"That should do it. You're okay now Alex. Just relax. The meds had a stronger effect than I anticipated. I assume because you haven't eaten in days."
I observe as he gently tips Jelani off the stretcher and wedges the steel plate against the tree sheltering us from the rain. He whips out a couple of dry twigs and bark from his backpack and as quick as a flash, kindles a fire underneath our shelter. Some of the hanging branches above us are still relatively dry which he skillfully breaks off and uses to build a more significant fire. The warmth on my bare arms is sheer bliss. He is entirely something else this Sam Quinn. I should thank Professor Keating for his masterful candidate selection. I now comprehend why he chose him out of all the students in his class. This man is one of a kind.
The rain soon stops, and the full moon sits high casting a torchlight across the savannah. The night is deathly silent. Back home the city noises are often deafening, but out here the intense silence has a way of drumming in your ears. We sat tightly together in a futile attempt to keep warm. The climate in this part of Africa is one of being sweltering hot during the day and adversely freezing at night. I get up to gather more wood for the fire but stop dead in my tracks as I come face to face with a lioness about thirty meters away.
"Quinn," I say in a muted monotone.
"Get up slowly and bring a fire torch with you. We have company."
He had been resting his head against the tree when I got up. With my back now toward him, there is no way of knowing if he even heard me. My eyes stay fixed on the lion. I know that, if I dare look away, the lion will charge. So I try again.
"Quinn. Can you hear me? Bring the fire torch."
"What?" he jerks up from an apparent deep sleep. Not impossible at all that he’s asleep for the first time since the accident.
"Shh" cautioning him, but it's too late. The lion already spotted Quinn and pulled her upper lip exposing her white fangs. She's down in an attack position and ready to charge at anything that moves.
"Quinn! No sudden moves! Reach over bit by bit and grab the fire torch. Don't make hasty moves. It's a lion, and she's ready to charge."
If there's one lioness, there is guaranteed to be a pack of hungry males lying in wait behind her. Aware of Quinn taking his time in coming up behind me, torch in hand, I cautiously move back toward the tree.
"Can you climb a tree, Quinn?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Pass me the torch. Slowly!"
My hand grips the burning branch; eyes still fixed on the lioness. My suspicions were correct. The fire illuminates the grass ahead, and about five pairs of glowing eyeballs glare back at me.
"Now step back slowly and climb the tree from the other side."
I'm sure I can hear Quinn's heart beating. Or is it mine?
"Now's not the time to be dragging your feet, Quinn."
I feel dizzy. The drugs haven't worn off adequately yet so thankfully; I'm calmer than I should be. I'm not entirely sure that's a good thing.
" Hurry Quinn. I'm only going to have a split second to climb that tree before these beasts charge for me."
"Okay, I'm up. How high should I climb, though? I mean, don't lions climb trees?"
"As high as you can go Quinn. Hurry!"
I dare not look back, but I take baby steps backward toward the tree until my back hits the trunk.
"Can you break another branch off and lean lower so I can light it with my torch? I'm going to have to drop this torch if I want to beat the lion up the tree."
The males seem to get impatient with their female hunter and blow a couple of murmured growls at her which causes her to take a step forward. It's now or never, I think.
"I got you Alex. Come!"
As if the gun at my high school athletics signals the start of the race, I drop the torch and pull myself up into the tree like a shot. Assisted by Quinn's firm hand, he tugs me halfway up.
The lion and two other females I never knew were there, charge straight toward us. One's massive paws are half way up the tree trunk, ducking at our flailing torch. The others thankfully have backed off for some reason.
Safe up in the tree, perched like a sprawling eagle, I turn to look behind us and realize the other lions have pounced on Jelani's dead body that’s still lying on the ground under the tree.
"Jelani! No! Get away you beasts! Leave him alone!"
But it's too late. The males start circling seconds later, and I sit bewildered in the tree while I watch the pack of carnivores drag Jelani into the bushes and away.
"Nooooo!!!"
Tell me all this is just an awful nightmare and that I'll be waking up at home shortly from the happy stuff Dr. Jones just gave me.
"This just can't be happening, Quinn. There's no way I would be in Africa in the middle of the bush watching a pack of lions devour my childhood friend. Tell me it's not true."
"I'm truly sorry Alex."
Quinn whispers next to me, but I ignore him. Because if he is indeed speaking and next to me in this tree then all this is not a nightmare. This horrible ordeal is very, very real.
Chapter Eight
3 years ago - Izzy
We are all up early this morning. The excitement of our most recent discoveries injected an invisible surge of energy amongst the crew. It is the closest we have come yet to finding anything worthy of late. Artifacts that assuredly showed significant evidence that Rhapta did exist and that we could very well be extremely close to finally discovering it. I cannot even imagine it. Finding a city as old as Rhapta, hidden or buried away for centuries. A culture with a multitude of historical facts and proof of earlier, primitive civilizations. It simply extraordinary.
"Has anyone seen Eric this morning?"
Charles is frantically running about camp looking for Eric. He only gets flustered when he is under severe stress.
"What's the hullabaloo about Charles? I'm sure he's somewhere."
"I need the photos to submit our findings to the university. They want it NOW."
I'm quite sure they don't positively want it now and that it's just Charles being his usual perfect self.
"You are such a perfectionist, Charles. Always aiming to overachieve."
It is a good thing I suppose.
" I'm sure we can send it later too."
" No Izzy. It's imperative we send it immediately. Archaeology is a tedious and frustrating processing chasing after relics that might never get found. But this is where we have to set aside patience and deliver."
" What exactly are you in such a tizzy over, Charles?"
He ignores me and stomps off, irritated with my nonchalant attitude.
It takes a unique character that can sit digging for hours on end for something they have no evidence ever existed. 'Fairytales and unicorns are what it is.' Dad always said. 'it's the spice of life you know?' Dad always mocked me but somewhere deep within him he believed too. It's quite possibly where I get it from. His adventurous genes. Well dad. My life has unquestionably turned out spicy hasn't it?
I look down at our artifacts and plot the discoveries in a conversation with myself.
" We found a primal knife made from Ivory, an ancient scroll in a never-been-seen-before cryptogram wooden safe and now a cipher code in Greek. Three steps closer to finding Rhapta."
"Izzy, that chap has disappeared, camera and all. Where the hell could he be?"
"I'm sure I saw him at first light when I got up. He must be here somewhere. Have you checked one of the vehicles Charles? As far as I know, he doesn't like sleeping in the tents. Something about the Rhinos coming for him at night. Don't ask. The crew has been teasing him about it ever since he confessed it around the fire the other night.
Charles storms off grumpily and returns moments later looking even more grumpy.
"The fool has vanished off the bloody earth. I can't find him anywhere. The uni is on my back for the photos. Some high society benefactor is due to arrive today, and they're trying to squeeze more money out of the guy. So they ne
ed proof we are telling the truth and have found enough to continue the dig."
The uni took a bit of strain after the last hazing debacle hit every British newspaper. The ramifications of it caused some of the elite sponsors seizing their donations in support of the stop-hazing campaign.
Charles takes a large swig of whiskey to calm his mood and moves over to where Alexandra is still at it with her computer and the fancy cipher code. It's probably the only way to distract him right now, so I follow him.
"What time do you want to leave Charles?"
He ignores me, decidedly deep in thought as the two of them work through the cipher using all sorts of deciphering tools on her computer.
"Charles. I said, what time should we leave in the morning? We're going to have to get an early start. I've been working on the map, and the river most likely to be the one is out here. Look," pointing to the map spread open on the table.
"Sure Izzy." busying himself again with the cipher code.
Ordinarily, most wives would get utterly annoyed at his blatant disregard, but I laugh, knowing that there is no way on this earth of grabbing Charles Hunt's attention now. It is best just to let him get on with it in his way until he cools down or wears out, whichever comes first. So I turn my attention back to the map and start plotting out a couple of scenarios and options on the map. We know Rhapta was about here, near Mafia island. So this river here, running from the —
"My golly Alexandra. You are indeed something special. I can't believe it. You undoubtedly got my brains my girl" Charles's bellowing laugh follows his proclamation.
"Izzy! I think our brainiac child got it. Again!"
She is something alright. I leave the map and run over.
"You never seize to amaze me, Alexandra. Show me."
She points to several Greek numbers on her computer screen.
"See, I think it's no more than pointing to a particular letter of the Alphabet. But... back then everyone used the Roman or Greek Alphabets only. The English language was rarely spoken and only by dignitaries from England. So most secret presidential communications were done in another language, like French or Portuguese. So, hiding something would have had to be somewhere far less obvious to the general population at the time. It's hands down genius. They used the English alphabet instead. They wrote the numerics in Greek, but the cipher is, as a matter of fact, English. Look.
11 is the eleventh letter of the alphabet which in our English alphabet is the letter K
5 is the 5th letter of the alphabet which is E
25 is the twenty-fifth letter which is Y
See?"
"So that spells K-E-Y... key!!" I proclaim a tad too loud.
"Yes. KEY." Charles echoes jubilantly. That's just bloody brilliant. Now, if it is, in fact, a physical key or perhaps rather a kind of solution to a problem, we don't know yet. But I reckon we are getting closer by the day Izzy. I told you it happens in three's. We are so close. Have you managed to come up with anything from the river clue?"
"I think so. I mean I can only think it is the river where we found the first pieces of pottery. Remember? The one which is close to Mafia island. Legend has it that Rhapta was in that vicinity, so it makes logical sense to try there first, right? It's not a very long river so we should be able to work it easily. My best guess is we should start at the mouth and work it upwards. We would have to leave early in the morning though. It is quite a drive there."
I see Charles shifting his weight uncomfortably as if he is getting ready to dance the shuffle.
"Okay. What's up? I know that look on your face Charles Benjamin Hunt."
He clears his throat, removes his hat and scratches his head as if he's trying to gather the words for an announcement at a funeral.
"What is it, Charles? Spit it out." I nudge.
"Izzy. I spoke to the uni earlier. You know? Brought them up to speed on what we have found. They... well... they need me back home."
"So you're leaving us?"
"My love, I have no choice. If I don't go, they will pull all our funding. We are so close now and cannot afford them pulling the plug now. We have to push forward now more than ever."
I fold my arms like a spoilt child. I am not pleased in the slightest; Upset if you want to hear the truth.
"Oh come on Izzy. Don't pull the sulking card, my love. You know I would much rather chase with the two of you. My hands are tied. Don't be mad. Please?" Attempting to hug me but I shrug him off.
" We are on the cusp of, without a doubt the continent's biggest find ever. Our first proper breakthrough at finally finding Rhapta. Something we have both worked years for, and now you choose to leave? Really?"
The more I ponder on it, the more disappointment I feel.
"When are you leaving then?" I ask under my breath.
"First light."
"Great! So at the peak of us finding Rhapta you, the head of this team, are leaving? I can't believe you, Charles! Please tell me it's a joke? How the hell am I supposed to do this on my own?"
"But you are not on your own Izzy. Alexandra is very capable of doing this with you. In fact, I bet my life's savings on her carrying much more purpose to you than me. She has learned from the best, haven't you my darling girl?" winking at her.
"Don't bring Alexandra into this Charles. It might not even be safe for us out here on our own. Once word gets out that we are onto something every rival gang and wannabe treasure hunter will be on our heels."
"I have already thought of that and taken care of that for you Izzy. The Chief is assembling a crew to accompany you, and Jelani is in charge. His name doesn't mean mighty for anything. You will be in good hands I'm certain. We will all leave together on my way to the airport tomorrow morning okay?"
His pacifying hardly brings me solace. Quite the contrary if I have to be honest.
"But Charles. What if we do find Rhapta? Finally after all these years of looking for it together. You won't be with us to share in it. That's what I am furious about."
He comes over, and I let him hug me as I bury my face in his shoulder.
"You'll be okay Izzy. I'll be with you in spirit, and Alexandra... well, let's just say I am certain she will be filling my spot just fine. As soon as you find it you let me know okay? I'll be on the first plane in."
"Mum. It will be okay. I will be there with you every step of the way and, thanks to technology, we will Skype and take some pictures and send it to Dad, okay? It will feel like he is right here with us."
"Speaking of pictures. Eric is still missing. He had better crawl out from wherever he is before we leave. I need to take those pictures and data with me."
I look around. Strange. I have never noticed much about Eric but him disappearing like this in the middle of all the action just doesn't quite sit right.
With our belongings packed and our recently discovered relics firmly tucked into my bag, we set off later in the afternoon to our Swahili tribe by the river. Halfway down the dirt road, convinced someone is following us, I look back, but the dust clouds behind us are too thick for me have a clear vision. I have a bad feeling about this. I can't quite put my finger to it though but something just doesn't feel right. Charles looks perplexed. Perhaps he is sensing it too or most likely, his mind is long since at the benefit back home and his thoughts are all about how to save our dig. We follow the strict instructions sent to us by the Chief to veer off the road at a certain point. Once we get there, we are to do the rest on foot, heading West where the tribe would meet up with us and take us into their village. It is a reasonably normal security procedure. There are many rival tribes in Tanzania, and they need several precautionary measures to protect their settlements from one another.
When we finally arrive at the marked spot, we walk an hour or so into the bush. Soon after, we hear their tribal call from a nearby Acacia tree and Charles answers back with the same whistling sound through holding his hands clenched over his mouth. I never really got my technique right to mimic their call. So
mehow both Alexandra and Charles managed to learn the craft. Charles always says it is because my hands are so dainty and small.
I still can't shake the feeling that someone is watching us, so I turn once more to see, but there is no one. Just vast open grassland and a couple of giraffe about a hundred meters away. Most of our crew stayed behind at camp continuing the excavation so we are kind of exposed here. I'm not even sure the one rifle Charles has slung over his shoulder is sufficient. Maybe that is why I am restless.
Another hour on foot led by the tribe's tracker and we reach the river. After months in the savannah, being right next to a river is sheer bliss. A remedy for my soul, I always say. There is something about flowing water that washes all my troubles away.
Jelani comes running over to Alexandra, or rather Lakicia, 'she who is a favorite among people' as the tribe calls her. They honored her with a Swahili name shortly after we took Jelani in. Being the Chief's son, he saw her as his tribal sister, and they held a large ceremony in her honor. He is about ten years her senior and they get on remarkably well. Growing up an only child, she has seen him quite similarly as her older brother. He took it upon himself to look after her while Charles and I were often away on dangerous digs and forced to leave her behind. I giggle inward. In her case, in every respect took a village to raise her.
The tribe welcomes us with song and cheer. Each time we leave for a dig or chase they gift us with food and supplies. And each time we come back, they lay a carpet of fresh flowers and leaves out before us and throw a shindig till late at night. It was good to see them all again. Most of them have become dear friends. With Charles and I off on digs for months on end we never really managed to root ourselves anywhere, much less make any friends. Acquaintances, plenty yes. Everyone wants to know the famous Hunt Chasers. They almost bow before us at uni. The students usually line up outside Charles's office with some or other frivolous excuse just to see him. He loves it though. History and Archaeology are in his veins. He can entertain them with his relic chasing stories for hours on end.
ALEX HUNT and the Chase for Rhapta Page 8
