...to climb into the trees to watch the orange flame flicker and dance upon the young male’s palm, and Gazda had wondered if this was the thunder-hand at work again—like the smoking fingers he had seen before.
But his thoughts were drawn from the mystery to the scent of the male who carried it; for it was plain he hoped to mate with Lilly.
He leaned over the barely conscious girl in a way that had Gazda bristling defensively, when a strange male charged from the dark.
This one was big and moved with the strength and poise of a silverback. He wore a great cloth covering on his head, and a sweeping tuft of hair beneath his nose.
Gazda had wondered briefly if this one would challenge him for Lilly, but there was no time to worry for another flame came flickering through the trees.
This light had been brighter, and caused a flash to dazzle Gazda’s eyes as it approached the other, so he turned from the flare and saw how brightly his limbs shone in the jungle night. With no mud-skin and only his loincloth for covering—his flesh shimmered like the moon.
The night ape males were looming over Lilly when the terrible scream had turned their faces south and east, and then another cry, farther on—deeper in the forest.
Gazda’s hunting instincts had flared to life, and the desire to pursue swelled within him, but he could not leave Lilly until the other males had carried her to safety in the tree-nest, and even then for some time he delayed, brooding in the trees that bordered the clearing where he watched the lighted window.
A short time later the new big male and the black-skinned one climbed out and ran through the grass with a flaming stone before them. Their fretful charge took them southeast across the clearing in pursuit of the brown-haired female. The night was limping toward dawn, and its many dangers would die with the rising sun.
When Lilly’s sleeping breath reached the night ape’s sensitive ears, he tore after the other males to overtake and pass them like a wind in the high branches.
Gazda hoped to rescue the other female before the sun came up, or to slay the beast that had carried off and killed her. Only when he knew what had happened to Lilly’s friend would he dare return to his mate.
Lilly had been returned to the cabin, and as Van Resen worked on the girl, the other castaways had welcomed Captain Seward back as he wolfed down tinned meat, biscuits and a large quantity of water while telling Jacob to wrap a hunk of cheese, jar of preserves and biscuits in a pillowcase that they could carry like a bag.
Then with little more explanation, the old ranger had taken up some matches and their sturdiest lamp, and dashed out into the night with Jacob Raines behind.
The scientist would have gone with them to search for Miss James if he hadn’t young Lilly’s health to worry about.
He had volunteered Phillip Holmes to go in his stead, but the captain negated that suggestion with a look that encouraged the scientist to later question the young man’s sequence of events that led up to his losing Virginia and finding Lilly.
Holmes’ description of discovering the unconscious girl while searching for the panicking governess did not match the behavior of the level-minded Miss James in Van Resen’s memory, anymore than the Englishman’s tone suited the harrowing tale he told.
“You say one thing, Mr. Holmes,” the scientist remarked while cleaning Lilly’s wound and face. He and Mr. Quarrie had laid her out on her grandmother’s bed. “But your expression says something else.”
Mrs. Quarrie joined her husband to watch over Van Resen’s shoulder as he gauged their granddaughter’s health.
“Anemic” was an insufficient term for her condition. Judging from the pale complexion and skin turgor, she had lost a dangerous amount of blood.
“Such small wounds and no blood on her clothing,” he muttered, more to himself than to his companions.
“What could have happened?” Mr. Quarrie asked, holding their remaining lamp near.
“I suspect some wild animal has bitten her,” Van Resen said, adjusting his eyeglasses. “Though I would have expected more damage to the surrounding tissues.”
Indeed, the two marks he’d seen earlier appeared to have been enlarged, and the rims enflamed.
“It was an animal?” Mrs. Quarrie said, holding the girl’s hand.
“Of course!” the scientist answered sharply, lifting the cloth he’d used upon Lilly. Sniffing it he breathed the word: “Moringa,” wishing again that he had access to the instruments he used in scientific inquiry.
“I suspect some local creature has attacked the poor girl,” he said, before clamping his hand around his own throat. “This hold is taken with the mouth to asphyxiate the victim. In which case the damage of the ‘bite’ would be superfluous.” The scientist reached across to calm the older woman by patting her wrist, but she drew her hand away.
“In this case, the predator was interrupted.” He watched Holmes push the partition wall aside and cross the room to sit by the fireplace. “We may have Mr. Holmes to thank for that.”
“Look, doctor!” Mr. Quarrie said, rising to stand at the window. The greenery around it was etched against a deep purple sky. “The sunrise can’t be far off.”
“Perhaps then we’ll find out why Lilly put herself in such danger,” Van Resen said, getting to his feet and joining Quarrie at the window where the scientist’s eyes narrowed. He was certain that he could see remnants of black mist melting into the grass.
Miles to the east Gazda hurled himself from tree to tree, uncaring of life or limb, certain that he had to recover the other night ape female at any cost. If Lilly’s tribe was like Goro’s and his own, then a high price would be placed upon family and each member in it. This dark-haired female was well loved by his new, young mate, nesting with her and sharing many attributes, so she would be prized by the
