Hawk of the Hills

Book Excerpt: ...inded Willoughby."His word is not wind," admitted the old ruffian grudgingly.They had dropped down from the heights and were traversing a narrow plateau that broke into a series of gorges at the other end. Willoughby thought of the letter in his pocket, which had come to him by devious ways. He had memorized it, recognizing its dramatic value as a historical document.Geoffrey Willoughby, Ghazrael Fort: If you want to parley, come to Shaitan's Minaret, alone. Let your escort stop outside the mouth of the gorge. They won't be molested, but if any Orakzai follows you into the gorge, he'll be shot.Francis X. Gordon.Concise and to the point. Parley, eh? The man had assumed the role of a general carrying on a regular war, and left no doubt that he considered Willoughby, not a disinterested arbiter, but a diplomat working in the interests of the opposing side."We should be near the Gorge of the Minaret," said Willoughby.Baber Ali pointed. "There i...