The geologist was bending over the man he had killed and he turned, a puzzled frown on his face. 'How the h.e.l.l did he keep on coming? I didn't miss once.'

Kane turned the body over with his right foot. The face was contorted in agony, the lips foam-flecked and curled back, exposing stained teeth. 'Haven't you ever come across anyone who looks like this before?'

Jordan shook his head, but Marie moved forward and looked down. 'This man has been drugged with quat. He must be a hired a.s.sa.s.sin.'

Kane nodded. 'That's the way I see it. When I asked the first man what he wanted, he told me he had a letter for a man called Kane.'

'But why the h.e.l.l should anyone want to kill you?' Jordan said. 'And what is this stuff quat anyway?'

Kane lit a cigarette. 'It's a narcotic stimulant found in the leaves of a shrub from these parts. When the leaves are chewed, the user feels alert and confident. Used regularly, it gradually has an effect on the physical appearance.'

Jordan frowned. 'What's this bit about hired a.s.sa.s.sins?'

Kane shrugged. 'I'd have thought you'd have known about that by now. If you want to kill a man in this country, you don't do it yourself. You hire a professional.'

Jamal had been busy searching the body of the first man Kane had killed. Now he turned and came towards them, a leather bag in one hand, which he handed to his mistress.

Marie looked inside and then held it forward silently so that the others could see its contents. It was stuffed with silver coins.

Jordan whistled and Marie said gravely, 'There must be the equivalent of two or three thousand Maria Theresa dollars here, Gavin. Someone must want you dead very badly.'

Kane nodded soberly. 'Yes, and I think I know who it is. I had a run-in with Selim, yesterday. One of his men had a try last night when I was sleeping.'

Marie frowned. 'But how would he know that you would be at Bir el Madani this morning?'

Kane considered the fact and then nodded. 'You've got a point there. Anyway, to h.e.l.l with it. It didn't come off and somebody's paid a lot of money out for nothing.' He groaned and wiped a hand across his mouth. 'I could use a drink.'

'I've got a flask in the truck,'Jordan told him. 'Come to think of it, I could do with a swallow myself.' He grinned and shook his head. 'And I was worried in case being a geologist turned out to be boring.'

As they walked back towards the truck, an excited crowd of people swarmed past them and moved towards the dead bodies.

'Where the h.e.l.l did they spring from?' Jordan said. 'Anyone would think they knew something was going to happen.'

'They very probably did,' Kane told him.

Ruth Cunningham looked sick and her face was pale. 'Are you all right?' she said to Kane.

He nodded. 'I'm sorry you had to see that.'

She seemed to find difficulty in speaking and clambered back into the front seat, where she sat, nervously clasping and unclasping her hands.

Jordan had been examining the bag of coins Jamal had found on the body of the first a.s.sa.s.sin and he looked at Kane enquiringly. 'What happens to this little lot?'

'You hang on to it for now,' Kane told him. 'I'm sure we'll find a use for it later.'

Jordan grinned. 'Pietty good pay under the circ.u.mstances.' He produced a brandy flask from a compart- ment under the dashboard, took a long swallow and handed it to Kane. 'Compliments of the house.'

Kane raised the flask and toasted him silently. He choked as the brandy burned its way down into his stomach, and he climbed into the rear of the truck. 'I haven't thanked you yet. That was nice shooting back there.'

Jordan slipped behind the wheel and drove towards the village. 'I was raised on a ranch in Wyoming.'

He turned the truck into the wide main street and braked to a halt outside the largest house, scattering a herd of goats.

Kane got down and Ruth Cunningham followed him. 'After we've had our talk with Omar, we'll take a flight over the Shabwa area,' he said to Marie.

She nodded. 'Take care, Gavin, and don't go too far out into the desert. It's bad flying country.' She glanced at her watch. 'Let's see - with any luck, we should be back here just after noon.'

Kane smiled. 'We'll be back by then easily.'

There was a grinding of gears and the truck shot away in a cloud of dust. Kane turned to speak to Ruth Cunningham and found the headman of the village standing outside his door, waiting to welcome them.

'You honour my poor house, Captain Kane,' he said in Arabic.

Kane smiled. 'Always I come when I need something, my friend, but let us go inside. The sun is hot and the events of the past half-hour have given me a great desire to sit down.'

Omar led the way into his windowless, mud-brick home. The house was divided into two rooms. In one were kept the goats and chickens belonging to the family, and the other was the general living room. At night Omar and his family simply lay down in their robes on rush mats and slept.

Despite the obvious poverty of the place, Omar bin Naser had the native courtesy and instinctive dignity of the Arab. He motioned Kane and Ruth Cunningham to two cushions and clapped his hands. Within a few moments, a woman entered the room, wearing a long black outer robe which also closely veiled her face. She carried a bra.s.s pot in her left hand and three cups in the other.

After the customary feigned refusals that courtesy demanded, Kane accepted a cup and nodded slightly to Ruth Cunningham who followed suit. The woman poured a few drops into their cup and waited for approval. It was Yemeni mocha - the finest coffee in the world. Kane smiled and held out his cup, which the woman promptly filled.

Omar waved her away and Kane offered him a cigarette, which the headman accepted eagerly. When it was drawing to his satisfaction, he sat back with a sigh and said courteously, 'In what way may I help you?'

Kane nodded to Ruth Cunningham. 'I seek this lady's husband,' he said. 'He came here about two months ago. Can you tell us anything about him?'

Omar's eyes sparked with interest, and he inclined his head to Ruth Cunningham with a pleasant smile and said to Kane, 'Presumably the woman does not understand Arabic?' When Kane nodded, he went on, 'A man did come here some two months ago. He arrived with a convoy of trucks one day. They went on to the camp of the American Jordan, but this man stayed in Bir el Madam.'

'Where did he go from here?' Kane said.

Omar shrugged. 'Who knows? He was mad - quite mad. He wanted to journey from Shabwa to Marib by camel. He needed guides.'

'And did you help him?' Kane said.

Omar nodded. 'The camels I could supply, but the guides were another matter. No one ventures into the Empty Quarter, as you know, unless he is a hunted man with a price on his head.'

'Then he went alone?'

The headman shook his head. 'There was a mad Bedouin pa.s.sing through here at the time - a Rashid. You know what they are like. Anything for adventure. Proud, reckless men. He volunteered to go with the Englishman.'

'And have you heard of them since?' Kane said.

Omar smiled faintly. 'Captain Kane, their bones are bleaching in the sun at this moment. It is the only end for those who are foolish enough to venture into the Empty Quarter.'

For a little while Kane sat there, frowning, and then he got to his feet and gave Ruth Cunningham a hand. 'Have you found anything out?' she demanded anxiously.

He nodded. 'Plenty. Your husband was here. He managed to get camels and a Bedouin of the Rashid tribe to accompany him. He told Omar he intended to cross the Empty Quarter from Shabwa to Marib.'

Her eyes were troubled, and Kane patted her rea.s.suringly on the arm and turned to Omar. 'Many thanks, my friend, but we must go now. I shall fly this lady to Shabwa and then a little way out into the desert. Perhaps we shall discover something.'