Zarah frowned and cursed under her breath at being thwarted in her intention of riding back to the Sanctuary alone with Ralph Trenchard.
“Splendid man, Yussuf,” he said, watching the approaching camels. “Absolutely devoted to you. I suppose he raced home in front of that poisonous pestilence so as to get you a relay of camels and emergency rations and remedies. You’re lucky to have anybody like that about you, don’t you think?”
Zarah did not answer. She crossed to Al-Asad, thereby giving Yussuf the opportunity he wanted and Ralph Trenchard the surprise of his life.
Guided by “His Eyes,” the blind man brought his camel to a halt within a foot or so of where the white man stood, whilst the fifty brace of camels deployed in a semicircle behind him.
He bent down and searched with his hand until he touched Ralph Trenchard’s shoulder; then he bent lower still.
“Helena!” he whispered, and pressed his hand down hard as Ralph Trenchard started.
“Helena!” he repeated, put his finger to his lips, straightened himself and rode, with much shouting, towards Zarah, followed by fifty brace of grunting camels.