half full. The engine should not have cut out. She saw that Chad was staring at the dashboard, his look a mix of puzzlement and horror. The only response when he tried to restart the engine was an unhealthy - sounding clattering noise.
Chad released the bonnet catch and, donning a golf cap against the sun, got out to have a look. Kerry heard him fiddling with leads and wires. Then for a while there was silence – and she guessed he had discovered the cause of the problem.
She knew it was bad from the look on his face.
FIVE
Chad explained that the rubber timing belt had slipped off the cam wheels. With the synchronisation gone, the pistons would have damaged the valves.
Kerry tried to remain calm, as her training in emergency situations had taught her. It was all a bit technical for her. But she knew the damage was serious, a garage job – a fact confirmed by Chad.
“We’re going to need a tow out of here.”
“The bump?”
He looked at her and nodded. “I feel such a bloody idiot.” Wasting no time, he checked his mobile phone and let out a curse. “No signal! Of all the places . . . we picked a beauty – a river valley.”
It was no time for recriminations. They had to put their heads together and work something out.
“These things happen,” Kerry said. “What now?”
“There isn’t a big choice. Either we sit and wait for someone to find us or I walk back to the main road and get help.”
“Chad, the lions! ”
“Hell, I’d quite forgotten . My mind is full of engine parts.”
“So we wait,” Kerry said calmly. “How long before they find us?”
Chad stared ahead thoughtfully. “We’re due at the second camp – Main Camp – this evening. At six o’clock, when camp gates are closed for the night, staff get in radio contact with each other. So they will know we failed to arrive and haven’t pitched up at the wrong camp. Someone will check the roads between the two camps. They may work through the night – but I wouldn’t count on it. Tomorrow, when we still haven’t shown up, someone will have the bright idea that we might be on an unauthorised road. That’s the way I see it. I’d be lying if I said they’ll be here in a few hours – they won’t.”
“No lies, Chad. The good thing is that neither of us is hurt. I’ve done a mental check of our food and drink supplies: various tinned stuff, biscuits, two warm beers, an almost full bottle of Scotch, and three oranges. That should see us through.”
“I ’d still like to walk to the road. After their feast, the lions will probably be sleeping.”
“Too risky. Always best to stay by the ship in an emergency.”
***
They settled into an uneasy truce. Chad was quiet, brooding. Kerry was sure she could read his mind. A long drawn out wait for rescue would make such a drama out of the whole unfortunate incident. She had won a small victory in their battle of wills. Her training and logical no-risks approach had won over his superior bushcraft. She wasn’t even sure she was right, but hers was the safer option.
An hour passed. Chad sat with his back against a tree looking up the valley to where they had spooked the zebra. He had walked away from the car, leaving her there – the act of distancing himself, she guessed, a show of defiance against her will. He was frustrated, but under the circumstances he had every right to be. She was less upset. Already she had seen so much. Chad’s pride had been dented; he needed time to come to terms with her growing influence. Up until now he had run the show. He was on home ground and she had been happy to play second fiddle and learn from him. His mistake had weakened him in both their eyes, not fatally, but it had created the opportunity for her to bring more balance to their relationship.
“The no entry sign,” she said through the open window. “Will they punish us for ignoring it?”
“What sign?” Chad smiled for the first time since the
Chad released the bonnet catch and, donning a golf cap against the sun, got out to have a look. Kerry heard him fiddling with leads and wires. Then for a while there was silence – and she guessed he had discovered the cause of the problem.
She knew it was bad from the look on his face.
FIVE
Chad explained that the rubber timing belt had slipped off the cam wheels. With the synchronisation gone, the pistons would have damaged the valves.
Kerry tried to remain calm, as her training in emergency situations had taught her. It was all a bit technical for her. But she knew the damage was serious, a garage job – a fact confirmed by Chad.
“We’re going to need a tow out of here.”
“The bump?”
He looked at her and nodded. “I feel such a bloody idiot.” Wasting no time, he checked his mobile phone and let out a curse. “No signal! Of all the places . . . we picked a beauty – a river valley.”
It was no time for recriminations. They had to put their heads together and work something out.
“These things happen,” Kerry said. “What now?”
“There isn’t a big choice. Either we sit and wait for someone to find us or I walk back to the main road and get help.”
“Chad, the lions! ”
“Hell, I’d quite forgotten . My mind is full of engine parts.”
“So we wait,” Kerry said calmly. “How long before they find us?”
Chad stared ahead thoughtfully. “We’re due at the second camp – Main Camp – this evening. At six o’clock, when camp gates are closed for the night, staff get in radio contact with each other. So they will know we failed to arrive and haven’t pitched up at the wrong camp. Someone will check the roads between the two camps. They may work through the night – but I wouldn’t count on it. Tomorrow, when we still haven’t shown up, someone will have the bright idea that we might be on an unauthorised road. That’s the way I see it. I’d be lying if I said they’ll be here in a few hours – they won’t.”
“No lies, Chad. The good thing is that neither of us is hurt. I’ve done a mental check of our food and drink supplies: various tinned stuff, biscuits, two warm beers, an almost full bottle of Scotch, and three oranges. That should see us through.”
“I ’d still like to walk to the road. After their feast, the lions will probably be sleeping.”
“Too risky. Always best to stay by the ship in an emergency.”
***
They settled into an uneasy truce. Chad was quiet, brooding. Kerry was sure she could read his mind. A long drawn out wait for rescue would make such a drama out of the whole unfortunate incident. She had won a small victory in their battle of wills. Her training and logical no-risks approach had won over his superior bushcraft. She wasn’t even sure she was right, but hers was the safer option.
An hour passed. Chad sat with his back against a tree looking up the valley to where they had spooked the zebra. He had walked away from the car, leaving her there – the act of distancing himself, she guessed, a show of defiance against her will. He was frustrated, but under the circumstances he had every right to be. She was less upset. Already she had seen so much. Chad’s pride had been dented; he needed time to come to terms with her growing influence. Up until now he had run the show. He was on home ground and she had been happy to play second fiddle and learn from him. His mistake had weakened him in both their eyes, not fatally, but it had created the opportunity for her to bring more balance to their relationship.
“The no entry sign,” she said through the open window. “Will they punish us for ignoring it?”
“What sign?” Chad smiled for the first time since the
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