| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
 Posted - June 14 2007 : 11:12:36 AM
|
This is a Mature Rated Fic, and contains some scenes of sex and violence. YOU ATTEST BY READING THIS STORY THAT YOU ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE. Minors whose parents may object should get permission before reading further. Reading this work attests that you voluntarily did so, knowing that it contains some material that may shock the shy or very conservative reader. (However, it is no more daring than many modern bestselling novels.)
As with all "Lost World" Fics, I do not own rights to the basic theme by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or to the New Line Cinema characters, etc.
Some relationships and situations may not be precisely as depicted on the TV series on which the Fic is based. In particular, there are now three couples in the Treehouse, which differs from the situation at the end of the Third Season of TLW. There is no reason why those persons couldn't have fallen in love, as one couple had already done on the show before it ended. The setting is beyond the Third Season and ignores the possible Fourth Season plot possibilities, as that season never materialized.
"Xingu!"
by
Explorer
Breakfast had ended in the Treehouse, and the occupants had drifted off to their particular projects for the day. Finn and Veronica were working in the garden when Finn broached the idea of a girls' day off, to explore the jungle. In particular, she wanted to visit some ancient ruins some ten miles away.
"Want to go, V?", the slender blonde asked her best friend.
"Can't, Finn. Ned and I are making some trade goods for our next trip to the bazaar, what you so charmingly call the Zanga Mall." She smiled to take any sting out of her words. "Sounds like fun, though. Ask Marguerite. Aren't George and John going to be busy with elevator maintainance, anyway? Did George say that you could go?"
"Yes, 'Mommy', I have permission from George. He thought it would be fun for us. Truth be told, I think the guys want some time to themselves. If I don't watch it, I tend to smother George, and he's a very independent guy. We're together a lot, and I need to remember to give him some space, too."
"Ask Marguerite," repeated the Layton lass. "She may be bored. Tell her that you may find emeralds. That'll get her to go!" And Veronica laughed heartily at her assessment of their mutual friend, the only brunette woman in their Treehouse.
"Sounds good," admitted Finn. "I just wanted to give you first crack at it. What if we DO find emeralds?"
"Then Marguerite needs them far more than I do. I have all the jewels that I need. Go ask her. You don't want to get too late a start if you girls do go there. It's quite a ways. You may be gone for two or three days. Are you sure that George can stand not being with you for that long?"
"Yeah," Finn grinned. "I taught him to use his hands for something besides creating miracles in the lab."
Veronica snorted. "Gad, Finn! Sometimes, your sense of humor is as bad as that of the boys. Go on; ask her. I bet she'd like that trip. Use a good compass and make notes as you go."
Finn found Marguerite and told her about the ruins.
"They do seem culturally interesting, and I've heard the legend that they find emeralds in the stream near there. I could use a break. Let me ask John if he has anything pressing for me. If not, I'll join you."
And that is how Marguerite and Finn came to find themselves in as much danger as they had ever faced, battling weather, headhunters, and savage animals.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 17 2007 : 9:05:21 PM
|
The girls gathered their equipment and filled canteens. Challenger insisted that they take some basic medical items, including his brilliant powdered drug that had antibiotic properties before the world had discovered antibiotics as such.
Their other items were largely those that they always carried when in the jungle. Marguerite carried her Smith & Wesson hammerless .38 revolver with four-inch barrel. She never wore a knife, just carrying the switchblade pocket knife that she had taken from Avery Burton. When he had captured her and Finn (See, "Spirit Jaguar" at: www.americanbty12.proboards62.com , in Fiction), he had been pleased to find that she still had this knife, which she had stolen from him on his prior visit to the Plateau.
When the girls had been searched, he had found this knife and appropriated it, only to lose it again, with his life, when they were rescued. Marguerite had made a point of taking it off his body, and she carried it in a leather pocket sewn into a boot top. She intended it only for emergency use, mainly as a weapon. When she needed something cut, unless it was a simple job like snipping a loose thread on her skirt, she simply called for one of the men. They had larger knives, and more complex pocketknives. In fact, Finn had brought a Swiss Army knife from the future, and it was always with her, its tools ever useful.
Roxton had offered to make Marguerite a small Bowie knife like that which he had made for Finn (See, "The Christmas Story" at the same link), but she had declined. "If I have my own knife, what would I need you for?," she had quipped. "Besides, I don't want to have to carry any more weight than I have to, and I seldom need to cut or slice anything. And the sheath might rub against and abrade my skirt or jodhpurs." Jodhpurs were the riding breeches that she occasionally wore in lieu of a skirt. But she favored the skirt most of the time, as it allowed air to reach her legs, a treat in the warm climate.
Marguerite often did carry a rifle, and on this trip, with no men along to kill game for food or to defend against dangerous animals or humans, she knew that she had better take one. She debated whether to take her .275 Rigby, built on a Mauser action, or the Lee-Enfield sporting rifle, made by BSA Co., Ltd., a maker of the military Lee-Enfields. On the side, they also made these very nice hunting rifles on the same action as that of the British service rifle.
She had a good idea of which would be best for this trip, but decided to ask John Roxton. Mainly, she wanted to have something to talk to him about before leaving him behind. Roxton had mulled the matter over, noting that either would be adequate for men or most animals short of large dinosaurs.
"But the Lee can be loaded with stripper clips, like the military rifle. Take a few of those loaded clips. You put one in the charger guide milled into the rifle's receiver, then just press all five cartridges down into the magazine. It's faster than loading single rounds by hand. If you get into anything heavy, being able to reload quickly could make a difference. But,Marguerite, if you see any real danger that you can avoid, don't get involved. FINN! Come over here. Listen, if you girls see trouble coming, avoid it. Don't try to have an adventure. Finn, I expect you to watch over Marguerite."
"You ladies mean the world to me. Finn, you're my usual hunting partner, and I know that you can shoot. I also know that you like adventures. Try not to have one. You're responsible for Marguerite, too, and you know how much you both mean to me. All right?"
Finn gave him an appraising look. "Johnny, do you really think that I would take a chance with my own life, let alone Marguerite's? I didn't get to be 23 years old by being careless. I like adventures, but I don't take foolish risks. And I'm responsible not only to you but to George. And Marguerite has become one of the closest friends that I've ever had. I'll be careful. And she's too lazy to get into anything that we don't have to." She grinned.
Marguerite heard this and arched an eyebrow at Finn. She was about to make a tart remark when Roxton continued.
"Finn, I know. If I didn't trust both of you to be careful, I wouldn't let either of you do this."
"Since when are you in charge of me, Johnny?", she retorted. "The last I heard, we were all equal, except for George, who's our leader. And I never even swore any allegiance to him. I came along after you people joined this expedition."
Marguerite saw her chance. "Finn, we never actually signed any oath of allegiance. George was just our chosen leader, and the one who had the idea for the expedition. I financed it, remember. But inasmuch as you've raised the issue, are you not his fiancee, prepared to swear before a priest to love, honor, and obey him? Anyway, I know you, Sweetie: if you thought that something would really bother George Challenger, you'd never do it. That's what love does to you. It takes away some of your independence."
"Well, that's a two-way street, Marguerite," the young blonde retorted. "Like you'd really do anything that'd bug Johnny." She smirked.
"Okay, I admit that," the brunette Briton replied. "Now that my little secret is out in the open, and we all, including me, know that I'm in love with Lord Roxton, it does impede my actions at times. You may have noticed that I've gotten nicer over the years that I've been here, and now that I have admitted to everyone, especially to myself, that I want to be his wife, I try not to embarrass him or anger him. I'm not trying to say that I'm better than you, Finn. I'm just saying that we're pulling oars in the same boat. Just as I probably wouldn't disobey John, I know that you would never, without really good reason, do anything that you knew would upset George." She smirked. "After all, if he was mad at you, he might not let you butter his bread, which he is perfectly capable of doing by himself."
"Ladies...," said an embarrassed Roxton.
"It's cool, Johnny," said Finn. "She's right. I don't know how we got off track onto this, but Marguerite knows me. I won't disobey George unless I have a very good cause, and she owes allegiance to you as her future husband, just as I do to George. And Marguerite, I have recently seen you butter the occasional slice of bread for your own man." She smiled. The other women had long teased her for pampering Challenger, but Marguerite had recently taken to more openly nurturing Roxton, also. Finn knew that it had something to do with a two day span in which Roxton and Marguerite had stayed alone in the Treehouse while the others went in search of diamonds and medicinal plants. (See, "Sultry" at:
www.margueritekrux2.proboards61.com)
She didn't know just what had taken place, for Marguerite and Roxton were both private people, and her attempts to worm the truth from them had failed. She had not pressed the matter, but she knew that they had had an extraordinarily pleasurable session of lovemaking that had deeply affected Marguerite, who had since seemed even more devoted to John, showing him more deference than she had before. She stll retained her sharp tongue, but used it less, and she often went to stand by Roxton when there was no need, and they were often seen holding hands, and had even been caught feeding one another from off each others' plates and giggling like lovestruck teens. Finn had teased them a little, but she sensed that whatever this was was so wonderful that her heart wasn't in making fun of something that she admired so much. Not that Marguerite had shown her such consideration when she razzed her for taking such good care of George. Still, Finn was so happy for her friends that she wasn't going to taunt them for their love. Instead, she had found herself smiling with intense pleasure when she saw them nuzzling one anothers' noses when they thought that no one could see. Marguerite had even been known to sit on John's lap, something that she definitely teased Finn for doing with her own man. The Roxton couple was still more reserved than she was, and Challenger was also more open about their love, once he had committed to Finn. But the Malones and the Roxtons were somewhat more subdued in public displays of affection. Still, everything was relative, and both of the other couples had been more open of late as they had grown into the idea of belonging to one another and being very happy for it!
Marguerite blushed as Finn unexpectedly stepped over and hugged her. "Marguerite, I don't want to argue. You're my friend and Johnny is, too. Lets' get back to talking rifles." That was something that she could do for hours, as Marguerite knew. She sometimes grew bored of hearing Finn and Roxton discuss guns, hunting, wild animals, history, and such. She had dubbed them the Gun People, and at such times, withdrew to have coffee with Veronica, who viewed this with amusement.
Marguerite was taken unawares, then she hugged Finn back. Being a Briton, she was usually somewhat reserved about hugging in public, although the explorers were really somewhat of a family by now. Finn, on the other hand, was basically a Brazilian, born probably on this Plateau, certainly raised here from a very early age. She was of Anglo parentage, not a Latina, but at times, she showed the Latin temperament. She was also of a more modern age, and from a society in which friends, if they could be found at all, were highly treasured in the aftermath of the almost total breakdown of her society following horrible atomic and biological warfare. When Finn loved, she was apt to express it. Once even emotionally harder than Marguerite in some ways, now that she was among a surrogate family and had been received in love by Challenger, she loved being able to express emotions when she felt like it. Fortunately, she was not hot tempered, but if she encountered enemies, she killed with little remorse or hesitation. Marguerite shuddered internally as she recalled some things that she had seen an angry Finn do. She was glad that they were friends. Better yet, Marguerite had always respected Challenger, and thought that he had made a wise decision in coming to love Finn. The two were an unlikely couple, the Brazilian orphan and penniless, once illiterate, survivor and the prominent British scientist, but they were one of those odd couples that "clicked", in spite of a considerable age difference. Marguerite had thought about this, and decided that Challenger being in his 50's gave him a fatherly aspect that Finn had desperately needed, and her youth had revitalized him...
"So," Finn was saying now, "the .275 will have a longer range before the bullet begins to drop much, but we probably won't need that on this trip. Marguerite can only see to shoot just so far with iron sights, anyway, and the more rapid reloading of the Lee might be useful."
"Just the point that I was making, Finn," said Roxton dryly.
"Since we captured some rifles in 7mm from the Burton slavers, we have plenty of 7mm ammo, " she noted. "That's really the same as the British .275 Rigby, if not loaded with Rigby's patented bullets. But the military 7mm load will kill about anything we'll see. Johnny, how much .303 do we have left?"
"Enough. At least a few hundred rounds," reflected Roxton. "We captured some of that, too, and I have a military .303 and brought some softpoint hunting ammo for it, too, as well as what Marguerite brought."
"We certainly have more .303 or 7mm Mauser ammunition than I plan to carry at any one time," observed Marguerite saucily. "I want to defend myself, but I am not a Mexican revolutionary. I'm not about to walk around with bandoliers crossed on my chest like some lieutenant of Pancho Villa." She smiled at that image.
"Just as well, " noted her man, smiling now, too. "You do have certain items on your chest that I enjoy toying with and admiring, and I should hate for them to become bruised or abraded by bandoliers." He laughed.
Finn laughed, too. "Yeah, having boobs makes a difference. George and I have been thinking about becoming pregnant. But how will I wear my gunbelt if I have a bun in the oven? Johnny, will you make me a shoulder holster, like you wear your Webleys in?
"Certainly, Finn, but are you serious? A pregnancy on this Plateau would be a serious matter. Why not wait until we can reach civilization?"
"Oh, bosh, John," retorted Marguerite. "The Zanga women and all of these other groups on the plateau reproduce all of the time, some far too often for my taste. Veronica and I can help Finn, and Xma'Klee will send midwives when she needs them, if she gives birth." She gazed speculatively at Finn. Maybe she would be the first of the three Treehouse women to become pregnant. Given her lust for life and for sex with George, she would probably be pregnant now had Challenger not devised effective birth control pills. Not that I'm one to talk, she mused, remembering what she and Roxton had been doing until almost two AM that very morning. She blushed at the memory and decided to get back to choosing equipment.
"Should we take a machete, John? I'm not awfully well suited to swinging one, and we can usually find a trail without hacking it out of the bush."
"I don't want to build up any muscles by swinging a machete, either," admitted Finn. "George likes my arms nice and feminine, just as they are. But we can use a machete for stuff besides chopping a path in the jungle. It gives more reach than my knife if we have to pin down a snake and chop off its head, and it's a good jungle utility knife, too. I think I'll take a short one, anyway. It isn't too heavy, really, and it can be very useful."
"Good idea," agreed Roxton. "Finn, I always said that you were smart. I never believed those stories about your being a blonde brain. It's just Marguerite who says that." He grinned.
"Very funny," muttered Marguerite. "John, I do wish that you'd join us." She looked wistfully at him, knowing that he was really needed here.
"Hey, Marguerite, no sweat. I'll show you how to use your hands to get off. We don't have vibrators yet, and they need batteries, anyway, but we girls don't need our men EVERY night." She grinned lewdly, and both of the Roxtons blushed.
"Ahem." Roxton cleared his throat dramatically. "As we were saying...take a machete with a 12-inch blade, Finn. I'll feel better, knowing that you have it. And you have enough ammunition? Are you taking the Mannlicher on this trip, or the .44 Winchester?"
He knew that Finn often favored her M-92 Winchester carbine over her Austrian hunting rifle when no long range was likely to be involved. The American carbine held more cartridges, and it had ample power for men or for most Amazonian mammals at jungle ranges. Like her Smith & Wesson .38, these guns had come her way after they had killed the Burton gang. The .38 Special revolver had replaced her small crossbow for almost all needs, unless she knew that she might have to do silent killing, as she had with the Tecamaya sentries in Xochilenque. (See, "The Crystal Skull" at: www.americanbty12.proboards62.com ) Even when she used the little crossbow these days, she always wore the Smith & Wesson, with which she had formed a close bond. It was on her night stand when she slept, too, on the side of the bed opposite Challenger's. His .45 resided near his own hand. This was not a place where one could always feel safe, even at home.
"The Winchester, I guess, " Finn decided. "I can carry more of the ammunition; it's lighter. And I doubt that I'll have to shoot anything unless we see a snake where we can't get around it. If we have to shoot a raptor or anything else big, Marguerite can do that. It'll give her something to do, so she doesn't get bored." She nudged Marguerite playfully in the ribs with her elbow.
Finally, all was in readiness. Apart from the guns and the medicine, they had packed enough food for two days. Nothing they had would last longer in the tropical climate, anyway. They would gather some fruit and a few other items that were edible if they had to, or shoot small game. Probably, they would return within two days, anyway.
The others saw them off, Veronica giving each a warm hug. "You get back here, fast. I'm going to be the only woman here now. These guys will have me waiting on them and listening to their cheesy jokes until their own women are back." She smiled, but she worried, too, for the jungle was always dangerous. Still, she likd the idea of her friends getting to know it better and becoming more at home there. Veronica had learned at an early age how to survive there, and it frightened her far less than it would most civilized people.
Good byes were said, with Challenger and Roxton being especially sentimental in wishing their women a fair trip. Finn noticed a tear in one of Challenger's eyes, and almost decided not to go, but she consoled herself by remembering that he had gotten by before she had come into his life, and she wanted an adventure. "Look after yourself, Genius," she said and held him tightly.
The Roxtons had a similar scene that was quite emotional for them, and Finn turned her head to spare them embarrassment as they clung to one another, kissing, whispering between themselves.
Finally, they were ready to leave, and walked out of the electrified fence, bound for who knew what. For fun, Finn hoped! and she walked with a light step.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
 |
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 23 2007 : 03:59:24 AM
|
They walked briskly into the forest, hearing the cries of birds and monkeys on every hand, and sometimes, the harsher roars of large therapod dinosaurs.
Marguerite shuddered after one particularly loud call came from nearby. "Remind me why we came on this trip," she muttered.
"To have a girls' day out adventure," retorted Finn. "And because if you had stayed at home, V. would have handed you a broom and a dusting cloth and put you to work. Which is worse, housework or worrying about a T. rex eating us?' She grinned.
"Oh, housework, by far," Marguerite allowed. "Are we stopping for tea soon?"
Finn made a face, looking away so that Marguerite wouldn't see. She could be such a spoiled brat at times.
"Lets' try to stay on the trail for a whole hour before we stop," she suggested. "We need to find somewhere to camp well before dark, and we can't use all of the tea before we even get to those ruins."
"Remind me never to come to a remote plateau devoid of most of the civilized amenities", the Briton asked. "I don't even have a bearer to carry this pack. If Roxton ever spirits me off to Africa, we will at least have safari boys to lug things. Of course, with my luck, lions would eat them all. Or, eat me. And remind me that I thought of this if John ever suggests a safari."
"I can see how being eaten would spoil a trip," Finn admitted. "Hey, look, Marguerite! There's a tree with cashew nuts. Lets' shoot down a pod of them and have us some nuts to snack on."
"It will probably ruin my girlish figure, but go ahead if it won't bring down that T. rex on us when he hears the shot."
Finn looked with a mix of scorn and pity at her friend. Finn lusted to learn about wild animals and how to live off of the land. Marguerite merely tolerated nature, and Finn was surprised that she had come on this journey. "Marguerite, that roar was their mating call. He's not hunting; he's looking for a mate. As long as we stay clear of them, dinosaurs in heat are more interested in each other than they are in finding us."
She raised her Winchester and fired at a pod of nuts, dropping it at their feet. Macaws in the tree screeched their disapproval of this loud noise, and howler monkeys joined in the din.
"Quick, Marguerite, grab those nuts and let's get away from here before any predators come looking to see what these animals are raising Cain about." She gathered nuts, herself.
"They have finished raising Cain," noted Marguerite as the din continued. "I daresay that they'll rouse Abel, too, at this rate. Here, take these. Don't we have to roast them, or something? And add some salt?".
"Yeah, tonight, we'll put them in a clay casing and heat them up. I brought salt. They should be pretty good. And they'll get some fat into our diet. We need some of that. Hey: do you know that Johnny says that in the Arctic, people can starve by eating just rabbits and those grouse they call ptarmigan? They don't have any fat to speak of, and our bodies need that."
Marguerite looked suspiciously at her friend. "Are you having me on?"
"No, this is the straight stuff," said an offended Finn. "Marguerite, I don't have to make up this survival information. The world really is stranger than you'd think."
"Hold up," said the brunette. "There's a boa constrictor lying in wait about 30 feet ahead, on that branch." She pointed to the offending limb.
"Thanks," said a grateful Finn. "That was a good call. We'll just swing wide of that tree, and pass by."
And so it went, with Finn teaching Marguerite what she could, with Marguerite gripng good naturedly about the unfairness of life and the dangers of the Plateau. And sometimes, she talked about John Roxton. Finn smiled. It was becoming obvious that Marguerite was much in love and pretty happy for it.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 24 2007 : 04:32:42 AM
|
They trekked on, Finn using an army lensatic compass borrowed from Roxton. She knew how to set a compass course, and showed Marguerite how, also.
In time, they did stop for tea. Marguerite claimed that she would die of exhaustion if they didn't. Finn knew that this was an exaggeration, but she was tired, too.
They gathered wood and set a small blaze on stony ground, where it couldn't start a forest fire. They hung the tea billy from a stick of green wood and boiled water, then added tea leaves.
Each woman had her own cup, and they had sugar, obtained through trade with a white tribe near the Zanga.
As they drank and rested, Marguerite talked about the emeralds that she had heard were found in the stream near the ruins. "They are said to be be splendid, items for which a queen would kill."
"I guess we know why you came on this trip, then," Finn quipped. But she smiled.
"Finnykins, I am NOT interested solely in jewels, " rejoined Marguerite. "I was once obsessed with them, but I now have many and it is with largely intellectual interest that I pursue them. I want a few more, if they are exceptional, but I also want to study those ruins. Maybe they will give us a clue to getting off of this godforsaken Plateau. Even if not, the more I can learn, the better our chances of surviving here longer are enhanced."
Finn studied her friend. "Is it true that you're a reincarnated Druid priestess? Morrighan? What did you do for fun back then, when you first lived?"
"Finn, I don't know what I am. But I have extrasensory powers and I can speak most languages, even those that I've never studied. It's creepy. Maybe this Plateau has infused some of this Morrighan into me, and I seem to be regarded by the Druids whom we've met as being her. I think it's only a strong physical resemblance. I certainly don't feel immortal. Heavens, some mornings when I wake up, I marvel that I can even get out of bed early."
"Why would you want to, with John there?" Finn grinned impudently at her.
"Ah, good question, now that you mention it," Marguerite laughed back. "But we all must rise sometime, or Ned or Veronica will come calling with a list of things to do. Had we not gotten an early start today, we'd have been hoeing the garden by now or dusting shelves and tables."
"Marguerite, may I ask you some personal things? How many jewels did you steal? Was it pretty exciting? And tell me more about that sultan and what he made you girls do when you were a slave. (See, "A Prisoner of the Sultan," etc. on this board.) Does Johnny like the same stuff that he did? Can you give me any good ideas for new moves to try out on George? I want him to think that I'm the hottest babe he'll ever see, and enjoy whatever I think he might like. I want to spoil him so much that he'll never think of looking twice at any other chick."
Marguerite was tempted to tell Finn that some things were none of her business, but Finn was so innocent in some ways, if not at all in others, that she took pity on her. And she loved Challenger so completely that Marguerite was moved to describe some lovemaking techniques that she had been forced to learn to please her master in Arabia. And, truth be told, she found herself enjoying having a trusted friend to talk to, to share intimate details. Some of what she told Finn, she would not have told Veronica, who was more inhibited. But this was fun girl talk, and she felt a little wicked as she narrated how she could charm almost any man and make him plead for more. She admitted that Roxton had benefitted from her knowledge from that dark period of her life when she had served a demanding master who wanted pleasure from his girls, or else.
Finn listened raptly, chin on hand, staring into Marguerite's eyes with unbridled admiration and curiosity. Marguerite was touched, and she felt rather good about being able to share her tips with Finn. It was therapeutic to be able to talk about this situation, especially of matters that had once shamed her. These now thrilled another girl, who looked up to her.
She was telling Finn about harem disclipine and what her fellow slaves were like when it struck her how very easy Finn was to talk to. And she could keep secrets! Marguerite knew that she had finally found a true friend, one whom she realized that she wanted to know for the rest of her life.
Her tea tasted even better with that thought, and they shared some honeycakes that Veronica had made.
In time, Finn shared some of her own secrets and the two women wound up hugging one another and crying a little as they comforted each other. This felt wonderful, and each sensed that a new phase of friendship had blossomed for them.
They realized that the sun was well over the midpoint of the sky, and decided to press on and find a good campground, with shelter and access to water.
As they packed again, Finn saw a rattlesnake nearby and killed it with an expertly thrown rock. She finished it off with a whack from her short machete and cleaned the blood off of the sturdy bush knife as Marguerite recoiled in horror from the remains of the snake.
"We could save the meat," Finn noted. "It'd be good tonight, for supper. We can wrap it on a stick and grill it." She hid a smile, knowing Marguerite's answer.
"Do we have any alternative," the brunette woman asked, "other than starvation? That's when I'd think seriously about eating a snake."
Finn admitted that even she had rather catch fish near the ruins, or use some dried meat that they had with them. "We can maybe kill an agouti or rabbits, too," she noted.
Walking wide of the still twitching snake,they resumed the trail.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 25 2007 : 10:33:01 AM
|
In a few hours, they reached the top of a hill with a long slope down to the trail to the ruins. Finn slipped behind a tree stump, blasted by lightning. She took out her Zeiss 8X30 binocular, one of her proudest possessions, and one that she often used for nature study as well as for hunting. Like many of her better things, it had been captured from Burton's slavers. (See, "Spirit Jaguar".)
Using the stump to break up her outline, Finn scanned the area below, noting an opossum some 75 yards away. She let it pass, not needing the meat urgently, and not wanting to fire a shot that might alert enemies to their presence.
Marguerite had started to stay in the forest, but grew lonely and crept over by Finn.
Finn turned her head and smiled, glad of the company. "Give me a few minutes," she said, and continued sweeping the ground below, looking for anything abnormal before they walked out into the open. She braced her elbows on her knees to steady the view, a trick that she had learned from John Roxton.
Finally, she gave the all clear, and they went quickly over the crest, lest anyone watching note their forms silhouetted against the sky. The long slope was carpeted with grass and with clumps of bamboo in marshy areas.
They reached the bottom of the hill and cast about for the game trail that Veronica had said was near there. Finding it, they pressed on, now longing to reach the ruins before dark.
Finn pointed to various tracks, and told Marguerite which animals had been there before they had.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 25 2007 : 8:06:18 PM
|
At last, they made a sharp turn in the trail. Veronica had said that this was a landmark, letting them know that they were on the right path, and would soon see the ruins.
And they did, although they had to detour once to avoid a Bushmaster, coiled near the base of a tree on the right of the trail. They could have slain the venomous snake, but neither usually killed when they had no need, and the ground was open enough that they could bypass it. It made no effort to attack, despite the species' fierce reputation. Finn reminded Marguerite that the Bushmaster was the longest venomous snake in the Americas, and that although the drop-for-drop toxicity wasn't much worse than for the North American Copperhead, the venom glands held so much of this virulent poison that a bite was apt to inject massive quantities of the horrible substance. Few people survived its awesome strike. Some examples reached at least 14 feet!
"The scientific name for it is Lachesis muta," said Finn. "Wanta know why?"
Marguerite rolled her eyes. Learning about snakes was not high on her list of priorities.
"Why, pray tell?,", she managed, pretending to care.
"Because Lachesis was the mythical Greek Fate who snipped the coils of life. And 'muta' just means that it's silent, that it doesn't rattle like some pit vipers. But it can vibrate its tail in leaves and make a scary sound."
"Finn, how do you remember all of this? I gather that this is some morsel of information that you've gleaned from George?"
"Sure. He teaches me a lot, and I love learning about animals. Once we get settled in England, we plan to go to Africa and to India, maybe back here, to hunt and to do scientific studies. I want to write about that, and I think I can make movies with wild animals in them. People would pay to see that stuff, and no one much has done any of it, in this time."
"But how can you remember icky facts anout snakes?" Marguerite shivered.
"It's interesting, to me, anyway. And if George teaches me, I have a duty to him to remember. Marguerite, you can't imagine what it's like to be the woman of a genius like he is! I feel like I'm sleeping with the greatest scientist of all time. He's not just my man; he's an icon! And he's more to me than just my guy. He's also a teacher, mentor, friend, and shrink. Ned and Johnny are more like brothers, but George is so..." she wiped away a tear. "Oh, damn. We shouldn't have come. I miss him already, and I know that he's missing me, too."
Marguerite laid a hand on Finn's shoulder. "I miss John, too, but this is sort of fun, isn't it? Even I'm enjoying myself, despite my perennial griping. That's just me, you know. Let's find those ruins."
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 27 2007 : 09:39:41 AM
|
Soon, they came to an open glade, where they saw the first of the ruins. It had at one time been a temple or a palace, and stood almost 100 feeet high and was over fifty yards wide, the main doors wide enough to admit several people at once. It was deep, running well back into the undergrowth.
The facade of the doors was carved with ceremonial figures, and Marguerite realized as they examined them that this was either Mayan or something very like it. Maybe the Tecamaya had passed this way before they had journeyed further over to the east where they now dwelt. (See, "The Crystal Skull".)
"Who's this weird guy, falling backward?", Finn wanted to know.
"That's Pacal,I'd bet," said Marguerite. "He was a great Maya king! I KNEW this looked like their work. That same figure or one very like it is on the lid of his sarcophagus."
They wandered further, finding a steep pyramid further back in the jungle, overgrown with vines and foliage. There was a whole city here at one time, and much of it had been preserved for them to find. Veronica knew little of the Maya or the Aztec, and her experiences with the Tecamaya on this Plateau wouldn't have encouraged her to study them more. She probably had no idea who had designed and built that narrow pyramid or how it had been used. Thus, all she had told them was that this was an impressive set of ruins.
The girls explored the area around the main building, and wandered down to the river about a hundred yards distant. Finding a place where it ran shallow, up to their thighs, even less deep in places, they resolved to pan for gold and hunt for emeralds.
"We have time before it gets too dark," observed Finn, looking at the lowering sun. It still stood high enough above the horizon that they could see well for another couple of hours, and they wanted treasure!
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 27 2007 : 11:29:06 AM
|
"The current looks slow enough here that it shoudn't be a threat," Marguerite pointed out. I'm going after emeralds! George taught me the basic technique, and I hope to find some!"
Then, a thought struck her as she watched Finn set her pack and rifle down and pull off her boots.
"I'm wearing a long skirt, and I'm not about to get it wet. Oh, why haven't I ever made myself a pair of shorts like you wear?"
Finn grinned. "Maybe because it would be too racy for someone raised like you were, in this time. I heard you tell Johnny and Ned that I have an exhibitionist streak in me. But this is a cool outfit, no pun intended, and it lets me wade when I take off my boots. You're going to have to get out of that skirt, and the blouse, too, Marguerite. If you roll up the sleeves, they'll just keep coming down, and getting wet and being a nuisance. Anyway, the water will sometimes reach high enough to get it wet, and you don't want that."
"So what the hell am I supposed to do?" wailed the dark- haired woman. "Perform a little jungle striptease, or forego looking for the emeralds? George said there really may be some here!" She looked as if she was about to start wringing her hands in anguish.
"Good grief, Marguerite! Just strip and leave your clothes beside my pack. I'm going to pan for gold along here, and I'll stay close enough to our stuff to run for my rifle if anything happens. Hell, I'll undress, too. I could use some sun on my body, and I'll just get my clothes wet if I leave them on. We didn't bring a change, and I don't want to sleep in wet clothes." She unbuckled her gunbelt and put it beside their packs and rifles.
Marguerite shrugged. "Why not? We've seen each other in the altogether often enough, and the boys aren't going to see us. Not that they haven't a few times. I felt so exposed, on display, in Xochilenque. I'm glad that none of you teased Veronica and me for that. I'd have died of embarrassment." She passed her gunbelt to Finn and unbuttoned her skirt.
"We did tease V., or Ned did.," reminded Finn. "He insisted that she keep that little loincloth and told her how hot she looked in it. I think you know damned well how good you looked, or you'd never have kept the one they made you wear, too. It was just more fun to tease V. about it. That's funny: she normally wears less than you do, but she was more embarrassed to wear that little outfit than you were. And you're less self concious about those skimpy outfits we wear when we dance for the guys. Why? Do you just know how terrific you look, with that superb figure, knowing that we girls are jealous and that the men can't help but stare?"
"Veronica is more modest beyond a certain point, I suppose," mused Marguerite. "But do you mean that about being jealous? Of me? Finn, you're gorgeous, yourself! Don't try to fool me: I know quite well how you preen when male eyes are on you. You DO have a slightly exhibitionist streak in you." She laughed as she passed Finn her blouse.
Finn shrugged. "So? Okay, I love being female and showing it. But you're the best looking of us, Marguerite. Veronica is bustier than either of us, and I'm a litle jealous of that. Maybe you are, too. I've seen you sneaking peeks at her when we're swimming or dancing and you grimace a little like you wish you had more there. I'm even a little smaller than you, topside. But overall, you have the best figure, and I think you move the best, especially when you want to impress the guys. V. and I will never quite get some of those dance moves down as well as you have. Yeah, you're hot, Marguerite. John didn't fall for you just because you played hard-to-get and can be really funny when you aren't being a smartass."
Finn examined Marguerite with a critical eye, seing her now in just a white push-up bra with some lace trim and brief bikini panties, made to match the bra. The panties had a rose applique sewn above her abdomen, and dainty lace trim on the leg openings. They were exquisite testimony to Marguerite's sewing skills, for she had made most of her own present lingerie, working to drawings made by Finn, with the designs reflecting styles of over a hundred years yet in the future.
"Get it off, Finn. I want to see how close our figures are. I'm not that much trimmer than you. You're just trying to flatter me."
Finn blushed slightly as she stripped, folding her clothes and Marguerite's by their gear. Her own panties and bra mirrored Margerite's except that Finn's were black, to match her outer clothing.
"Stand next to me," said Finn. "See? You do have a little better 'bod'. Why would I try to flatter you? I already have all the gold and jewels that I can carry out of here when we leave. It's not like I'm going to try to get you to share your emeralds with me. If you even find any!" She laughed. "And I bet you don't! This trip will probably just have to be for fun. But I want to see if I can pan any gold. I've been practicing the technique. If it's here, I'll find some."
Marguerite was stumped. Why, indeed, would Finn flatter her, just to do that? Could she really mean what she said? She had Finn stand side on to her and critically assessed her. "You're not bad, Finn. Not too many lads would turn down a chance to have a go at you. George is a lucky man, to have you so obsessed with him." She smiled, and squeezed Finn's shoulder.
Finn grinned back. "I may be obsessed, Marguerite, but I'm in love so much that I can't help it, and I think I shook Mr. Great Scientist's composure, too. He never expected to care so much about a woman as he does me. But I guess that I love him more than he loves me. Usually, in a relationship, I think one partner loves, and the other IS loved. Or, relatively so. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, some, very often. But I think that George cares as much for you as you do for him. He's just afraid to show it more than he already does. He has it bad for you, Nicole. The two of you really do believe that stuff that you say about your love being the ultimate romance of all time, don't you? Well, maybe so. But Roxton and I are right on your heels. And if you're a penniless refugee orphan, I'm no better. The slave girl and jewel thief and fortune hunter and confidence game girl who's bilked men out of considerable sums. Not to mention that I was a double agent in the war. Lying to Germans who thought that I was their friend...and some of them were really quite decent chaps. They were just on the wrong side."
"But here we are, the slave and thief and the desperate refugee from the future, and what do we get? Two of the most desirable men on this Earth. Finn, we don't deserve those fellows." Marguerite felt her eyes watering and she wiped away tears. "They could have any number of women with bodies and faces every bit as good as ours, and maybe better. And better reputations, too! Why did they choose us? Is there no justice? Maybe it's all right for you and George, because you're basically a nice, deserving girl and you worship him. But I'm just..." She lifted her hands to her eyes and let the tears come.
Finn stepped over and embraced her. "Marguerite, if there is any real justice, I think we got those guys because no other women on the planet would truly love them as much as we do. So, maybe we ARE the best choices for them. I suspect that they know that, and they love us right back. If they wanted someone else, they would have had them. Johnny could have had his pick of half of the ladies in England, I bet. And I got George's head out of the lab better than anyone ever has. Maybe this actually is programmed in the stars. But I do think both of us are precisely the girls for these men. And you and I are both going to prove that, so quit bawling. Your past is in the past, and the woman it made you is the one that Johnny fell for, so you must have something that he wants, right?" She held Marguerite, stroking her back, pulling her close, comforting her. She sensed that Marguerite had been feeling much guilt of late, having admitted her love for John on one hand, and confessed her early life on the other. She felt ashamed, and needed to learn that she was redeemed by her change, her love for Roxton, and her determination to serve him well and to set aside what she had been.
Finn explained this as best she could, and Marguerite finally nodded.
"You really think that I've been given a second chance, Nicole?" She searched her friend's eyes, begging to be told that this was so, and that she could prove worthy of John Roxton.
"Yes, Marguerite, I believe exactly that. So have I. I've done some rough things too, because I had to. But now, we are going to be fine, and we are going to make those men proud of us. Let's make each other proud of us, too. I want you for my friend, for always. Will you be my pal? We both need one another, I think. George is great, but sometimes, I need a woman to talk to. Veronica has really been there for me, but she isn't truly like us. She is more innocent, in some ways. Do you know what I mean?"
"Umhmmm," Marguerite managed. "And I'll be pleased to be your friend, Finn. Just remember who I am and that I have a smartarse tongue in my mouth and try to put up with me when I speak before I think. And thanks for saying what you did about my looks. Few women openly compliment others. I feel very privileged to have heard you say that."
"Oh, I was sincere, Marguerite. You're a major fox, lady. When we get to London and go to parties, I'm going to stand by you so that all the men will look at me." She broke out laughing. "Hey! We'd better get busy or we sure aren't going to find any treasure. And I'm getting hungry, I want to make dinner before the sun sets. Shall we?" She gestured at the river.
Marguerite wiped her eyes, then she laughed, too. "Please do stand stand by me at parties, and the men will look at us because you're blonde. That's one thing that I can't boast. And I'm jealous of you and Veronica for it. So, we're at least even."
She picked up her small pan and waded out into the river.
"Eeek!,": she squealed. "Finn, this water is cold! It must run down from the mountains."
"Great," Finn answered. "Maybe it'll have trout in it. I want to catch some of those. George would be so surprised.!"
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 27 2007 : 12:12:38 PM
|
As the women worked, one swirling water in a pan to check for specks of gold, the other digging in the mud and sand in the shallow river's bottom, a man emerged from the shadows of the jungle above and behind them.
He was an Indian, and he carried a long blowgun and poison darts as well as a machete stolen from a Brazilian trader whose shrunken head now graced the wall of this warrior's hut. His headband and facial paint showed that he was dressed for war, and he had shaggy decorations strapped to his knees. He wore sandals that let him move silently forward, taking cover behind a giant tree barely 50 yards from the girl with the golden hair.
He studied her and looked closely as the dark-haired one came over to show the golden one something. They squealed, and giggled, and the tinkle of their laughter was music in his ears.
The Indian felt his manhood stir and he knew that he wanted these women. Perhaps his chief would allow using them before their heads were removed to decorate the war hut, the Long Room. Maybe they might even be allowed to live, to serve the Men. Their own women would be unhappy with this and would express it, and the chief would know this. But perhaps if these girls were made subject to the women, too, they would be allowed to live. They could pay for their lives by entertaining the Men and by doing the less pleasant work that their women despised. Thus would they satisfy all the inhabitants of the village. The warrior would speak of this to his fellows, and perhaps this could be so. But if it was decreed that the girls must die, he would insist on taking the head of the golden one. Her shrunken trophy would be a great source of pride, with her yellow hair so distinctive. All of his fellow warriors would marvel as they visited. Some would come for miles, to see the head of this golden female. Either way, he would win a great prize this night. He had seen her first, and he would claim her by right of first sight, and by leading the others to prizes that would oherwise have been missed!
His gaze dropped to their clothing. They were wearing little, and he could tell his companions how lovely they were, with no need to guess. But there were long items by their packs that he suspected were the firesticks of which he had heard. Care would be needed as they came for these women. They must be surprised...
He looked carefully around again, for men. What sort of men would let women like these wander off on their own? Strange. But there were no men!
The Xingu scout waited until the women waded out into the water again and then slipped silently away. He would have better news than expected, when he found his fellow braves...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2007 : 9:32:16 PM
|
After a little over an hour of panning for gold had passed, the girls met and compared their finds. Finn had enough gold to melt it and shape an ornament for a necklace, and she was very pleased. Marguerite had found two nice emeralds, and was very excited.
They washed off the sand and mud and stripped, putting their undies out to dry on a nearby bush, where the warmth of the day and a slight breeze would have them ready to wear before too long.
They spread a towel and sat on it, on a wide rock at the water's edge. They were almost shoulder-to-shoulder, and felt close in mind and body. Marguerite rejoiced that she could finally be so close to someone else, especially of her own sex. She knew that Finn shared her joy in finding a deeper friendship than either had thought to have, and they talked about the gold and jewels and their men and how they wished that Veronica could have joined them.
The breeze carressed their skin, a gentle wafting of air and the rays of the sun making this a luxurious experience.
They watched the water, but it was so clear that a snake or crocodile would be easily seen, and the water here was too shallow for prehistoric monsters.
Marguerite turned her back to Finn, and the blonde girl used their second towel to dry Marguerite's hair. Marguerite remembered a recent day in the Treehouse, when John Roxton had dried her hair as she came fresh from the shower (See, "Sultry" on MK2's board) and she glowed as she fantasized about where THAT had led!
Then, they switched off, and she dried Finn's shorter hair. Marguerite was surprised that she felt pleasure in doing something for a friend. I have been so awfully alone for all these years, she mused, and was glad to know true friendship at last. It felt new and wonderful.
They sat crosslegged now, facing one another, each having a view of the other for which men would have paid. The brunette put on her hat briefly, and they laughed at how erotic this made her look. Marguerite noted that Finn shaved between her legs, as Roxton had had her do before they had made extended love in the Treehouse on those wonderful two days when they were alone. She had left a short, narrow path of hair just above her nether lips, whereas Marguerite was now bare there.
Marguerite nodded at Finn's small pubic patch. "I see you left a litle fur there. Proof of blondeness?" She smirked.
Finn grinned self -conciously. "Yeah. I thought of going bald like you have, but George left a little. I got him to shave me. He could reach things that I couldn't, or get to everything more easily. Besides, it was an erotic experience for him. For us." She blushed. "He wasn't sure that he'd like it, but after getting used to it, he loves it. And nothing gets in the way of his eyes, or of his tongue when he, uh, well, you know..." She blushed crimson.
Marguerite laughed."Oh, how well I DO know. Lord Roxton has a nice touch there, too. I imagine that he has driven more women than I like to think about wild with his ministrations in that area. It certainly works on me." It struck her that until now, she would never have dreamed of discussing this intimate detail with a female friend. She had done it a few times with other girls in discussions about men, but in a more abstract, general sense. Now, she was admitting that someone whom they both knew had done THAT to her, and that she had loved it! That was new. It even excited and pleased her to share this knowledge with Finn.
They shared other intimacies, Finn mentally filing some new tricks to try on Challenger when they returned to their men. She admitted that she missed Challenger so much that she ached.
Marguerite nodded. "I know exactly how you feel, but I also love just being alone here, the two of us, sharing things that I never expected to discuss with another woman, one whom I could call a very close friend. Finn, thank you for being you, and for forgiving me my trespasses of the past. I was wrong to have called you Challenger's postadolescent blonde bimbo. You are so much more than a plaything for that great man. I'm sorry that I took so long to realize just how much there is to you. Of course, the realization has been gradual. Even when I said that, I knew you well enough to know that you were far more than I implied. I am so sorry, and so glad that we have become friends." She looked shyly down, and Finn reached over and squeezed her hand.
"It's forgiven, Marguerite. Thank you for saying that, though. I wouldn't miss this, but I just feel incomplete without George."
"That's all right," Marguerite teased. "You can butter MY bread tonight. Or, could, if we had any butter." Butter was too perishable an item to carry on trips away from home, and it was several years before they had managed to make any. Challenger's refrigerator made it easy to keep perishables in the Treehouse, but a tropical climate was not kind to butter, chocolate, or other pleasant food items when on the trail. Finn longed for the freeze-dried trail meals that she had occasionally eaten when in her own century. Just add water and you could cook a great meal, under the circumstances. She told Marguerite, who asked if this was true, or a tall tale. Finn insisted that it was true, and the brunette woman sighed.
"I wish that I could live in your day, before the devastation. Just think of what two girls like us could have gotten up to!" She laughed, a litle ruefully.
In time, they gathered their things and put on the change of underwear that each had brought, and went up to the ruins.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2007 : 9:58:23 PM
|
They set their things just inside the wide door of the first building that they had seen, and gathered firewood from the immediate area. Marguerite wore her hat again, and Finn grinned at the way she looked. She wished that Roxton could have seen her that way. Of course, he probably had...And they had their boots on now. It wouldn't do to step on anything sharp, or to feel the sting of one of the virulent tropical scorpions that they knew were on the Plateau.
Finn noted that Marguerite's fresh bra and panties were a wonderful deep green, what the older woman told her was dark jade. "George made up a special batch of the dye for me," Marguerite explained. "I think I'll make some more items in this color. Want some? I'll sew them for you, if you'll draw just what you want. I'm going to make some in mint green, too, and what I'll call burnt tangerine. Or, maybe bronze tangerine. I think that Veronica will like the orange-y ones."
Finn nodded. "Thanks, Marguerite. I'd love that, and I know that George will like the view. He'll whip up a new batch of dye for you in no time with an incentive like that. He loves watching me walking around in just my undies when we have the place to ourselves. Hey: get those two thick sticks over there. They'll burn long enough to cook dinner, with this smaller stuff."
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2007 : 10:30:38 PM
|
They built the fire inside an alcove within the temple, or whatever it had been, to conceal the light from prying eyes. The smoke drifted up through a hole in the roof, dispersed in the branches of an overhanging tree. They were probably safe from intruders here, but neither wanted to be more concerned about that than they must.
In the small flames of the fire, they lit a torch and explored their domain. They discovered a flight of stairs that led to the roof, and several more alcoves. The floor was stone, worn smooth with the passage of many feet, over who knew how many years. It felt cool to the touch, and they knew that they would need their blankets if the night grew cold. Clouds loomed now, pregnant with the threat of rain, which would chill the air. Already, thunder mumbled in the distance, and Finn shivered as she anticipated what was to come.
They returned to the fire, confident now that nothing lurked in the shadows beyond its light. Finn had carried her Winchester at the ready as Marguerite had hefted the torch. She was glad that they had not needed to fire a shot, the sound of which would have been enormous in this enclosed space.
They got out their small pot and added water, with dried meat. They put in a slivered potato and some sliced carrots and brought the improvised stew to a boil, until the vegetables were done.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2007 : 11:08:29 PM
|
Later, they would clean the pot with sand and boil water from the small river in it, to purify it. Then, they would pour the water from the pot into the tea billy, back-and-forth, to aereate the water, avoiding the flat taste that boiled water otherwise had. Then, they would fill their canteens.
Now, they made tea and enjoyed their meal, with some bread that they had brought, and rejoiced in the tranquility of the tropical evening.
The lurking storm was yet some distance away, and its fury was now just a cooling influence on the heat of the earth. The thick stone walls of the temple had kept the interior cool even in the heat of the day, and they felt good, physically and emotionally.
They ate, talked, and occasionally, animals near enough could hear peals of feminine laughter as one or the other said something particularly funny.
After, they cleaned up, filled their canteens as described, and dressed. Marguerite left off her skirt, and they left their boots off. They gathered more wood, in case they wanted warmth and light, and eventually, they lay beside one another and talked more, each knowing comfort in their deepened friendship. This had been gradually building since their time in a slave cell over a year ago, courtesy of the late Avery Burton. Marguerite had been more touched than she had wished to admit at Finn's efforts to distract Burton from her, for he hated her. Thus, he was determined to humiliate her more than the other girls who wore his chains, and had Finn not distracted him with her feigned admiring submisssion, he would undoubtedly have punished her more than he had. Marguerite was unused to such sacrifice on the part of a friend,and she had liked Finn ever since. Now, she knew just how close they could be, and it filled her with a welcome new warmth.
There was a faint rustle in the shadows, and Finn lifted her flashlight. Challenger had devised a means to recharge their batteries, but it worked imperfectly, and they had little life in them. The flashlight could be used only for brief emergencies. Now, it showed a huge tarantula near their wood supply.
They yelped, and Finn reached for her machete. Marguerite smashed a boot down onto the loathsome creature and Finn chopped it in half. The halves wriggled, reaching out with the fangs in the head visible in the faint light. Finn turned the machete and brought the face of the blade down again and again, smashing the twisting bits of arachnid.
When it was long past being a threat, they shuddered together, wishing that their men had been there to deal with such matters.
"Roxton had better not have things like that at Avebury, or we are going to be spending a lot of time in hotels," declared Marguerite.
Finn laughed. "You know he'll take care of you," she answered, and they settled down again, hoping for a peaceful night as the storm approached.
Soon, they moved further back from a window as rain lashed the structure and lightning slammed into a nearby tree, which split with a frightening crack. A heavy limb tumbled down into the forest, and the women huddled under a blanket as the fury of the night intimidated them as such things had done when they were ittle girls. Neither had had anyone to turn to then, and that had made the terror of the elements worse. Now, they had one another, and each sensed what the other felt in that way. They held hands and said brave things until the force of the storm had passed, the torrential downpour now just a steady rain.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2007 : 11:48:01 PM
|
Not far away, a dozen Xingu warriors huddled beneath their capes, miserable as the forces of nature punished them. They, too, shuddered as the storm spent itself in the skies above them.
Finally, when the worst was over, they came out from such shelters as they had found and made plans to capture the two exotic beauties whom their scout had described.
It took some time to sort out the path in the debris that the storm had left, and one asked if the women might have left long since. The scout said that they probably had not, unless they lived nearby. He pointed out that they had probably sought shelter in the ruins. They had no idea which people had left those ruins, this being their first foray onto the Plateau via this route. But the scout had told them that this was an imposing place, made by a race now probably long gone.
Finally, they approched the ruins and divided, six men to a team They would soon light torches and rush the interior of the first temple, the one most likely to have been chosen by the strange females. With any luck, they would have these girls bound and begging for mercy long before the remainder of their three hundred man force arrived. Their brothers would be impressed, if these girls were even nearly as impressive as they had been described. Their leader's brother was the chief of this advance group and he promised to intercede with his relative and prevail on him to let them use the women until they decided whether to keep them in thrall or to behead them. If they were to be beheaded, the chief of this group wanted to do it in their home village, with suitable ceremony. They hoped to take other captives on the Plateau, coming as they had before, to seize women and to take heads. The Zanga knew too well their depredations. They had usually kept the Zanga girls they captured, and there should be no difference between them and enslaving the white girls. Their heads would grace the walls of their huts, but their living bodies would grace their homes more.
They moved forward, trying to walk as quietly as they could as the ruins grew near. They smeared pitch from a clay jar onto the heads of their torches and prepared to light them.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 28 2007 : 11:59:14 PM
|
In the ancient temple, Marguerite stirred. She wondered what had waked her, for the night was still, save for the usual murmur of insects and frogs in the trees beyond their portal. Still, something had made her rise and listen. Nothing special. Yet...
She reached over and nudged Finn, sleeping next to her. "Finn, wake up, damn it! Something is very wrong!"
Finn muttered that she had slept for barely an hour and demanded to know what was the matter.
"I don't know, but I know not to ignore this feeling when I've had it. Quick, put on your boots and get your things. Let's go up those stairs onto the roof. I think someone or something is about to give us some serious grief." She reached for her boots, tugging them on with such urgency that Finn shook off sleep, and reached for her own boots.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 29 2007 : 2:37:54 PM
|
The girls reached the roof and lay flat on its surface, listening. Marguerite cortorted to put on her skirt, and both managed to don their gunbelts and adjust them so that the holsters (and Finn's knife) lay comfortably as they should. Finn thrust her machete into the loops sewn onto the pack for it.
They heard rustling in the darkness below, and they somehow knew that this was human, not the movements of animals.
Finn turned over her pack quietly, reached inside, and produced a ball-like object. In the shadows, Marguerite couldn't see the handle on it, or the ring that would be pulled to let the handle fly off and arm this monstrous device.
"What's that thing?" she whispered furiously. "Finn, I think these are people, and I don't think they're going to be friendly."
"Grenade," Finn whispered back. "One of those we took from Burton. Johnny showed me how to use it. I was going to throw one in the river to kill fish if we needed food that badly. If those creeps rush our room, I'm going to drop this down that crack in the roof and let them have a warm welcome."
Marguerite wondered if they shouldn't just lie still, and hope not to be discovered.
"No," said Finn. "Not only will they find the stairs and see our footprints in the dust, they'll find my bra that was still drying. They'll search all over for us, and we need to kill as many as we can at the outset. Then, lets' scramble! We can get away on that overhanging limb if the others are distracted by what happens in the temple." She pointed to a huge limb that had grown over the edge of the temple wall.
Marguerite nodded, and prepared to put on her pack and run.
Torches were lit now, and several men rushed into the temple doorway, screaming war cries intended to petrify the women whom they thought were within. Marguerite peeked over the ledge on the roof and recognized the enemy in the torchlight. "Xingu headhunters!," she hissed at Finn.
That was all that Finn needed to hear. She immediately pulled the ring on the grenade, let the handle flip off, and held it for one second, then dropped it down into the temple. She could see that the leading elements of the attackers were already at the stairs.
The grenade landed in front of one man. It bounced on the stone floor, and he bent to pick it up. It didn't look to be fruit or anything else that might fall naturally. In fact. it looked metal, with odd segments in the surface...
Another man called that he could see footprints in the dust on the stairs, and all rushed over. At that point, the grenade went off with a loud WHUMP! and the women above were startled by the force of the concussion. One or two bits of shrapnel flew out the roof, but none touched Finn or Marguerite.
Below, the story was different. All was still for a few seconds, then they heard a man crying in mortal pain. Others groaned mightily. Finn eased over and looked down a fissure in the roof. She saw five men down, three not moving. The other two were badly wounded, and would be no further threat. One clutched his stomach, and his legs were bleeding badly, too. At least two more men cowered in the corners, stunned by what had happened.
"Go for the limb, but be quiet," she whispered. Both women went into the tree as other Xingu rushed in to see what had happened.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - June 29 2007 : 3:34:49 PM
|
Back in the Treehouse, Roxton had showered after the day's labor and dressed for dinner. They were seated at the table as evening fell, and Veronica was making the rounds with a bowl of rice. She placed scoops on the mens' plates, and they thanked her. Challenger passed around a carafe of iced tea and one of water.
"I must say that you look lovely, my dear, " Challenger said to Veronica. "You are certainly the prettiest hostess on the plateau tonight." He smiled at the Layton lass.
"Oh, thanks, George," she replied, smiling back. "I think I won that hostess contest handily. It's not like you guys had a wide choice in hotels. At least, there's room at the inn, here."
"Inn?" mumbled Ned through a mouthful of tapir meat. "I thought this was a longterm residence."
She set down the bowl of rice and hugged him. "For you, Neddy, it's home. And you get special privileges with the hostess." She kissed the blushing Malone and laughed, the sound of her voice music in the mens' ears.
"I'm glad to see you boys laugh," noted Veronica. "You two seemed glum. Missing the girls?"
"Yes, I feel imcomplete without Marguerite," admitted John Roxton. "I know that she wants to have this little adventure, and I basically trust Finn to look after her, but I can't help but feel uneasy."
Challenger nodded. "I shall have to butter my own bread tonight." He chuckled at his pampering by Finn. "But they deserve some time to themselves. And if they aren't back early tomorrow, John and I are going fishing. We men need time to ourselves, too."
Veronica looked shrewdly at him. "You and John are great friends," she observed, "but you also like fishing with your fiancee. Sure that you don't really wish that Finn was here to share in your angling adventures?" She smiled sympathetically, knowing the answer. The Challengers were a close couple, and George managed to look half lost in the absence of his mate.
"Certainly, I will be glad to have her back. Uh, John, perhaps we should plan to fish in the direction that they went. Perhaps we shall see the girls on their way home."
Veronica seated herself and pulled her chair up to the table. She leaned over and kissed Ned. "I think we should go off on our own for a day or so, Ned. When the others return. Would you like that? I'm sure that we can find plenty to do."
"Baby, you're all that I want to 'do'" Ned blurted, then was embarrassed at his boldness.
Veronica blushed, too, and promised that she would give him all of her that he could stand. "But I want to have a romantic picnic, too, and watch the butterflies. They'll migrate through here, soon. And there are some really lovely flowers that I want to pick to decorate the Treehouse table. And you can fish while I watch and we talk. If you don't catch anything, I'll run and let you catch me. What happens then is up to you, Mighty Reporter!" She flushed even more but was pleased to see the look on Ned Malone's face.
"Ahem," said Challenger. "Veronica, you have done a splendid job with this brown gravy. It goes so well with both the meat and the rice."
Roxton smiled. He hoped that the Malones caught both fish and one another. They were nice people. But he longed to see Marguerite soon, too. He just wasn't the same without her. Challenger was right: they should fish along the river that led to the ruins. And if they didn't see the women soon, he was going to go look for them. Marguerite might think him weak not to have been able to go without seeing her for more than a day, but she would also be pleased to know that he pined for her that much. He wanted her in his arms. I have fallen totally in love, he admitted to himself. That woman means the world to me, and she seems to have decided to like that...
"John, what are you smiling about?" asked Ned. "You seem to be elsewhere."
"I am," confessed Roxton. "Somewhere in a certain set of ancient ruins, with a female explorer who has been on my mind a lot for these past few years."
Veronica couldn't resist needling him. "You and Finn like to hunt together and you both enjoy playing with guns, but I didn't know that she mattered that much to you, 'Johnny'", she razzed.
Everyone laughed, and Veronica apologized. "I know how much Marguerite means to you, John. I shouldn't tease you. Don't worry: the girls will be all right. What can happen to them? They're smart, they're armed, and they really aren't that far from home. She'll be back in your arms and in your bed in a day or so. And probably, very glad to see you, too." She reached over the table and squeezed his arm encouragingly.
"Sweetheart, may I have more spinach?" asked Ned, and Veronica rose to attend her man's needs. I'll go to the kitchen for him but I'm not going to butter his bread, she thought. Unless maybe he starts looking at me like George does at Finn when she does that. I don't know if I could withstand that. That look is pure love and he means it when he puts her on that pedestal in their room. That pair are a two-way adoration society! I feel for both of them tonight. I wonder if she misses him as much as he clearly does her. Of course, she does! I bet she runs and jumps into his arms when they see each other again, like she did when they were rescued from Burton's men. That was so sweet...Hmmm. Ned needs coffee, too, I bet. "Honey! Coffee, too?"
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - July 01 2007 : 6:12:12 PM
|
Marguerite got safely out into the tree and helped Finn as she, too, inched her way along the thick branch that lay atop the roof. The girls had barely gotten out of sight in the tree when they heard more Xingu passing directly beneath. One looked up, but saw nothing in the dark. The tree had heavy foliage, and the leaves obscured them for now. But they would soon discover the limb on the roof and probably guess what had happened. The women needed to put some distance between themselves and their pursuers.
Marguerite made it into an adjoining tree, but her skirt kept catching on sharp projections and small branches. She took it off, helped by Finn, and put it into her already stuffed pack. Now, she would have to be careful not to scratch her legs, but she could at least move better. Finn's legs were already bare in her shorts, and she was also concious of the need to be careful.
They eased their way to the ground on the far side of the second tree, and stepping carefully on fallen, wet leaves, made their way into the jungle. Their boots left few prints, because of the heavy, tough leaves.
The Xingu were wailing loudly, then the girls heard shouts. Someone had gone up the stairs and onto the roof. It wouldn't be long before they had put two and two together and realized where their quarry had gone.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - July 01 2007 : 6:32:34 PM
|
Inside the ruined temple, the Xingu leader questioned what had happened, and whether any girls were ever here. Maybe this was witchcraft that had drawn them here and caused that terrible explosion. His medicine man was treating the injured, but told him that one would not live. The other would need constant care until he was taken home, then, if he did not die of infection, he would live. The shaman was going to treat his wounds with a paste made of various plants that would kill infection, if they were lucky. He had already used his knife to dig out two pieces of metal that had penetrated the flesh of the injured man, and was afraid that there were more, buried deep within his left leg. Those would have to remain in him, but they knew that sometimes, arrow points or bits of the flint or obsidian heads would work their way to the surface, sometimes after years had passed, and could be extracted. For now, he was mainly trying to stop the bleeding.
The chief nodded, and bade him do his best. Another man pointed out the remains of the girls' fire and scuff marks on the dusty floor, where they had cleared a place to sleep. Another found Finn's spare black bra, and brought it over.
The scout who had seen them earlier exclaimed that this was the upper garment of the blonde woman whom they sought. So the chief knew that they were seeking women, not demons.
He ordered five men to remain with the injured and to take the wounded man home. The dead would have to be abandoned, buried where they had fallen, just beyond this ancient temple. Tomorrow, they would hold a brief service for them in their heathen religion, and a more formal service for fallen warriors when they returned to their village.
A man on the roof came running down. "I have seen faint marks on that big branch over the roof!" he declared. "The white females have gone into that tree!"
Immediately, men with bright torches surrounded the tree and called on the girls to surrender. "Come down peacefully, and you will serve us as slaves. If you make us come up after you, we may take your heads this very night!"
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - July 01 2007 : 6:42:50 PM
|
Cowering in the darkness barely a hundred yerds away, Finn and Marguerite heard him, and Marguerite, the mistress of nearly all languages, whispered a translation to Finn.
"So, the bastards think that we're still in the tree," Finn replied. "Lets' be really quiet, but we need to get as far away as we can before they realize their mistake."
Marguerite nodded, and they slipped away into the gloom of the nocturnal forest, shying away from a tree where they had seen movement that they knew was a snake. The barba amarilla (yellow beard, for its yellowish throat) was fond of waiting thus on trails, ready to strike at an unwary passing rodent. Sometimes, even the mighty Bushmaster would lie in wait under an old tree, and woe betide any who passed!
Behind them, more torches were lit, and the chief ordered more to be cut from what relatively dry wood could be found. His men did not relish the darkness, and there were murmurs that these women were witches. Something had caused that grim explosion that had so injured their number. It was surely not a natural thing...
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Explorer
972 Posts |
Posted - July 04 2007 : 8:51:59 PM
|
The night was miserable for both the girls and their pursuers. It rained again, and Finn and Marguerite huddled under a blanket, partially hidden beneath a huge tree that had fallen. They kept their rifles under the blanket, although the barrel of Marguerite's .303 was too long and stuck out. She kept the muzzle inclined down, so that rain didn't enter the barrel.
When the storm ended, they made their way forward, drying off their weapons and themselves with one of their towels. Finn was glad that they had packed those before the Xingu came. She would miss the bra that they had had to leave. She had only two good ones. Maybe Marguerite or Veronica would make her a new one...
Toward dawn, a Xingu screamed, and Marguerite could hear others saying that he had been bitten by a snake. The girls were sad until they recalled that this was one less enemy to deal with.
The Xingu lost the trail several times, but when the sun came, they fanned out and eventually located it. With a whoop, they were again in pursuit. But the white women had gained nearly a mile in the meantime.
Around ten AM, a Xingu scout went up a tree and saw the fleeing women in a clearing ahead. He shouted and pointed. He then aimed his remarks at the women, who could just hear him.
"What's that jerk saying?" asked Finn. Marguerite, the linguist, translated part of it.
"So, the creep is just telling us in graphic detail what he wants to do to us us when they catch us?"
"Basically, yes," answered the brunette Briton. "He does have a good imagination, doesn't he? Not that most men haven't probably thought of doing that to us if they could. Most are just too decent to try, without some courtship first." She laughed at her slim joke.
Finn stood atop a big rock and cupped her hands and called back to the Indian. She suggested that he perform an anatomical impossibility upon himself, although the act was basically what he wanted to do to her. "!Filho da puta!", she screamed, angry.
Marguerite blanched, then laughed. The Xingu were less amused.
"What does the yellow-haired bitch say to me?" asked the man in the tree of his companions below. One who spoke some Portugeuse replied, "She has called you the son of a whore. When we catch them, maybe the chief will let you have her first, to atone for her insult."
Another had heard the exchange, including the language that Finn had used. She had called out in Portugeuse, knowing that they certainly would speak no English. "Brasileira," he mused. "These girls are Brazilians, not witches. I told you they were not enchanted. Let us get them, quickly. I want to have them before supper. I wish to feel the dark one squirm beneath me as I take her. You can have the yellow-hair first."
Finn stepped down from the rock, and Marguerite said, "Well, that was certainly colorful. Now, they'll be even more mad at us when we're caught."
"We're not going to be caught, " declared Finn. "I promised Johnny that I'd take care of you, and I will. And I am going to kill that man in the tree. He spoke of us in a way that is not acceptable. I will slay him, for our honor." She had switched to English, but it was accented as she still thought in her other tongue.
"Finn, calm down." Marguerite knew that Finn was of Anglo ancestry, but she was Brazilian, too, by birth, and she had the national heritage. Usually, she was almost American, like her accent when speaking English. But she spoke her other language as well, and when she did, she sometimes had the Latin temperament and sense of honor if insulted. It worried Marguerite a little, for Finn would need to learn more self restraint if someone insulted her in Britain. The law there was less tolerant of honor killings! Of course, they might never get off of this Plateau, in which case it was a moot point.
The girls ran into the jungle, then swerved to lead the enemy off their trail, walking on rocky ground where they found any.
"There is nothing quite so exhilarating as to be shot at without effect." Sir Winston Churchill |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
"Xingu!"
