Jane's hand closed on the handle of the pitchfork
"Back, Sam!" she cried desperately. "For heaven's sake, stop teasing him." She moved slowly in a circle until she was behind the snake.
"What the bell are you doing?"
She pulled her gaze from the cobra to see Ruel standing in the doorway. His skin was death-pale and gleaming with sweat. "Get away from him."
"Be quiet!" Jane said sharply, her gaze shifting back to the snake. "And stand perfectly still. If you scare him, he might strike at Sam."
"I don't give a damn about Sam," he said hoarsely. "Get away from that goddamn snake before he kills you."
Jane ignored him and took a step closer. Four yards from the cobra. Three yards.
Ruel muttered an obscenity. "All right, I'll get that crazy hound." He took a step toward the dog. "Just get out of here!"
The cobra caught the motion and reared higher, hissing.
"Don't move," Jane whispered.
Ruel froze.
The snake was confused, his attention divided between Sam and Ruel. He had forgotten about her. If she were quick, she might be able to—
She dashed forward, holding the pitchfork out in front of her. She caught the snake's body between the tines and slung it across the stable. His long body struck the wall. Stunned, he fell writhing to the floor.
Sam immediately darted after it.
"No!" she screamed.
Ruel cursed steadily as he ran after the dog and scooped him up only a scant foot away from the serpent.
"Hold him!" Jane pushed Ruel aside and brought the wooden handle of the pitchfork down on the snake's puffed head with all her strength. She struck again and again and again. . . .
She stopped, breathless, as she realized the snake was no longer moving. "I ... think he's . . . dead."
Ruel didn't answer.
She poked at the snake with the pitchfork. No response. "It's safe to let Sam down now." She turned to look at Ruel. "He was a big one, wasn't he? I don't remember ever seeing one that size around here. They're usually much— Let me go!"
Ruel's hands were grasping her shoulders. "Damn you." He shook her, his eyes blazing in his white face. "Damn you!"
"Get your hands off me or you'll get this pitchfork in your belly," she said fiercely.
"Do you think I care? You and your damn pitchfork and your goddamn snake." He shook her again. "I could—" His hands fell away from her, and he staggered toward the door.
"Where are you going?" she asked, startled by the sudden abandonment.
"To throw up." Ruel's voice was muffled as he dashed outside.
She gazed after him in astonishment. She had been terribly frightened too, but Ruel's extreme response was completely unexpected. She impulsively started after him and then stopped. Li Sung hated to be seen in moments of weakness, and Ruel would probably be even more resentful. While she was still shaking with her own fear she didn't feel up to handling his bad temper. She turned back to Sam, who was sniffing at the dead snake. "All right, you troublemaker, let's get rid of him."
When she left the stable a few minutes later, Ruel was scooping water from the horse trough onto his face. His slicker lay on the ground beside him and his damp shirt clung to his torso. His face was still pale as he lifted his head to look at her. "Sorry," he said curtly. "I don't like snakes."
"Neither do I." She shrugged. "But I got used to them. I grew up in tents, and it wasn't unusual for one to come visiting."
"Why in the hell didn't you do what I said?" he asked harshly. "You could have been—"
"Sam," she interrupted. "The snake would have killed him."
"And that's worth risking your life for?"
"He belongs to me," she said simply. "You have to take care of what belongs to you."
He stared at her. "Christ."
She bristled. "It's none of your business. Sam's not very smart, but he's—"
"He's an asinine hound." He added grimly, "And a fitting animal for you. I couldn't believe it when I saw you charging that cobra with a pitchfork. I wanted to strangle you." His hands balled into fists. "God, I was scared."
She hadn't expected him to admit it. "So was I."
"But snakes don't make you freeze and break into a sweat." He smiled lopsidedly. "I didn't cut such a brave figure, did I? Hell, I was a sniveling coward. All I wanted to do was to turn tail and run away."
"But you didn't run away," she said quietly. "You told me to go. You were going to help Sam."
"Because there wasn't any other way to get you out of that damn place. I saw you there and I—" He broke off and drew a shaky breath. "Jesus, I hated every second of it."
She had never seen Ruel at a disadvantage, and this evidence of weakness filled her with curiosity. "Why are you so afraid of snakes?"
"We're all afraid of something." He picked up his slicker from the ground and pulled it over his head. Then as he saw her still watching him he shrugged. "I suppose I owe you an explanation for being such a damn coward." He was silent a moment and then admitted, "I was bitten once."
Her eyes widened. "By a cobra?"
"No, this was years ago at Glenclaren. An adder. I used to sleep in the hills sometimes." He spoke quickly, jerkily, as if he wanted to get through it. "I told you about my pet fox. I used to take him with me. It got lonely sometimes. I woke up one night with a stinging in my left leg and found the adder snuggled under my blanket. I killed him with a rock." His lips tightened. "But I found my fox dead a few yards away. The damn snake had killed him before he decided to crawl in bed with me."
"Oh no," she whispered.
"I took off my shirt and tore a strip off to bind my leg and went to find help." He lifted his shoulders. "I was never a lucky lad. My mother had decided to go to the village for the night. Ian found me unconscious the next morning and got help for me."
"Not before?" she asked, horrified. "Why didn't someone else—"
He ignored the question. "End of tale. I was on my feet in short order and none the worse."
Except he had lost a pet he loved and incurred a horror of snakes that would last him a lifetime.
His expression altered, closed. He said lightly, "You can see why I approved Kartauk rendering Abdar as a serpent on his golden door. I can't imagine a greater insult." He turned toward the ricksha waiting on the road beside the bungalow. "I believe it's time I made my way back to the hotel. Don't worry, I won't bore you with any more of my reminiscences."
"I wasn't bored," she said slowly. "It made me sad."
"Really? I can't understand why." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, yes, it must be the fox. Your heart is bleeding for my furry friend?"
"No." But she had an idea his heart had bled that night. Not that he would admit to such weakness.
"Then it must be for me," he said mockingly. "Tell me, do you want to take me under your wing as you have Kartauk?"
She stiffened as she realized how much of her resistance toward him had melted during the past moments. How stupid of her. Ruel was no more defenseless than that cobra she had dealt with in the stable. She hurriedly changed the subject. "Why did you come here? Is there something wrong?"
An indefinable expression crossed his face. "I just decided to drop by."
His answer surprised her. Ruel and she were hardly on terms that would invite such a casual visit. "How was your interview with the maharajah?"