* * *
“We’ll have to pull over,” said Treasure. Sand blasted the windows. It worked its way through the air vents and every microscopic gap into everyone’s eyes, ears and lungs. Visibility was down to almost zero, and Dawie was forced to drive at tortoise pace. Treasure couldn’t see the white lines in the middle of the road, and she could only just make out the headlights of the Land Rover behind.
Victor leaned forward from the back seat. “It’s dangerous to drive in this,” he said.
“We’re not stopping,” said Dawie. “This could go on for hours. If we wait for it to blow over, we’ll definitely miss our plane.”
“At this rate, we’ll miss it anyway,” said Julia.
“Not if we can make up some time later,” said Dawie.
* * *
Leo felt like he was trapped in a wind tunnel filled with sand that poured into his lungs every time he breathed in. He held his cap in front of his nose and mouth, like a dust mask. It didn’t help. The sand still found its way in.
He forced himself to go on. I’ll catch up with them soon.
Without a watch, he had no idea what the time was. Nor could he tell how long he’d been struggling down the track. He couldn’t even see it or the tyre marks anymore because they’d been covered in sand.
* * *
They’d been inching along for what seemed like hours when Treasure saw a sign swim out of the dust-thick air next to her window. AUS 10 km. “Great! Not far to the highway now,” she said.
Aus was a village at the junction of the east-west desert highway and the minor road they were travelling along. The highway started on the coast at the port of Lüderitz and ran east for nearly three hundred kilometres to the town of Keetmanshoop.
The astronomers had passed through Aus a week ago on their journey south to their isolated camp site. It was there, beneath a dazzling sky, that they’d spent the previous seven nights studying the stars and planets, and the myriad of other celestial bodies.
Now, at the end of ABSO, they were approaching Aus again on their way home to South Africa. The sleepy settlement was about halfway between the campsite and Keetmanshoop where they would return the Land Rovers to the car-hire firm. After that, they would take the short flight to the capital city, Windhoek, then board the plane that would take them back to Durban, thousands of kilometres to the east.
“Do you think we’ll make it to the airport in time?” Julia asked from the back seat. Their plane was scheduled to leave at seven o’clock.
Dawie shrugged. “There’s still about two hundred kilometres to go. And it’s nearly four o’clock. At this speed we won’t get there. But if the storm drops soon, we might make it.”
* * *
Exhausted and struggling to breathe, Leo sank to his knees and rolled himself into a tight ball. Curled up, his back taking the worst of the wind’s punishment, he waited for the end.
* * *
East of Aus, things started to get better. The wind grew lighter and before long, dropped altogether. Gradually, the dust began to settle and the air to clear. The Land Rovers picked up speed.
“Thank goodness that’s over,” said Treasure, settling back in her seat. “You did really well to keep going, Dawie.”
“Yeah! Great driving,” said Victor. “Sorry I doubted you back there.”
They sped on, past tiny railway sidings with names like Asbospan, Schakalskuppe, Guibes and Buchholz-Brunn. Ten minutes after driving through Goageb, Dawie slowed down. “I’m really tired,” he said and pulled over to the side. “Will you take over, Treasure?”
“Sure.” She checked the time. Twenty to five. Keetmanshoop was only about a hundred kilometres away. Bar any other disasters, they’d definitely make the flight to Windhoek.
Behind, Eva pulled over too. Doors were flung open and everyone climbed out to stretch their legs and shake the sand from their clothes and hair.
“What a journey!” said Humphrey, taking off his T-shirt and flicking it like a whip. “One thing I can’t stand is sand between my skin and shirt. It’s torture every time you move. Like being excoriated.”
“Excoriated?” said Yunus.
“Having your skin stripped off,” Cass explained.
“Why didn’t you just say so, Humphrey?” said Yunus.
Dawie opened the back of the Land Rover. “Who’s for a cold drink?” he said.
“Yes, please,” chorused the others.
* * *
Calm settled over Leo. It snuffed out the roar of wind in his ears, and soothed the sting of sand against his flesh. He looked up and saw pale sunlight filtering through the dust-laden air.
It was all over!
Spitting out sand, and blinking it out of the corners of his eyes, he pulled himself to his feet. I’ll find the others now. They won’t be far. He looked around to get his bearings. The air was thick with dust so he couldn’t see much in front. There was little else to help him; the ground bore no tyre marks or other clues to show him the way. The desert had been swept smooth, except for the indent his rolled-up form had left in the sand.
He stood very still. The road had to be close. The track was about five kilometres long, he remembered, and he must have walked at least half that distance before he’d given up. Expecting to hear an engine, or the crunch of tyres on the gritty surface, he waited and listened.
Not a rustle, a murmur, or distant whisper sounded. Only a solid silence as immense as the desert.
They’ve got to be nearby, he thought and looked round for the hill he’d climbed. Treasure had called it an inselberg. When they’d stopped, it had been a short way ahead of them and to the right. It wasn’t there now and that was probably because the dust in the air hid most things. Or perhaps he’d trudged a lot further than he’d first thought. I’ll just have to keep going in a straight line.
He plodded on. Gradually, the air grew clearer and the sun burnt through once more. As the visibility improved, the horizon rolled back and Leo saw that he was in the middle of a wide plain. Nothing – not a hill, a shrub, rock, or narrow track, no other human being – broke the monotony of that huge, open space.
“Where am I?” he said out loud, his voice sounding flat and feeble in the vast emptiness.
A memory came to him in answer. The worst thing to do if you’re lost in the desert, someone – Leo can’t remember who – once told him, is to try to find your way out. You’ll end up going in ever-widening circles. Best to stay put.
But it was too late. Leo had already lost his way.
2
Shade! It was all he could think of. The only patch was his shadow, but that was useless to him. It was like a nervous dog, edging away whenever he tried to move toward it.
The scorching sun showed no mercy and the sand was a branding iron against his legs. He flopped down, drew up his knees and bent over them, tucking in his head and arms to protect himself from the fierce rays. The others must be looking for me; they’ll find me soon.
He waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Nothing moved. No welcome noise of an engine broke the stifling silence. It was so still, Leo could hear his ears ringing. The shrill zinnnnggg was like the sound of cicadas in summer.
Time wore on, the sun seared its way across the sky, the zinging in Leo’s ears grew louder. The only thing that faded was his hope that the others would be back. Perhaps