The Fire Stone

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The Fire Stone

Postby Miki Yamuri » Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:58 am

Title: The Fire Stone

Characters:

John Thomason - Archeologist and Adventurer

Ralph Durham - Archeologist

Jack Kisington - Villainous Archeologist

Tony Epps - Kisington's sidekick

Scene: Deep in an unexplored part of a South American Jungle
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In 1890, a very old native was discovered floating in a hand crafted dugout boat along the coast of South America. One of the things within this boat with him, was a very old, jewel encrusted chest. Within the chest contained a manuscript written in a language never before encountered. There was also a very tantalizing map drawn on a large piece of animal shoulder bone depicting the location of some kind of artifact.

It had lain gathering dust in the University until it finally crossed the desk of John Thomason, a noted explorer and expert on idioglyphs and languages. John sat at his desk late one night. The oil lamp was smoking the chimney badly and the light dimming. He took off his glasses and laid them on the desk as he leaned back and took a sip of the tobacco juice tasting coffee in his mug. He made a face as he looked into the cup. Just by sheer accident, a reflection of one of the symbols on the document he had hung all around was in the reflection. Forward, the symbols were nonsense, but in mirror reversal, he recognized what he saw.

He immediately called for his companion, Ralph Durham, to come and verify what he had discovered. Upon arrival, Ralph looked in blank incomprehension at the the symbols, until John brought out a mirror. Hurriedly he rushed to bring a huge binder of map charts, flipping rapidly through them.

"Here it is, sort of." Ralph said a trifle dubiously, "The area is correct, but that is all we know. Even the Spanish didn't get that far into the interior. That bone is the best map the world has."

Ralph snorted, dreading what he knew John was going to say next, and mentally preparing the immense list of supplies he just knew he would have to put together soon. John stood and leaned over the map. A bright gleam in his eye.

John said, "We have to contact the University and see if we can get them to provide supplies and perhaps transportation."

John was a rather tall man of six feet. The low overhead hanging things all got caught around his head as he moved excitedly around. Waving them off, John looks at Ralph and continues, "How quickly do you think we could get the necessary things arranged to leave?"

Ralph didn't have a chance to say anything as John grabbed his coat. Ralph heard the door to the room close and the sound of John's foot falls diminishing in the distance. Ralph quickly grabbed his own coat and hurried to follow.

Ralph was yelling, "John ... wait ... the University won't be open until the morning."

Suppressing a sigh, as he knew it to be futile, Ralph began sprinting after John's diminishing back, cursing again the man's unnatural height. He himself stood a more sensible 5'8", and didn't go looming about the place like his colossal friend. 'Ah well' he thought, not at all surprised by this turn of events, 'Here we go again.'

Finally catching John at the gates, he managed to persuade him to slow down, as the night porter would be of little aid to their endeavor. Making a mental note to check with the shipping companies in the morning he managed to divert John to a nearby eatery, where plans could be made at a more cautious pace.

As the two men sat at meat, John drew many diagrams on the napkins at the table. The waiter was slightly miffed at loosing several of his cloth napkins, but a sly couple of silver dollars slipped into his palm dissuaded him from his irritation. John drew a very good representation of the South American Coast. He drew a circle around the spot the old native and boat were found.

He mused to Ralph, "Now, for this boat to have been here ... do you think it drifted from a river? If it did, it would help tremendously in our search to follow it instead of having to wander aimlessly through the jungle.”

"It most certainly would", Ralph agreed, "At least there won't be any elephants this time. I had to sit on three cushions for a month after that fiasco in India last year." he groused with mock indignation, setting John to laughing at the memory.

"I'll see when we can get a tramp steamer down to Macapa, that looks the closest thing to civilization in the area."

John nodded absently, rearranging napkins and adding lines with determined preoccupation. "Yes, Macapa, I'll tell the University in the morning, we should catch the evening tide."

"We'll catch whatever tide it leaves on," Ralph amended, "the University won't charter the whole ship for us two, we'll be on their timetable."

"Hmm, I suppose that must do." John grumbled at the inevitable delay, his mind already halfway down the Amazon, "At least we're the only ones who know about this." he grinned.

John pours both of them a large glass of wine. He says, "A toast to adventure and remarkable discovery."

They clinked their glasses together and John emptied his glass. A look of amazement came over his face as he looked at a carved piece of statuary above one of the door beams.

John put his glass back on the table and said quietly as he points, "Remember the symbol of something that looks like a burning mountain?"

Ralph nods as he follows John's pointing finger. He sees a wooden carving of what looks like a Aztec Holy man, holding something in his hands. It might have been something other ... but it appeared to be some kind of artifact that emitted what the natives thought of as fire.

John took the last bite of his meal and said as he put his coat on, "I'll meet you back at the room. There's something I need to try and decipher now that I have seen that."

Ralph shakes his head as John quickly leaves the diner ... leaving him with the task of paying. Ralph returned to the room and began drawing up the list of supplies and equipment they would need. Previous experience told him to make sure guns, ropes and tent canvas were at the top of the list, then came the incidental items. Lamps, lamp oil, fishing line and hooks, nail trimmers (he still recalled how overlooked such things were, and the discomfort of untrimmed toe-nails after months). The list grew to catastrophic proportions, so he began the tedious process of whittling it down as he waited for John to return.

By the time John returned to the room, the candle had burned low, there was a humongous pile of wadded paper in the trash from all the revamped supply lists, and Ralph's eyes burned from the lateness ... or earliness of the hour.

Ralph says irritatedly, "Just where in hell have you been all this time?"

John throws off his coat and plops a huge tome on the desk next to the supply list Ralph had been struggling with. The Title of the book read, 'Young's Amazonian Adventures.' Ralph's eyes get big. This was a rather rare and hard to come by manuscript ... especially in the middle of the night. John opened the large book to almost the middle. There was a very colorful hand drawn picture of a carved stone alter with a Large Red Stone sitting in a depression on it's top. The stone appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be on fire.

"Is this genuine?" Ralph asked, knowing better than to enquirer as to the book's origins. He had a feeling the University Curator would be offended come sunrise, and was careful not to learn more

John nods excitedly as he says, "This ... makes many references to what all thought were just tails and legends that Young brought back with him from his explorations of the Amazon River. No one really believed him about the lost cities or the magic some of the natives seemed to throw around. It's kind of hard to fathom a Witch Doctor making hexes and zombies you know."

He turns the page. An exact drawing of the wooden carving from the Pub was depicted.

John continued, "It's the same reference as this." He picks up one of the old manuscripts from the chest and slid it to Ralph. After placing the hand held mirror by the document so the symbols were oriented correctly, it described the alter and the stone just as it was drawn in the book.

“Be careful my friend”, Ralph warned, 'The Haitians are fearsome with that. I hold no belief in their ancient foolishness, but I don't run into a lions den either... let's not get too ahead of ourselves before we even leave port.”

That said, they retired, save Ralph, who found himself haggling with an unsavory looking steamer captain at a truly ungodly hour of the morning. John awakens early to find Ralph gone. No problem. He bathes and shaves quickly, he wanted to catch the administrator as he arrived at the University Museum to discuss this adventure. He was sure the man would literally drool at the opportunity to explore an area virtually unknown to the modern world.

John was totally in luck. The Administrator's Carriage had just arrived to the hitching post when John got there. He went quickly up to the carriage door and opened it.

"Good Morning Richard, I hope this day finds you hail and well met?"

The Administrator's eye brows arch in surprise for and instant until recognition comes across his face, then a look of desperation. The man knew from past experience that John was about to lay a perfectly well thought out and mapped expedition on him ... that would cost a bloody fortune.

Richard smiles weakly and replies, "It ... was a good morning. Only time will tell about the rest." He gives John a side long glance as he exits the carriage.

John says softly, "Well, I think I have just the thing to brighten up your day."

Richard snorts, "Oh? And I suppose it's going to cost me an arm and a leg ... right?"

John laughs, "Probably, but this you will do willingly. I have deciphered the manuscripts the University gave me."

Richard's eyes get big as he looks at John, "Oh, really? What does it translate to?"

John Smiles, "Well, if you will follow me to the local eatery for breakfast and some strong black coffee ... I will fill you in on my desires." The two men leave, chattering away like two macaws in a tree.

Ralph grunted sourly, and paid the steamer Captain, “4am, Thursday, you'll get the second half on arrival”

He hated making deals like this, and could only hope John had managed to finagle the money he'd just promised. Three weeks on a tramp steamer was a poor plan, but needs must be met by available means. He set about obtaining tinned foods, lest they starve on board.

Meeting up with John for luncheon, Ralph held his breath as he inquired about their funding.

“Richard was most reasonable” John informed him, “Although he did claim a quarter credit of what we find... the scoundrel is a thief!”

John then props his chin on his hand as he takes another bite of the roast beef. He chews thoughtfully for a second then says disgustedly, "The man has actually required us to take a selected team of his choosing with us to ... make sure we stay honest. The ass." John stabs another slice of the succulent meat and stuffs it in his mouth. John uses his fork sort of like a pointer as he continues, "You do need to know ... he's sending Jack Kisington and your wonderful friend Tony Epps. No choice or he won't fund us. He's also sending all the supplies we need. Just give him a list and it's ours."

John looks at Ralph to see his expression. It is unusual for the University to give cart blanch.

“Tony is irrelevant,” Ralph snorted, “The fool will starve to death within a week! But Kisington? That bastard tried to kill you in Syria, and again in Egypt, now we have to work with the maggot?”

John nods as he chews and swallows. He picks up his wine and takes a long swig, before putting it back on the table. "I also didn't tell Richard ... the exact truth about what those documents said. I did tell him about the huge city ... the whereabouts of the hidden treasure room and the key to opening the door," John taps his head with his finger, "are safely locked away where none can get at them."
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Journey to Adventure
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The next 5 days passed rather quickly. The supplies and equipment arrived right on schedule as did the Steamer. Everything was loaded a stored and the ship got underway without any real incidences. John and Ralph were leaning over a rail watching as the California coast drifted by.


Jack Kisington glared formidably at the feeble light emitting from the oil lamp. “I am not impressed Tony” he said coldly, favoring his lackey with a merciless stare, “This is the best you could do?”

Tony began to stammer an apology.

“Don't, you have irritated me enough for one day. Be sure those two are followed, I'll not have them slip finds from me again. I have not forgiven you for Syria, do not fail me again!"


John says offhandedly to Ralph, "Caught that idiot, Tony, snooping around again. Kept him from getting into our rooms and rummaging. That man is so stupid, it's a wonder he can find his way out of bed in the morning."

Ralph laughs for a few seconds, "I caught the fool on the stairs ... startled him so ... he fell all the way down to the foredeck where one of the mates caught him."

Both men laugh. In the shadows, a man frowns in anger as he thinks to himself, "Idiot, am I? I'll get the both of you for that."

Tony slips soundlessly back to their cabin. It was bad enough that he had to put up with Kisington's foolishness, but to have those two amateurs disregard him also ... there was a reckoning due, and Tony had a very good idea about just who would survive this expedition and claim the glory, a very certain idea indeed. Tony jimmies the locked door and enters Ralph and John's room.


Jack sipped his brandy as he considered events. That idiot Tony had doubtless been seen snooping around, as he was meant to have been. That shaved ape Ralph was admittedly that worthwhile. John would be an irritant, nothing more. After all, even combined they could not hope the even approach Kisington's awesome intellect.


Ralph and John returned to their cabin to find someone had forced the lock to the door open. The room had been tossed. Both men knew there was nothing of any kind of value to be found within the room. All pertinent information was memorized. The only other thing, was the ink drawings of the map John had made that first night on the cloth napkins. Ralph bent and picked one of them up from the floor.

John asks, "So, the mice are at play. Think that map there is misleading enough?"

Ralph and John snort a laugh as John begins picking up the cabin and Ralph goes to the security office to report the break in. Ralph and John both knew who it was that probably did it ... and both men also knew that the perpetrator would probably get into real trouble if they tried to follow the missing napkin map.

Neither expected the ships officer to actually find or achieve anything, when the whole mess would be ashore in a few days anyway, but it would keep peoples heads down. People looking extravagantly innocent stand out, especially when the rest are being indignant and complaining about the food, weather, beds and the thousand other things they didn't get in cattle class.

John stood on the aft deck and watched the darkening horizon in the far distance. He could see the massive black clouds building to great heights and the fantastic pyrotechnic displays of lightning dancing among them. John looks at the ocean around them and it was dark, and smooth as glass. The first mate walks over and lights his pipe.

After blowing a large aromatic smoke ring he said in a slightly worried tone, "Got a partial wireless message ... doesn't sound too good."

John looks at the weathered man for a second then asked, "What did the part you got say?"

The man points to the dark clouds aft of the fantail with his pipe and says, "That there thing is going to be a nasty blow when it catches us. Should be round about midnight." Then he turns and begins to walk away. Over his shoulder he adds, "Might be a good thing to ... help batten things down. Might get a bit rough."

"Any help you need of course, but, surely it's far too early for hurricanes?" John asked a little sceptically.

"You can never tell with these waters. The sea gods of these parts don't pay much mind to calendars of men." the first mate snorted a laugh.

Leaving the man to his pipe, John went to inform Ralph, and they set about helping with the latching of doors, tightening of ropes, and most certainly the securing of the oil lamps. A fire outside of the boiler-room was not a prospect to encourage reposeful rest.

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Riding the Storm
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Sure enough, almost dead on midnight a colossal boom of thunder shook the entire vessel as simultaneous lightning hissed into the sea, seeming mere inches from the porthole.

"Damn it all, I hate storms at sea." Ralph snarled at the ceiling.

Slowly at first, the ship began to rock and pitch gaining in intensity with each passing moment. Both men lay in their hammocks hoping the storm wouldn't get too bad. With each thunder crack, the ship seemed to pitch worse. There were what seemed like whole minutes where the two men hung weightless as the ship fell from the crest of another large wave.

When the ship hit bottom of the last fall, John groans loudly, "Damn .... I'm going to be ill."

Ralph says with a gagging voice, "Don't feel left out ... I'm right there with you. My stomach got left on that last wave."

John rolls over and hands a small package of powder to Ralph. He says, "Take this and put it under your tongue. Just suck on it. Should help east the nausea."

John lay back just as he felt the bottom fall from under him once again. Once they had hit bottom once again, John tears open the small package and pours the powder into his mouth while he had the chance. He could feel himself gaining weight and the room cants off center to one side as it climbed another large wave.

Just before the ship crested, the massive top of the wave curled and washed over the deck of the ship. A mate was attempting to leave the main hatch door at just that time, and a huge wash of frothy water roared into the gangway knocking him down the stairs and filling the hall with about 2 feet of water. Ralph was startled as he saw water begin to seep under the door to their room.

Ralph says with alarm, "John! We have ... water commin in." John looks around, the floor to their room had about 6 inches of water on it, "We'd best best check, I'll not lay here groaning while this wretched bathtub sinks around us!"

John agrees, hauling himself to unsteady feet and pushing open the door, which resisted him most unusually. It was hard fighting the door and maintaining his footing with the ship's deck dropping from under his feet and pitching every which way. Finally forcing the door enough to squeeze out he found the cause, and called Ralph to hurry. The mate was laying in the diminishing water, unmoving.

John hurriedly commanded, "Get him inside, I'll see what's open to let this in."

Ralph dragged the mate inside, relieved to find him breathing, but not at all happy about the goose-egg lump on his forehead. Scrambling to dig out their medical supplies he heard John sloshing away down the hall. 'I hope he's more careful', he thought grimly as he began bandaging the Mate's banged up head.

John climbed the gang stairs to the main hatch. He lifted the pintal and found the door almost solid. He had to exert himself to get it opened. When he did, he wished he hadn't tried. He stepped out onto the main deck. Wind whipped foam and water were so thick it was almost blinding. He could see huge waves breaking over the sides of the rail and then wash over the deck. The water hit him with such power, it almost knocked him over. Only by sheer luck did he manage to find a hand hold and keep from being washed away.

Everywhere John looked, all he could see were the massive waves and froth of the storm. Lightning zigzagged across the sky, lighting everything with an eeriness of the nether world. The thunder claps were loud as the roaring of the wind and waves as he stood, almost transfixed. The wind howled like a beast in agony as the thunder exploded like massive bombs. John felt a real fear creeping up his spine as the ship once again pitched over, the main deck fell from beneath his feet, and massive walls of hurricane wind driven frothy water slammed at him

Frozen for a moment by the sheer power of nature in a snit, his body took independent control and hurled him back inside as another monstrous wave reared up. His hands frantically dogging the latches while his brain tried to catch up. Barely did he finish before the door shivered under a gigantic hammer-blow, knocking him back a step. Well, there was nothing he could achieve out there, that was for sure, so John returned to the cabin, ensuring that door was solidly closed, and inquired of Ralph as to the condition of the mate.

"He's alive, but that's all I can say." Ralph replied unhappily, "Whether his wits will survive is beyond my meager skills to know or effect.".

The next few hours passed in a hellish strobe of pitch darkness, searing light and massive explosions of thunder, as the wind screamed at the porthole like the souls of the damned. Even up and down became a nebulous concept.

Abruptly, there was silence. The two friends looked at each other, unsure if the cacophony had deafened them at last, and unwilling to find out by not speaking for a moment.

"Well, my stomach seems forgotten." Ralph joked weakly.

"Mine too." John chuckled, both sagging in relief at hearing the other.

Ralph asked, "Should we check on the others?"

John felt a tingle of the fear he had experienced while on deck trickle up his spine as he thought about it for a minute. Finally, since the ship had ridden almost dead calm for the last few minutes, John said, "I'll go up and take another peek out and see what's up."

John Left the cabin just as the mate rolled over and groaned. The cabin door stopped any further sounds from within as he began to climb the gang stairs warily. John un-dogged the pintals and pushed on the door. This time, it opened with ease. He walked out onto the deck.

The moon was clearly visible overhead as were many stars. All around, far off, John could see massive lightning flashes and hear the rumbles of thunder. The ocean wasn't as calm as he had thought, but neither was it roiling like the first time he had come out.

John quickly made his way to the pilot house. The Captain and the First Mate were there at the plotting table frantically trying to find a better way.

John asks, "Is it over yet Captain?"

The Captain and Mate look up in surprise. The Captain finally says in a gruff irritated voice, "Nope, son ... we have many hours left of this. I would suggest you get your ass back to your cabin before the eye passes. It's gonna be worse on the back side ... that's the strong side of this storm."

John looks around the pilot house. It was obvious the men had their hands full. John said, "We, have one of your crew in our cabin ... a large wave nailed him and knocked him down the stairs a few hours ago."

The Captain looks up with worry on his face, "It he all right? Did he get hurt?"

John replied, "There's a knot on his head the size of a football. He was coming around as I came here."

The Captain points to one other crewman off at a table, "You, go with this man and check out the crewman. See if there's anything you can do."

The First Mate tosses the crewman a first-aid box as John and he leave the pilothouse.

"You're the ships medic I take it?" John asked as he led the man back to the cabin, being careful to dog the doors shut behind them.

The idea of it getting worse, and without warning, was not one he wished to dwell upon.

"Martin, yes. Thanks for getting him in, he’d have been lost left outside, though G_d knows what the fools thought he was doing out there anyway."

Reaching the cabin they found Ralph had one of the lamps lit, and was feeding the groaning man something from a flask that smelled strongly of brandy. The medic inspected him quickly, and reapplied the bandages after checking the man's nasty head wound.

"Fine work under the conditions." he complimented, "Best he stay here if you don't mind, carrying him about when the wall hits won't do any of us any good, but not too much of that. Ease the pain and keep him quiet."

"What did he mean by 'when the wall hits'?" Ralph asked anxiously once the Doc left.

"We're in the middle of the storm, the second half is worse apparently, So we're to stay put." John told him reluctantly, dreading the prospect himself, "I think we may both need a measure or two of that ourselves."

Ralph went to their stores and brought out several bottles of 20 year old Scotch. He gave one to John and placed the other on his hammock.

John knelt beside the injured crewman and said, "You need to stay put ... Captain's orders." he hands him the flask of Brandy. "Doctor said for you to lie quietly. We will be hitting the storm wall shortly. Don't drink too much of that ... I think you're going to have bad enough headache as it is." The three men laugh.

John and Ralph had just enough time to relieve themselves in the honey pot and climb back in the hammock before the ship keeled over violently to starboard. There is a loud crash and boom seemingly just outside the porthole as the room cants in another direction violently at the same time. The room righted itself in one direction just as the men's stomach fell from them as they hung weightless in midair for a few seconds.

When the ship had finally reached bottom trough, John groans loudly, "Here we go again. Hang on gentlemen ... I think we are about to get our collective asses kicked."

For the next many hours, the ship bucked, rocked, and rolled. Lightning lite up everything dazzlingly bright, as thunder exploded like bombs all around and shook everything to its core. Finally, when the men felt they couldn't get bruised anymore, the ship slowly settled and began to ride the course.

Emerging from the cabin, they went on deck to ensure it really was over, before going to the pilothouse to check with the captain. That was the plan, the journey itself was not so simple. The deck was a tangled wreck of twisted, dripping ropes attached to iron lugs and small pieces of wood. Whatever they had been attached to long gone.

The captain himself was distantly polite, but evidently had greater concerns once he knew his man was alive. There was damage control to be done, repairs to me made, charts to be consulted to find out where they now were, and a thousand other things more pressing than a pair of seasick and tipsy tourists, no matter how helpful they'd been.

Instead, the two set about checking on their own supplies, and thankfully most had been in the cargo hold, only the largest items had been on deck, although, not anymore. The inventory was frustrating to say the least. The tent canvas was safe, if wet, but the poles were gone, the lamps fine, but the glass smashed and the oil gone, and so on and so on. At least they had kept their personal items in the cabin. To have had 3 months of fresh socks and no boots would have driven both to despair. Granted, the lost items could be replaced once they made port, probably, but it was an irritation they didn't need. The storm may have blown them closer to their destination, but neither felt the fates would be that kind after last night.

Dr. Martin entered the Pilot House just as John and Ralph were leaving. The Dr. says angrily, "Captain, we have a problem with ... two of our passengers."

The Captain looks at Ralph and John with a scowl for an instant before the Doctor pipes up again, "Not them, sir ... those idiots in 3G ... Kisington and Epps. Apparently, Kisington thought he could ride the storm at a desk. He ... is sick beyond belief. His friend has ... messed himself and both of them barfed all over the cabin."

The Captain became disgustedly outraged. He said in a low growl, "Ok … I want them thrown into the fore tub. Scrub them down with sheet brushes. Make sure they suffer even more for their stupidity. I can't believe College Professionals could be so stupid."

John and Ralph burst into peals of drunken laughter as they left the fuming Captain swearing and giving orders as to what to do about 3G.

"It seems not even the towering intellect of Kisington can outwit nature." John laughed, lurching back to the cabin.

"The world would be a dire place if it could." Ralph chortled back, then stopped suddenly in abject horror, "We aren't traveling the whole way with those morons are we? I mean, young Tony is affable enough, save his taste in mentors, but months with Jack Kisington? I'll quit John, I swear to G_d I will!".

"Ye gods man, what a thought!" John shuddered, "No, they can make their own way. I'm not sharing a historic find with that buffoon, Think of it, our names linked to their for all time!".

"That's exactly what I'm trying not to think." Ralph complained bitterly.

Sitting back in the cabin, they reordered their plans, to account for the replacement of equipment etc. They weren't on a strict timetable, so it was an inconvenience more than anything. They could only hope the captain could get them there at all, as the wireless telegraph tower was mostly driftwood now. So now it was a waiting game until they got to shore.

Kisington tried to fume as he was manhandled and brushed within an inch of his life by some literate shaved ape. He was too ill even to be properly angry. It was all, he knew, the fault of his hopelessly unworthy lackey. Somehow that fool Tony had conspired to poison him. It was the only explanation for his titanic mental prowess to be disrupted by a mere rain shower. And that smug thief Thomason, of course, who had dreamed up this fools errand to drag him here. Yes, it was all clear, they were plotting to discredit his illustrious career! How else could an incompetent like Tony steal such a cunningly hidden map.

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Two Trails to Adventure
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Several months passed slowly as the steamer limped down the coast. It was determined that radio communication wasn't important enough to make landfall to repair. John and Ralph stood on the foredeck as the ships crew pulled the lines tight to complete the docking at Port Macapa.

The place was primitive by their standards ... almost to the point of being native. They could see many men and women everywhere wearing almost nothing as nude children ran playing their games in the dusty streets.

John said, "I hope we can find replacement supplies in a timely manner here. This place looks very ... quaint."

Ralph snorts as he points toward the gangplank. "Look there, our guest must have something he thinks will help him find his way along the river."

John glances over and sees Kisington and Tony forcing their way across the plank almost before the crew had it locked down. John smiles to himself. He can see the edge of a napkin poking from Kisington's breast pocket before he crosses the plank and is lost in the dirty street of the port.

"Well, I'm not sure this is an improvement over the storm." Ralph grumbled as he set his baggage down in the ambitiously named 'Emperor Suite'.

"Quite." John agreed with a marked lack of enthusiasm. "I'm going down to the bar … get my ear in for the local patois."

"I'll look for our guide." Ralph called, leaving him to it. 'More than his ear if the serving girls are friendly' he thought, before making his way outside.

A lifetime of such places let him feel almost at home, A hundred peoples speaking a dozen tongues, all blending into the mishmash language common to trading ports the world over. In short order he'd acquired the replacement supplies, and an irritating urchin who refused to be shooed away. Ignoring this, Ralph returned to meet John.

"All set John, save I can't shake this fellow. He carried the new tent poles for a few coppers, suppose we could at least feed him."

John jabbered at the urchin, who jabbered back, much to Ralph's annoyance.

John fixed Ralph with a baleful look, "You didn't just buy new poles, you bought him too!".

John scowled at the urchin for a bit before he turns and pulls a couple of beautiful young barmaids over.

John says, "Ralph, I want you to meet Erika and Enid." One of the girls wiggled her way sexily around and wrapped herself around Ralph. "I think we can have a few drinks, and a few laughs, before we wander ourselves off down the river. It would give Kisington time to get lost or into some other serious trouble with the local natives."

Both men laugh as John Kisses the pretty young woman in his arms and takes a long drink of his beer. The afternoon wore on. John, of course, took care not to consume too much alcohol ... and to keep an eye on the bar flys. He was all too familiar with their sticky fingers and the propensity of wallets to disappear mysteriously and no one could find them again.

Soon, both men found themselves cuddled up in bed with the women, enjoying their female charms to the max ... with all the valuables safely hidden away where no one but the men could find them. The urchin was proving rather useful in that he knew exactly where to find the right kind of boat for the trip up river.

The next morning found our adventurer's well on their way up river. The Amazon's mysteries foremost in their minds as the watched many types of exotic birds and animals skitter and flit all about. Every once in a while, the men would catch a gimps of a naked native almost hidden in the brush, watching them warily as they slowly passed.

"Well, that was definitely an improvement on the elephants." Ralph laughed as their little boat wallowed upriver with the half score of locals striving mightily against the oars.

At this point the Amazon appeared more an inland sea than a river, but it slid past smoothly as they went.

"How far before we turn off?" Ralph asked John.

"At this rate, about three weeks." John replied, then jabbered something at the locals.

Ralph had always envied his friends ability with languages, and wished he had the same knack, alas he did not. The shrieking blue and red birds in the passing trees made as much sense to him

"Left Tony, bear left." Kisington snapped at his lackey.

Tony relayed the order to the minions heaving against the current. Tony thought to himself that He'd find the relic before those other two fools, despite the alleged 'help' of the fool we suffered to serve. Yes, a few short weeks, and the world would quail beneath to awesome genius of Epps, and that feeble witted fool Kisington would be another heroic casualty to science.

Just as Tony turns around to face Kisington, an arrow whizzes past his head and impacts with a loud 'thunk' on one of the crates next to him.

One of the native men rowing the boat shouts in accented English, "DUCK! Arawaks!"

All the men drop to the deck leaving Kisington and Epps standing with their mouths open staring down several dozen rapidly approaching arrows from the shore. Kisington and Tony manage to hit the deck, but not before Kisington has an arrow pierce his tunic through and nail his arm to a near by crate.

One of the oarsmen says in broken English, "Careful. Head of arrow poison. Arrow Frog deadly."

Kisington looks at his impaled tunic, then yanks it free from the arrow with a loud ripping sound.

Kisington swears, "Epps, damn you, why in all that's saintly didn't you warn me of that attack?"

Tony began to sputter just as several more arrows land in the water around them. This time, they made a distinctly hissing sound.

Kisington shouts, "Damn, flaming arrows!" As several land against the boat and the oils splatter, spreading the fire.

'It was just as he'd expected', Kisington thought, 'that imbecile Tony had conspired with the natives, and even then he failed, being as much at risk as his supposed victim'! This would not be the end of him, oh no, the gargantuan intelligence that was Kisington would not be thwarted by a few beige savages with pointy sticks. "Swim!" he yelled, shoving Tony over the side and striking for the shore.

'It was not to be borne!' Tony seethed as he spat foul tasting water from his mouth. First the moron drags him to this god's forsaken hole of a place, then the idiot knocks him out of the boat, which was now rowing steadily away. 'This is not the final chapter in my life' Tony thought viciously, 'but it will be his'.

Tony's thoughts of retribution were cut short by a sharp pain in his left leg, then another. He saw the ugly little fishes, felt another sting, saw how far the bank was, and began thrashing madly that way.

------------------------------------------
Desertion
------------------------------------------

"So Ralph... where do you suppose those two idiots are?" John asked as he added more wood to their first nights campfire.

Ralph reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a rather large cloth napkin and unfolds it. John snorts a laugh as he sees the pen marking he had put there that first night after discovering how to decipher the scrolls. Ralph traces a finger down the cloth a short way and then stops in one of the tributaries off to the north of where they were currently.

Ralph said, "I would put them just about within what we know of as head hunter country."

Both men laugh.

John says sardonicly, "You think the natives might invite them ... for dinner?"

Ralph looks at John and makes a sour face, "That's not funny. For all we know, they might actually be the main entree at this night's meal."

Both men look at each other for a few seconds before they both burst out laughing. As sick as that situation was, it couldn't happen to a better sort than Kisington.

John throws a small bit of wood on the fire, "We have to be very careful ourselves. The natives around here use poison arrows and darts. No known antidote."

Ralph says, "I know we are going to meet them sooner or later, but the way Kisington and Tony went if they followed this drawing ... I know they already had a rather ... interesting encounter."

John opens another well drawn and detailed map. This one was made by the USGS and had all the currently known graphics ... with the few new ones John and Ralph had discovered.

John points to a waterfall marking on the map, "That, is going to be a real pain."

Ralph asks, "Why? It's just a simple portage."

John shakes his head as he points to another marking nearby, "This ... is a village mentioned in the scrolls. It says they ... serve a god that requires live sacrifices. It would behoove us to make sure our weapons are loaded and we are armed as we make the portage. Only hope .. they don't use blowpipes. Never hear em if they do."

The portaging of the boat was as grim as expected, and more. The boat was designed to float, not be carried, and keeping one hand on the revolver, one eye on the jungle all at the same time made for a grim slog. Finally they made it to the top, and wearily set up camp.

"Thank God that's done" John said as he slumped to the ground.

"Feeling the years myself" Ralph chuckled ruefully, "At least we didn...."

John's head snapped around as Ralph fell, "What the..." he felt a sharp sting in his neck, wondered briefly why the floor was falling up, and everything went black before his head hit the ground.

A hideous scream brought both men to consciousness, their bleary eyes saw one of their local porters being eviscerated before a mob of baying natives. It did not look good for them as another was hauled forward, shrieking. Suddenly John felt his hands free, and a quick glance at Ralph showed the same.

"Quick, now" a high pitched voice hissed at them.

Without a moments pause, they moved, sliding down the slope to be confronted by their deliverer.

"What is your name boy?" Ralph asked the urchin shakily.

He said in near perfect English, "My name's Juan. I stowed away in your crates. I knew you would get into trouble. The natives left the camp and all the supplies. If we hurry, we can save enough of the other men to put the boat back in the water before those beasts notice."

Juan gave each man a very sharp knife made from the leaf spring of some large vehicle. It was strong and durable ... and razor sharp. John and Tony freed four men each. As John turned, it appeared his luck had run out as a native dressed in feathers and bright paint stood there with a knife ready to lunge.

The native's painted face took on a surprised and pained look, just before he fell over on his face.

Juan pulled his knife from the native's body and hissed, "Move, senior ... time runs out."

John said quietly, "We've still got a man there."

Juan replies, " If you save him senior, we all die"

The men moved off as quickly as they could. Juan lead them unerringly back to their riverside camp. As quickly as they could, they placed the supplies back on the already floating boat and shoved off ... just in the nick of time. From the shore, a loud shrieking wail was heard. Many arrows whizzed from the darkening bank, only to fall just short of the boat.

Juan says with relief obvious in his voice, "Just out of reach. For now ... we safe."

John and Tony helped pole the boat along as they watched the angry natives chase along the shore. Darkness became deeper and they lost sight of the men running after them. John only hoped ... they didn't dog them for the whole trip.

"We left a man behind to those savages!" Ralph hissed angrily, unable to properly direct his anger.

"Saving him would have killed us all." John lamented. "I know it, but his friends are far from pleased."

"We are none of us thrilled by it!" Ralph bit back.

It was an uneasy camp that night, and none slept more that 5 minutes before jerking themselves awake. Another day on the river put them, hopefully, beyond the territory of their extra shadows, but what fresh horrors would this night bring they both wondered silently to themselves.

Morning found them slowly drifting past massive rock formations that were well depicted on the map. What wasn't on the map ... was the massively over grown ruins the men saw built around and through the rocks.

John says, "Ralph, you think we should stop and document some of this at least?" he points to a large circular ruin with a huge banyan tree growing from it's center. The carvings on the buildings were totally unknown to both men.

The men rowing were not in a very pleasant frame of mind, nor were they willing to stop. Ralph listened as the discussion in their native language became rather heated. Ralph didn't understand the words ... but he understood exactly what was being said ... and he really didn't blame them for being afraid. Getting caught by a hostile enemy with blowguns in that place would be worse than where it happened before. Finally, it seemed the men began to agree.

"We'd be poor excuses for academic if we didn't stop, " Ralph replied after the arguing stopped.

"Agreed, and we'd best give these fellows some rest, God knows they've earned it",

John agreed, steering the boat to the shore. "Come on Juan, put those lithe monkey limbs to use, so we old men don't fall."

The ruins where staggering, putting shame to the Pyramids and even Petra. Ralph set about photographing and taking rubbings, while John sketched almost maniacally on his pad. For his part Juan scuffed his heels and tossed desultory stones into the undergrowth, clearly bored. At length the sun ran low, and they were forced to call a halt. Returning to the shore they found half of their crates on the ground, and the boat, along with it's crew, no-where in evidence.

John stomps his foot and swears. He screams loudly as it echos across the waters, "What in hell's that all about? They left us here to die?"

Juan pulls his long hand made knife from its leather scabbard with a ringing sound as he looks warily around.

Ralph Kicks a crate with his boot, "That just takes it all ... doesn't it? We make one of the most fascinating finds of the century ... and our boat leaves us to die in the jungle."

Juan hisses urgently, "Quite down, senior, your voice carries in the jungle. All the trees have eyes and ears ... we are being watched."

John and Ralph pull their pistols from their holsters and crouch down with their backs to the water. At least no one will approach from that direction. Ralph insures the data they had collected along with all the pictures were safely in water tight sealed containers ... just in case.

The men crouch in wait for a long time. The only sounds, were the biting insects and the animals in the trees. Ralph saw many new spices of birds and butterflies ... but nothing that would resemble a man.

John said after a while, "We can't just sit and wait ... we do have to move on if at all possible."

Ralph says with disgust, "How do you propose we carry what's left of our supplies? By sky hooks?"

About that time, Juan points up stream and says with a tinge of excitement, "Perhaps we can ... get a ride on that boat."

The men turn and see a boat moving with the current as it slowly approached them. When it got closer, they saw it was their own boat ... with the men on board all dead with arrows sticking out of their bodies in many places. From the look of the boat, it too had many arrows sticking from it like porcupine quills.

"Well that tears it." Ralph growled, "Even if we can move the damned thing with just us, we obviously can't go that way, they're watching the river."

Both men sit to try and ponder it through, after securing the boat from drifting off again. With evidently angry natives ahead, and that blasted waterfall behind, they had a real problem. They briefly discussed the idea of setting off on foot, carrying only the barest essentials, to bypass the waiting tribesmen, but neither cared too much for their chances on that score. Outpacing men who'd outrun their boat, through their home terrain, was looking like a bad idea.

"We can always spend a day or two examining these ruins more." John suggested, "eventually they'll get bored, they can't sit out there forever."

--------------------------------------
Rescued
--------------------------------------

By the edge of the jungle, there was a small sound. John and Ralph threw themselves to the ground as they drew their pistols. Juan snatched his long knife from its scabbard one more time and tossed it quick as lightning. It whistled until it impacted on a tree with a loud thunk. Standing next to the tree with the vibrating knife next to her head, was a little girl. She wore what looked like a feed sack modified to be a short dress, and carried a babydoll made from corn husks with corn silk for hair.

Her eyes were very big with fear. She said something in a language Ralph didn't understand, but obviously, Juan and John did. The two of them apparently were making soothing apologies to the little girl as they carried on a conversation. She would point off into the jungle from time to time.

John turns to Ralph and says with relief, "I think a solution has just presented itself. Apparently there is a tribe just across the ravine over there that she says would be willing to help."

"I don't like it." Ralph complained, "What sort of lunatic lets a little girl run about in the jungle... but I don't see a better option, short of divine intervention."

He pretended to ignore John's comments that it may just have arrived. The trek through the undergrowth was arduous, carrying what they could of their supplies, and the two men cast baleful glares at the little girls back. She flitted wraith like through the tangled mess of vines and razor-edged leaves, while they were left blundering through by brute force.

"A blind man could track us." John scowled.

At length they appeared in a small clearing, a small village appearing almost magically out of nowhere. The array of bows and blowpipes suddenly pointed their way was not at all comforting.

"I hope they are just being cautious." Ralph whispered, resisting the urge to draw his pistol.

That could be misinterpreted far too easily. There was a high-pitched jabbering from one of the huts, and the little girl raced over, babbling excitedly and pointing back toward them. Hopefully the woman, clearly her mother, would be grateful that they'd brought her daughter home, or else they may have just traded one gruesome altat for another. To their immense relief, the bows and blowpipes lowered, It seemed they were going to survive for the moment.

--------------------------------------
Evening with the Gods
--------------------------------------

A large woman adorned in many very colorful feathers exited the hut. She walked up to Ralph in a pointed way. She looks him over with a severe eye, then says in broken, but understandable English, "You .. the one the birds speak. No can talk our talk, but the talk of the others."

Ralph stood with his mouth open not really knowing what to say. The woman turns and walks to John and looks him over in the same way. She says to him, "You are one who comes to seek the old ones ... yes? The one we sent the message to?"

John was floored. A message? His eyes get big in surprise as he replies, "You, sent me a message? I ... don't ..."

She holds up one finger and interrupts, "You found the chest, we know. The animals speak and tell. Come ... we have much to talk of and much to drink."

The woman turns and reenters the hut. John looks at Ralph, Juan already entering the hut.

Ralph shrugs and says softly, "What do we have to loose?"

'Quite a lot' Ralph thought, but at least this lot didn't seem to by trying to cut anyone’s heart out. Dropping their overstuffed packs they sat on the floor opposite the imposing woman, who was evidently in charge, doubtless the priestess/wise woman or whatever these people had.

"Drink, the Gods of the land will speak then." she told them.

Whether it was an offer or a command was impossible to say. Both got the impression this woman was used to instant obedience. Expecting some foul leaf tea they were both pleasantly surprised to find a sweet fruit juice in the wooden cups they were handed.

"To your Gods, madam." Ralph said politely as he drank.

"Yes, they speak soon." the woman replied.

Belatedly he noticed the aftertaste, and recalled what his studies had told him of some of the queer plants from this part of the world. After only several small sips, John could feel the effects of the powerful drink crawling up the back of his neck. The woman drained her cup and refilled it. She smiles at John and topped off his cup once more.

She says, "Drink ... no be afraid. The gods have much to tell us."

By this time, Juan had finished his second cup and was looking rather peaked. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell over in a seriously drunken stupor. Ralph felt the effect explode in his mind. It was an extremely intense feeling as he began to see things. He saw the river ... he saw many men waiting in ambush. He also saw several tributaries running off the main river bypassing the ambush. He could swear he heard ... voices? Speaking things he did not understand ... but was assured that when the time came ... he would.

John was totally amazed at the visions. He saw the river and all the piranha and spik fish from where they were now until the next open place. He saw the ambush, the way around, the many huge gators that seemed to be referred to as hungry logs. John heard voices ... heard many things he didn't understand. Answered many questions as truthfully as he could. Next thing he knew, he woke up in a hut, with a very pretty nude young woman next to him, on a mattress.

"I think I know how that ships mate felt." Ralph said thickly from the doorway, "Mighty kind of the Gods to speak, but couldn't they do it quietly?"

John laughed, until the sound reached his head, and knew it was a mistake as his vision whet white and sparkly.

"Don't worry, that part fades." Ralph said a little more steadily, "Did you understand much of that, I'm a little fuzzy on parts, well, most of it. I saw where the ambush is, no idea how mind you, and she said something about removing the power of the heart eaters? Did I hear that right?"

"You did, and I think we both know who they are, Seems they want us to get the artifact as far away as possible, which is novel, usually the locals get upset about that sort of thing."

They decided to try and clarify this with the woman, without divine intervention in a cup this time, and lurched off to find her. Search as they might, they couldn't find the woman anywhere. Every time John or Juan would ask about her, the natives would get big eyed with fear and babble about Shema and other things they didn't understand. A little girl that the men did recognize, although this time she was wearing a much different outfit. She was wearing many flowers as she approached them.

She held out a ornately decorated pot to Ralph and said, "The bird say this for you."

As soon as Ralph took the pot and looked back up ... the little girl was no where to be seen.

Ralph said to John, "Did you see where that little girl went so fast?"

John looked at Ralph in askance, "What? No one from the village came anywhere near us since we got up this morning."

Ralph holds out the pot, "Then ... where did this come from?"

About that time, Juan ran up and said excitedly, "Senors! The crates .. all of them ... are here! So is the boat ... come ... see!"

Ralph and John hurried off behind Juan. To their utter surprise, everything was there ... including their weapons and the large boat sitting on logs near the edge of the village. Neither could figure out how this had been done, but were not about to complain. The prospect of portaging the lot themselves had been avoided, and that was good enough. Obviously the villagers had done it during the night somehow, but they weren't in any condition to wonder how, the why was fairly obvious. They wanted to help them, and doubtless themselves, so fair enough.

Having heart eating maniacs for neighbors can't have been pleasant, helping to get rid of them seemed eminently sensible.

"The stream over there leads to a tributary that passes our unpleasant acquaintances out there, I'm assuming they worship this stone, or what it represents, so removing it will be an ill omen, and they'll move." John theorized.

Navigating the tiny stream would be a chore to say the least, so they decided to eat before even attempting to leave. As they ate a breakfast of berries and tropical fruits, several men had returned to the village. John listened to what they were saying to several of the ones who had volunteered to paddle.

John turns to Ralph and says, "Those men," he points to the ones chattering, "Say they have opened the Gateway to Heaven and allowed us a deeper and easier route around the ambush."

Ralph stuffs another piece of fruit in his mouth, "And where does that take us?"

John replies, "It takes us through a long forgotten temple called The Gateway. Apparently, a large bird used to be the deity there ..."

John stops suddenly and thinks about the woman from the night before. She was decorated in plumage ... just like a large bird.

Ralph says quietly, "I think ... we met that bird ... and perhaps her daughter."

---------------------------------------------
Intersanctom
---------------------------------------------

The men didn't say anything else as they helped launch the boat into the stream. All the supplies were quickly loaded, and they were on their way once again. About two thousand yards up from the village, they passed through a large stone spill gate. On the other side stood what was left of a beautiful Temple, with many walk ways, arches, and flying buttresses. One thing that struck the men most ... was the carved image ... of the feathered being hailing the rising of the morning Sun.

Although neither had seen the depictions before, there was something hauntingly familiar about them. They dismissed as a simple similarity to temple reliefs they'd seen in many other ancient places. After all, there are only so many ways to carve a sunrise into stone. It took a moment for the enormity of the place to sink in properly.

"It's a canal system." Ralph marveled at the sheer scale of the thing, "The Venetians will have apoplexy if they ever learn of this place."

"Serve them right, Venice stinks anyway. What fool said that it was genius to build an entire city on an open sewer was deluded at best." John laughed, returning to his contemplation of the cyclopian ruins gliding silently past. "Our next expedition is to this place." John declared firmly.

"Agreed, although I don't care for the excess of skull carvings. If it's purpose is to discourage intruders, it's working ...." Ralph trailed off as the canal entered another monolithic temple, words failing him at the sight.

What this place must have looked like in its heyday he could barely imagine. Beneath piles and drifts of centuries of dust, he caught the unmistakeable glint of gold, just left lying around. He knew of course that the ancients had placed no value on gold, except as decoration, as it was too soft and heavy for practical uses like weapons or plows, but still, he could understand how the first explorers had gone mad with lust for it. He was about to mention it to John, who'd doubtless seen it anyway, when they went into a pitch dark tunnel.

John pulled out his flashlight and clicked it on. Lined all along both sides of the tunnel, were skeletons, old beyond time, dressed in what was left of decorated armor. Much of the armor had to be ceremonial, since it was obviously made of gold. Ralph and John stared at all the precious metal just lying there for the taking. They also began to notice other sparkling things. It dawned on them they were seeing many gemstones inlayed into the walls and arches of the tunnel.

At the far end, all could finally see light. A horrid smell began to assail their noses, causing their eyes and mouths to burn. One of the men said one word ... that explained it all, "BATS!"

John tried to turn off his lamp ... too late. There is a loud squeaking roar and rustle of leathery wings. John grabs Ralph and throws him to the deck as he ducks beside him. The men can feel the rush of thousands of wings as the disturbed bats fly from the tunnel over their heads.

Bat's they noticed almost immediately, had one trait in common with city pigeons, which was made odoriferously obvious as the wretched beasts deposited their last meals as they swept overhead.

"This does not go in any papers we publish." Ralph swore in disgust, his attempts to wipe off the reeking muck just making it worse.

"Indeed not, nor do we mention this place. The last thing these people need it a horde of money hungry idiots swarming here, it would be a bloodbath, and they'd wreck the place before anything could be learned." John agreed.

Any further discussion was halted by the sudden onset of dizziness, but thankfully the tunnel ended shortly after, opening into the jungle again. They didn't know if that was the end of the ruined city, or simply a part the jungle had reclaimed, and the men rowing said nothing. Whether this was due to the stench, or the proximity to their ancestors went unanswered, most likely both.

John looked down at his guano spattered self and made a face as he held his nose. He said rather disgustedly, "I almost would be willing to jump in the water to get clean ... even with those fish and other critters that look at us as lunch."

Ralph nods as he remembers the pot he was handed. He picks it up and opens the lid. To his amazement, the wonderful aroma of a spring day, just after a rain, filled with many sweet flowers greeted his nose.

Ralph looks up with big eyes, "John! I think this might be the answer without going for a swim."

Ralph reaches into the pot and removes a small quantity of pinkish goo. It immediately covered the horrid smell of the bat guano. Ralph tentatively rubbed some on his bespattered arms. It cleaned it better than any soap he had ever tried.

John said, "Let me have some of that ... I think it will be just the thing.”

The two men spent the next thirty minutes cleaning themselves, and the boat with the gel. The men rowing gratefully took a helping and cleaned themselves as well. The men rowing kept up a steady pace, but these ever present jungle made it all but impossible to gauge distance. Ralph and John busied themselves trying to chart their journey, and compare it to the crude map they had, but given they were in uncharted territory, this proved problematic at best. Juan scurried about the boat, bringing drinks and cooking much appreciated snack for the rowers on the portable camp stove.

"I'd say at least another day or two before we take any of the tributaries back to the main river." John theorized.

Ralph heartily agreed, "The further we are from another dart in the neck the better.".

Mindful of the warning that 'the birds would speak to them' both men watched intently for anything that would make the slightest sense of the cryptic omen.

John and Ralph began to catch glimpses of brightly colored feathers in the shadows of the Jungle. The men rowing had fallen silent and extremely vigilant. Juan had even taken notice and hidden himself among the crates.

John points suddenly, "Ralph! Look there!"

Ralph quickly turns his head in the direction John pointed. To his amazement, he thought he saw a huge, multicolored bird that looked like a huge hawk or eagle as it vanished among the trees.

Ralph said quietly, "You don't think ...?"

One of the oarsmen turns and put his finger to his lips and hissed, "Shema birds. They dance among the mists."

Fearing another barrage of arrows or darts, The two men crouch down and look carefully over the side of the boat at the passing bank. They could see signs that the particular canal they followed had been man made at some point ... many years ago, but had been left to molder in the jungle. They observed the rock walls, where many types of landings used to be, and even a few places where tributaries meandered off the main canal.

Without warning, a large wooden wall sprang up from beneath the water to block all forward progress. The rowers became highly agitated and braced their black palm long bows and fitted reed arrows to the sinew strings. John drew his pistol as Ralph laid a hand on his wrist. Ralph points. To John's astonishment, he sees what looks like the woman they had met in the village ... dressed as a large multicolored raptor type bird, surrounded by many similarly clad armed warriors.

The men rowing dropped their weapons and knelt with their heads touching the deck.

The woman speaks in a voice that has resonance and a deep quality of spirit, "This day they of the outer world come. The path they must follow is long and dark. The way forward is closed, another now opens for you."

A large place beside the boat seems to come alive. The water boils and massive amounts of bubbles roil the surface. In the side of the high bank wall another cave seemed to open. A whirlpool formed beside the boat as water rushed in.

The woman continues, "Follow the trail of the birds, travelers, for the nest awaits."

John and Ralph saw many brightly feathered warriors that looked just like raptor birds run into the opening. The last one in beckons to them before vanishing into the ebony dark of the opening.

Hurrying to snatch up a couple of the oil lamps, and a few spare cans of oil, along with rope coils, both men rushed to join them. Juan scurried after them, but the rowers stayed firmly put, and showed no intention of moving. John could hardly blame them, this was far above helping them paddle up a stream. They barely had time to get the lamps lit before the bird warriors were out of sight, they all ran to catch up. Behind they heard the grating sound of moving stone and knew the way back was closed. How the warriors leading them could see anything was a mystery, but having been overtaken by an old woman on foot (they sincerely hoped) they were not about to question anything.

The tunnel twisted and turned, rose and fell, in the manner of a natural cavern, yet was clearly smooth walled with huge stone flags underfoot. Both were soon sweating heavily at the relentless pace, and had no time to take notice of the faded murals painted on the walls.

Finally, breathless, they came to a halt at the bottom of a huge shaft, the bird warriors standing calmly around. Both men noted, with considerable resentment, that not a one seemed even slightly flushed, while their own lungs heaved like bellows for several minutes. Once they had regained their composure, the most ornately decorated warrior jabbed his spear upward in an emphatic gesture, then the entire band turned and raced off into the darkness without a word.

"I guess we go up." John said, wondering how they were to achieve that particular feat.

They moved into the darkness following the bird warriors as best they could only to find themselves trapped in some kind of circular room as a massive rock slides into place behind them, sealing the tunnel.

John whispers to Ralph and Juan as he looks fearfully around, "You don't think they are going to ... flood this thing and drowned us do you? The river is right there and it wouldn't be very hard to make a trap like that."

Before either of the other two could say anything, a huge ever increasing wind began to howl around them until it lifts them up the shaft. Faster and faster they rose upwards. Far off in the distance, they saw a bright light. Within what seemed like seconds, they were in the light and were being deposited gently on their feet among the many raptor warriors.

The most ornately clad one points his spear off into the densest, darkest part of the jungle, then the group of them rapidly vanish in that direction. John, Ralph, and Juan had only a second to glance at each other, before they too began running as fast as they could to catch up, still wondering about the ride up the shaft they just had and how it was accomplished.

Straining mightily to keep pace, both men marveled again at the endurance of these men, and the amazing way that so many men in such bright dress could almost seamlessly blend into the jungle. After a further half hour or so of running the lead warriors seemed to leap into the air and vanish among the branches.

"Damn it all! I can't bloody well fly!" Ralph wheezed angrily as the came to a halt.

The most ornate one, whom they assumed to be the leader, looked at them dispassionately and jabbed his spear upward again. Feeling his temper get the better of him John made a show of flapping his arms and jumping, then looked back at the warrior with a shrug. Closing his eyes, as if praying for strength, the leader turned a pitying gaze on them, unhooked a vine from a tree root, and soared upward holding it.

After John and the others closed their mouths, they found similar trapped vines and follow suit. The vines themselves were stretchy, and as they ascended they saw they were anchored to bent branches far overhead.

At the top, several of the bird warriors hooked the vines with their spear butts and swung them onto a platform. The wide smiles all around said plainly enough that they'd heard just how hopeless the out worlders were with even the most basic things. Once steady on their feet, and trying to smother huge grins, they followed them away from the drop, and stopped dead in shock. Even their fleeting thoughts of huts in the branches vanished at the sight before them. No meager village, but a city. An actual stone city, in the trees. Both stood in stupefied silence.

The men gaped at the marvel that lay before them. In their wildest dreams, they hadn't imagined such a thing. They saw a huge ornately carved Temple, covered in finely carved and beautifully colored murals depicting birds, fanciful flights across the world, and another city some where they couldn't decipher. Everywhere they looked, another stone edifice stood among the canopy, as finely built as any city they had known in the modern world.

The leader once again points with his spear. This time, towards what looks like might be some sort of palace, since it was made of something that looked for the world like blue marble that had many black veins running decoratively all through it. When they had walked a short way, the sun caught something atop the temple off to their right. It shown brightly and glittered in many colors. Ralph's mouth fell open as he realized it was a magnificently carved diamond twice as big as his head sitting upon a pedestal of what appeared to be hammered gold.

As they entered the palace edifice, They also noticed the hammered gold pedestal at the top of this building, was empty ... something was missing. John took out the drawing he had made of the Fire Stone ... and surmised what it must be. He pokes the amazed Ralph and showed it to him., then points to the empty pedestal.

John says, You think they want us to retrieve it for them ... and return it to the rightful place?"

"Seems most likely, unless they want us to get it far from here, but I'm doubting that." Ralph replied, "Besides, all this is getting very strange, not sure taking and artifact like that to the city would be a good idea."

John nodded in agreement with that last part, Still more than a little stunned at where they were, let alone how such a place could ever come to be.

"Best we find out what our host has to say then." John said resignedly, fairly sure it wouldn't make much sense, and he wouldn't like the bits he did grasp.

They entered the edifice slowly. Within they discovered an opulence beyond their wildest imaginations. Thick tapestries obviously many centuries old hung from the high vaulted ceiling to the floor. Many guards lined the long marbled hall. Each and every one of them dressed in hammered gold armor and bedecked with many large gemstones of all kinds.

John whispers to Ralph, "If I didn't know better, I would swear I'm dreaming."

Ralph reaches over and touches on of the guard's breast plates. The Man's eyes flash a scowl at him, but he doesn't even flinch. Ralph yanks his hand quickly back.

Ralph whispers to John, "They seem solid to me. If this is a dream ... it seems we are both having exactly the same one."

They had reached the end of the lavish hallway and stood before two very large, thick, and beautifully decorated doors. In gold, silver, and many gemstones, was the Tree of Life as plainly as any the men had ever seen.

Juan gasps, "Senior, what ever done this here thing ... is magic."

Ralph and John nod as the door slowly and silently swings open. The three of them could see the doors were made of Iron Wood over three feet thick. Stepping through this formidable portal they beheld a remarkably plain room, bare to the point of austere, which fitted the expression of the old woman standing alone against the far wall.

"Well, she's more than the village herb woman." Ralph muttered Soto voiced, recognizing her immediately.

"True enough old friend." John agreed. Herb women didn't have that kind of honor guard outside that either men had ever seen, or heard of.

"Being welcome out worlders, to this holy place." she replied in the same broken English, "Now we learning of the spirits speak us."

Following her arm to a small table they saw familiar wooden cups, and groaned inwardly, well remembering the effects of the last time.

"Errm, maybe the boy should wait outside." John ventured, but was cut off with a harsh glare.

"NO! He is being large part of the doings to be! Listen...", extolled the old woman.

The woman walks more gracefully than the men thought possible to the table, then in one fluid motion, sat cross legged next to it on a large pillow. She waves one hand at the other pillows around the table as she begins to pour liquid from a gold beaker into the bowls on the table.

She says softly, "Come, we fly with Shema to next cloud. See what tomorrow will not have if you listen to sparrow sing."

The three men look at each other. Juan's face had lost all color as he turns and looks towards where the door was supposed to be. He tugs on Ralph's and John's sleeves and points.

He says with fear in his voice, "There ... no way out."

The men turn and see the place the huge door used to be ... nothing but solid looking marble.

John says softly as he moves towards the table, "I guess ... we are guests of the ... spirits for a while."

The three move cautiously and sit on the very soft and comfortable pillows.

The woman smiles and says, "Drink ... drink all. Fly with Shema."

John picks up the bowl in front of him and holds it up. He says, "Skoal Vadania ... may the journey be good and productive."

John turned the bowl up and drank deeply. The wonderful taste of Ambrosia filled his senses as the warmth of it filled his stomach.

The walls shimmered and faded, which should have been alarming, yet seemed perfectly normal. There was a sense of voices, speaking rapidly in hundreds of tongues at once, causing sudden images to appear in the minds eye of each. Flashing, disjointed images that made no sense, yet explained everything. For an eternal instant it lasted, then abruptly they awoke, feeling just how they'd feared they would.

"You are being understand now?" the old woman asked, clearly expecting a positive answer.

"I do, I know what must be done." John agreed, looking a trifle vague.

"Yes, though I couldn't explain it." Ralph concurred.

"I know." Juan said miserably, although whether that was due to whatever knowledge he'd gained, or the effects of the drink was unclear, as indeed were his eyes.

"We have far to go, and much to do." John said decisively, although there was still no sign of the elusive door.

Ralph fervently agreed, if only to get away from this madwoman and her infernal concoctions. John stood shakily and trudged to the far wall where the door used to be. He puts out his hand and reaches for the wall ...

Ralph yells, "John!"

Juan turned around quickly to see John vanish from sight in a small flash of blue light. Ralph looks around. He was going to say a thing or two to the old woman ... only to find she was no longer in the room. Only things in the room ... were Ralph and Juan. The rest of the room was totally empty.

Ralph says with fear in his voice, "Juan, my boy, I believe we have only one way out ... and that's to follow John."

Juan once again turns completely white as he backs away to the far wall. He says with obvious near panic in his voice, "Senior ... we not know where ... " He swallows hard, "Your Amigo went. No know ... if he live either."

Ralph nods ... but also still has memories of what he saw. Flying to a place in the clouds, then to a place along a large river. He walks to the wall and puts out his hand ... Juan is alone in the empty room.

Ralph has his breath taken away as he seems to feel himself flying with large wings. He sees many clouds all around, before his stomach falls out with a rapid decent ... to land softly on the top of some stone platform over looking a large river. Ralph had no idea if this was still the Amazon ... the Nile ... or ... what the hell, the river Styx.

John's voice calls, "Well, it's about time one of you came with me. I was wondering."

About that time, Juan appears. he stands with his eyes tightly closed and trembling for a few seconds, before opening them and seeing the other two men standing nearby watching him.

Ralph sees a large cave that has light glowing form the mouth. The 3 walk to the edge of the platform and scan the area. From behind them, they hear the sound of a weapon being cocked.

The three slowly turn, to be looking down the barrel of Jack Kisington's .45. From out of the cave, came Tony with a large camping lamp. That was the source of the light within the cave.

Kisington said with obvious disdain, “So, after deserting me and leaving me at the docks, you finally show up here. Funny how my superior intellect managed to thwart your devious plans so easily.”

John said with obvious anger in his voice, "Leave you? Last I saw of you and your side kick, you were high tailing it from the ship as fast as you could go. Didn't hear a thing from you ... nor did you leave any kind of message."

Ralph snaps, "Yea, and you left us to get attacked by natives and almost got us killed."

Kisington smirks. He releases the hammer of the pistol and holsters it as Tony walks back up.

Kisington says aloofly, "Too bad. Perhaps there would have been more fame if you had gotten yourselves killed."

Tony laughs as John replies, "Funny, It would seem you are the candidate more apt for the end. Running off into a major unexplored jungle with no maps or guides."

Tony said, "We had a full ship worth of guides ..."

Kisington cuts him off, "Until they decided to leave us ... same as you did at the dock."

Ralph snaps, "Oh, really? I do so hope the map you had ... led you straight and true."

John puts his hand on Ralph's shoulder, "It is ... the only one we had. I know you had it, I saw it hanging partially out of your pocket when you were on the dock."

"Really? Then how come you ended up in the same place, at the same time?" Kisington snapped, before realizing what he'd just said, "But no matter, we are all here now, did you find anything Tony?" he amended quickly.

For his part Tony snorted in disgust "Nothing but rank bones, seems as many dead birds as dead people. What, that means something?" Tony added, seeing the reflexive glance the other three had unconsciously shared.

"Just a local superstition, partly what led us here." John replied, not actually lying.

"Well there's no giant gem as you claimed on starting this fools errand." Kisington snorted.

"Are you sure? Did you check the remains?" John mocked, knowing full well that Jack Kisington wouldn't dirty his own hands.

"Of course not, I am a professional! I would never move historical bones!" Kisington replied indignantly.

"Rare attitude for a grave robber." Ralph couldn't stop himself from muttering snidely.

"Be that as it may" John cut in hurriedly, "We are all here now, so let's go and see, shall we?"

Tony replied, "I went into that cave until I came to a carved opening. I looked through it before I walked, luckily, there was a sheer drop off on the other side. Far as I can tell, it falls off several hundred feet. I can see something sparkling at the bottom .... but what it might be I can't tell."

The other men looked at Tony for a second before John says, "Let's get to it."

The men gathered up all the equipment and packed it neatly in their packs, then trudged off into the dark opening. It was obvious by the many ornate carvings all through the cave, this had been frequented many times over the years. Several thousand yards in, just as Tony had said, they came to an archway that had deep carvings of birds all around it.

John pokes his head through with the carbon arc lamp. He too could see the sheer drop and the glittering objects below. What caught his eye, was the cleverly disguised, albeit very narrow, path of camouflaged stone across the abyss.

John returns and said, "I hope we have enough rope to reach the bottom."

Kisington snorts as he shrugs off a large coil of hemp rope and tosses it to Tony's feet.

John leans over and whispers to Ralph, "I don't think there's anything at the bottom ... except maybe skeletons and old armor and weapons left by unfortunate people who came looking. I did find a hidden trail across the abyss, although I don't know where it might lead."

Carefully they began their descent, moving slower than usual due to mutual distrust. Hours later they grouped upon another arched landing.

"If this is what that mad crone meant about birds, I'll strangle her myself" Ralph growled quietly.

Kisington's ears were sharp. "What's this? Some local knowledge you'd keep from me?"

"Keeping knowledge from you is hardly a challenge." John snorted, and explained in as little detail as he could.

"Really? Arrived through a mystic portal did you?" Kisington scoffed, "Let's see then."

With those words he grabbed young Juan by the scruff of the neck and hurled him through the archway into nothing.

"Bastard!" Ralph roared, going for his throat a split second ahead of John. Tony tried to intervene and the four rolled over the same precipice in an almighty ruck. The fall none were paying attention too ended abruptly two feet lower. None had noticed the blue flash. It was Tony who kicked them apart long enough to realize they were now underground, in a place lit from no natural source.

John stands. He had a bit of luck while they were tussling. He had managed to get Kisington's pistol away from him. John pulls the hammer back and points it at Kisington's head and says menacingly, "I want you to understand something right now; I'm in charge of this expedition from now on ... no compromise. If you disagree, leave. Right now. Any more crap like you just pulled and I'll blow your fool head off and toss you to the piranhas. Is that clear?"

Kisington looks at John with narrow eyes as he says arrogantly, "Under the circumstances, it would appear I have no choice. And since you now have all the supplies and my only weapon ... I will have to stay."

John moves the barrel in a signaling motion towards Tony who moves over closer to Kisington.

John asks angrily, "The same applies to you, Mr. Epps. Is that very clear?" Tony nods and says nothing.

John said, "Great. Now, Mr. Idiot, suppose you explain how we arrived at the bottom of this abyss without getting killed if there were no portals?"

Kisington scratches his head as he looks up. Far off in the distance, he could see one of the carbon arc lamps that had been dropped in the struggle. The fall should have been instantly fatal.

"More to the point, where is the boy?" Ralph hissed, drawing his own pistol with evident purpose. Tony edged aside, his allegiance clearly to his own self at this point.

It was not to be borne! The towering intellect of Kisington would not be denied by these buffoons, nor his faithless lackeys. What matter a minion? Minions died in digs every day, was that a reason to threaten the monumental genius that was Kisington? Never Palming a smoke bomb Kisington cast it down, and sprinted into a side tunnel his astounding intellect had located moments before.

"Damn! Where is he?" Ralph snarled through the choking fog, aiming his pistol at Epps.

John shown his light round the cavern slowly observing where they had wound up. He noticed that the light far above had seemingly gone out. Epps stood trembling in his boots as Ralph glared at him from behind his pistol.

John finally said, It appears Kisington ran off in that direction." John points to the dark tunnel off to their left. "I also see a trail leading this way along the chasm wall. Judging by all the drawings and carvings ... we should go this way."

John begins to walk off towards the ebony darkness ahead. Ralph waves the gun in that direction and Epps moves off. The sound of running water began to get louder the farther along they walked. The men could feel the heaviness of the air as the humidity rose.

Ralph said, "We must be coming to an underground river with a lake or something."

John moved closer to the wall and ran his hand over a carving. It depicted many birds flying from a high place and coming to rest on something that look very much like a large boat of some kind. It also showed something like a map. From what John could decipher, this underground network was huge.

"If I read this aright, we're only at the top." Tony said, edging away from Ralph's pistol, "Hey, I'm as stuck here as you are."

Reluctantly Ralph had to agree with that, and Tony was a noted cartographer. John was busy studying idioglyphs and paid them no mind. Abruptly both men stood with a sharp hiss of indrawn breath, and nodded to each others pasty faces.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Ralph sighed, and he was right, he did not.

The path to the central chamber followed the underground river, and was long and twisting. It also involved some sort of fire serpent, although John and Tony could not agree on what that meant. The journey involved taking a deep breath, and jumping. The resulting terror can scarcely be described, as they bounced of walls, lungs howling for air, to surface just long enough for a single gasp, before being plunged into the maelstrom again. It ended abruptly in free fall, a small pool of water far below, between twisting rivers of lava. Each man cursed the day he was born as the lava rivers grew lager, but not the pool.

The water in the pool was refreshed just enough that it wasn't boiling ... but that didn't mean it was comfortably hot tub warm either. The men scrambled as hard as they could to find refuge from the terribly hot water and the deadly maelstrom of lava on either side.

By the time the men had managed to scramble from the heat, they were plunged once again into darkness. The twisting, turning wild ride they had on the extremely slippery surface led them to another free fall. They fell for a ways before hitting hard into a freezing cold, and very deep, water. Their eyes managed to adjust to some kind of eerie greenish light that permeated everywhere, and was bright enough to read by, but still dim. John scrambled from the water onto a sandy area. Ralph and Tony emerged shortly. All three men were totally exhausted by their ordeal and lay panting on the sand.

Tony comments, "I wonder what's making the light?"

Ralph snorts a laugh, "It has to be some sort of bio-luminescence ... like fireflies or ocean diatoms."

Looking around they noticed it seemed to be coming from the very rocks, but a moments closer study showed it to be some sort or algae-like substance, strangely dry despite its slimy appearance. A quick survey revealed a tunnel leading away into the distance, but the uniform lighting made distance impossible to judge. They set about trying to dry themselves before pressing on, not wanting to add pneumonia to their already considerable list of woes.

The men assessed what supplies they still had after their adventure. Their packs still contained most everything necessary ... except food.

John says sorrowfully, "I do believe we are going to get a mite hungry."

Ralph looks around and says, "Why would you say that?"

John replied, "The food pack is missing .... and I don't see it floating anywhere ... do you?"

Ralph points to the water, "Except that they ... glow a bit ... I would say there are plenty of fish."

Tony walks to the water's edge and looks in. He tosses something into the water and shouts, "Duck!" As he retreats from the edge and covered his head with his arms. Ralph and John only had time to turn their heads before something explodes loudly, splashing a great amount of water all over them. Glowing fish rained down all over the sandy area, not to mention many more that floated to the surface near by.

Ralph yells, "Tony! That was perhaps the stupidest thing anyone could have done!" As he drew his pistol and cocks the hammer back.

John places his hand on Ralph's arm and says soothingly, "It was extremely reckless," He gives Tony a hard, angry side long glance, "But, look ... it did solve our pressing food problem for the time being."

Tony looks around. There were many fish scattered all around the sandy area where the men stood, and many, many more floating in the water. John and the wary Tony, began gathering them up ... Ralph puts his pistol away and joins in.

By the time the men had gathered up about 90% of the many pounds of large fish ... something in the water causes it to swirl, then there is a large splash. Many of the remaining fish in the water had vanished.

John points, "What the hell's that?"

The men look hard at the water, all they could see in the strange lighting, was a rapidly moving dark shadow. Peering at the shadow, they noticed with some alarm that it seemed to be growing rapidly, and threw themselves back from the edge as a huge shape broke the surface. An enormous rubbery mound of flesh reared up above their horrified eyes, a slobbering leech-like mouth twisting around as if searching for them.

It seemed to be blind, but no-one was staying still for a closer look, all three scrambling back as fast as they could, aiming weapons at it. Although not at all convinced they would do more than make it angry if they fired.

"At least it's in the water." Ralph said shakily, and cursed himself for tempting fate as tentacle type appendages began to drag the grotesque body onto the sand.

What came from the water was a thing from their worst nightmare. It looked like a cross between a fat dog thing with flippers and a long leather tentacled serpent slug. Tony saw it was headed for their supply of fish. He didn't think, he acted as he took another of the small grenades from his pocket and pulled the pin. Too late John noticed Tony run towards the slimy thing. It seemed to sense Tony's approach and lowered it's long neck and opened its mouth. Tony tossed the grenade in and dove the other direction.

The thing rears up ... trying to get what ever this hard thing was from its mouth. Too late. There is a large explosion, and the men were spattered with much goo and strangely colored blood mess. The rest of the creature's body flopped around in its death throws as Tony scrabbles back to where the other two men stood. John shakes his head.

John remarks, "Tony, you are perhaps the most reckless SOB I have ever met in my entire life .... but thanks. That was a very ... stupidly brave thing you just did."

Tony stands up with his eyes wide. He says in a shaky voice, "I ... I can't believe I just did that. I ... didn't realize until I did it."

Ralph walks up and pats the man on his back, "The thing is ... you did and perhaps saved us all."

After gathering up all the remaining fish, and there were many pound of them, they continued their long hike along the mysterious underground lake. They came to the end of the large lake where ended in a sheer wall. An arching tunnel was the only way they could move from this point unless they chose to return to the sandy beach and their grotesque friend. Warily, John reached the brightly glowing lamp through the arch. He saw the glitter of what could possibly be gold and some kind of gem stones. he entered through the arch, into a grand plaza.

He saw tall lava falls cascading into a large pool that vanished into more grandly built buildings the like of which they had never imagined. They could see sparkling Ice Towers, large domes made of some kind of crystal. Avenues paved with what was surly gold and silver. Large statues of winged bird men warriors lined one particular avenue leading to a sparkling blue tower.

Ralph gasps in surprise as he enters the Plaza from the arch.

Ralph says in awe, who would ever believe such a grand place existed?"

Tony enters and stands with his mouth open. All the tales Kisington had told him paled in comparison to what he saw. Tony walks over to a large fountain. The water was crystal clear and filled with many different types of softly glowing fish.

John walks to one of the glittering walls and places his hand against it ... only to jerk it back suddenly in pain.

John gasps, "The wall ... it's ... it's so cold it actually hurts." Ralph looks up and thinks he sees something move. He calls out, "Guys! Look there ... something's alive up there."

The men turn quickly ... but only see a flutter of colors.

Tony says, "It ... looks like a man sized parrot or something."

John says sarcastically, "Yea ... a man in feathers more like it."

Ralph nods as the men cautiously begin walking closer to the fire falls. The broad avenue was indeed gold, and they moved slowly, unsure if the feathered figure they had glimpsed was showing them the way, or leading them into a trap. The contrast between the ice towers, and the mounting heat of the lava falls disconcerted them all. There was no natural way both should be there, but they were all beginning to lose faith in natural laws by this point.

They kept a wary eye on the gold statues, half expecting them to start moving, but nothing happened. Peering into one of the crystalline domed buildings, Tony drew back with a curse, causing the other two to reach for their weapons again.

"Corpses, hundreds of them." Tony said in disgust.

The other two hastened to investigate, and saw he was right. Not that they were unused to dead bodies, they had seen thousands in their various digs and trips, but these weren't old bones, nor mummified remains, they looked freshly dead, save for the dust which spoke of long ages. That was a sight they did not care to dwell upon.

They moved with greater alacrity, assuming the huge blue tower to be their destination, and grateful to find arching bridges over the running lava, though not happy at how delicate and slender they looked, nor the extremely uncomfortable heat that rose up around them as they crossed. They saw no further sign of the feathered figure as yet, so remained cautious.

They entered the blue tower. The coolness was welcome after the massive heat of the crossing. The Tower's halls were decorated with many types of precious stones and metals. Tapestries made of large feathers of a type of bird none had ever seen. Tony was glad Kisington had vanished and he had managed to come with John and Ralph. He knew Kisington would probably have gotten himself very dead around that creature at the beach.

They walked cautiously up the long glittering hallway to another large door. On this door was a vary finely engraved carving of The Tree of Life. All three men recognized it immediately. Above this, was a carving that Ralph and John Recognized well. It depicted a feathered individual holding what was obviously a gemstone that appeared, for all intents and purposes, to be on fire. John nudges Ralph slightly with his elbow and points to the burning carving, unnoticed by Tony who was totally engrossed in the inscriptions carved in the door.

Tony says out loud, more to himself than anyone else, "It says ... that the gods bestowed upon the birds of the City of the Trees for all time a star burning from the heavens."

John went over to look for himself, nodding along with Tony's translation. He was more interested in seeing if there were any more inscriptions. Having learned from tombs around the world that sacred places had a tendency to be booby trapped, he was not about to just push the doors open.

"Ah, here we go ... those who are strong of heart alone may bear the star of heaven." He read, "Hmm, wonder if that explains that other tribe?"

"Could well be" Ralph agreed, "Eating the hearts of enemies to gain their strength is a remarkably common belief." which would also explain why the bird people wanted it away from them.

They busied themselves looking for pressure plates, counter wights, and any of the other devious things people used in such places, not that they had seen such a place before. They found none, and prepared to open the doors, bracing themselves for anything from falling stones to pitfalls or something bizarre to appear. The doors swung smoothly and silently open, revealing an open floor, with a curving staircase of the same blue stone spiraling up into the distance far overhead.

Ralph comments as they began the long climb up the many thousand steps, "Too bad they didn't have some kind of elevator."

Tony laughs, "Or a magic portal ... like the one you told Kisington about. "

John and Ralph look at each other for a second. John stops them and holds out his hand.

John says softly, Can you hear that?"

All the men stopped chiding each other and listened to the silence. Softly and very far away, they heard a rushing noise ... like the sound of a large wind. The sound of it grew louder as they listened. John and Ralph realized at the same time what was coming.

John shouts to Tony, "Grab hold and don't let go."

He takes hold of Tony in one hand and Ralph in the other as the first small breezes reached them. Tony was about to pull away from John when the first major gust hit him. The men were lifted off their feet and whisked up the long winding stairs in the middle of the tower. Tony screamed bloody murder the whole time. They were finally deposited at the top. A large iris stone slowly covered the top of the staircase.

Juan says softly, "Welcome ... to the nest."

John and Tony gaped at Juan. He was dressed in feathers with a crown of what looked like pure Ruby on his head.

"I thought you were a bit to convenient," Ralph said with a calm he did not feel, "You've been leading us here all along haven't you?"

Juan smiled and shook his head, "No senor, I only now know why I am here."

Taking a closer look Ralph swore and turned to John, "He's up to the eyeballs in local fruit punch, can't say it's really him we're talking to."

John swore in return, and scanned the room for any kind of mural or writing that may give him a clue as to what was going on. For his part Tony concentrated on getting his mind back into working order, things had moved too far, too fast, and in too many directions for his comfort.

"What is our task in the nest?" John asked, buying time.

"Senor, you know what you must do, and quickly, the evil approaches." Juan's voice replied.

Fat lot of help that was. 'The Evil?' ... 'the lunatic cannibals?'... John thought, then glanced at Tony, no, surely no Kisington, not again, surely that idiot was lost or dead, hopefully both. It couldn't possibly be that, he tried desperately to convince himself, and was almost relieved to hear the creak of vast pinions overhead.

The men shivered in fear all through their souls as they heard a screech that sounded as if it came from from the very pits of hell. They could hear the flapping of huge wings, loud rushing sounds as something huge moved through the air far above their heads. As the sound grew louder, they could hear the sound ... of someone screaming in bloody terror. John and Ralph looked at each other in total surprise.

John says, "You don't think ..."

Ralph replied, "No! It can't be."

Tony screams loudly as he points up. John and Ralph crane their necks to see what he was pointing at. What they saw was like a vision from their worst, alcohol induced nightmare. It looked like a finely meshed lizard with a large predatory cat added. There were large feathery wings and many colored feathers adorning the creature. Its long red tongue was wrapped several times around the middle of a screaming, kicking man.

As the huge monster settled into the center of the circular tower room, Juan smiles.

He says in a soft cooing voice, "Very nice, my pet. You have captured the evil one and brought him before the Elders."

Juan points his finger and makes a large circle in the air before him. Within this invisible circle, the air seemed to shimmer, then fill with swirling, boiling white mist. As it cleared, John and Ralph could see a large cavern ... with Kisington falling. The next image showed the object of their search ... the flaming jewel ... the Fire Stone. The way appeared next in the vision. It was fraught with many head hunters. The way they were being shown, took them high into the canopies of the mighty trees of the jungle. The going would be hard. Especially once they reached the mountain peaks. John and Ralph turned as the creature releases his captive ... then rapidly flies away.

Juan says, "Welcome to the Nest ... oh evil one foretold eons ago."

Kisington wiped copious slobber from himself as best he could and summoned up his enormous dignity. Granted, the minion drawn to his awesome intellect had been too stupid to transport him properly, but it had achieved the ends, which only confirmed his genius. Also, a man such as he was used to dealing with cretinous creatures, he reflected, viewing the hapless fools before him, aided by the treacherous Tony. Now he knew why his plans had been thwarted at every turn, the faithlessness and unworthiness of underlings had brought down many a great man, but none so great as Kisington!

"Ever you dog my steps... fitting I suppose, for such scholarly curs." Kisington said contemptuously, and strode swiftly to the only doorway out, let the fools follow if they dared, if they even could!

"What did he say?" Ralph asked, looking to the others.

"Damned if I know, he sounded half drowned, burbled something and ran that way."

Tony confirmed what they'd all seen. "If he saw the same image we did, we'd better at least catch him, hopefully overtake the madman before he does anything else stupid."

John agreed, turning to Juan "Are you coming with us, or do we meet you there?". John was not sure whether to be surprised or not that the boy was no longer there. "Let's get to it men, I dread to think what that idiot might do."

Ralph reached the door first ... only to find Kisington rapidly entering into the Tower Room once again. Tony steps aside before Kisington could run him over.

John says sarcastically, "So ... the mighty might brain forgot something, did he?"

Kisington looks around with surprise on his face. He could have sworn that door was the exact same one he had just exited through. Kisington looks around and spies a large casement window and dashes towards it. John couldn't get out of the way fast enough, Kisington runs into him and they both fall to the floor. John twists and rolls over on top of Kisington. He couldn't help himself ... Kisington had it coming. John reared back and smashed Kisington in the nose as hard as he could with his fist. A loud sickening splat sounded through the empty room several times. Kisington threw his arms over his head to protect himself from another blow.

John said angrily, "Now, you jerk, before your mindless knee jerk actions gets us all killed ... how about stop and think about what it is you're doing."

Kisington snorts as he pushes John off of him and jumps up. He snaps, "And just who said you have anything more than a pea brain? If it weren't for my intellect, we would all be dead by now!"

Tony shouts, "You mean you would have gotten us all killed but you ... don't you?"

Kisington turns on Tony viciously before Ralph or John could stop him. Kisington punched Tony several times before Tony surprised everyone and knocked Kisington down with a right hook.

Tony growls furiously, "If you ever lay hands on me again you moron ... I'll kill you ... or worse, cut your legs off and leave you in the jungle."

"Moron!" Kisington snarled, twisting to his feet with surprising dexterity for a man of his years, and recent condition, but anger can do that, "If not for me you'd still be a records clerk you pitiful halfwit! I made you, and your pathetic attempt at a career!".

With an inarticulate howl of rage Tony grabbed him and physically threw him off the landing onto the open drop thousands of feet from the floor.

"You killed my career as surely as you almost killed all of us you mad bastard!" Tony yelled.

Kisington fell barely five feet before a blinding light flashed, and he was gone. Cautiously they peered over the edge, and saw no falling body, or splattered remains below, and looked uncomfortably at each other. They had all seen the same vision, but the idea of jumping was not a pleasant one.

"I hate this mystical crap." Ralph said with devout sincerity, and took a deep breath.

The others did likewise, and holding hands like school children, lest their courage fail, the three jumped. Another blinding flash, and they hit the floor after a drop of what seemed eight feet rather than eight thousand, rolling and cursing as they gathered themselves and looked around. What they saw was worse than they could have imagined.

There stood Kisington, atop a carved altar, reaching up to grasp the Fire Stone. With a smile of pure malice, he glared at them and said "Behold the might of Kisington! Now I become the God I was born to be, and you will be first to feels my wrath!". With those words, he grabbed the stone, and held it triumphantly over his head. "Weep, mortals, for what you are about to witness!"

Kisington stood with a wild insane look on his face for a few seconds .... then one of sheer surprise came over it. The men watched as a small blue/red light began to shine from Kisington's mouth, nose, and ears. Kisington drops the jewel and screams in mortal agony as the light intensifies to the point, even his eyes began to glow brightly.

John and Ralph grab Tony and step back as far as they could manage. They watch in total awe as they see the very veins in his arms, face, and neck begin to show though his skin. Kisington's very skin begins to change as it seemed to solidify into some kind of blue/red crystalline substance.

Kisington bellows out, "See ... I am now transforming into my true form ... I'm now your G_D ... on your knees you insignificant specks!" then laughs maniacally.

The men watched as Kisington's body began to catch fire with some form of ethereal flames. Kisington's mad laughter turned to howls of agony as he became totally engulfed in the flames ... then silence as he explodes violently into many shards that scatter across the chamber with a tinkling sound.

John says in awe, "I guess ... he didn't have the proper courageous heart ... huh."

Ralph looks at John and says, "Was that a joke?"

Tony shakes his head and says softly, "No, Kisington got what he deserved ... a bit late I might say ... but it was well deserved."

The men watched in silence for a few minutes as the crystal remains of Kisington burned away to nothingness.

"So what the hell do we do now? I'm not touching the damned thing!" Ralph said with absolute conviction, and he heard no argument from the others.

They postulated various ideas which involved ropes and sticks, but none were feeling courageous enough to try any of them.

"I get it senors" Juan's voice said, and they all spun around shouting "NO!" simultaneously, not even bothering to consider where the boy had come from. To their combined horror he picked up the stone, and smiled brightly at them. They crouched down and braced themselves, watching through squinted eyes, waiting... waiting... for nothing to happen.

"The boy certainly has courage." Ralph muttered, "Now how do we get out of here and get rid of this thing?"

"Get rid of it,?! This is a find that will change the world." Tony protested.

The other two just looked at him for a long moment, "You want to put that thing on display in a museum, where any passing fool can touch it?" John asked incredulously.

The expression on Tony's face answered that well enough.

Juan said softly in his accented voice, "Seniors ... this is not going away ... or into any kind of museum. It is returning to it's rightful place atop the high nesting place. Once again, the Organthulus shall roam the skies."

Ralph asked, "The what?"

John replies, "I think it's one of those weird feathered things we saw carved in all those places we visited over the last several days."

Tony stood transfixed for a few seconds. The knowledge of just what that stone was and the power it would give to the person that held it ... burned through his mind. He began to sweat as he thought of ways he might be able to touch the stone without it killing him in the same horrid manner that Kisington met his fate.

Juan turned to Tony suddenly and held out the stone. Juan says, "If you want it, senior, here .... take it. No need to kill or maim anyone."

John and Ralph snort a laugh at the same time. John says sarcastically, "Oh, right ... so we have another would be demon among us, do we? I thought you might at least have enough common sense to turn over a new leaf after watching what happens to idiots like your boss."

Tony looks at the two men, then at the offered stone. He was too afraid of his memory of what happened to Kisington to touch it. Tony shook his head and backed up slowly away from Juan.

Juan smiles and says softly, "Good choice, senior, only the courageous of heart my touch and acquire the stone."

The next problem, once Juan had put the stone in his pack, was how to get out. There were no doorways or passages, no stairs, ramps or wells, just a large circular opening in the roof far overhead. They spent a lot of time pushing at the walls, examining the floor and the altar. Eventually they gave up and resorted to the old fashioned rope and grapple, and climbed out the hard way. Unsure whether to be relieved or annoyed by such an ordinary exit.

With that problem conquered, they looked around, trying to get their bearings. John sighted what looked like the tops of buildings far up a forested mountain, and they set off in that direction, figuring there couldn't be that many tree-cities around, even in this place. It looked like it was going to be a long hike, and they checked their ammunition, fairly sure it wouldn't be a leisurely stroll, warning Tony to be damned careful if he had any more grenades.

The travel was fairly easy until they came to a small stream. Juan bent over and started to fill the water bottles. John and Ralph sat on a fallen tree as Tony wandered around seemingly aimlessly in his nervous way.

Ralph turned his head to say something to John, when a 6 foot long projectile with black fetching hit the tree next to where his head had been. Tony screams loudly as he dives behind another log. Many such projectiles smack into it just as he hits the ground. John and Ralph hit the dirt and draw their pistols.

John comments, "Too bad we don't have any rifles ... they would come in real handy about now."

They could hear the screaming war cries of the men hidden in the thick foliage. John peeks over the top of the large log they had hidden behind, only to have a small barrage of darts slam into it just missing his eyes.

John ducks and says fearfully, "I don't know how many of them there are, but they are deadly accurate with those weapons of theirs."

Juan methodically unzips his pack and removes the jewel from within. He holds it up and says softly, "White man asks for ... Rifles ... Longue Carabine Excellente."

Ralph gasps, "That's ... French ... it means Excellent Long Carbine."

To their utter amazement, six semi-automatic weapons appeared beside them ... with much ammunition to boot. John and Ralph look at Juan ... who just smiled back at them. John tosses Tony one of the Rifles.

John says, "Make each shot count."

Tony picks up the weapon and asks incredulously, "Just where did you ..."

He didn't have time to finish as many more projectiles rattled in the foliage above his head.

"Shoot now, think later." John snapped, suiting the action to the word, while Ralph pulled a scarf from his pack and began winding it around and around his neck.

"A little help would be good." John said in some exasperation.

"No darts in the neck this time." Ralph muttered as he snatched up a rifle and began searching for any sign of movement.

Unfortunately their adversaries where masters of this environment, and the only movement they saw was an incoming spear dart.

"Tony, if you have any grenades left, this would be a good time." John called, taking another speculative pot-shot in the direction the last dart had come from.

Ralph heard Tony yell something incomprehensible and ducked back behind the log shortly before the boom echoed through the trees. They most certainly saw movement after that, thankfully heading away from them.

"Here is the wrath of the fire god?" John asked dubiously as they all emerged from cover now the noise had stopped.

"It was all I could think of that they would understand." Tony shrugged, looking a little sheepish.

John laughs as Ralph shakes his head. John examines his new weapon carefully. It was a perfectly made M1A semi-automatic Carbine weapon with a thirty round magazine. Juan rounded up the other 3 weapons and packed the magazines into the other men's pack.

Ralph asked Juan, "How ... does that thing really work?"

Juan smiles as he hands Ralph the loaded pack, "The G_ds sent a gift to be used by good and brave men. We ... are not G_Ds ... we are just flesh and are not privy to such things."

John replies, "That sounded so ... like what I expected."

All the men laugh as the tension ebbed. The men began to move cautiously through the jungle. The foliage afforded only a few feet vision all around. Ralph was sure he heard someone near by as they passed a very large Banyan tree. Ralph walked very stealthily up to the tree with his weapon at the ready. Lying on the ground behind one of the large tangled roots, was a young girl all adorned in paint ... with obvious shrapnel wounds to her legs and one arm. She looks up at Ralph and snarled like an animal, her teeth pointed and sharp like any predatory cat's.

Ralph calls, "Hay, guys! We have wounded here."

The others hurried over, and stopped in consternation. While none were happy to have injured the child, it was equally obvious from the paint and teeth that she was no innocent bystander. After a brief moment of indecision Ralph rummaged for his medical kit and moved to help her, nearly losing a finger as she snapped at him with her sharpened fangs.

"Hold the little monster still will you." He scowled at the others, who reluctantly did so, each trying to keep out of reach of the teeth. To their surprise she made no sound, save for cat like hisses, even as Ralph pulled, cleaned and bandaged the shrapnel wounds.

"What now? And don't even think of taking her with us." John said, fearing Ralph would say exactly that, but he did not.

They could not be sure if this girl was from the same tribe they had encountered before, or just a similar one. What they could be sure of was that taking her would guarantee they were followed, leaving her might buy them a little goodwill, or at least slow any pursuit. Ralph had injected her with a sedative towards the end, ruefully thinking that he should have started with that, and the others had searched for any other wounded, but found only bodies, or parts thereof.

Hefting the rifles, which Tony stubbornly refused to ask about, they set off again, far more warily this time. Tony took point as he swung his machete. Even after chopping at the thick brush, there was very little accomplished except raising a sweat and attracting more stinging insects.

Tony comments, "Those mosquitoes are as big as Ford Tri-Motors." The men laugh as they too swat at the stinging hordes.

Progress was slow, the very jungle seeming to constrict around them as they resolutely failed to make any headway. The men tried to convince themselves it was just frustration and nerves, but all had seen too much recently to believe the lies they told themselves. The unknown rifles slung from there shoulders ample proof that things were far from normal.

At great length they hacked a way through to what looked suspiciously like a road. It wasn't paved in the conventional sense, no cobbles, or that new asphalt stuff, but huge granite slabs, similar to the Via Apia leading to Rome, but without the obvious wear. Indeed it looked as if it had been laid only yesterday, not so much as a weed growing between the tightly fitted stones. Tony paused to snap a few pictures from the impressive camera the university had loaned him, fascinated by the construction, and finally able to record it without anything desperate getting in the way.

Tony consulted with John about the carvings in the road, and they finally agreed on a direction. The road leading to mountains in both directions. Their pace increased noticeably without the overbearing vegetation to fight through, although caution was certainly the watchword of the day.

Silent as the grave, and without warning, a huge band of near naked savages entered the way ahead, and the way behind, totally blocking any hope of escape. Tony, John, and Ralph quickly unslung their weapons and held them at the ready. The natives made no moves nor made any seeming hostile actions. John looked them over carefully.

They had some form of body paint on them that made them look like skeletons. Around their waists, they wore a belt made of bone. John was sure he didn't want to know what creature the bone came from. The men could her the rushing sound of large flapping wings. A huge snake like lizard creature landed between them and the large group of warriors ahead of them. A man with a large horned headdress slid off the back of the creature followed by a small girl who had been bandaged in many places. The four men recognized the little girl immediately.

The Warrior with the large headdress approached slowly with the little girl beside him. John, Ralph, and Tony stood with their weapons at the ready. Juan was the only one who seemed to be at ease as the two natives walked up to Ralph and stopped. Ralph had no clue as what to do. He had never been in this sort of predicament before.

John whispered, "Take it easy ... don't make any sudden moves. If they intended to kill us ... trust me ... we would be talking to Saint Peter right now."

Ralph nods as he swallows his fear. The native man cocks his head to one side and looks Ralph over from head to foot then brings the little girl in front of him. He points at Ralph, then the little girl.

Ralph says as he nods, "Yes, I bandaged and cared for her wounds."

The warrior then pulls from his belt a large knife made from some type of gemstone. Before Ralph or any of the other men could react, He grabbed one of Ralph's hands and placed it ... along with a finely crafted leather sheath in his hand. He points at it, then to Ralph.

"What the hell does this mean?" Ralph whispered from the corner of his mouth as the elaborately head-dressed leader (they assumed) pointed emphatically at the knife, then at Ralph, then at the little girl, who watched with wide eyes.

Not having spoken a word, even John and Tony's formidable linguistic skills availed them nothing. "I think he intends some sort of blood ritual." John hazarded, "To prove you are part of the tribe, maybe to prove you are her protector?"

Tony grunted dismissively, "Or he want's you to kill her, and remove weakness from the tribe."

Ralph glared at him, but he had seen a lot of bizarre tribal customs in his travels, so it wasn't too inconceivable. "That will not happen!" Ralph said grimly, closing his hand around the knife and bringing the gun up with his other. "You'd best explain." he said coldly to the warrior, ignoring the fact that he wouldn't be understood.

Juan walks casually up to Ralph and places his hand on the rifle. He says softly, "Senior ... it isn't what you seem to be thinking."

Juan says something in a language that Tony nor John had ever heard before. The Warrior and he carried on a brisk conversation for several minutes.

Juan turned and said, "This knife is a way for him to ... offer thanks for saving his daughter ... and also a peace offering to end hostilities between you and them. It would seem, we are now a part of their .... Proselyte Sojourners."

John says with incredulity, "We're ... what? Proselyte Sojourners? What kind of cult are we now followers of?"

Juan laughs, "Why, senior ... many, many, many." as he waves his arm around gracefully.

The Warrior raises his arms and shouts something no one but Juan understood. He and the little girl went back to the flying lizard creature and remounted. In a rush of wings ... all the warriors vanished into the jungle as if they were ghosts.

"Well, that went better than it looked like it was going." John said wryly, overlooking the dumbfounded expression on Ralph's face, "Let's get moving, we've a long way to go."

"God preserve us from all unnatural horrors." Tony muttered, "I've seen enough for one lifetime."

"Where's your sense of adventure Tony?" John laughed, "Did that idiot mentor of yours steal that too?".

For his part, Tony scowled at the implication, hating the truth of it. Ralph stumbled along like a blind man, his wits refusing to come together properly.

"Why is it little girls cause me such trauma?" he asked John quietly, "They keep trying to get me killed."

John looked askance at him, and suggested he rephrase the question, but knew what he meant. Little girls had been popping up in unlikely places far too frequently, but then so had improbable nightmare horrors. John could accept this, his learning of cultures being vast, Tony appeared to be coping, if only just, but Ralph worried him. His friend was too pragmatic to take such shocks to the system lightly, and John worried that his elastic might be going slack.

They camped on the road, none of them caring to hack out a clearing when they already had ample space, and set off the next morning. The mountains were noticeably closer, but the hike up them was not one they relished. The walk up the mountains was long and took many days. The final night they camped, they knew they had one more long hard day of climbing to do before they came to the Tree City. Sleep took them in fits and starts as they continued to have nightmares about the many weird and odd things that had happened to them over the course of the last few weeks.

When they awoke, They knew something was strangely different. The light was wrong .. the smell of things ... was wrong ... everything was ... wrong somehow. John Quickly pulled his shirt and boots on and pushed the tent flap back. His mouth fell open as his eyes widened in surprise. They were in the central court yard of the vast Tree City. Their entire camp had moved somehow during the night and come to rest here.

John could see the Fire Stone was back in its proper place at the pinnacle of the Temple. It seemed to burn with a fire more energetic than he had ever seen. John turns and shakes Ralph and Tony. He noticed that Juan was, of course ... absent.

John said softly, "Men ... take it slow and easy ... but look out. We ... aren't where we were last night."

Ralph said with a fearful squeak, "And ... where are we? In more life and death ..." He looked out the open tent flap and stopped dead. His mouth open and eyes wide in total shocked surprise.

Tony asked, "What do you see, Ralph?" Then he too stopped dead as he looked on at a sight he would not have dreamed of.

The woman smiles broadly as she replied, "As it was written and foretold by the Old Ones centuries ago ... so has it come to pass." She pours out three large bowls of the liquid from an ornate pitcher covered in runes and many jewels. She hands one to each man then continues, "Drink and partake of the infinite truths that abound unseen in plain site."

John sighs as he looks at the large bowl in his hand. Every time he drinks this stuff, weird things happen to him. He looks over and sees Ralph looking at him as well. Tony, on the other hand, sniffs the fruity smelling brew first ... then tastes it tentatively. It tasted like the best ambrosia he had ever had. He upends the bowl before John or Ralph could say anything.

The old woman smiles, "Drink, my friends, and see that which is hidden before you."

John and Ralph look at each other for a second or two, before John shrugs and upends his bowl, drinking the wonderfully tasting brew down. He can feel it as it immediately hits his stomach and crawls quickly up the back of his neck to explode in his mind.

The woman laughs as she begins to transform. John is totally shocked to see she is all the females they had encountered since they arrived in the jungle. All the little girls had been messengers that led them or directed them to their final goal. John could see that Juan was a pawn under her finger ... used to insure that her eyes and hands were ever present and the Fire Stone returned safely home.

The entire trip danced within his giddy mind as he saw that they were watched over at all times. Sights, sounds, smells, a voice that says deep within his soul, "To none that live tell a tale of journeys long and winding. None may know of the Amazonian trail ... for there be none ever to return."

John forced his eyes open, and instantly regretted it as the dim glow of a low burning oil lamp stabbed into his eyes.

"Good Lord," he heard Ralph's voice slur thickly from the shadows "My head feels like there's a Frenchman living in it.".

John tried to laugh, forgetting that Ralph was English, and had certain cultural prejudices, but the sound sent a lightning bolt of pure agony spiking between his ears, and he groaned pitifully instead. With a deep breathe to fortify himself, he opened his eyes again, more carefully this time.

The room was shabby, low beams darkened with lamp smoke, and opium, if his nose could be trusted, stretched into the gloom. As his faculties returned he realized the room was actually quite small, only appearing large due to the mercifully dim light. Ralph was hauling himself upright, and none too pleased about it to judge from the language mumbling from his cracked lips.

"Shut up, I'm trying to die!" another voice croaked, and he noticed Tony in the gloom. Looking at the two, he vowed to avoid mirrors for a time.

John considered raising himself, and swiftly discounted the idea as a bad plan. Ralph rummaged through his pack, doubtless looking for a water canteen, which seemed a matter of great urgency, now the thought occurred, and swore loudly, yanking his bleeding fingers out of the pack and eliciting howls of pain from both John and Tony. This did little but cause more pain, and the both quieted swiftly into groaning.

This also had the unexpected effect of causing a sharp pain in his back, followed by a sleepy murmur of complaint. John leaped out of bed, rapidly followed by Ralph and Tony, who all turned to look at the firm female forms still curled in their assorted beds.

"Where the hell did they come from?" Ralph whispered, belatedly wrapping a discarded shirt about his waist, as the other two did the same.

"Damned if I know, and where are we?" Tony asked, quite reasonably.

Peering out the grimy window, John replied, sounding puzzled, "We're by the docks in Macapa, I'm not even going to ask how we got here... why is your hand bleeding?"

Ralph said with disgust, "It seems there's a large knife in my pack that was left from it's sheath. I sliced the crap out of my hand while I was looking for a canteen."

John's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had thought it all a dream. He saw his pack sitting on a chair. It had something quite large within. He went over and opened it's flap and gasped in surprise. Within was a perfect red ruby the size of a large water melon. It sparkled and glittered as if it were on fire.

John said with a gasp, "Ralph ... I think you might want to .. take a look at this."

Ralph and Tony crowded over to John's pack and looked inside ... the ruby brought shock to them as well.

John says tentatively, "Is ... this what I think it is ... or is it ... a replica?"

Ralph and Tony back up a step as they contemplate what they remembered happened the last time they saw a stone that looked exactly like that one. One of the pretty young women rolled over and got from the bed. She was totally nude and had no qualms about showing off her gorgeous figure to one and all. She slinks gracefully over to John and wraps her arms around him and kisses him passionately.

She says, "Beuneos dias senior. Am hoping for more of last night before you take your treasure to your oh so special museum." She reaches in the pack and touches the stone .... nothing untoward happens.

The other two equally beautiful and nude young women get from their beds and wrap themselves around their man and kiss him as well.

One of them says softly, "It would seem, senior, that you need some willow bark tea. I get it for you." She then wiggles gracefully and sensually out of the small room, to return moments later with a large pitcher and several glasses.

She pours them out and offers one to Ralph, "Drink, my love ... make you feel oh so much better soon. Then ... we do more ...Si?"

John looks at the ruby ... he gently touches it ... nothing happens. He smiles as he picks up one of the glasses and drinks the nasty tasting tea. His head starts to feel better almost immediately.

They spent several days just recuperating, making love as often as they were able, and confirming what each remembered as they waited for a ship heading homeward. They came to the reluctant conclusion that it couldn't have been a dream, as they'd all shared it, and gigantic rubies and jewel bladed knives aren't usually found on waking. They all agreed however, that the official reports they handed in would be a lot more boring. None wished to finish his career in an asylum for trying to explain the truth.

---------------------------------
~~ The End ~~
---------------------------------
Miki Yamuri
 
Posts: 327
Joined: Mon Jun 23, 2014 3:06 pm

Re: The Fire Stone

Postby TiresiasRex » Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:22 am

9/22/14. Ah...at first I thought, Miki does Indiana Jones (heh)...or even Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger (and "The Lost World"). But upon second reading..and I'll be going back for more helpings with a third and more careful absorption...what this really reminded me of was your epic LAPIDEM story from SK....without all of the fetishes...AND a tribute to H. Rider Haggard's "She" and the Allan Quatermain stories. Am I right? My only quibble: the names. John is always a good name for the hero...but "Jack" as a villain? How about ALEXIS (yes, it is a man's name) Kisington? Or Johan Kisington? Or Charles Kisington? Or even Hugo Kisington? I'm still undecided about "Ralph" Durham (maybe Jake? Charlie? Tom? "Monk" Durham? - thinking of the old Doc Savage characters...)....but Tony Epps was a great name!

Okay, back to work...I will revisit the story again later.
TiresiasRex
 
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