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Posted - April 09 2009 : 10:19:22 PM
Disclaimer:
No claim is made that I own basic rights to “The Lost World”, those residing with the estate of the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and such entities as New Line Cinema, The Over the Hill Gang, and other interested parties. Many characters in this Fic are my own. They will be apparent to TLW fans, all of whom should recognize those from the TV show. Most other characters have already appeared in the Fic, “On Safari”, posted on this board. No resemblance to any real person is intended, other than for easily recognized historical figures, who are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any other real person is purely coincidental. Racial relationships are those of the times, for authenticity, and no implication is made that these express the modern views of the writer or of any other party.
THIS FIC IS RATED AS MATURE, for some sexual, supernatural, and violence content, lest anyone feel that something in it passes lesser guidelines. In general, you should be 18 to read this in the USA, although nothing in it is terribly explicit by modern literary standards. Some scenes may be too intense for the very emotional, or for those who dwell in a naïve fantasy world. Some animals will be killed, and graphic human death(s) will occur. Also, be aware that the three couples from the Treehouse, as I have written them in some twenty prior Fics, remain together, now married. These are the Roxtons (John and Marguerite), the Challengers (George and Finn), and the Malones (Ned and Veronica). Not all of these persons were together romantically on the TV show, but my Fics are set past the Third Season. No possible concepts from the cancelled Fourth Season apply. Thus, the “Canon” so revered by fanatical TLW purists can be best regarded as being a brand of American bath towel.  If someone wants to know why George and Finn might get together, refer to the Fic, “Challenger’s Birthday” on the Rachel Blakely board. For those new to my Fics, be aware that Finn cuts George’s hair and trims his beard. So, he looks better than he did in the later seasons of the TV show. Ned Malone and Veronica Layton were on-again, off-again on TV. Here, they are permanently on-again, and very happy for it! Finally, I'm sure that it will surprise no one that M. Krux is now Lady Roxton. (As the wife of an Earl, she is a Countess.)
By the time of this story, the explorers have been off of the Plateau for several years, although the Malones continue to live there. The Roxtons live at Avebury Manor, and the Challengers have an estate in Kent, financed by George’s inventions and Finn’s novels and true adventure tales. She has also become a pioneer wildlife film maker. Both couples keep London townhouses, and frequently visit each other. They and the Malones regard one another as virtual family.
Finally, I do not practice any supernatural or dark arts, and the "enchanted" words spoken during the ceremony with Morrighan are nothing more than a writer's guesses as to what such words might be.
And now, our story! With luck, it will be even longer than this introduction...
A Lion Comes!
By
Explorer
Kenya Colony, British East Africa, 1929
Stuart Hamilton lay just below the crest of a hill, using his Zeiss 8X30 binocular to study a herd of impala some three hundred yards away. He decided that three of the rams were worth shooting, one having exceptional lyre - shaped horns. He turned to his client, lying next to him admidst the rocky clutter of the koppje, as such hills were locally known. “Want to have a go at that one four from the left, at the right of the herd?”, he asked.
Finn Challenger had been watching the herd through her own binocular, the same make and size of her white hunter’s. She had reached the same conclusion. Not only was the ram exceptional; they needed camp meat.
“Sure, “ she agreed, carefullly sliding her .275 Rigby rifle into position. It was loaded with Rigby’s patented bullets, the 140 grain High Velocity version. The rifle was fitted with a Hensoldt four-power telescopic sight, and she felt confident of making a clean kill from where she was. The afternoon was waning, and she had walked a good distance that day before finding this herd, with rams of true trophy quality, suitable for display on the wall of her and her mate’s den in Kent. She also used photos of her hunting trophies in the slide shows and lectures that helped to finance their estate, along with the income from her brilliant husband’s inventions.
Seeking a third opinion, she turned to her right, to Lord John Roxton, the XVIIIth Earl of Avebury. He, too, had his binocular up, as did his spouse, on his own right. “What do you think, Johnny?”, she asked. “Shall I shoot this one, or wait?” (Only Finn Challenger, his virtual little sister, ever referred to the distinguished Earl of Avebury as, "Johnny.")
“It looks good to me, Finnykins,” replied the tall hunter and political represenative for his district in the House of Lords. “You probably won’t see better on this trip. If you do, you have other impala on your license. And we need meat. Why don’t you take that one, and Marguerite and I will each knock over another.” With three couples in camp, plus their native “boys” and two professional white hunters, there was always a need for fresh meat. Three impala would last only a few days, although they planned to gun a waterhole tomorrow for francolin and for sand grouse. The need for protein was enhanced on this safari by the hunters bringing their wives, who were friends of the three client couples from an earlier trip. Finn had been shocked the year before to discover that their black "boys" could each eat 12 pounds of meat a day! Sometimes, it made them sick, especially early in a safari, but they vomited, and started right in again...
“Lets shoot something! I’m tired of lying here in this heat,” grumbled Marguerite Krux Roxton, now Lady Roxton, the Countess of Avebury, for several years. “Finny, whack that one that you like. John, shoot anything but the one next to it, which will be my victim. Pity for it that we need groceries, eh? But I can taste that meat now. If anyone hears thunder, don’t look up for rain. It’ll just be my tummy snarling.”
Roxton chuckled softly, as did Prof. George Challenger, crouching just a bit further below the crest of the hill. He was watching their backs, lest a snake or other intruder disturb them as they studied the herd. Such rocky outcroppings often hid not only reptiles, but scorpions.
“Marguerite, we have some sandwiches left on ice in the chop box,” Hamilton reminded Lady Roxton. “Those should tide us over until the cook can have dinner ready. Look, everyone, I’ll back Finn. If she wounds, I’ll fire. But we need to shoot. That herd is growing edgy.”
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - November 22 2009 : 6:35:52 PM
Marguerite thought, went over to a large flat rock, and checked around it to be certain that it harbored no serpents or scorpions, and sat, patting the place next to her for her friend to join her.
When Diana had done so, Marguerite began. "Diana, I can't say that I haven't woken in a cold sweat on occasion. John is the best thing in the world at times like that. Oh, at one point, I actually consulted a psychiatrist, but he did me less good than my husband, and wanted to pry into parts of my past where only John and Finn have been, and even they haven't gotten into some of what I want to hide of my nefarious background. I wasn't always a good girl, and being a bad one is best confined to what women do in bed. Not that I'd always done that with the proper man, either, but I have him now, and he is the greatest psychotherapist to have lived, I think. Not that Finn doesn't say the same about George. Both Finn and I married above ourselves, and our spouses have made it possible for us to have greater self respect and content than either of us ever expected."
Diana persisted. "But do you ever feel empty and yet full of dread? Worry that it will happen again, and you won't escape? If it hadn't been for you getting out of your chains and knifing those two Arabs, we'd be living in slavery in Amarrah now. I'd never have married Stuart. And by the way, he is the most remarkably sensitive man! He must be much like Professor Challenger and Lord Roxton. But while he hears me out and tells me that it wasn't my fault, and that all I need do is to continue being the perfect wife, to keep him happy, I can't sleep sometimes, and I get daytime scares. I can't look at an Arab or an Indian without wanting to run on one hand, or to shoot him on the other. Do you experience that?"
"Yes," said the countess flatly. "And judging from my dealings with them, shooting one is a public service. But the law doesn't agree, so I have to restrain myself. Otherwise, if I could have, the head of the Sultan of Amarrah would hang in our den with the other animal heads. Well, not really. I suppose that I'd soon throw it out, and some of my nightmares with it. Remember, I served his father for nearly a year, in his harem. What that did to me defies my ability to express in words. But John tells me that my eyes sometimes tell him all that he needs to know about that time of my life. And I try to do for him all that I was made to do for other men, but liking doing it for him. That way, I can find something positive to keep from that ordeal."
"You just have to move on, then lock in your mind that that business is past, and it did provide you with a husband for whom other women would give their left arm. Well, probably not, as men like women to have both arms. But they'd give a lot! By the way, are you concerned about Stuart taking Susan leopard hunting today? Susan Wilson is a beautiful girl, and Stuart can't have failed to notice. She's sweet, but I don't know that I'd want John alone with her. She has that look that men like, where they want to take her in their arms and shelter her. It'll catch her a husband one day, if she half tries."
Diana was amused. "I'm more worried about Susan's boss. There is some definite chemistry between Finn and Stuart. I sense it. I confronted him about it one night, but he says that some attraction is normal, even for married people, and that he won't act on it. When he's tempted, he thinks first of me and how I'd be hurt, then he thinks of Professor Challenger, who is a rather good shot!"
The women laughed, and Diana admitted that Susan might be a threat, but was one that she was prepared to tolerate, trusting in Stuart to do the right thing by her.
"Have I helped, about the frights, I mean? An American poet named Walt Whitman once wrote, 'Let the grass grow'. Time solves many of our worries and fears." Marguerite took Diana's hands in hers and gave her a look of such empathy that Diana began to cry and was soon in Marguerite's arms, both women sobbing as they sought to comfort one another, remembering the mutual horrors of their recent past.
Neither was aware of the big lion stalking them.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - November 21 2009 : 8:04:09 PM
The Roxtons, meanwhile, enjoyed fishing in a large impoundment with a stream running though it, helping to keep the water cool enough for trout. The Malones wandered off to the left, doing the same.
They soon had several trout, one of four pounds, all browns. Blacklaws and Diana Hamilton, who had belatedly decided to accompany them, said that rainbow trout were fewer, but worth trying for. And careful casting with flies did net two rainbows, of over a pound each.
These, they released, to hopefully grow to trophy size and produce more of their kind. But everyone admired their beauty, especially the gaudy red line down the sides of the fish.
There was a moment of some stress, when Marguerite and Diana wandered off to explore a bit on their own. Roxton and Blacklaws were in such deep conversation about fish and big lions that John only half heard Marguerite say that she was going a little further along the bank. He supposed that she'd take her rifle, and not go far, in any event. And Diana was with her, and knew the land, where she had grown up.
Once away from the men, Diana showed Marguerite where she could watch brightly -colored bee eaters and kingfisher birds,and they thrilled to see an osprey swoop down and take a fish. Following a kingfisher in her binocular, Marguerite exclaimed how beautiful this all was.
"I feel happy and serene. This is even more fun than our land at Avebury," she declared. "I hope that Finn and George are seeing something this fine!"
"They are, if a bit different," promised Diana. "Holly is a good guide, and I told her where to find similar birds, with more raptors, which George especially wanted to see. They'll have fun before Stuart takes Susan out for leopard this afternoon."
Her husband was helping Angus Hardy to install some roof repairs where hail had damaged the red tile roof. He would complete that in ample time to eat before taking the Wilson lass out to her big adventure.
"Marguerite, may I ask you something?", ventured Diana.
"As long as it's not for me to divorce John so you can have him, to vote Labour, or for either of my children," quipped the countess. "Go easy on asking for any of my diamonds, too." She smiled, and Diana sighed in relief.
"Marguerite, you are funny, but this is a serious question. We really haven't had much chance on this safari to talk privately, and I was wondering...How have you fared since we were kidnapped by those awful wogs last year? I've had nightmares over it."
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
| Explorer |
Posted - November 18 2009 : 11:09:19 PM
Holly said in a shaky voice, "Look out for that one. I'm going to start the car, unless one of you lot want it as a trophy. It would be a terrifc one, but we're in the car. Try not to shoot unless you have to. The game laws, you know. If you want it, we'll get out and walk the requisite distance before firing. But it may fade back into that grass."
No one wanted to shoot the lion, so she started the car and drove forward, dodging a warthog hole that might have broken an axle.
When they were well clear, and the grouchy lion had gone down to drink at the spring, Finn asked why the lions were so numerous and nasty. "Johnny said that they're usually not as grumpy, and not as common as they seem to be."
"I think I can answer that, Darling," said Challenger. "In most years, the rains are less, and the game animals fewer. This year, the game is everywhere, making hunting easy, and more male cubs have survived to adulthood. When they get too big, Father Lion runs the lads out of the pride, and they wander, looking for a pride that they can take over. A lone lion is often an unhappy, aggressive one. Or, if he succeeds in displacing a rival, the one who lost his pride of lionesses and cubs is apt to have a grim disposition. Especially if his wounds are still fresh, he'll likely be in a nasty temper."
"Professor, you're right," concurred Holly Blacklaws. "At least, that's what Geoff says, and he knows lions really well."
Finn grinned. "I bet he doesn't know other forms of protoplasm as well as the Genius does." She leaned over and kissed an amused Challenger.
Holly smiled. "I daresay not, beyond a reasonable degree. But you can bet your money that he knows most African animals, reptiles, and whatnot. You hired a good man. Geoff is in high demand as a hunter. I have to work at it to make him take time off for me. That's why I insisted on coming on this shauri. {Affair} I didn't get married to spend a lot of time alone."
"He's a good man," agreed Challenger. "And we're happy to have you along. Finn, that lion has gone. Let's go set out some traps for small animals near that spring. In the morning, I feel sure that we'll find some, if other animals don't eat them first."
"Unfortunately, I'm afraid that that's what will happen to them," said Holly. "But go ahead. Susan and I will enjoy some girl talk."
Challenger got his traps and a .375 Magnum. Finn took her .450/.400 double rifle, and they trekked off to set traps. Some were "live traps" that confined the animal within. Perhaps the metal cage on these would prevent an owl, monitor lizard, or other beast from consuming the scientific specimens.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - November 18 2009 : 08:20:15 AM
They drove off into the bush, which began not really too far from the Hardy home. The parties waved as they separated, and Holly drove
the Challengers and Susan to a pleasant place some 12 miles from the big house. Here, the bush had not been cleared, and the land was primitive, as it had been before the white man had come with his guns and his plows.
There was a large natural spring about 200 yards from the car, and it attracted all manner of animals, in addition to birds. All admired the view, and sat studying it through binoculars. Holly noticed that they all used Carl Zeiss brand optics, both binoculars and telescopic rifle 'scopes, and drily commented that Zeiss should pay them to appear in their ads.
Ever the loyal wife, Finn quipped, "With the Genius in the ad pictures, those should sell a lot of ground glass! World's most famous scientist of all time!"
An amused, equally loyal Susan said, "Mrs. Challenger, you'd sell a lot of binoculars, too, if men read those ads. You're not only really pretty; you're famous in your own right. When we were in the D.C.'s place fighting off those savages, you got a lot of attention."
Challenger chuckled and tugged playfully at Finn's golden hair. "Darling, I rather fancy that Galileo is the most famous man in history, as far as optics are concerned. Of course, his telescopes are very few in number, and consigned to museums, and didn't work nearly so well as the one that we have at home. Indeed, our binoculars show us more of the heavens than did many telescopes in his day. Besides, he met a bad end. I hope to turn out better!"
They laughed, and Holly and Susan made a fire on safe, rocky ground, to brew tea. Both women took rifles, having learned not to venture far from the car unarmed. The small fire was only 60 feet from the vehicle, but they were wary, for this was lion country, and sometimes, rhino or buffalo turned up to drink at that spring!
In addition to his basic hunting binocular, Challenger had brought a larger one for nature study and astronomy. It was a 15X60 glass, magnifying 15 times, with big 60mm objective lenses to drink in light and be more effective in darkness. He had it now, with his 8X30B hunting model, to look at birds and other wildlife. He aimed it at the grass approaching the pond and swept the ground between the fountain and the car.
Finn took her hunting glass, like her mate's 8X30, and began scanning a copse of trees in the near distance. Something moved in one tree, and she locked her gaze onto it. It shifted again, and she told her man where to look. He used his smaller glass, the field of view in the large one too narrow for scanning at average distances. Having located what she meant, he changed binoculars, now sure just where to look. The bigger binocular revealed an alert green snake that was working its way along a branch, then up to another branch.
"Is that a green mamba?" asked Finn.
"Either that or a boomslang, and I'm not going over to be sure which," he replied.
Finn laughed. "Finally, my Genius has learned snake safety." She had often had to dissuade him from catching dangerous reptiles over the years that they had known one another, and having children with him had made her even more afraid that he would exceed his ration of luck with serpents.
He smiled at her jab and got out his 12- gauge Purdey shotgun and assembled it. He put a few shells loaded with the British equivalent of American No. 6 shot in a jacket pocket, and a few SSG buckshot loads.
Holly saw and called, "Professor, that's a wise precaution. There are more snakes about than you'd guess. We rarely see them, but their tracks are certainly about. Diana's dad shot an eight-foot cobra last month, not far from the stables."
"Oh, look," gushed Susan, pointing to the sky.
They all looked, and saw a large tawny eagle glide into a landing on a tree just 75 yards off. It had a rodent or hare in its talons, and killed the animal now and began to feed on it as they watched, enchanted at this opportunity to see one of Africa's largest avian predators consume its lunch.
Susan got out a camera fitted with a telescopic lens and tried for a photo. She shrugged, telling the others that she was unsure whether she'd gotten one. So, she and Challenger walked closer, being careful not to press the eagle too closely, lest it fly away.
When they returned to the car, Finn and Holly had the tea ready, with cupcakes and honey from the house. They snacked, speculating whether Susan had taken any useable photos.
They had just put away the tea things when they heard a low, menacing growl from the long grass behind the car.
"Ehhh, mem'Sahib!," said Kimani. "Simba!" Lion...and from the sound of it, a big one.
"Kimani, I think that that you'd better pass around the rifles," said Challenger. "I'll have my .465, please, and Finn probably wants her .375 H&H."
Once they were armed, Holly, not bothering to hide a tense look, said, "Let's see if we can get into the car and start it. I think we'd better try to go elsewhere before something unpleasant happens!"
As she spoke, a huge lion, sporting a magnificent mane, stalked from the grass, roared, and stared balefully at the explorers.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - November 07 2009 : 05:31:43 AM
After breakfast, Finn mentioned to Susan that that she could not productively hunt leopard until late afternoon, when one might come to a bait that Hamilton had hung the previous evening, a young waterbuck. Not the best meat for humans, it wouldn't be refused by a hungry leopard.
"Bit of a nasty thing to do to old Chui, though," observed Angus Hardy. "You chaps could at least have shot a more succulent antelope. Given the cat a decent last meal." He smiled at Diana's "Oh, Daddy! Really!". But she was amused, too.
Finn continued, asking if Susan would like to join her and George on a birdwatching expedition and picnic lunch. This, Susan eagerly accepted, once assured that she wasn't imposing.
Holly was also enthusiastic. "You and I can talk, Susan, while the Challengers set out their traps. I won't be lonely, and you can ask me about hunting leopards or whatever girl talk you like. I want to pump you for more information on London fashions, too. I want to sew some new dresses soon, and maybe Marguerite and Finn will help you to design some."
Susan blushed. "Holly, they do the designing. I just sometimes make small suggestions. And wear the clothes that they insist on giving me. I'm enormously fortunate to have such talented women designing for me and giving me things that I couldn't begin to afford on my own. Not that Mrs. Challenger doesn't pay me rather better than your father did when I was at the bank. And I have other perks, too. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I made as much as most tellers do, I expect. But you know how my life has blossomed since we were rescued from those awful slavers last year."
Holly smiled. "Mine has blossomed a bit, too, remember. Geoff has turned out to be even more exciting a husband than I'd hoped. I'll tell you a little of my life now when we have time today. It'll make you want to snag a man for yourself." She grinned at Susan's flush.
"Give me some pointers, then," said Susan. "I saw you acting like a hussy trying to net Geoff after he'd already gotten a very full eye of us naked before the other girls found us something to wear. But, how do you keep him happy, I mean? And have you learned to cook?"
Holly promised to tell all, and they got the car loaded. Susan took her cameras and ample film. With luck, she would get more photos for Mrs. Challenger's next book.
Holly got behind the wheel, Susan beside her, and the Challengers in the next seat. A personal boy named Kimani got in back, with lunch and the other items needed. Finn made very sure to load her own rifle. If fate decreed that she had to shoot another dangerous animal, it would be without the added handicap of bad cartridges!
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - November 04 2009 : 5:05:32 PM
"Are you using your .275, or the .303?" asked Angus, after they'd established a good place for Stuart to take Susan to shoot a spotted cat.
"The Rigby, I expect," answered the young blonde. "It has a telescopic sight, which will let me see better as dusk comes. Gathers more light as shadows fall at twilight. Those cats can be hard to see up a tree, anyway, so Lord Roxton and the others say."
Hardy noddded. "Very true. Well, look here, Susan: I heard about that bad cartridge fiasco. I have a .275 among my rifles, and I order sealed cases of the ammunition direct from Rigby's, once every year or two. 500 rounds in the case. I'll let you have a couple of boxes. I heard you tell Finn that you were down to 15 cartridges of the good Kynoch brand. In fact, I have another order due in at any time. Why don't I give you four boxes, 20 rounds? You won't be shooting a lot more before you leave, I expect, and you can use the .303 for some animals."
"Oh, Mr. Hardy! I couldn't possibly accept such a generous offer!" Susan blushed.
"I'll accept for you, Susan," said Diana. "I'm his daughter, and I bum ammunition from him quite often. And I'm your hunter's wife, and I almost got you killed yesterday, not supervising that wog gunbearer properly. Please accept the ammunition, to make amends. We have plenty. In fact, Stuart and I have enough to give you two more boxes of five each. We'll be happy to, won't we, Stuart?" She turned to her mate, who nodded, a twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Now that that's settled," said the countess, "what have you stalwarts got planned to amuse me while Susie hunts the mighty leopard?"
So it came to pass that Marguerite would fish, then birdwatch, John with her. Blacklaws would attend to them, and his wife would see to the Challengers, who wanted to set more traps and shoot some birds.
They also wanted to watch some non-game birds, Finn being especially enchanted by the brilliant hues of the bee eaters and other colorful species. Challenger wanted to see if he could spy on some ospreys and eagles. No one had any idea that the guests would encounter yet another lion!
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
| Explorer |
Posted - November 03 2009 : 09:27:51 AM
At breakfast, Roxton approached Challenger and his wife and reminded them that predators chase animals that flee. "So, had George run, the lion would have probably been motivated to pursue him, and he'd have been in greater danger than if he'd stood fast. In any event, all ended well."
Finn shrugged. "Yeah, I thought of that after I cooled off and came to my senses. The Genius will be carrying a rifle from now on, and I've agreed to personally check my ammunition. No more gunbearers are going to fool with my guns. Period!"
"What did Blacklaws decide about firing Jerogi?", asked Ned Malone. "He messed up, as did the other gunbearers. But he meant well, and he's usually done a great job." Veronica nodded at this.
"I heard that," said Blacklaws, turning a corner en route to the dining room. "If it's all right with the Challengers and the Roxtons, I'll just give him a piece of my mind and let him stay.
Diana and Holly have been after me to grant him mercy, and I suppose that he's learned his lesson."
"Just tell him from me that if he endangers my wife again, I'll have more than a word with him," muttered John Roxton.
The group was soon eating a fine breakfast, and everyone agreed to let the incident pass, except to speak bluntly to the Indian storekeeper the next time either white hunter passed his store.
Marguerite looked carefully at the Challengers, and was relieved to see Finn buttering George's bread, as usual. She nudged Roxton, who smiled. Apparently, the couple who proclaimed themselves to have history's greatest love had reconciled.
Veronica saw what Marguerite had done and, misunderstanding, thought that she was again razzing Finn for her frequent nurturing of George. She gave Marguerite a stern look, picked up a slice of toast and buttered it for Ned.
Poor Ned missed the exchange between the women, and just looked pleased when Veronica presented him with the toast. "Oh, thanks, Honey. Say, will you pass the honey, please, Holly?"
Roxton, amused, coughed to hide his laughter, earning him an elbow in the ribs from his mate.
Susan raised a hand. "If it's all right with everyone, may I shoot a leopard today? I'd rather like one for my room at home."
That broke the tension and they were soon discussing where might be the best place to find leopards on the Hardy estate.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
| Explorer |
Posted - November 02 2009 : 09:25:04 AM
The group went out that afternoon and shot birds, spur-fowl and some ducks that came into a large waterhole. Ned especially enjoyed this. He had rather shoot flying birds with a shotgun than kill an elephant.
There was a scare as a rhino charged one of the cars, but they evaded it without having to kill the prehistoric beast. All of the safari clients save for Susan had shot rhinos the previous year and had limited space to display a mount of such a large animal. Hardy said that he had as soon leave them alone unless they grew too numerous or becamne a serious hazard to people.
Dinner was wonderful, with much animated talk. But Marguerite noticed that Finn was less chipper than usual, and she and Challenger gave one another uneasy glances. This was unusual, and Marguerite wondered what might be the matter.
After most of their company had gone to bed, Marguerite got up to use the restroom down the hall from her room with John. She thought she heard sniffling in the living room, so after completing her visit
in the bath, she went in to see what might be the matter. What she'd heard sounded very like a woman in emotional distress.
She was surprised to find the normally cheerful Finn sitting huddled on a couch, her robe wrapped around, her, wiping away a tear.
"Want company, or would you prefer to be alone, Finny?", she asked softly.
Finn shrugged as if she didn't care what Marguerite did. But the brunette aristocrat knew her friend well. The two teased one another frequently, but were in fact very close, and had been since they had shared a slave cell while in the custody of the late Avery Burton. Burton was "late" because they had escaped, and Finn had put a bullet into his head...
"What's the matter, Darling?" asked Marguerite. "You're usually Mrs. Sunshine. Have you and George had an argument?"
Finn smiled wanly. "George says that we don't have arguments," she replied. "Those are for ordinary people, not us. But we sometimes have 'intense discussions.' And we had one. It was my fault, I guess. I lit into him for not running back to the car instead of standing there playing hero with his trusty Colt .45!"
Marguerite was puzzled. "I should think that you'd love him all the more for that. He's an honorable man, and a brave one. What was he supposed to do: run off and leave his wife to a raging lion?"
Finn shook her blonde tresses irritably. "Marguerite, if that lion had killed both of us, our children would be orphans. I grew up as one, and I don't recommend the experience. I'm just a pretty good writer who likes to hunt and have fun. George is a giant of science. What he can do for all mankind has still to be determined. And he needs to teach the kids how to be as great as he is. Besides, he makes a lot more money than I do. He'd be able to give them a better life than I could if I had become a widow today. But he insists that he couldn't leave me!"
"Finny, he loves you very much. Remember when you two used to argue over which of you the sun rose on? He meant it when he told you how much you mean to him, and you still do. In fact, going by what he says about you when he and I talk alone, he loves you more than ever.
He probably just didn't think about Arthur and Caroline. All he saw was that he might somehow be able to save you, and you are the light of his life."
Finn looked obstinate. "Damn it, Marguerite! He's a father now! He has to think of that. And the hell of it is, I'm thrilled that he was ready to risk his life for mine. So, I'm stuck between yelling at him for taking chances and being very fulfilled and grateful that he did as he did. Where does that leave me? Us?"
"As one of the most devoted couples of all time, I should think, just as you so eagerly tell everyone that you are." Marguerite understood Finn's fear for her children, being a mother herself. And that feeling transcended anything that she had ever anticipated that it would. But she would never berate John Roxton for saving her.
"Well, I can't sulk out here all night," muttered Finn. "I may as well go apologize and ask him to try to understand my screwball female reaction."
Marguerite was amused. "No, Finnykins. Don't ever apologize. It's not the way that we women do things. Just go tell George that you've thought it over, and that you'll forgive him."
In spite of her mood, Finn smiled back. "Funny. But he's probably going to treat me like a teenybopper who's had a tantrum. Which I sort of did, I guess. Wish me luck. I may need it."
Marguerite saw light down the hall as Challenger opened their door and came into the living room, looking for Finn. He found her with her friend, also his closest female friend, other than his mate.
"I see that my actions today are being discussed," he said stiffly. "Darling, I simply could not leave you to die. Marguerite, I'm sure that you've heard an earful by now. Ask John what he would have done in my place. There is a male code that proclaims that we can't leave our women to such a fate and still respect ourselves. I could do nothing but what I did. And besides, I might have been able to get a bullet into that cat's brain as he lunged for us."
Marguerite stood and hugged her friend. "Oh, George! I'm just glad that neither of you was harmed. Look: will you promise me - and Finny - that you'll take a rifle with you when you leave the car, from now on? That will solve most such situations."
"Yes, I have decided to do that very thing," he agreed. "Finn, please come to bed. We can continue this discussion in the morning if you like. But I cannot say that I would do anything but what I did if this sort of thing happens again. You are too precious to leave in harm's way, and a man worthy of the name cannot abandon his woman at such a moment. Please try to understand that."
Marguerite said, "I'll leave you two to work this out. But Nicole, try to understand what George is saying. Men have silly codes by which they live, and he cannot deviate from this one and be himself. It's just something with which men -the good ones - are cursed."
"Thanks too much, Marguerite," said Challenger. "Ask John how silly our codes are."
The countess smiled. "I know, George. He'd have done just as you did. And I love him all the more for it. Look, I'd better get back, or he'll think a python has slithered into the house and gotten me."
She patted Challenger on the back and was gone.
Finn stood, looked at her husband, and told him how sorry she was for attacking his behavior, knowing that what he had done was out of love for her. "But you could have been killed, Genius! How would I live without you? And the kids need a father."
"Well, they have one," he countered, "thanks to God and to Diana's skill with a rifle. We were very fortunate today. I'm sorry that I displeased you, Nicole, but I acted instinctively, and I am not ashamed that I did. On the contrary..."
"Never mind, George, I'll get over it," she said, snuggling into his arms. "Did I remember to thank you for doing that, or did I just yell at you for it?"
"I believe that you just admonished me, in no uncertain terms," he acknowledged.
"Then, take me to bed and lets talk about this in a more civilized way, and I'll tell you how much I admire you for your courage and your love. You're the only man who's ever risked his life for me, repeatedly. I just feel all warm inside when I think of that, or of you at all. I'm sorry that I blew up. I just freaked, thinking of what could have happened to you. To us!"
He nodded, lifted her in his arms like a child, kissed her, and took her to their room, her head cradled on his right shoulder.
As he set her down by the bed, Finn rubbed noses with George and said, "You're so my hero, Genius! I don't deserve you, but I'm glad that I have you."
"I'm glad that we have one another," he answered.
And so they went to bed, Finn cuddling next to her hero as she turned out the light. Exhausted, she soon fell asleep.
Challenger lay awake, berating himself for not having thought of the children. Finn was right about that. But he could not have acted any other way and been the man that he was. He decided to offer a prayer of thanks for having been spared, and that his mate had been. It had been an exciting day, and one that he was glad to have survived.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - November 01 2009 : 10:01:01 AM
Back at the Hardy home, Roxton looked carefully at the cartridges that had failed to fire. He got a set of pliers and pulled the bullets from the brass cases and poured out the gunpowder. Looking down into the brass cases with a flashlight, he realized that the primers (the British still called them "caps" after their old percussion predecessors) had no filling! There was no way that the rifles' firing pins could detonate the primers.
"I've half a mind to go by that dukka and thrash the wallah who sold Susan this stuff," declared an angry Geoffrey Blacklaws.
Roxton pointed out that this was a factory defect, a flaw in the manufacturing process. "The Indian running the store isn't to blame."
Blacklaws scowled nonetheless. "He probably had received complaints of prior sales not firing, and failed to tell poor Susan that he was selling her something that might cost her life, or the lives of others."
"I want some of those bad cartridges," said Susan. "They'll make keen momentos of the trip and of what nearly happened to us. And they'll remind me to never buy questionable ammunition again!"
"See?' chirped Lady Roxton. "This episode proves that even blondes can learn from experience."
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - November 01 2009 : 09:37:01 AM
As Diana and Susan finished laying out lunch, the others walked over and examined the lion. It had evidently been in a fight with another lion, with a number of bites and serious scratch marks apparent on it.
"Probably came off second best in a dominance fight for control of the pride," remarked Challenger. "It was likely in a foul mood, looking for trouble, or certainly not avoiding it." He had a sadness about him as he stroked the fur and examined a particularly bad gash in the dead cat's hide.
After lunch, they began skinning the large animal, helped by the men who had set out to hunt the great felines. They had had no luck, the pride that they sought having vacated the area. Seeing the injuries on the dead lion, they conjectured that a fight had left the pride with a new leader, and he might have withdrawn to lick his own wounds. If so, it might be several days before the lions reappeared. But all present agreed that if game was scarce, they would turn again to killing cattle. Might anyway, as it was easier than stalking wild animals.
Challenger and Finn insisted on examining the bullet wounds. The .45 revolver bullet had entered the liver, creating a probably lethal wound, in time. Ned's .30/06 bullet had gotten through the left shoulder, breaking it and seriously injuring the charging lion. The lead core had separated from its metal jacket, but only after it had done deadly work.Both of Diana's .350 bullets had ranged through the heart, damaging other organs. It was remarkable that the lion had not dropped from her first shot. The patented Rigby bullets had stayed together, with no separation of jacket and core, and had expanded perfectly.
Roxton shrugged when Veronica mentioned how the lion had required two shots through the heart and other vital organs.. "Some animals take more killing than you'd believe," he said, and reminded them about the difficulty in stopping warlike natives in India when they were charged with narcotics and religious fervor. "I sometimes saw men in the war take far more punishment from bullets than you'd believe before they dropped. But that's the exception, of course. Usually, a well placed bullet does its job quickly, on lion or man."
All told Diana that the hide with the attached head and mane should be hers, and she accepted. "I'll sew it a bit here and there, but those scars from the other lion will make it an interesting conversation piece. Stuart, shall we hang this in the den or in the living room?"
"Side wall of the living room, I think," replied the hunter. "By Jove, Darling, I am proud of you! You certainly saved the day! I should have been with the clients, or Geoff should." He hugged her to his side, and her young cheeks glowed with pride and love.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 31 2009 : 06:39:16 AM
"N'dio, mem'Sahib," stuttered Jerogi. He ran around to the rifle rack and passed a Rigby .350 Magnum to Diana, and their .275's to Marguerite and Susan. The latter rifles weren't in the upright rack, being in their sturdy leather and wood cases, lest they be scuffed. Finn's and Roxton's obsession with taking meticulous care of their firearms had spread to the others in the safari party.
Diana worked the Mauser bolt action on her .350 (a cartridge similar in power to the US .35 Whelen for American readers, although not interchangeable) as the other ladies struggled to open the latches on the rifle cases, withdraw the rifles, and cycle the bolts to load the chambers.
All were soon ready, and the lion hadn't left cover. The tail had stopped moving, but they saw the black tip twitching, as if the agitated lion was thinking of his next action. Marguerite looked anxiously toward the Challengers and saw that they had just finished setting traps and were enroute back to the cars.
She stood and waved, catching Finn's eye as her husband rambled on about African shrew species known to Science. Finn put her hand up to shade her eyes from the sun and looked where Marguerite was frantically pointing. She could see nothing, but tugged at George's sleeve, and slipped her own .275 off of her shoulder. Challenger had not brought a rifle, and was alarmed to see that something was transpiring. He looked at Marguerite, then to where she was gesturing, and they saw Diana motioning them urgently toward the cars.
"Looks as if this is about something more than lunch being ready, Finn," he observed dryly.
"I think you're right, Genius," she teased. "What was your first clue?" And the Challengers broke into a run.
The lion now walked into the open, some 80 yards away, and
filled his lungs with air. A full roar followed, shaking the grass and human courage. The huge lion walked a few stiff steps in the direction of the car, then paused to emit another frightening roar. This was the real roar of a big, wild lion. It is not something to hear when unarmed or alone in the African bush, and Susan Wilson felt her intestines quiver. She knew that her face had just gone as white as bread. And not the whole wheat bread that Veronica insisted they bake, either!
A second later, Simba broke into a charge, chasing the Challengers as they ran for the car. Finn saw that they would probaby not reach the dubious safety of the vehicles, and told her mate to keep running. She cocked her Rigby and went to one knee, tracking the oncoming lion in her sights.
But George refused to leave his wife, and drew his Colt .45 Single-Action Army revolver, thumbing back the hammer. Finn saw from the corner of her eye and screamed at him to run. Then, she settled her face onto the rifle stock and pressed the trigger as the big cat ended one leap, so that the next would bring it into line with the speeding bullet.
CLICK! she heard, instead of the BANG that she expected. Baffled and terrified, she cycled the bolt, feeding another cartridge into the chamber. CLICK! again!
Susan and Marguerite were having the same experience, and it was now evident that the lion was charging them, not the Challengers.
George put a 250 grain .45 bullet into its ribs as it sped past a few feet away, and Finn dropped her rifle, thinking that it had a broken firing pin. She drew her Smith & Wesson .38, aware that only a very lucky shot with it could kill the lion before it mangled them.
Diana ran around the car and into the lion's path. She was the professional hunter's wife, and felt responsible to her clients. And she had shot lions since her early teens. She was now 22, and a cool hand. But this shooting of a lion in full charge was stressful. There are few more dreadful things to face than a lion coming fast when it means business!
She led it in her sights, hearing Susan's rifle click again, as if she hadn't fed a cartridge into the breech. How very odd, a small part of her mind registered. She had just seen both women load their rifles!
BLAM! the .350 kicked into her shoulder and the lion flipped end-over-end as the bullet took it in the chest. SLICK-CLICK-TICK!, she cycled the bolt, reloading. She heard another shot from the bush where the Malones had gone, and the lion flopped down, a shoulder broken. It struggled to its feet as Diana sent another bullet into its already blown-apart heart. It dragged itself forward a few feet, then its head dropped in death.
As soon as the lion was determined to be dead, everyone breathed a deep sigh of relief. Challenger reloaded his .45 as Marguerite and Susan explained that their rifles had refused to fire. "Honestly, Mrs. Challenger, I tried to shoot," insisted Susan, backed instantly by Lady Roxton.
A thought crossed Finn's mind and she ejected the round in her rifle's chamber. "I thought so," she muttered darkly. "This is one of those damned old cartridges that you bought in that dukka, Susan! Check the ammo that malfunctioned in your rifles!"
Sure enough, all of the misbehaving rifles had been loaded with the "bargain" ammunition. So had Veronica's .275.
That lady and her husband examined the dead lion and walked over and heard about the ammunition issue. Ned said that he was carrying his .30/06, built on a M-1903 Springfield action by Griffin & Howe, a custom gunsmith in New York. His Winchester ammunition and Diana's .350 Kynoch brand had performed normally, saving lives.
On examination, Finn saw that the primers on the 7mm/.275 cartridges had all been struck normally by the firing pins. But the ammunition had not fired!
They set the bad ammo aside, in a hole that Challenger hastily dug with a shovel from the truck. "If this has some hang-fires in it," he explained, "a shot may still go off. Delayed detonation..."
Finn took a round of Kynoch .275 Rigby ammunition from her hunting vest, loaded her rifle, and fired the shot into a dead tree some 60 yards off. Her rifle fired normally, and bark flew from the trunk.
"Ladies," she said, "I think we can conclude that this junk ammo nearly got us killed. But how the hell did it get into my rifle, or Marguerite's, or Vee's?"
Jerogi hung his head in shame and admitted that the other gunbearers had gone to visit friends at the Hardy compound, and he had loaded all the clients' rifles. Susan had mentioned within his hearing that she wanted to fire all of the "new" ammunition before using any more of her valued Kynoch brand of expensive cartridges. So, thinking that he was doing her a favor, he had loaded all of the .275's with the old Austrian brand!
Finn got into the ammunition from her hunting bag and passed around enough to load all of the .275's with good British cartridges.
"Now, can we have lunch?", she demanded. "That was hungry work!"
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 30 2009 : 04:18:31 AM
Within the hour, the two groups separated, one driving off to hunt lions, the other to shoot a few grouse for the pot and to birdwatch and see the countryside. Challenger hoped to discover new species of small mammals, so planned to set a few traps to attract shrews and the like.
He and Finn were setting traps some distance from the others when it occurred to Susan that her rifle needed to be loaded, in case her gunbearer hadn't yet done that. He was supposed to see that the magazines of all bolt-action rifles within his care were loaded, but the chambers left empty, before leaving camp. (Double-barelled rifles were left unloaded until the hunters took them on leaving the car. This was for safety's sake, given their design.)
"Oh," said Marguerite. "Don't bother with that. I saw Jerogi loading the rifles when we left Angus's home. I had him load my .275 as well as yours."
"Yes, ma'am," said Susan, although something niggled at her mind about this. Then, she concentrated on their card game. "I'd like two cards, please, Countess."
Marguerite looked up. "Susan, I've told you that you may call me Marguerite. Believe me, I've been called far worse, and it is my real name." She smiled to ease the class-conciousness of the younger girl.
Susan smiled back, if a little shyly. "Yes, ma'am. I'll try to remember that, Lady Roxton. It's just that I was only a bank clerk until Mrs. Challenger hired me, and I'm still a bit unsure of myself in such exalted company."
Ned Malone snorted. "That's why we don't have nobility in America, Susan. Saves us from having to decide how far to bow down to them."
"Ned, quit," spoke his wife. "Hey, girls, hold our cards. I have to use the ladies' room. Neddy, come with me. Bring a rifle so that I don't have to. " She set her cards face-down on the truck seat and waited as Ned got a rifle.
"Vee, try those bushes over to the right with the big tree just above them." Marguerite had used the same facilities a few minutes before. "I highly recommend the place. Saw no snakes whatever. I dislike snakes in the loo, although I never realized that until Roxton dragged me out here on safari."
Diana arched an eyebrow as she prepared lunch. "Didn't that remote South American jungle have snakes, Marguerite? I distinctly recall you mentioning some, including a Bushmaster that struck John right on his boot heel."
"Well, that was on the trail," Marguerite retorted. "Not in the ladies' room."
"I shot a few in the gents' room," said Ned. "One was a Fer-de-Lance." He gave Marguerite a triumphant look.
"Doesn't count," responded Marguerite. "Little boys are always playing with toads and other nasty things, anyway." She smirked.
"Come on, Ned," said Veronica. "I need to go, right now, and you're not going to win an argument with Marguerite. I'm female, myself, and I hardly ever win a 'discussion' with her. Besides, it takes more time than it's worth to debate her."
The Malones walked off, leaving Marguerite smug in her victory.
Diana smiled, pretending not to notice the episode. She saw pretty readily why Susan was still shy around Lady Roxton...
Jerogi, the only African whom they'd brought along, stood to pass a jar of homemade Dijon-style mustard to Diana. He saw something moving in the grass about 125 yards distant, headed toward them. He looked so intently at it that Diana followed his gaze.
"Eeeh, mem'Sahib Diana," he hissed. "Simba! I see the tail waving above the grass!"
"Oh, Lord, not now," she said. "Pesi, pesi, Jerogi, toa bundouki kwa mem'Sahibs!"
The other girls knew what that meant, having learned a good deal of Swahili over the past two years: Lion! Get the rifles for the ladies! Quickly!
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 26 2009 : 7:20:38 PM
The next morning dawned with no sign of rain or high winds: a beautiful day by any standard. Breakfast talk was peppered with references to the hunts to come, Hardy being optimistic that at least several lions would be shot. Lions were then classed as vermin, so no one had to take any on his or her license quota.
And the guests were thrilled to learn that Hardy's resovoirs included two that had been stocked with trout!
"They are Rainbow trout from the United States," he explained, "and a small river flows through my property. This elevation is high enough that the water is cool enough to sustain trout. I've caught them to four pounds. Very lovely fish, with bright pink stripes along their sides. They fight very well on a light line. Diana can show you suitable baits, but I like to use flies. Very sporting, and they are fine eating!"
So, an angling adventure was planned for the next day. Now, they made final arrangements for the lion hunt and the ladies' excursion.
"I want to shoot a few birds, " declared Finn. "Otherwise, lets' just look at the scenery and have a picnic lunch. I want to take some photos and birdwatch."
"Suits me," agreed Lady Roxton. "But someone remind me: why is it that we have to have men with us? I think women can cope very well on our own, especially with Little Miss Sure Shot along." She smirked at Finn, who rolled her eyes at this provocation.
"Just cool it, Marguerite," Finn said. "Chalk it up to us needing not to have George worry about me. Or, the reverse. Same for the Malones. If you don't want the Genius along, he and I will go off somewhere on our own. Susan, you can come with us, or go with the Countess."
"I'll go with you, ma'am, unless you and the professor want privacy. I don't want to intrude, if that might be the case." Susan was uncomfortable about possibly upsetting Marguerite, but wanted to show her loyalty to the Challengers.
"Oh, never mind, Finny. I just wanted to go on record as saying that we don't NEED a man. But if it's your Genius, I don't really mind. I know that you two are joined as tightly as Siamese twins! George, I'm sorry. I haven't had my second cup of coffee, so I decided to be obnoxious." Marguerite now regretted her jibe, which had been taken more seriously than intended.
"Well, that's something that you've had a lot of practice at," snapped Veronica. Then, a thought occurred to her, and she smiled. "Anyway, how do you know how closely the Challengers are joined? Have you been peeping through the keyhole in their door?"
Roxton, irritated, cleared his throat and said, "Actually, I've kept her too busy for keyhole peeping. I think she just means how close George and Finny are emotionally. Now, can we please see a map and decide who's going to be where today, and when we need to head back here?"
Everyone sighed with relief at the change of subject, but after breakfast, Challenger took Marguerite aside and offered to take Finn and Susan off on their own if she really resented his presence.
She hugged him and apologized. "Really, George, I want you with us. I admire you ALMOST as much as Finny does. I was just feeling bitchy and wanted to get a rise out of the blondes and John. I knew how they'd react. Now, I'm sorry that I said that. It upset the Hamiltons and Angus. I think I'll go apologize to them and to the Blacklaws duo. Sometimes, my mouth gets ahead of my brain this early in the morning."
"Marguerite, it's past nine," pointed out Ned, who had walked up.
"See? My point exactly," said Marguerite. "Barely past nine!"
Veronica arched an eyebrow, stepped behind her brunette friend on the way to her room, and whacked Marguerite on the butt in passing.
"You need a spanking, Countess," she smirked. She took Ned by the hand and they left as Marguerite stood speechless, trying to decide whether to laugh or to get mad.
Finn stood by Challenger and said, "Veronica is right, Marguerite. Maybe if you're lucky, I'll let the Genius spank you. He does that to a girl really well," She winked lewdly at her man, who flushed with embarrassment at this risque talk..
Veronica heard as she entered the hall to her room. "Not that kind of spanking, Finny!"
Roxton walked over, took his wife's arm, and steered her toward their own room. "If anyone spanks Marguerite, I'll be the man doing that. Now, lets' get ready. The morning is getting away from us."
Marguerite took his arm in hers, snuggled dramatically against him as they went, and said, "Thank you, John. Rescued yet again by my White Knight." She leaned up and kissed him, instantly easing his pique. He playfully yanked her hair, and they chased one another to their room, laughing like teens filled with new love.
The Hamiltons and Hardy looked and shook their heads. "You have some interesting friends there, Diana," joked her father.
She laughed. "They're really not as strange as they seem, Daddy. Actually, they're the most fun of any group that Stuart and I have known. Compared to some clients they're an endless delight."
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 25 2009 : 06:13:30 AM
A week later, having spent as much time as they wanted in fishing on the way, the group arrived at Angus Hardy's vast farm and estate. They had indeed gotten a taste of tiger fish, tilapia, Nile perch, and other fish, including catfish, to Ned's surprise. They didn't get as large here as they did in Brazil, but he rigged some baits similar to what he used at home, and they were soon eating fried catfish, or barbels.
The others preferred broiled fish of other species, it being the case that the cook made a fine tomato-based sauce and one with lemons and cream to accompany the white flesh of the river's bounty.
Finn and Ned had made a point of stalking crocodiles, Finn wanting to kill an especially troublesome one that was taking native women from a nearby village as they washed clothes. Not only did she feel sorry for the African women; she wanted to photograph and mount the dead croc for her books and her den. A .375 H&H Magnum bullet into its primeval brain fulfilled both hers and the black womens' wishes.
The croc was not outlandishly long, just over 12 feet. But it was a worthwhile trophy for having been a known man-eater. That was what would stir the interest of Finn's readers and those who attended her slide shows and lectures.
She explained this to Angus Hardy at dinner on the night of their arrival, and he agreed that people tend to respond to a frisson of fear. "They like to shiver a bit. I suppose that's why ghost or witch stories are so popular," he concluded, looking for some reason at the Countess of Avebury.
Marguerite flushed and declared, "Well, I can't help it if I may be a witch! I mean, what if you were reincarnated, as, say, Caligula? How would you feel? At least, being Morrighan isn't that depraved!"
"Who was Caligula?" asked Veronica, who was largely unschooled in European history. On being told, she nodded and admitted that even Marguerite had never been that debauched.
"Close, but no cigar," laughed Ned Malone.
"Ned, hush," said his mate. "You'll hurt Marguerite's feelings. She does have feelings, and has even allowed them to surface in recent years." Then, she joined Ned in laughing.
Even Marguerite joined in the amusement, although she made an obscene gesture towards Ned when Angus looked the other way.
"Well, look," said Roxton, "what shall we do tomorrow? Diana mentioned that you were having lion trouble again, Angus. Cattle killers. Want us to have a go at some?"
Susan and Marguerite felt a shock go through their veins, and they looked uneasily at one another.
Hardy noticed the look that they gave each other and inquired whether he had said anything improper. They told him then about the shared dream, and how both felt that it was more than coincidence.
The group agreed that Marguerite, Finn, and Susan would go with Hardy and the Malones the next day and sightsee, perhaps shoot a buck or two for meat. "We'll let Stuart, John, George, and Geoff shoot the lions. If they knock over a few, the others will stay away from my cattle for a time," concluded Hardy.
"I think I'd feel better if I accompany Finn and Susan," demurred Challenger. So, it was agreed that he would trade places with Hardy, so as not to be constantly worried about Finn. Diana offered to guide that party, being intimately familiar with her father's land.
Little did any of them realize that the Professor's concern for his wife and her secretary was well founded, and that Lady Roxton would soon join them in facing grave peril...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 17 2009 : 05:38:38 AM
Late the next day, nearing the river, they paused at a dukka to replenish supplies. Fresh fruit, canned goods, whiskey, gasoline (petrol) and other essentials...
Susan saw several boxes of an Austrian brand of 7mm rifle ammunition on a shelf behind the Indian proprietor. He saw the direction of her gaze, and said, "Oh, pretty blonde lady! For you alone, today, this cartridges is being on sale! For merely 50 rupees, all seven of these boxes can be yours. This is much less than I would have to charge for other famous brands, had I even got them in stock, which alas, I have not."
Susan reflected. She was certainly better paid by the Challengers than she had been at the bank, but she had bought most of her pesonal items for this safari. She was not exactly rife with money. At home, even a new pistol or a good dress and accessories were major expenses for her. Her Rigby rifle was a gift from Roxton, who had realized that her income did not extend to expensive custom firearms. And she had fired much of her supply of .275 (7mm) ammo during the seige at the Musgrave home and fortress. And more had been fired at game. Even if she was able to find more genuine Kynoch ammunition so far from Nairobi, she could not afford to buy much of that proprietary make. The Indian's price was tempting...
Roxton saw what was happening, and made the point that she would be better off with British, German, or American cartridges. "This fellow has probably had those boxes sitting on his shelves here in equatorial heat and seasonal humidity for years. Some of the caps (primers, to US readers) may have gone bad, and the powder may not be fresh enough to perform right."
"Yes, your lordship, but he does have them here, and nothing else in 7mm," Susan pointed out. "And to tell the truth, the price is important to me." She flushed, embarrassed.
"Look here, Susan," said the earl. "if this heathen merchant wants to sell that ammo, and will take 40 rupees for it, I'll buy it for you. No, I insist, to make my point. If all of those rounds that you shoot perform well, you can pay me back, if you insist. But if even one fails, the seven boxes are on me, so that I can gloat about being right."
"Let him do it," said Marguerite. "He hasn't gotten to really gloat about anything since I told him that I'd marry him." She smiled impudently at her lord and master, who rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation.
Susan laughed, "Well, Lord Roxton, if you,insist. But if it works, I do mean to repay you."
The shopkeeper did accept the 40 rupees that the earl offered, and the cartridges changed hands. But in time, they would learn that Roxton had been right, and this was to nearly cost Finn and Susan their lives!
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 17 2009 : 04:39:01 AM
Two days later, they had collected several bushbuck and a big warthog from the forested areas near their camp. Ned had knocked over a record book-class Grant's gazelle with a shot from his .270 Winchester, and all had enjoyed shooting spurfowl, francolins, and the speedy sand grouse. Had they had enough shotgun shells and more time, they could have spent days on that sporty bird alone. But none of this group of hunters was the sort who shot excessively. Beyond what they could use for the camp larder, they gave some fowl to nearby natives, who were happy to get the protein.
Ned gave his Winchester Model 12 a good workout, but explained that Americans had lost the once-prolific passenger pigeon, and that the bison had been put on the endangered list due to overhunting by market gunners. Some duck species were now quite limited in the number allowed on hunting licenses, again due to pressure from market gunners, before commercial hunting had been outlawed in the United States.
"We've shot all the birds that we can eat before they go bad in this heat," he declared, and Blacklaws agreed.
"Tomorrow, lets break camp and saunter over to Stuart's father-in-law's place. We can sleep in sumptuous luxury, in indoor rooms, with real plumbing. Even the countess will be satisfied with the bathtubs there, eh, Marguerite?"
That lady gave him a cool look and said that she certainly deserved better bathing facilities than this camp provided. "But the bill of fare seems rather good," she grudgingly admitted. "Partridge and venison tonight, with fresh vegetables. I can do no better than that at home. But I've been craving fish. Can't we get out our rods and tackle and cast a few hooks on the way to Angus's farm?"
"Indeed, we can," said Diana. "George, don't you and Finny fish? We'll pass a river of considerable size, and some pools there have plenty of Nile perch and tiger fish, also tilapia, which are sort of like a big bream. Very tasty, and the cooks do very well by them. You'd never guess it, but Kidogo can make quite good sauces for fish. Just use caution: we'll need some of us to stand ready with rifles in case of crocodiles or hippo making an issue of our presence."
"Not to worry," her husband hastened to add. "We'll find a place where neither of those is common. Just have to be careful. Remember, this is Africa. Everything bites. Including tiger fish! They have jaws like a set of reinforced razor blades. Apart from that, Ned, and orange-tinted fins, they look rather like your American coastal bass, what you Yanks call striped bass."
"Genus Roccus," nodded Challenger, as if anyone present other than him knew much about the genera of fish. "Quite tasty. Finn and I have eaten them in New York and in Richmond while in the U.S. on business. American housewives buy quite a lot of my houseware inventions. And Finn's books now have American editions." He looked quite pleased at sharing this happy news.
"I'm feeling better," said his spouse. "Maybe I can cast okay in a day or so. May help work out some of the soreness." She moaned and rubbed her own arm. Challenger saw, had her turn her back to him, and began massaging her tense shoulders. He knew how Finn loved to fish, as did he. He saw the look in her eyes as the angling was being discussed, and rejoiced to see her take that pleasure in it. Back in Britain, she had looked forward to catching tiger fish, and they had the right tackle for it. He wondered how one of his salmon rods would fare. At home, the Roxtons and the Challengers made salmon fishing a seasonal excursion, and each couple had access to trout and pike on their own waters.
Dinner was as scrumptuous as Marguerite had hoped, and the couples sat around after, finshing off the wine, the Hamiltons and the Blacklaws duo telling thrilling stories of the African bush.
Later, Finn, George, Susan, and the Malones walked as far out of camp as was safe, rifles and binoculars at hand. They studied the night sky, with its infinite profusion of stars.
"Remember what Johnny said out here last year, about how people are somewhere between the turtles and the stars on the scale of existence?" Finn felt small when comparing herself to God's greater works.
"Doesn't matter," quipped Ned Malone. "You, Susan, and Veronica are close to the angels, as creatures go. Don't I tell you that you're angelic, Honey? Life with you is truly heavenly." He leaned over and kissed his blushing mate.
"Ned has a point at that," declared Challenger, pulling Finn in for a kiss and a hug. She squeezed back, then saw the forlorn look on Susan's face as the moon rose. She reached for her shy secretary and included her in the hug.
"I thank Heaven for Susan almost nightly," she proclaimed. "I don't know what I'd do without her, right, Genius?"
Veronica thought that was sweet of Finn, Susan having no man of her own on this romantic night. She decided to tell her so in the morning.
They watched the stars a bit longer, identifying constellations, difficult to separate in the tremendous stellar display in this dark place. Then, the two couples and the beautiful blonde companion and helper of one retreated to camp, as rustles in the darkness reminded them that this was not a safe haven. Ned flicked on his flashlight, reflecting the eyes of a passing serval, which stared briefly, then leaped back into the shadows. It was probably hunting mice in the long grass.
In their tents, lights out, each of the whites shared their thoughts, Susan dreaming of a man like Roxton or Blacklaws to someday sweep her off her feet, and take her to enchanted places. Like a home of their own! She wondered briefly whether she should have competed with Holly for Blacklaws when the handsome hunter had been among their rescuers from slavers the previous year. She had thought about it, but didn't know him, whereas Holly did.
And Holly was bolder, the daughter of a rich man, pampered, used to getting what she wanted. Her mind made up, she had shamelessly flaunted her superb body, making certain that Geoff couldn't miss her "accidental" exposure of shapely legs...once she had donned clothes! Blacklaws had already had more than an eyeful of the slaves before the girls had been freed of their chains and provided clothing from the women who had avoided capture.
Susan smiled. In her way, Holly was as skilled a huntress as her man was a hunter. And Geoff, she had to admit, had largely tamed his wife, making her think more of others and to be less hedonistic and self centered. Holly was now actually fun to know, less condescending to Susan than she had been when Susan was a teller at Holly's father's bank.
Susan heard the Challengers stir in the next tent, and Finn's soft, sensual, feminine laughter as George did something to her that she liked. Susan loved the Challengers, who had come to mean so much to her. Could she have pursued George as Finn wanted, had Finn fallen to the black rebels in that battle that now seemed long ago?
Maybe. He might accept her, and the two would look after one another; Susan knew that. And she would do her best to help the Genius raise his two young children. But did Susan really want Challenger's children as her own? Would she have the true passion in marriage that the Challengers felt for one another? Probably not, she decided. Susan wanted a different man, however much she admired George Challenger. She was profoundly grateful that Finn had survived, and that the couple were safe in one anothers' arms.
Who, then? She envisioned a man with Challenger's brilliance, Roxton's and Ned's droll humor, Blacklaws's swagger and daring, with Stuart Hamilton's quiet competence and adoration of Diana. And who was smitten with her, Susan! A face not unlike a younger John Roxton formed in her mind, and she pulled the pillow into her arms, and cuddled with it, wondering whether he existed, before she slept.
It seemed no time at all before the personal boy was tapping at the entrance to her abode, murmuring, "Mem'Sahib Susan, mimi lette chai."
(I bring tea.)
Susan Wilson sighed, rolled out of bed, and donned her warm green robe, like Mrs. Challenger's. Tonight, she decided, I'm going to think a little more about that fantasy man. They can't blame a girl for dreaming...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 13 2009 : 10:02:55 AM
Breakfast was a happier occasion. No lion tracks were found in camp, Ned claiming that Marguerite's aura or a premonition on the lions' part that she was there must have frightened them off.
"It's more likely that they're afraid that you'll feature them in some lurid book," Marguerite fired back.
"Ned's next book will probably be out before mine," groaned Finn. "I had a pretty miserable night. I don't think I can type for months. Seriously, I feel better than I did yesterday afternoon, but not much. The Genius was great. He rubbed me all over until I felt better, and I just took two more of his pain pills. But I may be stiff for several days."
"You got off as well as could be expected," Roxton observed. "I saw that big cat coming at you and was afraid that it would reach you before you and George could kill it. Good thing it died when it did, or your flawless complexion would have been disastrously rearranged."
"Speaking of lions," Marguerite resumed, "I had a pretty awful dream or vision or something that woke me about three AM. I must have been even more stressed by them than I'd realized. Anyway, I saw Finny and Susan trying to shoot a charging lion, but their rifles wouldn't fire. And the lion spoke. Don't suppose they really do that very often."
Susan suddenly went tense, dropped her fork in her eggs, and stared at Lady Roxton. "What exactly did the lion say? I had a quite similar bad dream just before I woke from it and found that hyena staring at me."
Marguerite looked carefully at Susan and replied, "Well, he was quite a rude lion. Probably wasn't brought up properly in a good home. But he said, 'I will eat your face, white bitch'. Now, don't tell me..."
"Yes," said Susan Wilson, turning pale. "That is just what the lion in my dream said! I remember thinking later that it might have been some premonition that the hyena was there, that my subconcious was talking to me. Hyenas often do snap off sleeping peoples' faces. How uncanny is that, us both having that same dream? Do you think this was Morrighan speaking to you or through you?"
Marguerite trembled slightly and took her husband's hand. "I don't know, Susan," she said quietly. "I don't usually know why I get such impressions or visions, or whatever they are. But for us to have the same dream..."
"Maybe you two can recall what was in the background," suggested Veronica. "That might tell us where the lions are, so we can be extra wary if we see a place like that." Having lived among the Zanga Indians in Brazil and seen how their shamans sometimes had similar visions, she was less inclined to dismiss such things as trivial coincidence or superstition.
Blacklaws and Hamilton said that both women were probably just upset by the recent doings with the late Karanja wa Kamau and the lion that had been in camp.
"Still,", said Hamilton, "we'll be careful to avoid situations where lions might have a go at us. We need to move from this area, anyway. We'll shoot a nice bushbuck or two at a place I know, then head over to visit Angus Hardy. Does that suit everyone?"
"Daddy would love to have us," reminded Diana Hardy Hamilton. "He invited us when we were all at the D.C.'s place during that native attack."
"Suits us," said Ned after looking at Veronica. "We can spend a few days with Angus, then we really need to head for Mombasa if we're going to have any time to visit with the rest of you in England, like we planned."
The Roxtons and the Challengers agreed, and the group planned to hunt bushbuck that day and the next, if they proved elusive. Then, they were off to see Diana's father and hunt leopard, buffalo, and perhaps a few antelope on his large farm.
"We'll try to steer clear of lions, if we can," promised John Roxton, to his spouse's relief. But Lady Roxton exchanged an uneasy glance with Susan. Both had an unpleasant feeling that their mutual dreams might foretell an impending event.
Challenger motioned for the personal boy to bring more coffee. "I feel sure that this is just due to stress," he said. "There is no scientific reason why you should have seen anything likely to happen in real life."
Finn sat as the coffee made its rounds, and apologized for not getting it for her husband. It was a point of pride for her to serve him, for which she was often teased by her friends. "I'm just too danged stiff and sore," she admitted.
"Quite all right, Darling," Challenger assured her, patting her shoulder. "You must take it easy for a few days. I'll take care of you, for a change."
"I'll help, too," promised Susan. "In fact, if we stay in camp and look after one another, maybe we can avoid leaping lions that speak."
Everyone smiled, but like Susan, they would soon find that fate would take its course, however careful the girls planned to be...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 10 2009 : 05:38:31 AM
"Susan was just telling us about the hyena and how she took ample photos of it for the D.C. and for Finn's book," commented Hamilton. "Diana and I just got home with the Malones not long before you lot rolled in. We were going to wash up and have tea before I had someone take that thing away or bury it. I thought you might want to have a look at it. It has brands in its hide, and the right forefoot is cut with Karanja's mark. A real juju hyena, witch doctor's special."
Roxton's interest was piqued. "Susan, you used that little Remington 20 gauge, with slugs? Finny, lets go see what damage it did."
"Feel free, " snorted his mate. "Essence du hyena! Only my husband and his faithful Girl Guide hunting companion would want to smell that! Susan, you shot it. Go with that pair and see that they get back here before supper. Left to themselves, they'll want to dissect it and study the expanded slug, or something."
Challenger laughed. "I had perhaps better go, too, Marguerite. That carcass may have parasites on it that are new to Science."
Marguerite rolled her eyes in feigned exasperation at her companions' interests. Diana and Holly laughed and led her to the table, where the three awaited tea, and Holly and the countess caught up with Veronica on the Malones' day and what was for dinner. Ned came over, having already seen the dead hyena, and bragged how he had shot some running francolin partridges for the larder. "Pretty soon, you'll smell them cooking, and the odor will be a lot better than that deceased hyena. But I have to admit, Susan did pretty well by herself in killing that thing before it got its teeth into her."
Those who had gone to study the hyena were soon back, Blacklaws admonishing the African "boys" to bury it deeply,and to put heavy stones on the grave, lest its own kind dig it up to eat as they slept. Finn had talked Challenger out of studying the parasites, pleading that she was too tired to wait. "I feel and look black and blue. I've decided not to be run into by any more lions, man-eaters or not," she moaned.
Susan took her arm and gave her such a compassionate look that Finn felt a little better, and hugged Susan back. "Nice shooting, Susan," she told her secretary, who beamed at this praise from her employer, role model, and mentor.
After tea, the hunters bathed before dinner, the aroma of the roasting birds hurrying them from their ablutions. Finn had George massage her aching body first, but hunger soon overruled even that luxury, always a prized perk of her being married to a man who troubled himself to pamper her.
Dinner was as delicious as it smelled, and Blacklaws wryly told Joseph that he was off the hook for the hyena almost getting Susan.
All ate heartily, their appetites honed by hard hunting and the rugged outdoor life.
Blacklaws had had a spare tent pitched for Susan, it being impossible to get all the blood out of the fabric of hers. Finn told her to locate the new tent next to hers and the Genius's. "After what you went through and that lion being in our tent so recently, we may as well be ready to look after one another, Susan. And if you shoot that well and stay that cool, I want you near me."
Susan glowed under that praise from Mrs. Challenger, and Marguerite hid a smile. She wished that she had had a mentor who was as fond of her as Finn was of Susan when she had been Susan's age.
"Ma'am, should I really be that near your tent? I mean, you and the professor may want more privacy." Susan was still shy, and considerate.
"Not tonight," groaned Finn. "All the action that the Genius is getting from me is him rubbing my sore body until I pass out. I have aches in places where I didn't even know that I had places."
The others murmured sympathetic best wishes for her to feel better, and conversation shifted to the next day's hunting and the remaining man-eaters.
After a time, Marguerite noticed that Challenger seemed lost in reverie, although he was rubbing Finn's neck with one big hand as they awaited dessert. "Penny for your thoughts, George," she offered.
He looked startled. "Oh, I was just thinking. No point in looking for parasites on that dead hyena. After the body cooled, the fleas and whatnot mostly left their host, anyway."
Marguerite shook her head in amusement, and even the sore Finn grinned at her mate's dedication to Science. A marvelous cake came, with more tea, and everyone dug in happily.
But when it was time to sleep, Marguerite made Roxton get up and check that the door of their tent was tied firmly shut. "I have no intention of being eaten, considering what we're paying for this wonderful little trip," she complained.
Roxton checked the door, set his .416 beside the bed,and crawled in. "You know, Marguerite, that was really pretty cool shooting on Susan's part, with the hyena. I was quite impressed with what those 20 gauge slugs did to that varlet."
She muttered, "John, you're as bad about your obsessions as George Challenger is with his. Get your mind out of the shooting gallery for once, and make love to me. I need you to take my mind off of lions maybe eating me tonight."
Roxton laughed, and pulled her to him. He did a very thorough job of distracting her mind from lions, and she almost purred as she snuggled next to him before they slept. That lasted until she heard distant lions calling in the night an hour later. She turned on her flashlight and checked the door again, and looked to her rifle by her side of the bed.
Could be worse, she reflected. At least, it isn't bloody dinosaurs scaring me anymore...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 10 2009 : 04:01:28 AM
The tired hunters drove into camp a bit after four PM. The others greeted them with relief, Hamilton twitting Blacklaws about being afraid that he might not have been able to find them.
"Oh, I can always find you, old boy. My concern was whether you could figure out where you were supposed be so that I could look for you!" Blacklaws had a quick wit, and was not an easy man to "rib." Even Marguerite had learned that Geoff was as drolly humorous as she herself was, and had grudgingly accorded the handsome South African hunter a healthy dose of respect. She smiled now at his response to his friend and partner's joust.
"No worries, Stuart," she said. "If Geoff had gotten lost, Roxton here once made me learn to use a compass. I could have found you, if you were where you belonged. As long as you can make tea in camp I will always locate you. I'll have an incentive. Morrighan discovers all, where tea is involved."
She turned to her bruised blonde friend. "I say, Finnykins, are you about to boil that milk and make cocoa? See if they'll make a pot of tea while they're at it."
Joseph came over and said, "Mem'Sahib, we saw you in the distance. The water is just boiling, and you will have a pot of tea in brief moments. Please to sit at table. Boys will bring tea and sugar."
He hoped that tea would leave the newcomers in a better mood when they heard about the hyena.
That wasn't long in coming. The breeze shifted, and Finn's nose flared as she sniffed the wind and turned to Roxton. She also slipped her rifle off of her shoulder, where she had been carrying it on its leather sling. "I smell Fisi, I think," she declared. "Or, some animal very like a hyena, and it stinks." Finn was in some ways still almost feral. She had feared for her life for so long in New Amazonia and had become so attuned to the jungle on the Plateau that she still scented and heard things that most civilized people could not. John Roxton was very close to her in that way, and his senses were also tuned to pick up on such subtle survival signals. Orion and Diana were a good team, as their Kenya friends had come to realize.
He also unslung his .416, which he was carrying. The gunbearers were just taking the other rifles from the car. Challenger smelled it now, too, and reached for the Colt .45 on his hip.
"It's cool, everyone," said Susan, coming towards them from the canvas ladies' room. She sometimes said things that only she or her heroine, Mrs. Challenger, would speak. Slang from a hundred years and more into the future...
"'Cool', my blithering arse," muttered Lady Roxton, who now also smelled what wafted on the air. "Susan, what IS that? Have you been learning to cook, and it didn't work out?"
Susan smiled impishly. "No, ma'am. But I doubt that you'd fancy eating that, anyway. Mrs. Challenger was right: it's dead hyena." And she told the tale of her adventurous afternoon as Joseph wrung his hands and hoped that he wouldn't be blamed for the big carnivore slipping unnoticed into camp.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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Posted - October 08 2009 : 04:16:48 AM
The safari pressed on toward camp when Finn stirred and asked, "Geoff, have we got any fresh milk, or can we stop and buy some at that village on the right? I totally crave hot chocolate tonight, big-time!"
"Need to get some, anyway," conceded the white hunter. "Darling," - this to Holly- "how much milk do we need, beyond that for the Challengers and others wanting cocoa?" He knew that Finn had brought dehydrated cocoa powder from England, the magic of her brilliant husband making it in dried form being a major advance in such things. Challenger was working on a formula that would require only hot water to be added to his mix, Finn having assured him that such things were available in the 21st Century. Instant cocoa...
Holly thought, then told her mate how much milk they required, and they swerved over toward the village. With luck, the blacks would have more than needed, and be happy to sell some. She also wanted to buy butter, if they made it here. And honey. And eggs, now that she thought about it.
The headman and three of his senior warriors came out to greet them, and they began the polite inquiries about crops and children, etc, that tradtionally preceded business talk.
Finn, Holly, and Marguerite drifted over to talk to the women, who often told more of interest than the men. They soon knew what milk and eggs, etc. were for sale, and had concluded the deal as their men still talked. But the black women warned that at least one of the lions was still near. "The demon simba killed and ate two women at a village ten miles distant," translated Marguerite. She spoke Swahili among her strange repetoire of languages, and soon had directions to this village.
By the time that Blacklaws had agreed on a price, the women had everything ready, and the safari was soon off.
Marguerite told her friends about the lions, and Holly said that they had better keep an eagle eye out for them."That village that was mentioned is barely five miles from camp. A short walk for a hungry lion!"
She shivered, and moved closer to her husband. Geoff put his arm around her as Ned drove, and he and Roxton exchanged a thoughtful look...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
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