?」
el Horyse sighed, put down his razor, and used the flao wipe off the remains of the shaving soap. He had been interrupted shaving that m, and had tried several times during the day to finish the job. Perhaps it was a sign he should grow a moustache.
「What』s happening?」 he asked, resignedly.
Whatever was happening, it was uo be good.
「An aircraft, sir,」 replied the private, stolidly.
「From Army HQ? Dropping a message der?」
「I don』t know, sir. It』s oher side of the Wall.」
「What!」 exclaimed Horyse, dropping all his shaving gear, pig up his helmet and sword, and attempting to rush out, all at the same time.
「Impossible!」
But, when he eventually sorted himself out and got down to the Forward Observation Post—an octagonal strongpoint that thrust out through the Perimeter to within fifty yards of the Wall— it quite clearly ossible. The light was fading as the afternoon wa robably close to setting oher side—but the visibility was good enough to make out the distant airborne shape that was desding in a series of long, gradual loops . . . oher side of the Wall. In the Old Kingdom.
The Duty Officer was watg through big artillery spotter』s binoculars, his elbows perched on the sandbagged parapet of the position.
Horyse paused for a moment to think of the fellow』s name—he was o the Perimeter Garrisoapped him on the shoulder.
「Jorbert. Mind if I have a look?」
The young officer lowered the binoculars relutly, and hahem across like a boy deprived of a half-eaten lollipop.
「It』s definitely an aircraft, sir,」 he said, brightening up as he spoke. 「Totally silent, like a glider, but it』s clearly powered somehow. Very maneuverable, aifully paioo. There』s two . . . people in it, sir.」
Horyse didn』t answer, but took up the binoculars and the same elbow-propping stance. For a moment, he couldn』t see the aircraft, and he hastily panned left and right, then zigzagged up and down—and there it was, lower than he expected, almost in a landing approach.
「Sound stand-to,」 he ordered harshly, as the realization struck him that the craft would land very close to the Crossing Point—perhaps only a hundred yards from the gate.
He heard his and beied by Jorbert to a sergeant, and then bellowed out, to be taken up by sentries, duty NCOs, aually to hand-ked klaxons and the old bell that hung in the front of the Officer』s Mess.
It was hard to see exactly who or what was in the craft, till he twiddled with the focus, and Sabriel』s face leapt towards him, magnified up tnizable form, even at the current distance. Sabriel, the daughter of Abhorsen, apanied by an unknown man—or something wearing the shape of a man. For a moment, Horyse sidered the men to stand-down, but he could already hear hobnailed boots clattering on the duckboards, sergeants and corporals shouting—and it might not really be Sabriel. The sun was weakening, and the ing night would be the first of the full moon . . .
「Jorbert!」 he snapped, handing the binoculars back to the surprised and unready subaltern.
「Go and give the Regimental Sergeant-Major my pliments, and ask him to personally anize a se of the Scouts—we』ll go out and take a closer look at that aircraft.」
「Oh, thank you, sir!」 gushed Lieutenant Jorbert, obviously taking the 「we」 to in