Free River of Death by Alistair MacLean

avoided, of course. The Chapate, Horenas and Muscias especially.'

Hamilton pointed at a town on the map and looked at Diaz. 'Corrientes. Smith has a hovercraft there - for obvious reasons. It's at the junction of the Parana and Paraguay rivers and he must be pretty sure the Lost City lies near the head-waters of one of those. I'm going up the Paraguay. I don't know it well, there may be bad rapids for all I know, but the helicopter can help if there are.'

Diaz said: 'Your friend has a helicopter?'

'My friend, as you call him, has got everything. This is a giant — a Sikorsky Skycrane. Well enough named — it can just about lift any damn thing. We'll base the helicopter at Asuncion. The hovercraft can go up in three stages — to either Puerto Casado or Puerto Sastre in Paraguay, then into Brazil to Corumba then finally to Cuiaba. From there the helicopter can airlift it to Rio da Morte.'

'And you would like to have some units of the Federal army exercising near Cuiaba, is that it?'

'If it can be arranged.'

'That has already been done.'

'I am in your debt, Colonel Diaz.'

'It would be more accurate to say that we are in your debt. If, that is to say —'

'If I come back?'

'Precisely.'

Hamilton gestured towards the two young men. 'With the heavenly two to watch my back, what harm can befall me?'

Diaz looked at him briefly and doubtfully then pressed a button. An aide came in carrying a brown leather case, extracted what looked to be a large movie camera and handed it to Hamilton, who pressed a button on the base. There came the faint whirring noise typical of an electric-powered camera.

Diaz said: 'You won't believe this, but it will even take pictures if you wish.'

Hamilton smiled but without humour. 'I don't think I'll be indulging in any photography this time out. What's the radio transmitting range?'

'Five hundred kilometres.'

'Enough. Waterproof?'

'Naturally. You leave tomorrow?'

'No. We have to get provisions and jungle gear and fly them to Cuiaba. We must get the hovercraft on the move. More important, though, I must go ahead and check on our friend Mr Jones.'

'Back to the Colony?'

'Back to the Colony.'

Diaz said slowly: 'You are an extraordinarily persistent man, Mr Hamilton. God knows you've every right to be.' He shook his head. 'I greatly fear for the health of your travelling companions in your forthcoming expedition.'

Hamilton had rejoined his travelling companions-to-be. Outside the uncurtained windows of the Villa Haydn's drawing-room the sky was dark: the room itself was brightly but not harshly lit by the light from the three crystal chandeliers. There were nine people in the room, most of them standing, most of them with aperitif glasses in their hands. Present were Hamilton, the twin Sergeants Herera, Smith and his entourage. Heffner, to whom Hamilton had just been introduced, was slightly flushed of face, slightly loud of voice and was sitting on an arm of the chair Maria was occupying. Tracy was regarding him with disfavour.

Smith said to Hamilton: 'I must say your heavenly twins, as you call them, have an air of competence about them.'

'They're not much at home in drawing-rooms. But in the jungle, yes. They're good. Squirrel-hunter's eyes.'

'Meaning?'

'Either of them, with his rifle, can hit a playing-card at a hundred yards. Most people can't even see a card at that distance.'

'That meant to sound intimidating, threatening?'

'Neither. Reassuring. Very useful accomplishment when wild boars or alligators or head-hunters or cannibals come at you. Let's not confuse this coming trip with a Sunday school picnic.'

'I'm aware of that.' Smith was trying to sound patient. 'Well, your plan sounds reasonable. We leave in a couple of days?'

'More like a week. I repeat, no picnic: you don't go dashing off into the Amazonian rain-forest at a couple of hours' notice, especially when you are going to be passing through hostile territory — and, believe me, we will be. We have to allow