by Al Cooper
- Definitely you're silly! I was beginning to be worried!
- For example, I know perfectly you're giving me gab for I finally yield to you letting you make a guard, but I assure that you will not get it!
- Ah! You mean to say that I'm boring you? I'm sorry that I've disappointed you - Kelly said in a serious tone -
- I thought you knew enough to know when I'm serious ... or not? ... - Hanson replied as he approached his face close to hers. Then stared at her and stroked her hair –
- But ... what do you say? You are extraordinary, you know ... I even love these small defects, if they can be regarded as such. You are a determined woman with character, there's nothing that could stop you.
- Some people label me as too much self-sufficient - she replied him with honeyed voice -
- I am sure they envy your ability. I've never met a woman like you.
Their eyes looked as if trying to carefully scrutinize their feelings, making sure that now was the right time. Hanson then took her gently in his arms and kissed her passionately.
XXVI
Shortly before dawn Marvin was the first to get up, because he had to do the last watch, relieving Untai. He insisted unsuccessfully to get that he rested a while. He was surprised that the indigenous needed so little time to rest, but then thought that surely he was accustomed to long days of walking, in fact the day before had not shown any symptoms of exhaustion.
Once all of them got up and had breakfast, they only talked and speculated about whether Souza would succeed in his risky task. There was no doubt that the Brazilian police knew what he was doing, but also that could be confused with any of the whites who had recently disturbed the peace of the village. That would make him an easy target for their anger. However, perhaps the presence by his side of the other guide could infuse them some tranquility allowing Souza achieve his goal.
They were collecting parsimoniously the camp and prepared to wait. Noon came, the deadline specified by Souza and still there weren't news of him. Nobody dared to say anything, but the unrest was reflected in their faces. When it had spent nearly an hour over the agreed time, Hanson broke the silence to express the feeling of all.
- This wait is endless. It has spent more than hour.
- I know – simply answered Marvin, crestfallen -
- What do you think? Don't you think we should do something about it? I mean, ignore him and instead ...
- Go in his search? - Interrupted Marvin - I'm glad you asked me that, because I don't stop of mulling about it some time ago. I think so, that's what I think and what I feel, despite his warnings. Souza is a great guy, if all of us agree ... - looked at Kelly, who was quick to respond -
- I am with you. We need to get going.
They put on their backpacks, did not need to make understand their decision to the guide, as it was clear from his gestures that he had understood their attitude and agreed with it. As they had finished up, they heard noises of steps ever closer into the thicket. Marvin and Hanson loaded their rifles, but soon they moved from uncertainty to joy when they perceived between vegetation the figure of Souza, who showed his satisfaction as a broad smile, surrounded by two Indians, one of them his guide.
- I'd prefer not have to ask about decision you had been taken - said while hugging Marvin - but I must admit I'm glad you were still here.
Souza then hugged Kelly and Hanson, who stared at the new Indian and nodded his head to him.
- I notice that you not only are back, but have done it with a new companion. We burn with desire you tell us what has happened, if not too tired.
Souza sat and others followed suit, leaving their backpacks on the ground. Then he began to speak slowly, with many pauses to breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead. His voice was a true reflection of his fatigue.
- I'm exhausted, I must to admit it, please allow me a short break and then continue - Souza told them - I will be brief. I can’t say I have received with open arms, the fact to be accompanied has saved my life. It was hard to convince them of the reason for my presence, they were extremely reluctant to listen. It is logical, given that several members have disappeared from the village over the past three years, not just the two we had been told. It has been like a slow but relentless drip. They are captured at the rate of three or four every six months, when it seems that the phenomenon has finished, it comes and hits them again. They are hunters who venture into the forest and never return. At first they blamed the ferocious Suruahas, who wandering naked through the forest and commit suicide before the age of thirty years for accessing to the best of the four heaven that awaits them in the afterlife, but then found their warlike neighbors seemed had also disappeared as if by magic. They didn't know what it was exactly, so spirits had been imposed over common sense, until this last time one of the victims of the attacks managed to escape and tell them what had happened - He got to stand up but not without doing a great effort and came near the new Indian, then put his hand on his shoulder - I introduce you to Ukekeni, our key.
- Key? Who is it? - Marvin asked echoing the general feeling -
- The hunter who was saved from the ambush of the white men.
- Whites? Are you sure? ...
- Yeah, my dear Marvin, white men, because he managed to see one of them during his escape. He hates them, but now he knows that we are here to help him. He is going to lead us to the site where they were attacked. It is a brave man.
- Is he going to do it only for bravery? - Asked Kelly -
- Human beings have values above religions, ideals and cultures, values that make life pays off, don’t you think so? - replied Souza- Ukekeni, hopes to find and rescue his lifelong friend, one of the indigenous that whites were carried.
- Souza, please allow me a question before we get going.
- Of course, Mr. Hanson, as many as you deem appropriate.
- You came to say that the suspected area was extensive. Don’t you think that, despite everything, is like finding a needle in a haystack?
- Of course, I still think the same. So I suggest that - looked around at all and each of the three as if waiting they gave him their approval - they are who find us.
- My God! - Kelly exclaimed -
- I think it’s the only possibility, entering the area where the last ambush took place and then wait - Souza continued trying to synthesize his opinion - but if you disagree, we leave now.
- Excuse my initial reaction, I bet to follow - corrected Kelly -
- We all agree, I'd wish they find us ASAP - he added Marvin -
While everyone was encouraged to continue, Souza was on the verge of exhaustion, so they decided to eat and let him to rest for a few hours. The walk would be resumed early in the afternoon.
XXVII
They were surprised by the physical background of Souza. No one could have imagined how that man, slightly overweight, had needed only a few hours of sleep to recover and walk to that rhythm. How much they neglected, Souza and Indians took them distance enough until the point to be forced to increase the pace. At the accumulated fatigue had to add a moist heat, burning, although the thickness rarely allowed a ray of sun reached the ground.
There came a time when Kelly was visibly tired, but true to her character, she hardly got to go on. Hanson, always by her side, suffered when he saw her on the brink of exhaustion, felt she had gone too far in her zeal and courage.
- You are very tired. We should stop - he said quietly, in order that no one else noticing her state -
- Don’t even think - responded hardly Kelly with a whisper of voice, while stopped for a moment to catch her breath - I can't and I don't want to be a drag on this expedition. We must reach our target as soon as possible.
- But not at any cost.
Kelly stopped again and looked back.
- What happen? - Asked
Hanson -
- I have a strange feeling - again she took a breath and went on trying to control her panting -
- What?
- It's just a hunch, nothing more.
- You are a woman, and therefore intuitive. Tell me, what is it?
- I have the feeling that someone is following us.
- But ... have you noticed anything strange? Have you seen anything? Any noise?
- No, no ... it's hard to explain, haven't you ever felt observed by somebody?... although you had not been able to see anyone, without knowing exactly why? ...
- I do not ... the truth is no.
Hanson thought the depleted state of Kelly was beginning to play her a trick and he was obliged to make a determination. The rest of the group had distanced considerably, so was forced to run to Souza. When he was about twenty yards away, he shouted.
- Hey! Souza! Souza!
Souza turned his head, he saw Hanson and stopped instinctively, moment that Hanson approached him and asked.
- How long it takes to reach the key site?
- As the guide told me, I estimate that no more than three hours.
- There's not much time before dusk. Don't you think that we could spend the night here? We'll get exhausted - Hanson said gesturing with his head toward Kelly -
Souza perceived the message of Hanson at the instant as he looked back and observed Kelly behind, walking with difficulty.
- Okay, I think it would be convenient that we rested to get strength enough to the last stage. This can be a good place.
Souza left the backpack down and once again all followed him.
XVIII
The rest did them a lot of good, but very specially to Kelly. She seemed another, had regained her sense of humor and that was an excellent sign. Hanson and Kelly, who as usual closed the group, didn't stop of talking. When he became fixed her carefully, Hanson realized she had again the dazzling twinkle in her eyes that inspired on him so many feelings. They looked like two teenagers, especially when once in a while seemed to be a little lazy, delaying their walking pace just enough for a kiss.
Meanwhile, Souza and Marvin walked together, immediately behind the guides. It had been several hours since the start of the walk when Marvin turned to Souza to make an observation.
- I thought it couldn't get worse, but the forest is even thicker here, if possible.
Souza gestured back before answering.
- I didn’t mean anything to not break the good humor and cloud the friendly atmosphere, but we are beyond the point at which our friend was ambushed.
Marvin was a little surprised and excited at the same time, then looked instinctively to all sides and muttered a few words.
- That means ...
- That now we can only wait. And neither it should matter much to make some noise - Souza said forcing a smile -
- If the fish that should follow us is the same that we seek… not, of course ..
- Dear friend, there's something more - Souza paused and, as he observed the face of bewilderment of Marvin, then continued - We are closer to our destination more than we could imagine.
- What is your basis to do such a claim?
- Keep walking as if I had not said anything. But, for several hours, we are being followed.
- How do you know it?
- Don’t forget that we have three guides for whom these inhospitable lands are their home.
The confidence of Souza meant that, from that moment, Marvin startled every time he heard one of the mysterious noises from the bush. Souza was also not aware that his caution regarding Hanson and Kelly did not cover his objectives, because even though she was physically and emotionally better, her ghosts of the day before still were chasing her, in fact she kept looking in all directions as guessing the presence of someone hiding in the dense vegetation network. It wasn't hard to Hanson to conclude that there was no need that she comment him anything to know she was still immersed in her omens.
The fact of feeling a dam, a human bait that was unable to see approaching the fish due to turbulence of the waters, caused a feeling of distress and impotence on them. Every step in advancing was such the degree of stress that their own noise induced them to confusion, as if they were waiting for the announcement to confirm their fears. So, when they saw before their eyes how Ukekeni dropped fulminated, were shocked initially, with no capacity to react. It was Souza who noticed that he had been crossed by a spear and the first to activate his defense mechanisms.
- To ground! Form a small circle! Kelly, to the center! - Shouted Souza venting his adrenaline -
All heeded him, lying on the ground and trying to move as fast as they could to him. Marvin set his backpack next to Souza's, then came Hanson with Kelly. Hanson put both backpacks to close the simple defensive ring and quickly all were placing within it. In the center, protected by them, Kelly.
Suddenly there was an eerie silence, only broken by the distant song of a bird. It was as if nothing had happened, as if everything was in order, but they only needed to look at the body of Ukekeni lying close to them to realize that was not a dream. They expected by an offensive that didn't quite get there, see their enemy's face, but remained hidden in the shades. They looked at each other puzzled, not knowing they could do more than wait for what seemed to be inevitable. After passing the initial confusion, Marvin and Souza, without a word, stared at the corpse of the Indian and exchanged an eloquent look. He hadn't been killed by a modern weapon, by a shot, no. It had been a spear, which probably meant the fish that had come was not the one they were expecting.
Souza couldn’t stop to look at the trees with rifle in hand, thinking that from there their hidden enemies had the best choices to pounce on them. Marvin also had the same sensation so he scrutinized, one by one, the branches of nearby trees. A cold sweat began to cover their bodies, silence and waiting became unbearable.
A sound plowed through the air and, when it became quiet again, stared at each other, stunned, until they observed that one of the guides had a dart in his neck. He had not had time even to scream. It was then when that sound started to become familiar. A shower of darts began to fall around them. Unable to guess their origin, were limited to fire into the air, trying to dissuade their attackers, but one of the darts eventually reached Souza and, in seconds, were falling Marvin and the other guide. Hanson grabbed Kelly between his arms. She shouted him:
- Don't shoot, it's useless!
- Yes, I think our only option is to surrender.
Hanson stood up at the same time that raised his arms. For a moment he looked around, but still didn't see or hear anyone. He turned around on itself, with the same result, until he again heard that familiar noise. A dart flew through the air at breakneck speed and ended up stabbing his neck. Kelly, by watching as Hanson collapsed and fell to the ground, was overcome by grief and helplessness. She began to cry desperately, watching as several Indians came out of the jungle, like ghosts emerging from the darkness. They were swirling around her, watching her with curiosity, finally they formed some kind of human fence that was approaching to her slowly but distressingly. That was more than her state of anxiety could endure and fainted to the astonishment of the natives.
XXIX
Carol raised slowly the shutters of her room, then drew the curtains. A burst of sunshine lit up her room so much until the point to disturb her eyes. Since she was a child she loved those days of Autumn in Tennessee, so bright and with a temperature that seemed to push her for horseback riding around the ranch. If Harold would have been fine, he had proposed it to her by sure. But she had to get off her cloud and meet again with her cruel reality.
It's difficult to accept that such a wonderful day can bring such good memories of the past that contrast sharply with a grim present. We are those that according to our mood and our circumstances are able to en
large or spoil the day, so we can make a memorable one from a gray day or the most unfortunate one from a sunny day. But we can't avoid feeling a sense that behind a bright day there is always a song of hope. However, for some time the sadness of Carol had come over her as the light of Harold's life was fading. She only had the consolation of having done everything possible to change the course of events, to struggle against fate, or at least she thought so. She also thought that perhaps bringing Harold to spend his last days at the ranch had not been a good idea, although at first it could seem better than staying confined within four walls, waiting helplessly until reaching the end, with no other purpose that observing how days follow one after another, but the contrast between past and present was too hurtful in that site where they always had taken refuge to find a solution to the problems that life had presented them, from where their relationship and their lives had emerged forever strengthened.
Before approaching Harold's room to say good morning, made an assessment of all that had happened in recent weeks. As she had decided, opposing frontally Dr. O'Connor, to bring Harold to the clinic that some of her friends had suggested, where merely confirmed all diagnoses to the point of giving a maximum of one month of life, vanishing in that way her little hope. She also remembered the visit that had made Peter Feaks, and as she took the occasion to confront the successor of Harold and demand an explanation that never came. Feaks merely said that had been Harold himself who had requested that famous meeting, during which he had proposed him as his successor after let him to know his serious illness.
