Scene 14

As he swerved from the main street towards the sand track that would take him to the professor, his heart beat wildly. It had turned into evening and the sun was steadily dipping towards the horizon – which was probably to his advantage. At the moment, though, there was nothing more than sand to be seen. He carefully drove further and the signal came closer – still nothing more than desert sand. The main street lay far behind him, but there was no sign of the mosque. Now the signal reached its zenith, coming closer and closer – and then it suddenly lay behind him. He must have driven past the place without having noticed anything. Maille got out of the car and looked around him – nothing, only sand, a few scrub bushes and a couple of old bottles lying on the edge of the sand strip.

Suddenly he once again felt the heat, which seemed to be sticking to his still feverish limbs like heavy, sticky oil from an overheated motor. Why the heck was he here, why couldn't he save the world while operating from a cooler place – Copenhagen, for instance.

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