The Devil's breath

alone was responsible for, he was snatched and pummeled into oblivion. His scream was unable to escape his final gasp for life.

Max slept for two days. When he woke up he had a ravenous appetite. The private room in the military hospital was basic but comfortable, and the food they brought him was enough for two men.

The doctors insisted he should eat before they allowed anyone to visit him, but they assured him that his father was safe and being cared for and that!Koga had come through his operation.

Once he had scoffed every last morsel, he eased himself achingly onto the cold linoleum floor. His reflection in the bathroom mirror told him that someone had bathed him. His hair, longer than usual, left a pencil line of white between his scalp and a dark brown tan. Now that the dirt and ingrained grime had been scrubbed off, he could see the cuts and bruises he had sustained; some would leave permanent scars. It didn’t matter. What he wanted more than anything right now was to clean his teeth. They felt as though they were caked in cement.

No sooner had he got a mouthful of foaming toothpaste than Sayid barged into the room, and cuffed him round the back of the head. “You’re a bloody hero, mate. I’m gonna eat out on this for a long time to come.”

Max stopped himself from choking and spat the toothpaste out. “I’m OK. Thanks for asking,” he said.

“Oh yeah. How are you? You were out for the count. Couldn’t wake you.”

“I feel as though I’ve been run over by a steamroller.”

“Yeah, you look taller. So, what do you reckon? Freebies forever?”

“Odds are, the powers that be will shut the whole thing down and no one will say anything. Imagine the scare stories that could come out of this. No one would ever fill a kettle again.”

Before Sayid could argue, Kallie tapped on the door. “Up and about, hey? Next time, go on a guided bus tour, will you, this was too much trouble.” She kissed his cheek, which made Sayid examine the walls a bit more closely.

Max was wearing boxer shorts, but when she looked at him he felt uncomfortably naked. “They said I could come through. Thought I’d say hi. Feeling OK?”

“OK.”

“Yeah, I bet. You did all right.” She smiled. It seemed a hell of a compliment.

“Listen, Kallie, you did wonders out there. I mean, getting me down on the ground and everything.”

“Nah, it was nothin’. You didn’t need me, you’d have sorted it out. Even a monkey could fly one of those things.”

He smiled. It felt good to see her again.

She helped herself to one of the apples on the bedside table. “Pa’s got himself in a state. Says I’m not to be trusted flying around on my own, so he’s grounded me, literally, for a few days. Just long enough to make sure you Brits leave the premises quietly. Want to see!Koga? He’s doing great.”

“Absolutely. Dad first, though.”

“Doctors are doing their rounds, Max,” Sayid said. “Mr. Peterson’ll come and get us when they’ve finished.”

Max grabbed a T-shirt and pulled on a pair of shorts. He winced as he tugged them on.

“That cut on the top of your leg will take a while to heal,” Kallie said. “!Koga told us everything that happened. I reckon you must have done it when you fell into the Devil’s Breath.”

Max nodded. “I suppose it’ll take me a while to put the bits that hurt together with the time when I did it.”

Something didn’t sound right. The cut on the back of his leg was high up. Just below the cheek of his backside.

She smiled as she saw him realize. “Look, I’ve got a brother at home, there’s only one bathroom. They were short of nurses! Everyone was running around, looking after your dad. All right?”

“You washed me? All over?”

She shrugged.

He blushed.

“Gross,” said Sayid.

The military hospital was in a small town where mainly army personnel lived. It was where they took soldiers injured in battle. A quiet, little-known place with an airstrip that seeped out of the desert at one end and disappeared into the trees and scrubland at the other. The perfect place to keep secrets.

!Koga had never worn pajamas in his life, but the military nurses had insisted. Now he sat with the window wide open, his jacket undone, the heat touching his skin. Anything less would be worse than a prison cell for a boy who had never slept under a roof before. There was little sign of the operation he’d had, other than his shaved head and the dressing that covered the surgical wound, and he looked as skinny as ever.

His face burst into white teeth and laughter as Max came into his room. The two boys hugged each other. “You saved my life! They told me!”

“You came back for me. What are friends for?” The tensions and danger of their journey were behind them, the freedom from fear gave them a lightness they had not known for a long time.

“Miss van Reenen told me everything, and your friend Sayid, and the man who came from England, and Miss van Reenen’s father has taken his plane down to find my family. Then we will go home.” His smile faded a little. “And you will go home.”

“Yes,” Max said, “I will.”

Mike Kapuo stood with Mr. Peterson at the door. “I’m Detective Chief Inspector Kapuo. I need to talk to you two boys. We have to piece this whole thing together from day one.”

“OK,” Max said. “Where do you want us?”

“Well, I know!Koga’s first language isn’t English, and I don’t speak much of the Bushman language, so I’ve brought in an army interpreter; he’s a Bushman, so we’ll talk to!Koga first, and maybe Kallie can stick around to help out.”

Max hugged his friend. “Don’t tell them about the cave paintings and the prophecy. They won’t believe you.” He went out, leaving Mike Kapuo and Kallie with bewildered looks on their faces.

“I will tell them because it needs to be told, and it is the truth,”!Koga said, and laughed.

Out in the corridor Mr. Peterson shook Max’s hand. “Doctors have given you a clean bill of health.”

“Thanks, Mr. Peterson. And thanks for saving my dad.”

“I didn’t-you did. You knew he was in there, and I had to give it one last try. You want to see him?”

Max nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat.

They stood for a moment outside his dad’s room, looking through the window at the gaunt figure of his father, who lay in bed, drips feeding into his arm, seemingly asleep. Mr. Peterson put an arm around Max’s shoulders.

Sayid pulled a face. “Sorry, Max, I tried to cover it over. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

Max nodded. “ ’s OK,” he answered quietly.

Mr. Peterson stepped away, allowing Max to go into the room when he was ready. “This is going to take a very long time to try and fix, Max. He’s going to be all right physically, but they hurt his mind-we don’t know how long it will take.” Mr. Peterson hesitated. Max looked at him, seeming to hear the unspoken words- maybe he’ll never be healed. “You understand, Max?”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

“OK. We’re flying back to England tonight. The government has laid on a plane and a doctor. You, me and Sayid, with your dad. He needs specialist care now.”

Sayid gave an encouraging smile to Max, ready to leave.

“Sayid, thanks for everything.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“I bet you did.”

Sayid nodded. There’d be time enough later for talking the whole thing through.

“Anyway. Thanks for being here. For being my mate,” Max said.