After munching on something that seemed like a bulb, the porcupine looked at them with a questioning glance, as though to ask them what they were up to in his territory. He certainly wasn’t going to be hurried by their presence but after a while, when the supply of bulbs seemed to have run out he headed off into the night, the striped dark and light quills moving from side to side on his back in a haphazard way, almost as though they had a life of their own.
Anything edible they put back in the cool box, making sure the top was firmly sealed. The supplies did have to stay fresh for several more days. Everything was then shut away in the back of Bluebird for the night, just in case.
Harry pointed out how well he was brushing his teeth, the tin mug he used for his morning coffee doubling up with water to rinse his mouth and the brush. “They will be positively gleaming in the starlight after this; just as well I remembered it!”
Ana chuckled, “Look why don’t you crash out now; you’ve had a tiring day to put it mildly. I just want to stay out here and enjoy the space for a little longer.”
“OK thanks but make sure you don’t fall asleep in the open, just for your own safety. Good night.”
Now that she sat alone Ana became aware of just how alive the night was with sounds of insects. Each seemed to have its own voice, a humming, ticking or other sounds that didn’t even have words to describe them. She did recognise the distinctive sound of cicadas. She had never actually seen one but they were ever present in the trees, little crickets that rubbed their wings together with a sort of loud crackling sound to find a mate. That much she remembered from an evening chat with Bethwell.
Small dark shapes sped, fluttering overhead and she realised that they must be bats. There was so much which was new that she yearned to find out about.
Ana also knew too, just why she was here and not in the tent. It was small, enclosed, dark and claustrophobic. She more than anyone was aware of the fears she needed to overcome, but knowing and doing were two very different things.
She looked behind her with a start, aware of a sudden sound and smiled weakly as she saw Harry. “Are you alright? You’ve been out here on your own for over an hour.”
The easy thing she knew would be to make some lame excuse but that wouldn’t make the problem go away. “Look Harry, I have no idea what time it is but realise it must be late or even early, depending on which way you look at it. I know the hazards of being outside but I honestly don’t think I can sleep in the tent. At the back of my mind I probably knew this but thought that somehow things would work out.”
She leant forward, head in her hands doing her best to breathe in slowly through her nose and out through her mouth as she had been taught. Her heart rate seemed to steady and she took a breath, “Harry I talked to you a little about being imprisoned in that container in Syria. That still lives with me every day, not all the time of course, being out here gives me some freedom from my thoughts, but enough for it still to be dominant in my head. When I feel ready I will tell you more but just now I know that I can’t get inside that tent.”
“That’s so horrible; you should have told me earlier.”
She saw the concern etched on his face, “I realise that now. The problem is I’ve just been kidding myself.”
He sat down next to her, not to talk but knowing that just his presence must somehow be a comfort.
“Do you listen to the news, or perhaps you see it on your laptop? It’s a habit I can’t get out of, I suppose that just goes with my job. When I was in Syria I wanted somehow to make everyone sitting in their comfortable, safe rooms in Europe or the States realise the living hell that so many decent people endure every day. And you know what happens, virtually nothing.”
The tears were rolling down her face now and she impatiently wiped them away. “I’m sad, oh my God what sort of a word is that, such important issues barely scratch the surface. I am angry, sometimes so angry I feel my head will burst because our glorious, so-called civilised democracies wring their hands but do nothing. I don’t think there’s a politician I respect anywhere, self-centred, scheming and useless. Serving the people, what a joke they only serve themselves. There are a few amazing charities and individuals but they can’t change things and so these atrocities just go on and on.”
She stood up, stretched and drank in the cool night air. “Just the freedom to do something as simple as this is now beyond the dreams of millions. Yes that container was worse than any image I could ever have visualised of hell. I was convinced I would never see friends or family again, that I would be passed round a series of ISIS brothels and when enough of their brave fighters had showed this lying, Western whore of a journalist what real men were about they would put a bullet through my head because I wouldn’t even be good for that any more, just a piece of worthless meat. And you know what’s worse in a way is that I am safe now but how many containers, basements, hell holes in the rubble are there as I speak, all full of girls and young women, dreading the next footfall by the entrance and knowing that nobody will be coming to rescue them. I suppose I feel guilty being free.”
Harry stood up gently, put his arms round her and held tight, as though he was trying to squeeze the misery from her.
“Thank you,” she sighed. “I think I needed that.” He stepped back searching for a tissue to dry her tears but they were long gone. The eyes he saw were strong and angry. “So what’s being in a dark, little tent compared to that? If I can’t do something this simple what does that say about me?”
“I’ve thought of something that might help anyway Ana. It’s so obvious now I think of it. Inside the main flaps are an extra set made with a fine mesh to keep out mosquitoes and anything else that might bite. If we roll the outer ones back you will still be able to look out onto the night sky.”
“All right Harry, I’ll give it a go. If I don’t do these things it’s as though these bastards have won, but just leave me here with my thoughts for the moment.”
He busied himself tying up the flaps and then wriggled back inside his sleeping bag, recognising that she would come in when she felt able. Much sooner than he expected he saw her shape at the entrance. “Putting things off only makes them more difficult; now where are the zips for these mesh flaps? No stay where you are. I’ve found them.”
Ana pulled the zips until the entrance was secure and lay wearily on her sleeping bag. As she looked out she marvelled at how clear the sky still seemed, even through the netting. “Thank you, Harry. Strangely, now I am here it doesn’t feel as bad as I had anticipated. We all have our fears. Do we let them rule us or confront them?”
“You’re so right but how many people spend their lives in a dark place? Finding courage is the tough thing.”
“And finding friends to help you unlock that courage too. You are a special person Harry. But you are still not going to get me into my sleeping bag. I want the freedom to be on top of it, and the night, what’s left of it, isn’t cold.”
“Well, I hope you get some sleep anyway.”
“You too.” Even as she spoke she knew the chances were slim. She bunched up the small pillow keeping her head up so that the outside space remained a reality she could see. Harry’s gentle breathing was all she could hear, even the insects had fallen silent.
Chapter Thirteen
Ana woke to some of the best smells in the world, fresh coffee and sizzling bacon. For a few seconds it took her time to get her bearings. She rubbed the back of her neck which felt uncomfortably stiff and realised that despite everything she must have fallen asleep, but bizarrely was still in exactly the same position with her head raised, looking out of the entrance. The sun was already glowing on the distant horizon and she could make out Harry’s silhouette as he crouched over the small stove preparing breakfast.
At the sound of movement he turned round with a large grin on his face. “I just left you to sleep, figured you needed it. Might have known the prospect of breakfast would wake you up. Fresh coffee, Kenyan of course, and a bacon sandwich;
just the way you like it I think, three rashers and a good dollop of ketchup.”
“You’re a wonder. Some woman is going to be lucky to have you in her life.”
“Well that’s you at the moment,” he laughed, “and it’s even my turn to do the washing up!”
They both sat back, enjoying the peace and letting the early heat melt away the stiffness of a night in the tent.
“Drone launch in ten minutes. This is such a great time to see things. Like us, most animals are up and about looking for breakfast.”
Harry was right. In contrast to the previous evening, within five minutes the camera picked up a small pride of lion in an open space, allowing the sun to work its morning magic on them too.
“I would love to stay with them but they’ll probably take a while to get going and we have far more important business. I want to swing up further to the north.”
He knew only too well the importance of keeping up his concentration, making sure he stuck to a flight pattern that covered all the areas he wanted. It helped enormously that there were two of them to look at the screen. He was very aware of what an eagle eye Ana had after her recent spots from the plane. They saw a few zebra, their stripes providing poor camouflage in amongst the greenery and on a rocky cliff face some baboons were squabbling and chasing each other, seemingly oblivious to the fall awaiting them, should they put just one foot in the wrong place.
Harry flew the drone back, quickly changed batteries and by the time Ana had put the old one on charge he had relaunched. However, the only excitement was when a bird of prey took an interest in the drone, swooping in fast but not making contact. When it continued its dive under the camera, they were able to get a decent image. It was grey with a particularly white rump and surprisingly long orange legs.
“Does your wildlife study tell you what that is?” grinned Ana. “I’m not being funny but if you can tell me after that two second flash what the bird was, not only will I be amazingly impressed but it will be worth a few cold White Caps when we get back to camp.”
“Probably a fairly safe bet, though I’m reasonably confident with what we see on the ground, birds are a very different matter. There is a great Collins Field Guide in my rucksack so we can check at lunch. I am sticking my neck out. I think it’s a goshawk but I don’t know what kind.”
“Let’s wait and see then. That might be worth one beer and I would still be quite wowed.” Ana looked at her watch, surprised at how quickly time had slipped away. “Oh, and when you bring the drone in for the morning, which will be pretty soon, please promise that you’re not going to be in a grump if you haven’t seen anything else interesting.”
Ten minutes later with everything packed safely away they were walking back to the tent when Harry suddenly gripped Ana’s shoulder really forcefully. “Stop right there, don’t move.” The urgency of the instruction was so unlike him that she instantly reacted and with a quick intake of breath stood stock still. “Right, now just gently take a few paces backwards. Look just to the side of that bush you were about to pass and tell me what you see.”
“Oh my God how could I not have spotted that?” There partly under the shade of the leaves was quite a large light brown snake with much darker V-shaped chevrons running down its back. “That’s the first snake I have ever seen, apart from in a little snake park somewhere near Twickenham when I was a girl.”
“Well it might have been your last! That is a puff adder and a single bite can be enough to kill a person within a day. Luckily it’s pretty lazy but if you spoil its doze in that nice warm spot you will be amazed at the speed of its strike. Strangely we don’t see many snakes and most are more worried about you so will slide away, but not this guy. I think we will just let him get on with his morning nap in peace.”
“Are we just going to leave him there? What happens if he slithers into camp later in the day or even tonight?”
“We’ll just have to keep the tent tightly zipped and perhaps you won’t want to spend so much of the night out under the stars.”
Lunch was as good as supper and the salad tasted impossibly fresh. The camp had its own vegetable garden and everything was grown naturally, the only fertiliser being elephant dung that Eli the gardener was always keen on using.
“Do you know Harry I don’t think I had a clue what vegetables really tasted like till I came here. Most supermarket fruit and veg is just a pale reflection of the real thing. Thanks for organising so much. I’ll get my act together soon but I feel so drained. I’m going to experiment by seeing how well I can sleep in the tent in the day time. Perhaps the daylight will help me realise that small spaces are something I can live with. I’m sorry to leave you on your own but I’ll be much better company when I wake up!”
Sometimes when you get unexpected time to yourself you do that one thing that has been niggling in the back of your head. For Harry that was mapmaking. He had realised recently that although he knew the main tracks, streams and waterholes, there was much of Uwingoni that still remained a mystery. Sweeping the drone backwards and forwards and examining what lay below the escarpment had made him determined to start putting something down on paper.
They had an A3 blank pad with them that Ana had brought in the hope of sketching anything interesting that caught her eye. He reckoned he would have a good four hours, so pencil and pad in hand he walked a mile or so along the top of the escarpment and then slowly retraced his steps, finding a large rock to sit on or even a sandy patch of ground where he could stretch out.
He soon realised that he was being too detailed and that this would make it totally impractical so he turned to a clean sheet and began again. His mind was also working on taking stills from the drone camera which he hadn’t tried but knew couldn’t be that difficult. When Ollie was back he hoped he could persuade him to fly a few circuits too.
After a couple of hours his initial enthusiasm had waned somewhat and he was sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree gazing rather aimlessly into the distance. From up here he could see way beyond the border of the reserve but there was little specific to look at. There were no villages or settlements in this particular area. The landscape was too rugged and more importantly too dry. On the far side of the range of hills it was very different, the river ran through the gorge and then into where the Prosperity Dam was being built.
The thought of that spoilt his mood and he got up and was just turning away when his eye was drawn to the tell-tale dust of a vehicle being driven down from the hills and along the track that led towards their far boundary. He couldn’t see the vehicle itself, the distance was too great but there was no hiding its trail. He was wondering casually where it was going when it suddenly disappeared. Perhaps the driver has stopped for the call of nature he thought, but as the minutes ticked by there was no sign of it continuing its journey.
Am I going nuts thought Harry that I am now suspicious of an unknown vehicle using a dust track that just happens to be near our boundary. But he knew there could be little reason to stop there, it was in the middle of nowhere.
As he continued the walk back to their campsite his eyes were drawn constantly to the left and when he finally saw Bluebird and the tent there had been no distant dust plumes. The vehicle must still be in the same spot.
Ana was sitting in a canvas chair with the journal on her lap. “Just catching up with a few missing entries. It was a bit too hot in there and ironically too light to sleep!”
He joined her, a mug of hot tea in his hand. “How did you know to have the tea ready?”
“Actually I saw you coming from some distance back but it’s been ready for a few minutes. You kept stopping to look at something. Is there interesting wildlife down there?
Harry told her about the strange vehicle and his concerns.
“I think we just have to be practical. Even if we contacted Jim and he sent someone to check things out over there, it would take them hours just to reach the place. The chances are they would only find a driver who has had too
many lunchtime beers and is sleeping them off in the back seat.”
“Yes I suppose you’re right. OK let’s get the drone up in the air and see what’s out there.”
The pattern followed that of the morning. They spotted a smattering of animals but nothing that interesting. Even the lions were long gone.
“You know Harry I just can’t understand how so many people spend hours playing some game or other staring at a small screen. My eyes already feel strained after watching just a thirty minute flight.”
He was just about to reply when they both let out a simultaneous shout. If there was one creature they couldn’t be mistaken about, it was elephant. There they were, dark grey backs standing out boldly from their surroundings.
“What a piece of luck Ana. Now we just need to be patient, see how many there are, and whether we can identify just who they are too.”
The elephants moved backwards and forwards under the trees. Sometimes they had a view of several, long trunks swaying gently and then they were gone again, grey shapes merging together and then melting away under the foliage.
“Is there any way you can get a better angle Harry? I’m amazed that animals of that size can disappear so quickly when we know almost exactly where they are.
“I’m doing my best but I don’t want to come down any lower or spook them with the sound of the motors. If we stay with them I’m sure they will eventually move out of the tree line.”
As always with wildlife things are unpredictable and they stayed comfortably under cover and as the minutes ticked by Harry began to worry about the battery life. The little symbol was just short of blinking a warning and crucially they had to have enough power to fly the drone back safely. He knew they hadn’t much more than a few minutes viewing time left.
And then almost as though they had read his thoughts the elephants came out into the open and immediately they knew this was Mara and her close-knit family group.
“I can count seven, but where is Meru?” Ana’s face showed a mixture of excitement and concern. “Hang on look behind Mara’s hind legs, between her and one of her sisters!”
Tusker Page 18
