9 Bea swung the turret to the rear, covering them, firing a high-explosive round for good measure at a partially hidden antitank gun squad behind a wall. The entire building fell on them. Takuta let go another burst of MG-34 fire, the turret traversing back and forth. Gwafa mowed down palms, weaving amongst them when he could. If the Germans shot at their rear from the path, they would have a clear shot, so he veered left and right, zig-zagging a snake trail. His interior temperature gauge read forty-five degrees Celsius and climbing. Gwafa, do you know where youre going? Madame, I think we are slightly northwest of the Cleopatra Springs, but it is hard to tell. Ive lost sight of the hill. Antitank rounds sliced through trees all around them. No hits. She clicked the mic. Jildy, Sergeant, step on it. Keep moving in a zig-zag. After ten heart-pounding minutes they touched the corner of a large pond. All stop. Ill have a look. Gwafa, pop your hatch and get some air. Find a canteen. She pulled the lever on the commanders hatch and the spring-loaded lid eased up. The relatively cool air of the shade filtered in. Takuta, find a canteen if theres one in the supply bin. Be quick about it. He found several. He took a few gulps, dehydration a soldiers worst enemy. Here, mum. Bea swigged the tea-warm water and tugged on her headset cord. Im going to test the waters. Keep a lookout. Standing with feet on edges of the cupola just as the books woman illustration had shown, she carefully and diligently scanned the palms for movement with the commanders powerful binoculars. None. What are they up to? She climbed down and kicked off debris that clogged the cooling fansone made a high- pitched bearing squeal from partial damagethen hopped down and waded into the waist-deep, two-hundred-meter-wide pond. Lily pads formed islands, birds scattered, and Lotus flowers bloomed blue and pink. Springwater bubbled to the surface, and papyrus and date palms shadowed it all, a bejeweled botanists paradise fit for Nefertitis