Luana Read online

  High above, perched on a knot of a stalwart banyan, Luana watched as Isabel made pushing motions at herself with the waxen white rock.

  “What do you think of the she?” she asked.

  Jukakhan leaned over and gave Isabel a moment’s attention.

  “Weak, like most man-things. You could break her in small pieces.”

  “Perhaps,” agreed Luana diffidently. “Do you think she’s more attractive than me?”

  “Most man-things are ugly,” came Ohoh’s strident tone. “Even, yea, even the cat is more graceful. Barely.”

  “Say that again, tree-toad, and I’ll—”

  “You’ll what, ill-tempered one?” The chimpanzee hefted a heavy jungle nut. “Chase me through the tree-tops? Come, then.”

  The lion rose to his feet and bared his teeth at the dangling chimp.

  “Peace, you two,” said Luana warningly. Primate and lion subsided, Ohoh refusing to let the big cat have the last word.

  “Tell the big mouth to watch himself, then.”

  “Be polite, brother,” Luana admonished him.

  Agh—another man-term. But Ohoh settled down on his own branch and said nothing more.

  “See how her hair catches and turns back the sun,” she mused. “Even more so than yours, Chaugh.”

  The panther did not deign to reply. To his way of thinking, he could kill the other female with one blow. That made up for any imagined deficiencies in the color of his coat. He continued licking himself.

  “Tell me,” she continued easily, “do you think a human male would find her attractive?”

  “You ask impossible questions, sister,” Chaugh murmured. “I have no standards for judging the attractiveness of man-things. Only,” he smiled with his eyes, “their taste. Nor does such a thing interest me.”

  She leaned over and ran her hands along the big cat’s flank.

  “But you find me attractive, Chaugh.”

  “That is different,” he grumbled. “You are not a man-thing.”

  “Then what am I?” Chaugh twisted uneasily out of her grasp.

  “Too much talk,” he growled. He leaped from the branch and disappeared with a crash into the growth below.

  Isabel looked sharply to her right. Something in the bushes? It was hard to tell with the sound of running water ringing in her ears. It wasn’t repeated and she shrugged it off. Probably some little lizard, or rodent, or something. She turned.

  The river had no visible current here and lay as a cold mirror between its banks. Huge lily pads covered much of it. Fragrant blossoms half a meter across sprang from the center of the green floats, filling the air with overpowering loveliness. How beautiful this place was! If only they could travel by river, out of the clutching, stinking green caves. She put the soap on a dry rock, turned, and kicked out towards the center of the stream.

  She swims fairly well, mused Luana. The thought was interrupted as she detected movement on the far bank. Ohoh saw it a moment later and began jumping up and down on his branch and pointing.

  “Yes, I see it too,” she said.

  On the far side, resting beneath overhanging reeds and ferns, was a dead log that wasn’t. It began to move sideways, then forward, drifting almost imperceptibly towards the center of the river. Isabel had reached the first of the lily pads. She was leaning in to smell one of the huge blossoms. Obviously she did not see it, which was not surprising.

  While they’re difficult enough to detect from above, a crocodile moving towards one at water level is for all practical purposes invisible.

  Luana jumped to a different branch, then to another, hanging over the water. She yelled and waved.

  “Hey! Hey! Behind you!”

  Isabel heard a faint noise, turned, and spotted the exotic gesticulating figure immediately. It was Luana, that strange girl. She waved back politely.

  “Hello there! Hi!”

  Luana waved more vigorously, shouted more urgently. Isabel waved happily in return and splashed the water. The little idiot thought Luana was playing!

  The croc continued its slow, inexorable advance. Luana had seen it happen often before. There would be a sudden thrashing in the water and then quiet. Eventually the reptile would reappear with a bloated, drowned Isabel in its jaws. Luana dropped to the ground and took a step forward, stopped.

  Jukakhan blocked her way.

  “Move, brother.”

  “Let the female man-thing die, sister. It is not worth the chance of—”

  There was no time for discussion. She feinted right, then left, and vaulted over the startled lion before it could rise to intercept her. It followed, but she was already in the water, swimming furiously towards Isabel.

  If only the fool would swim to meet her! But Isabel simply watched Luana’s approach with pleasure and some surprise. The girl certainly seemed in an inordinate hurry!

  “Slow down, Luana!” she shouted as the other came close. “There’s no hurry. The river’ll still—”

  Luana dove abruptly. Well, that was odd! What sort of strange game was the girl playing?

  Treading water, Isabel peered down. The water itself was clear, but shadows from the broad water lilies hid much of what went on below. She looked around sharply left, right. Where had the girl gone? She turned.

  The river exploded.

  Both screaming and swimming for the near shore were reflex actions. The last thing Isabel saw as she looked back over her shoulder was a toothy green torpedo rising out of the water. Luana was astride its back, her right arm high and the single blade catching the light.

  The river monster had been surprised by the unfamiliar biting thing that had come up beneath it. Now the thing was stuck to its back and continued to bite. The bite itself was small, but repeated itself over and over. The monster spun, great jaws snapping air. It was unable to reach the small biter.

  The armored tail, which could easily break a leopard’s spine, thrashed impotently at the neutral lilies. Finding its strength ebbing, the monster began to spin desperately in the water, fighting to dislodge the tormentor on its back.

  From the far bank other logs began to move towards the source of the disturbance, hoping to lay claim to loose pieces. On the other shore, Ohoh saw them and shrieked incessantly. Again and again a slim steel arm rose and fell. The water began to turn a dark red, and the lilies were stained.

  A last failing twist, and the great meat eater lay limp in the water. Luana was drawing in long, deep breaths. She heard Ohoh’s distant screeching and struck out for the safe shore.

  Five big crocs were close behind her. They pulled up meters short. One or two considered giving chase. But the other shape moved strongly through the water, and there was ample meat already waiting. They began to tear furiously at the carcass of their dead cousin.

  Luana staggered out of the water. Isabel was nowhere in sight. Probably ran all the way back to camp. She noticed the girl had taken her clothes and smiled despite her exhaustion. Crazy man-thing! For herself, she was never in danger of being bitten, but the monster had nearly drowned her.

  A few agonizingly painful tugs hauled her to a fork in one of the trees. She collapsed gratefully. Ohoh was beside her in a second, with Jukakhan a leap behind. The chimp made a cursory inspection of the motionless form. Jukakhan had only to sniff once to be satisfied. Man-sister was unharmed. She would sleep for awhile. He curled up beside her.

  Eventually, a party from the camp arrived. A breathless Isabel was in the forefront. There was no need to point to the area of danger. The family of armored leviathans was still making plenty of noise, thrashing about on the far side of the river. Isabel looked from the watery hell to Barrett, then to Murin.

  “Well, do something, can’t you?”

  Barrett watched the crocs at table. He’d never cared much for the big reptiles. They had no personalities, and terrible table manners.

  “Like what, Izzy?” He gestured with his rifle towards the confused tumbling. “If she’s in there with them now, there�
��s nothing left but a faint suggestion. And if she got away—God, I hope she got away—she’ll let us know when she’s good and ready.” He turned to go. She grabbed his arm.

  “But can’t you do something? She saved my life!”

  “Well, damnit, for that, she saved mine too!” he roared, suddenly angry. “If she’s still out there I’d rather not see what’s left. If it’s revenge you want, crocodiles have no sense of retribution. But here, help yourself.” He tossed her the gun. She caught it and stared down at the smooth barrel blankly.

  Barrett, Murin and the others started back to camp. Isabel looked out to the still active reptilian convocation. She raised the gun, then lowered it slowly and began to cry. She sniffed and bawled all the way back to camp.

  She felt better in the morning. By then she’d more than half convinced herself that Luana had escaped, somehow. It was nicer—and better for her peace of mind—to think of the girl as still in the trees somewhere with her cats than in the belly of some— She forced that thought resolutely out of focus again. She had other things to concentrate on. Like struggling up these hills.

  Despite the change in altitude, the character of the forest changed but slightly. There were fewer of the towering trees that Barrett had labeled emergents, more thick bushes and scrub growth. They came to the small canyon just after midday.

  It was small because it was not even a hundred meters high, and the stream that ran through it was barely a rivulet. That made it no less impassable. The walls were almost sheer on both sides and ran for kilometers in both directions. It might as well have been a thousand meters deep. They could not climb down.

  “Well,” said Albright with hopeful finality, “that’s that. There’s no way we can get down this wall. Even if we could, somehow, there’s certainly no way we could get up the other side. We’ll have to turn back.”

  “You’re a fountain of joy, aren’t you, Albright,” commented Murin. Isabel looked from the chemist to Barrett.

  “Is that true, Mr. Barrett? Will we?”

  “Well now,” he replied, surveying the far side, “that all depends, Izzy.”

  “Depends? On what?”

  “On how afraid of heights you are, and how good my arm is. Mur!”

  Albright and Kobenene watched curiously. The latter had checked all their cases by now, discreetly, and had seen nothing like the climbing equipment they would need for such a descent and ascent. No crampons, no pitons or rock hammers, nothing.

  One of the leather-covered boxes yielded a single thick coil of glistening nylon cord. It was followed by a short, stubby metal bar. Murin fooled with the bar and one end opened like an iron flower. Three sharp barbed prongs clicked, locked into place.

  Barrett shifted the coil to rest loosely on his left arm. He walked to the edge of the gorge and planted himself firmly, left foot forward. He began to whirl the grappling hook over his head, letting out line slowly, moving it in wider and wider arcs. It made basso whooshing sounds in the air.

  Faster, faster, then—throw!

  The hook clunked against the far side just below the bank and dropped. Barrett hauled it up, carefully recoiling the line. Murin walked over.

  “Want me to try, George?”

  “Naw, not yet, partner. I can make it. Just didn’t get my arm up on the release.”

  The helicoptering noise was repeated. The triple hook spun through the air, was released, and fell on the far side, well clear of the edge. Barrett tugged, yanked. It seemed set. He and Murin wrapped the near end a dozen times around the trunk of the biggest tree near the edge, about three meters off the ground. The cord now ran on a slant from the tree to the distant bank.

  “Ready?” asked Murin. “I’ll get the basket.”

  “Just a sec,” cautioned George. “Might as well make sure, hey?”

  He wrapped both hands tightly around the smooth nylon and put one foot into nothingness. Isabel gasped. The other foot went over and he hung free. He jerked once on the cord, twice.

  And disappeared.

  Isabel screamed and everyone rushed forward. Murin was first to the edge, but felt less panic than the others. Except Albright and Kobenene, of course, who’s emotions were of a radically different character.

  Barrett hadn’t fallen far. He was wrapped around the rope like a snake only a meter below the lip of the canyon. A couple of quick pulls brought him up. He smiled.

  “What are you all staring at? That’s why I did it. The hook wasn’t fixed properly on the other side,” he concluded in mild understatement.

  The line was brought up again and a third time the hook whistled over Barrett’s head. He heaved up and out and the prongs soared across to drop in the brush on the other side.

  This time all the hanging and jerking Barrett could manage, and then he and Murin together, didn’t even bring any fresh slack into the cord. It seemed securely set.

  Murin picked up the basket, a sling composed of nylon cord with a tiny leather seat and a snap shackle on top.

  “You mean that’s all there is to it?” queried Albright in disbelief.

  “That’s all, Herr professor.”

  The basket looked less than flimsy. Barrett stepped into the contraption, slipping his legs through the two holes on either side of the small seat.

  “See you on the other side,” he grinned. He relaxed, let his weight pull the cord taut as he snapped the shackle onto it. A thinner cord ran from the seat to a coil in Murin’s hands. He took a deep breath and lifted his feet off the ground.

  The incline was gentle. Nevertheless, he seemed to shoot across the chasm.

  His landing was awkward. He crashed into the bushes on the far side, but he was unhurt.

  “Nothing to it!” he yelled, climbing out of the basket. “Izzy, care to try it next?”

  Murin pulled on the thin cord and dragged the basket back towards them. She considered. Noticing her hesitation, Albright ventured a hopeful opinion.

  “Really, dear Isabel, I think this risk is quite unwarranted and dangerous! Surely we can go around. It may take a few weeks, but—”

  “Norman,” she said evenly, “I appreciate your concern for my safety. Honestly I do. But you know we haven’t got weeks to ‘circle around.’ We have to cross here. Mr. Barrett just did it and I’m sure I can manage at least as well,” She stepped into the basket. Murin made sure the straps were all in place.

  “Now, don’t look down,” he whispered to her, giving her a reassuring pat. “When you’re ready to go, just lift your feet. George will catch you on the other side.”

  “All . . . all right.” She clutched the top of the sling below the shackle and closed her eyes. “I’m ready.” She lifted her feet.

  There was a sensation for several seconds of flying through the air, like diving from a high springboard or platform. She slammed into a pair of arms, a hard body. The impact wasn’t much, but the shock was overwhelming. She gasped and found herself staring into Barrett’s smiling face.

  “You did right well, Izzy! You all right?”

  “I think so,” she replied. She stepped out of the cords and looked back. Yes, she’d really crossed over. Then she grinned slightly.

  “It was kind of fun, actually.”

  Albright, wishing to squelch any doubts as to his willingness to listen to Barrett, went next. The chemist managed the short but breathtaking trip with admirable scientific detachment.

  Rather surprisingly, it was Kobenene who gave them the most trouble. The big man, it was revealed, was utterly terrified of heights. Albright had to swear up and down at him before he’d finally consent to climb into the basket. Once safely across, Barrett had to practically pry the man’s hands free of the sling rope.

  After that things moved briskly. Crates and cartons and other supplies zipped across. The rest of the bearers followed, one after another. For those who’d worked with Barrett before, the journey was routine.

  Murin was the last. He unwrapped the line from around the thick tree and coiled it s
nugly around his waist. Barrett and several of the bearers stood ready on the other end. The wiry second in command moved to the side of the canyon. Putting his legs over the side, he sat on the edge. Then, giving them the okay, he pushed off and flew across the chasm.

  Isabel and Albright gasped and ran to the edge—to see Murin waving reassuringly up at them. He’d made a smooth arc across the gap and let his powerful legs take the impact of hitting the far side, rather like a broad rappel.

  “Juhu, up, up!” ordered Barrett. He and the bearers pulled. A few seconds later Murin was standing with them on the side of the canyon, uncoiling the line from his waist.

  After the troop had moved off the canyon returned to former silence, broken only by the light sound of the stream running over rocks below. Then, on the far side, small shapes appeared.

  “What now, sister?” asked Ohoh, hanging onto a bush and surveying the drop. Luana pointed upstream.

  “There is a broken place there where we can cross. A morning’s run. We can catch up to them easily on the other side. Let’s go.”

  She started in that direction and paused abruptly, aware that only Jukakhan was following. She turned.

  “So?”

  For once Chaugh and Ohoh found themselves in agreement.

  “So much trouble and time, so much effort and care, for a few strange man-things,” the panther mumbled. “Why?” He moved restlessly to the edge of the jungle and waited. Ohoh followed, hopped into a tree.

  “What do you mean, ‘why?’ ” Luana eyed the cat sharply. “They need our help, for one thing. You saw what nearly happened to the she.”

  “Such fools deserve to die.”

  “Why, Chaugh!” The panther was often moody, but rarely so bitter. It would have been small consolation if she’d known that he was unaware of the reasons behind his own discontent. He growled.

  “You must choose, sister. Jungle law or man law.”

  “I must not,” she countered. “I can go by either or both when they don’t conflict.”

  “That is true,” put in Jukakhan.

  Chaugh snarled. “You keep out of this, slayer of mice.”

  “What was that?” The huge lion took an incredulous step forward.