“Can you direct me to this cave?” Stone felt like springing to his feet and dashing out the door in search of this cave, but he waited.
“It is dangerous. You must climb the volcano and find the passageway that descends into its depths.”
“I can do it,” Stone said.
A commotion arose from outside the house and Akente hurried to the doorway. Angry voices speaking in an unfamiliar language echoed through the house.
Talisa listened for a minute, then inclined her head. “It is Samman, a member of the council. He knows that a group has arrived, among them a man claiming to be Samuel’s descendant. He is angry that Akente did not present you to the council immediately as we are expected to do with all new visitors.”
“Are we in danger?” Trinity asked.
Talisa made the same elbow-wagging motion they had seen Akente make earlier. “Visitors are always brought into our society, provided they do no harm. But they will watch you closely.” She frowned and lowered her voice. “They cannot know about the cave. Samuel made that clear.”
Stone rose just high enough to peer through the window. Samman was a powerfully-built man with bronze skin and black, curly hair. He was flanked by half a dozen men— some armed with bows, and two with old flintlock muskets, probably the spoils of an old shipwreck.
“I don’t see any way around this,” he said to his companions, “outside of grabbing our guns and attacking them, but that is unwarranted. They only want us to meet this council.”
“But what if they don’t allow you to search for the cave?” Trinity asked.
Alex rose to his feet. “Go and find your cave,” he said. “We’ll be here when you get back.” Before Stone could reply, Alex tossed him one of the backpacks. “Quick. Out the window before they encircle the house.”
“Do it,” Trinity whispered. “Like Talisa said, we’re safe provided we do no harm.”
“I can’t leave you.”
“We done went through too much for you to give up when you’re almost there,” Moses said.
“But they know I’m here,” Stone protested.
Alex smiled. “Correction. They know a descendant of Samuel Stone is here.” With that, he turned and strode out the door with his hands upraised. “I am Alex English,” he bellowed. “I am Samuel’s grandson.”
“There’s nothing for it now.” Trinity managed a grin. “If you go out there now, they’ll know him to be a liar and then we’re all in trouble.” She took Stone’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Get out of here.”
Stone saw the wisdom in her words, though every fiber of his being told him to stay and fight. Mouthing a word of thanks to Talisa, he reluctantly moved to the rear window and sprang through. When he hit the ground, he began running at full tilt toward the volcano, and whatever secret lay within its depths.
24- The Traitor
Samman raised his arms, palms open and turned outward, above his head, and crossed his wrists. The burly Varri guard who blocked his path stared daggers at him before finally lowering his spear and motioning him forward. Samman brought his hands down but kept them visible. He could retrieve any of his three hidden knives and hurl one into the brute’s eye in a flash should the need arise.
“I talk to Krell,” he said simply. The Varri favored a simple vocabulary to go along with their limited imaginations, so the fewer words one used when speaking to them, the better.
The hulking figure nodded and indicated that Samman should lead the way. Just his ill-fortune that he would stumble across one of the least idiotic of this primitive tribe. He was keenly aware of the spear point that hovered just inches from his back. He felt fairly certain he could still kill the Varri if he had to, but it would be a close thing and he might suffer injury in the process. No need for that if it could be helped.
Samman picked his way along the well-worn path that led to the cliff dwellings where the Varri made their homes. All around him, he heard the buzzing of insects and the distant cries of more sinister creatures. They passed through a sunlit clearing and he glanced up at the sky. High above, he saw the shadow of a predator on the wing and he keenly felt the absence of the protection the pyramid afforded his people. Perhaps he was still close enough for some of its power to still be felt because the creature continued to soar along, paying him and his escort no mind.
They arrived at the Varri home in short order. Here, the jungle had been cleared away from a sheer cliff face of yellow stone. Caves shaped and expanded by human hands pitted the surface, if the Varri were, in fact, human. That particular issue had been the subject of much debate in the Ogygian council. Rough staircases wended their way up and down the cliff, and Varri of all ages milled about. A few of the primitives gazed at him with dull eyes that conveyed a touch of curiosity, but most looked away as soon as they spotted his approach. He was no stranger to this community and thus not much of a curiosity to the Varri, though his visits here were unknown to the people of Ogygia.
When he reached the mouth of Krell’s cave, he stopped just outside and waited to be acknowledged. Krell spotted him immediately, of course, but pretended to be unaware of Samman’s presence until what he considered to be a suitable time had passed. Finally, he invited Samman in with a single word.
“Come.”
A smoky fire warmed the cool, damp cave. Krell sat beside it on a thick fur, sharpening a stone knife. Samman knew the primitive’s attention span was brief, so he began speaking the moment he reached the circle of firelight.
“I need your help.”
Krell tilted his head to the side and stared at Samman.
“Intruders in my home. My people let them stay. Intruders must be killed.”
Krell tilted his head farther until it rested on his shoulder, his gaze flat. His countenance conveyed a single question: Why should I care?
“My people must be punished,” Samman said. A spark of interest flared in Krell’s eyes, and Samman knew he had the brute’s interest. “I know you want food and women. If you do this, you may take them from our valley one time.” He held up a single finger.
Krell climbed to his feet, muscle and sinew rippling in the firelight. He walked around the fire and stopped when he stood almost nose to nose with Samman. His breath smelled of the sour leaves the Varri loved to chew.
“Intruders already fight us. Kill.”
Samman nodded. “You can get your revenge.”
“How do we do this?”
Samman’s spirits leapt. It was going to work! He opened his mouth and then closed it almost immediately, biting off the words before he uttered them. A flicker of self-doubt sparked in his mind as he imagined the toll this decision would make on his people, but he had no choice. For too long he had counseled against allowing outsiders into Ogygia. His people must experience the consequences of relaxing their vigilance firsthand. A Varri raiding party springing up in the middle of their valley would achieve just that. By doing this, he might finally convince them to completely seal themselves off from the rest of the world. What’s more, the raid would provide the perfect cover for him to kill the outsiders whom the council insisted on coddling. It had to be done.
He swallowed hard and spoke the words.
“I will let you in.”
25- The Cave
Stone worked his way up the steep, rocky slope. He hated leaving the others behind, but he knew this would likely be his best chance to solve his grandfather’s mystery. No telling what the council might decide. Better to take action now rather than wait upon the unknown.