the street. But then the branch's shadow swayed away from the hut's wall and another shadow remained in its place.
I saw the dark outline of a large cat—saw the black feline head, the upturn of the nose, the tips of its high- pointed ears. Saw its mouth open in silent anticipation of the kill.
At first I couldn't believe its size. Whatever this animal was, it was enormous—
And then suddenly the animal was gone and all I saw was the hut's wall, bare and empty, illuminated by the moon's rays.
The three Incans were now about twenty paces from the citadel.
I whispered loudly to them in Quechuan. “Over here! Come quickly! Come quickly!'
At first they didn't seem to understand what I was saying.
And then the first animal stepped slowly out into the main street behind them.
'Run!” I called. 'They're behind you!'
The man of the group turned and saw the giant cat standing in the mud behind them.
The animal moved slowly, with precision and calculation.
It looked like a panther. A massive black panther. Cold yellow eyes looked down a tapered black snout—-eyes that stared with the unblinking coolness of the cat.
At that moment, a second animal joined the first and the two rapas stared intently at the small group before them.
Then they both lowered their heads and tensed their bodies like two tightly wound springs waiting to burst into action.
'Run!' I cried. “Run!”
The man and the woman broke into a run and hastened toward the citadel.
The two cats in the street leapt after them in pursuit.
I ran to the open doorway that led from the roof of the citadel down into the main body of the structure. 'Renco!
Someone! Anyone! Open the main door! There are people out there!'
I hastened back to the edge of the roof and arrived there just in time to see the woman reach the base of the citadel carrying the child in her arms. The man arrived right behind her.
The cats bounded down the street.
No-one downstairs had opened the door.
The woman looked up at me with frightened eyes—and for the shortest of moments I found myself entranced by her beauty. She was the most striking woman I had ever—
I made my decision.
I ripped my cloak from my body and, holding onto one end of it, hurled the other end out over the edge of the roof.
“Grab my cloak!' I called. 'I will pull you up!'
The man snatched the other end of my garment and handed it to the woman.
'Go!' he cried. 'Go!'
The woman took hold of my cloak and I pulled on it with all my strength, hauling her—and the child in her arms—up toward the roof of the citadel.
No sooner was she off the ground than I saw the warrior beneath her get pummelled by one of the rapas. The man's body made a sickening sound as it was thrown against the outer wall of the citadel. He screamed as the rapa began to eat him alive.
With all my strength I heaved on my cloak, lifting the woman and the child to safety.
They reached the rim of the roof, and in the light falling rain the woman grabbed hold of the stone battlements, while at the same time she attempted to hand her child over to me.
He was a small boy; with large, frightened brown eyes.
I struggled to hold onto three things at once the woman, the boy, my cloak and I looked out in horror to see that several other rapas had slunk out into the main street of Vilcafor to view the commotion.
Just then, one of the cats beneath us leapt up from the mud and tried to snap its jaws around the woman's dangling feet. But the woman was too alert. She lifted her toes at the very last moment and the cat's jaws closed on nothing but air.
'Help me,' she pleaded, her eyes frantic.
'I will,' said I, as the rain beat down on my face.
Whence the cat in the mud beneath her leapt again, this time reaching out for her with its huge scythe-like claws, and this time it caught the hem of her cloak and to my absolute horror I saw the entire cloak go taut under its weight.
'No!” the woman cried as she felt the weight of the cat begin to pull her down.
'Oh, Lord,' I breathed.
