7 Chapter 1.6

Chapter 7

After leaving the aduar Alain Garnier and his team had traveled as fast as possible during a whole day, but once they reached a desert area during the second day Alain decided to camp in order to stock up on meat and water before continuing the march. In addition, an unconscious impulse refrained him from increasing the distance with the Arab camp and Farrah. While his men skinned the hunting pieces, salted and prepared to carry with them in their trip the Frenchman went for a walk to bring some peace to his mind. Looking to the north where he had left the woman of his dreams, he thought he saw a dark spot moving across the savannah. He squatted on a prominence to see without being seen and found that the object was approaching rapidly although still far from his position. Cautiously he lay on the ground and took aim with the rifle that always accompanied him in anticipation of a potential conflict. After a while he realized that the shadow was just a man running on foot and for his general appearance he recognized one of Farrah´s African servants. The caution was transformed into alarm and Alain stood up and went to meet the runner. As the man saw him, wanted to speak but exhausted and scared could not catch his breath. Anyway Alain did not speak his language so he signaled the runner to wait him there and returned to the camp looking for Djamba and Tswamba, who were working there. Upon approaching the native Tswamba questioned him; as he heard the answer the manyema´s gesture darkened.

“ Well. What did he say?” Urged Alain.

“The Princess Farrah asks you to return. That man Ahmed with some natives is ready to attack the aduar.”

The adrenaline rush turned Garnier´s cheeks red, but then he reacted instantly. He told his men.

“We´ll leave the camp immediately but we´ll take with us only the essentials in order to move fast. Hang everything else from trees to prevent them from being devoured by the forest animals. Tell the native that he will guide us.”

After a moment another thought crossed his mind; Alain turned to Tswamba and told him.

“You're our tracker and guide. You will not come with us.”

He then pulled out a small notebook from his jacket pocket and wrote a few lines. Then he turned again to Tswamba giving him instructions.

“ Listen, I need you to do this ...”

The two Arab guards stationed on the defensive perimeter of the aduar fell under the javelins thrown in the dark and the assault would had succeeded to reach the defenseless tents in silence if one of the wounded guards had not reached to shoot his old rifle and kill one the Kambas before being topped with spears. The apparently sleeping camp seemed suddenly stirred like a kicked anthill and Arabs and Africans began to emerge from the tents and bomas armed to the teeth. Abdullah had begun his carrier as a warrior and owed his position as head of the clan to his strategic and tactical skills. He had ordered that all men had to sleep in shifts and keep loaded their weapons beside them, and women and children had been dispatched to the central kibandas.

The ensuing fight was fierce and very bloody. Hordes of Kambas, which had been reinforced by warriors from all over the surrounding countryside were slaughtered mercilessly by the fire of ancient weapons, until their advance could reach the positions of the defenders after which followed a savage short range struggle with spears, swords and daggers. Fighters skated in the blood of the fallen and the cries of the wounded mingled with the orders of the leaders of both parties. The thrust of the Kambas was formidable and those who fell in the first row were replaced by new fresh warriors who fought with the tired Arabs and their black allies who got gradually separated into small groups isolated from each other and therefore unable to cover their backs.

Ahmed ben Assaff marginally involved him in the fight since he had two clear goals in mind and limited his actions to achieve them. First he threw himself on the tent he knew belonged to Abdullah, where he had planned to seize the chest where the old man kept his gold. Great was his despair when he saw that in the tent there were only some scattered clothes belonging to the Sheik and his wife and all the rest had been obviously transported to some other site. On leaving the tent he looked at least to get the second of his goals but did not know where to look. He saw before him a one of the defending Arabs, who had been badly wounded and lay on the ground in front of other tents. Ahmed approached the man that until the day before had been his companion with a dagger in his hand and inserting the tip of the blade in the man's neck he barked.

“Farrah! Where has she been taken?”'The man looked at him with desperate eyes but Ahmed plunged the blade a little deeper into his throat. The poor wounded man made a motion with his arm indicating a native Kibanda further ahead. Once he got the information the rabble slit unceremoniously the defender throat. As he was advancing to the Kibanda Ahmed was surrounded by a dozen men among his Bedouins and Kambas who already knew him and were ordered to obey him. With that troops the scoundrel advanced swiftly toward the hut beheading on the way one of the defenders. The Kibanda was a protected site and from everywhere emerged shots that thinned the ranks of the aggressors so that as they arrived at the wall of timber and reeds of the appointed hut just Ahmed and one of his men were left. The bulky Kamba warrior threw himself into on the precarious Kibanda door and entered it with a spear in his hand.

Farrah and Alima were huddled in a corner and the gigantic man walked in their direction. Fadilah emerged from the shadows with a knife in her hands, taking the attacker by surprise; in the unexpected action the brave girl managed to sink the dagger in the back of the Bedouin Ahmed´s companion, who fell instantly dead. As he saw himself surrounded by women the traitor roared with fury. He struck Fadilah with the hilt of his dagger so that the girl was thrown with brutal force against the Kibanda wall where she fell apparently lifeless; then with a wild smile on his mouth he pounced on Farrah; Alima desperate to see her daughter in danger threw herself on the aggressor but Ahmed ended her life with a single blow. Then he approached the girl.

The attacking hordes were already reducing the defenders to tiny groups and the end was predictable and close. Suddenly a thud of hooves thundered the environment and a cloud of dust covered the battlefield. Abdullah and a group of his surviving Arabs had unleashed their horses and rushed in a desperate charge on the attackers making circular right and left blows with their scimitars, beheading and tearing while the thrust of the beasts trained in war ran over Bedouin and Africans alike putting the survivors to flight.

Seeing his plans falling apart by the unexpected resistance Walaka hastily tried to flee but was caught by Faisal, who had recognized him from his presence in command of the Kamba warriors the day they had made the infamous entry in the aduar carrying the unfortunate slaves. Desperate as he saw himself attacked with fury from a spirited horse the wren tried to cover his head and body with his shield, but with the first formidable scimitar blow the shield broke in half and the second severed his head that was thrown into a hut.

The Kambas, as they found themselves deprived of their chief and their forces cut in half fled terrified, pursued by riders who were cutting off heads and limbs from their horses up to the end.

The field was littered with corpses and wounded on both sides, and the shrieks of pain were unbearable. From the kibandas a human tidal wave emerged and began touring the battlefield. Abdullah's African allies, who had experienced the first wave of attack and endured many casualties took revenge now tormenting and finishing off countless wounded aggressors, white and black.

With a heavy heart Abdullah returned to the aduar after putting the enemy to flight; riders who now accompanied him were but a few. Sheikh pounced on the Kibanda where his heart was.

A piercing scream split the night of the savannah.