I wondered how quickly she would reveal it to the rest of her herd.
Another step, then she was on the other side. Our side. Her foot pressed down on the rich soil, the downed leaves, the moss.
“Arrow!” I called. I needed him now. The forest needed him now. But there was no answer. He was still in the Shimmer Cave, away from my reach.
The trees were larger on this side of the river, denser, and reeds lined the water’s edge. Petari ran her fingers through the reeds and walked north until she rounded the curve in the water’s path that hid the bridge from the village. Here she could look across the river and see the huts and the rest of her herd. She could shout out and wave her arms and get their attention, point to the curve and the copse and the bridge beyond. She could tell them how to get to us.
I could have called to the forest’s bigger predators to stop her. But Claw would have found her a tasty meal. I wanted the herd gone, but I was not like the Imposters. A life was too big a price. I had to find another way.
My leaves stilled as I waited, felt her footsteps on the soil, watched her from a fly buzzing over the water.
But she didn’t alert her herd. She stopped and gazed at them but stayed hidden behind the tall grasses. Then she turned back toward the trees and entered the forest.
“Arrow!” I wished he would hurry back. I wished he could hear me.
Much like the day she and her brother had first walked through the hole in the curtain, I could feel Petari’s wonder and thrill. It emanated in her every step, in the way she touched the leaves and rubbed the bark of each tree she passed. She never stopped looking and gaping. As the thick forest closed off sight of the bridge behind her, her breath quickened, but she wasn’t to be dissuaded. She snapped twigs at the ends of branches, making each point in a direction. I was sure she wouldn’t like me snapping the ends of her fingers, but I understood what she was doing: marking her path so she could find her way back.
Smart.
And she didn’t show signs of going back anytime soon.
Not until she’d found what she was looking for.
“Arrow!” I called out. “Hurry!” I could finally feel his soles on the sun-kissed soil again. He and Curly were on their way. And just in time. Arrow was the only one who could stop Petari now.
“I haven’t got any more ideas,” he said when he heard my call.
“We can’t worry about the Anima now, Arrow. The girl found the bridge.”
“She did? She got through all those stink bugs?”
“I told you she was determined. Be quick before she gets too far. You must make her go back to the village and tell her herd to leave.”
“I should’ve used more stink bugs, or put sap all over the trees, or moved in golden orb weavers to spin big webs,” Arrow said, running to the kapok tree. “How am I going to get her out now?”
“I don’t know.” I hated the words I was going to say next, but I could think of nothing else. “You might have to show yourself. You might have to talk to her.”
Arrow froze. “Talk to her?”
“It might be your only choice. Tell her the dangers of the forest, Arrow. Tell her she must go back to the village. In fact, perhaps this is an opportunity. An opportunity I would’ve preferred to avoid, but still. When you explain how dangerous the forest is, tell her that she and her herd must leave, go through the curtain and never come back. Convince her.”
The boy gulped. “Where is she now?”
“She’s by the Crooked Rock and heading this way.”
“Come on, Curly,” he said, climbing to the liana vine attached high on the trunk.
“And, Arrow,” I said, “tell her to keep you a secret. Don’t tell her anything about you or me or the forest. If the others find out about you, they might come looking.”
Nervousness dripped from Arrow as he pulled the hemp rope from around his waist. But he nodded, hiked the rope around his body and over the liana. Then, with Curly tucked onto his shoulder, he pushed off the trunk and flew. He connected with another tree and another liana, zipped past branches and squawking parrots. Finally, when he was just south of the Crooked Rock, he pulled himself onto a thick tree limb and hurried down.
I had hoped he would get in front of the girl, but she had moved through the forest quickly. Quicker than I had thought she could.
Arrow’s heel connected with something soft. Something that said, “OW!”
The surprise made Arrow jump, and he missed his next step. His toes slipped on the bark, sending his body sprawling onto the dead leaves, pushing Petari down with him. Curly chattered her annoyance from a branch above.
Arrow sat up and rubbed his head. “You mus—” He was ready, the words telling her to leave on the tip of his tongue. But as soon as their eyes locked, his voice left him.
No, Arrow. This is not the time to stay silent!
Petari glared at the boy and scrambled backward. “I knew I’d seen someone. It was you, wasn’t it? You were the one in our home.”
“Your home?” Emotions curled around Arrow. Anger mixing with anticipation mixing with curiosity.
“What did you do to her?” Petari stood up slowly, her narrowed eyes a warning.
A thrum of fear whipped through the boy, but he swallowed it back. It was his first time talking to his own kind, and even though he knew he had to make her leave, his interest in Petari made Arrow hesitant. He peered at her just like he had peered at Claw the first time he had seen the oldest jaguar in the forest. Then, I was glad he ran. Now I wished he would be more forceful.
“What did you do to Ruthie, the baby?” Petari repeated, her voice harsher.
Arrow straightened, swallowed, tried to find his voice. “You shouldn’t be here,” he croaked.
“What?” She crinkled her nose.
“It’s not safe here.” His voice was stronger now. “You have to leave. You all have to leave.”
She glanced around quickly, picked up a stick, and raised it in front of her body. “Not safe from what?”
“From everything.” Arrow pointed in the direction of the village. “Go back. Get all of your herd and leave.”
“Herd?” Her brow furrowed, and I wondered if she understood English as well as I had thought.
Arrow gulped. “I’ll get you out safely. But then you must leave the forest and never come back.”
He started to stride toward the bridge, but Petari stepped into his path.
“Hold it. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what you did to Ruthie.” Her eyes roamed over him, his bare feet, his bare arms, his worn shirt the color of the night sky and shorts the color of twigs.
Arrow eyed her for a breath but kept his lips tightly shut.
“Someone came into our village and put some kind of muck on the baby,” Petari continued. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
Curly squealed in the tree, and Arrow glanced around the forest. “I told you. You have to leave.”
The girl planted her feet firmly on the ground. “I’m not going anywhere until you answer my question. What did you do to the baby?”
She was not making this easy for Arrow.
He sighed. Don’t tell her anything.
“I put mashed malva leaves on her skin. It heals rashes.”
Did he listen to nothing I said?
“How did you know she had a rash?” Petari demanded.
“Didn’t you see her? It was obvious.”
Petari stamped her foot. “I mean why were you watching us?”
Arrow waved a fly off his arm, then noticed the girl gazing at his arrow arm.
“What?” he asked, as doubt seeped from him.
Petari backed up one step, turned away, and said, “Nothing.”
There was a lightness to her word, but Arrow’s doubt thickened. He glanced around again. “I told you, you and your herd have to go. The forest doesn’t just have trees in it, and most residents aren’t as friendly as me.”
“You don’t seem that friendly either
. Answer my question!” Petari waved her stick at him, and Curly shook her fist at the girl.
Arrow narrowed his eyes. “Fine, you don’t want my help. Get eaten. It’s not like I didn’t warn you.” Then he turned, said, “Come on, Curly,” and strolled in my direction.
I couldn’t believe he was just leaving her. I had told him to get rid of the girl, to make sure she went back to the village and left this forest for good. He knew how important this was.
He stepped away, but Petari didn’t move, just stood there with her stick raised high.
Go back. I wished Arrow could hear. Go back and make her leave.
But then…
“Wait!” Petari lowered the stick and ran after Arrow. “What do you mean I’ll get eaten?”
11
AN ACAI PALM NEAR THE CROOKED ROCK COMPLAINED OF A BAD TASTE IN THE SOIL. THEN ITS TRUNK BENT IN TWO, AND ITS ROOTS PULLED AWAY FROM THE EARTH.
Arrow’s tales of hungry cats, sharp-toothed caimans, and striking anacondas convinced Petari she should go back to the village, and the boy’s thin smile told me he had known she would. Smart boy. Maybe he understood humans better than I’d thought.
He led the way quickly, dashing past trunks and jumping over roots, making a show of looking for the dangers.
Petari was not as fast. She soon fell behind, and Arrow had to stop and call to her to “Hurry! If you’re not quick, the animals will smell you and hunt you down.”
The girl scowled but tried to go faster. It was not easy for her on the unfamiliar terrain. Finally she stopped and put her hands on her hips.
“I didn’t see any animals when I came in here. I think you’re bluffing.”
“Bluffing?” Arrow didn’t know this word. Neither did I, so it was not one I could have taught him.
“There aren’t really any animals in here,” Petari said, her voice sharp as a harpy eagle’s talon. “You’re lying to get me to leave.”
“Lying?” Arrow did not know this word either, although I’d heard it before, about the Imposters so many rings ago. “You have to leave,” Arrow continued, ignoring the strange word. “I told you it’s too dangerous in here.”
Petari pushed out her chin. “I haven’t seen anything dangerous.”
Frustration piled around Arrow’s toes. “Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Come. I’m taking you out.” He moved to grab her arm, to pull her away, but the girl stepped back.
“No. I won’t go. Not until you tell me who you are.” Her eyes drilled into him. “I’ve never seen you in the Barbs. How long have you been here? When did you find that hole? How did you learn about those leaves? Where’s your group?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” Arrow said, his annoyance rising.
“Of course I do,” she said. “How else am I supposed to find out stuff? Now tell me—”
A twig snapped behind the girl, and Arrow’s eyes widened. “Freeze!”
“What?” Petari swung around, then screamed. “AAAAAHHHHH!”
“Get behind me.” Arrow pulled her behind him, and this time she didn’t stop him. “That’s Goldy. You’re lucky. He’s not the biggest of the anacondas in the forest.”
“Not the biggest?” Petari started to shake, and I could understand why. Goldy was longer than the girl was tall, and his head was as big as Petari’s fist. He looked menacing as he slithered slowly down from the branch ahead of them.
“Nope. But he’ll still bite you,” Arrow said. “Told you the forest was dangerous.”
Petari screamed again, then turned and ran for the village. But her fear had her disoriented. Her feet took her deeper into the forest.
“Not that way,” Arrow called after her.
She slipped, stumbled, fell onto the leafy floor. Arrow grabbed her elbow and quickly helped her up, glancing around to see if Goldy had followed. The snake had found a rodent to chase and was slithering in another direction.
“This way,” Arrow said. “Follow me and stay close this time.”
Petari nodded, hurrying after the boy. At last.
Her eyes glanced in every direction as they dashed toward the village. Even through her shoes, I could feel the rattle of her heartbeat. She was scared.
Good. Perhaps that would make her want to go.
She stayed silent for their harried walk back, and it wasn’t until the root bridge came into view that her breath became less ragged.
“I’ll walk you to the edge of the village,” Arrow said. “But after that, you have to get your friends and leave the forest.”
“Fine!” Petari huffed out the word, then started to follow Arrow. I could feel the relief rolling off the boy.
But after a few steps, Petari stopped. “Wait, why don’t you want us here?”
“I told you, it’s dangerous. Even in this area, there are lots of things that can kill you. Do you know which type of frog is poisonous? You don’t want to guess.”
“You know that stuff?” Petari’s eyes widened. “Huh, I guess that makes sense since you knew which leaves would help Ruthie. But why would you care what happens to us?”
Arrow shrugged. “Because I do, okay? You don’t belong here. Tell your friends to stay away, or next time, they’ll face something worse than a smell.”
Petari turned on him. “You made those trees stink like that when we walked up?”
Arrow grinned. She sounded impressed, and he was proud of himself.
“How did you do it?”
Arrow glanced at Curly, perhaps wondering if he should give away his secret. The monkey chuckled. “Stink bugs on the leaves. They don’t like to be disturbed,” Arrow said finally. A thrill of excitement whirled from him as he gave away this small secret. Then, as though he remembered his mission, he added, “And neither does anything else around here. So pack up your stuff and go.”
He started to walk away, back toward the forest. I hoped this would be the end, that the girl would tell the rest of the herd about the anaconda and they’d return to the north.
Perched backward on Arrow’s shoulder, Curly stuck out her tongue at the girl. But Petari ran after them.
“Wait. I walked through those stink bugs for a reason. And they were rank, thank you very much.”
Arrow turned to face her. “They were meant to be.” His toe twitched on the top of the soil. He was anxious. He had done what he had come to do; the girl was going to take her herd and leave. So why was she still talking to him?
“What I mean is, I had a big reason for coming to find you. I need more of that muck you put on Ruthie. Those leaves worked but not for long. She’s getting bad again.”
Arrow narrowed his eyes. The boy had a softness for the baby. I couldn’t blame him. I had felt the same when I’d brought Arrow into the forest.
He gazed at his toes for a few breaths, and I waited to hear his answer. We were so close to being rid of the humans.
Finally he looked up again. “Okay, you know the line of trees with the stink bugs?”
Petari nodded.
“Walk south. You’ll see a big kapok tree. Turn east, then—”
Petari put up her hands. “I don’t know what a kapok tree is. I’m not going to be able to find it. I don’t even know what the leaves look like. You have to show me.”
Arrow glanced back, in my direction. The longer he was with this girl, the more nervous he got, but I knew he wanted to help. His kind heart always got him into trouble.
“Ruthie’s just a baby, and I have to help her,” Petari said. “I don’t want her to get worse. She’s so young. She might die.”
Arrow watched the girl. Tears welled in her eyes, and from the sorrow swimming around her, I knew they were genuine.
“Please. We can’t get medicine anymore. If I can get those leaves, I won’t have to worry about Ruthie being hurt.”
“If I show you,” Arrow said, “will you promise to get all your friends out of the forest and never come back?”
Now it was Petari’s turn to thi
nk, but she nodded. “All right.”
Good, but we weren’t rid of them yet.
“Okay,” Arrow said. Curly chattered angrily at them both, but Arrow ignored her. “Follow me.”
He ran along the tree line, then turned south, past the kapok tree to the malva bush.
“This is it,” he said. He pulled off some leaves, whispered a “Thank you” to the bush, and held them out to Petari. “Look for those yellow flowers. See how the shape of the leaf is like a three-fingered hand? Use a smooth stone to mulch the leaves. Water can help too. I usually spit on it if I don’t have any. Then you carefully rub it on the skin. That’s all you have to do.”
Petari took the leaves and peered at the bush.
“I can spit. Mercou hasn’t got a filter working for the river,” she said.
“What’s a filter?” Arrow asked.
“You know, to make the water safe to drink.”
Arrow laughed. “You can drink the water in the river.”
“You can?” Petari looked dubious.
“Of course you can. I drink it all the time. You just have to watch out for the caimans.”
“Caimans?”
“Long, buggy eyes, big teeth.” Arrow snapped his arms together like they were caiman jaws.
“You mean alligators?” Petari’s eyes widened. “They’re in here too?”
“Yes. I told you, lots of dangerous things. There are nice things too, like the pink dolphins and the giant otters and—”
Curly slapped Arrow’s head, making the boy jump. His pride for his home had filled him up. He quickly dropped his smile and continued, “Like I said, lots of dangerous animals. Pick all the malva leaves you need, then go back to the village and get out of the forest like you promised. Got it?”
Petari was looking at Arrow strangely now. The fear was gone from her eyes.
Arrow added, “And don’t tell anyone I’m here.” He turned to go, but Petari put her hand on his arm to stop him.
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
She shuffled her feet. “You’re not trying to keep us safe. You don’t care if that gator or giant snake or any other thing eats every one of us.”
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