‘So you’re going to ride Shambulia instead of just weighting his saddle, are you?’ At-Vee the Hunter asked, watching Bunduki drawing tight the girths of the quagga stallion’s saddle. He no longer fumbled with the pronunciation of the Swahili word meaning “attack” which had been selected as the animal’s name.
‘I am,’ the blond giant agreed. ‘And Dawn is going to do the same with Isabel.’
‘She told me that she could have started riding Isabel the morning we captured them,’ Joar-Fane put in, darting a mischievous smile at the other girl. ‘But, for some reason or other, she found it was too painful to sit down.’
‘With a friend like my little sister, you don’t need enemies,’ Dawn Drummond-Clayton informed the men, employing tones of mock acidity. Returning her gaze to the Telonga girl, she went on, ‘In fact, I should have let those “Hairy People” have you. xxxiii But, knowing you as I do now, I don’t think I disliked them that much.’
Although only five days had elapsed since the capture of the Quaggas, Bunduki’s party were already back in the comparative safety of the jungle. However, the Earth couple were no longer to live in the Jey-Mat Telonga village. On their return, they had found that the ‘Suppliers’ had established a permanent home for them. It was about half a mile away, on the shores of a small, crystal clear lake which was connected with a nearby large river.
Perched in the branches of an enormous and sturdy samaan tree, the well-constructed house had all the comforts of home. There were three bedrooms, a large dining-cum-sitting-room, a store and a kitchen complete with a stove of what appeared to be dried mud but was actually made from some form of lightweight and heat resistant metal. The latter was equipped with utensils and a small elevator manipulated by a rope and pulley by which supplies or fuel for the stove could be raised. All the furniture and fittings were made of materials which matched the primitive looking decor. Access was gained by a rope ladder, or a larger elevator.
At the rear of the tree, some ten yards away, a stream tumbled down a cliff. It not only offered a readily accessible shower, but an arrangement of what looked like bamboo pipes—they were actually tubes of the same metal which was used for the stove and other portions of the structure—diverted some of it for household purposes. The left side back corner of the verandah protruded over the stream and had on it a rudimentary, yet effective and hygienic, toilet. Extending above the lake, the rest of the wide verandah at that side made a fine position from which to dive into the deep and clear water of the lake.
Ever since their arrival on Zillikian—in fact, even before they had learned the truth about their transportation—Dawn and Bunduki had suspected that they were being kept under observation by somebody, or something, they could not locate. If they had required further evidence that the ‘Suppliers’ were still watching their activities, it was given by the predator-proof compound with which they were presented as a corral for their mounts. Large enough to house the two quaggas and up to half a dozen gatahs without crowding, along one side was a roofed over, open fronted shelter to protect the occupants from the elements. It was fitted with eight separate stalls, each having a manger and hayrack. The surrounding fence also encompassed a small bay of the lake and solved the problem of watering the stock, but at the same time prevented the entrance of anything such as a crocodile that was large enough to harm the occupants.
When they considered the facilities that had been given to them, it strengthened a theory the Earth couple had formulated with regard to the quaggas. Neither had ever come across potentially dangerous animals which had settled down in captivity with so little distress or so few objections. In fact, despite the fact that Dawn and Bunduki both possessed a considerable affinity and empathy with wild creatures, they had been surprised at how quickly they had come to be on friendly terms with their captives.
Before nightfall on the day that the quaggas had fallen into their trap, Dawn and Bunduki were able to go close and remove the blindfolds. They had achieved this by having stayed nearby throughout the entire period, allowing the animals to become accustomed to their respective body odors, voices and presence.
At daybreak on the following morning, the Earth couple had tested their captives’ willingness to be led. After only a brief demonstration of dissent on the part of the stallion, which had allowed Dawn and Joar-Fane to exchange pungent comments on the subject of masculine obstinacy, they had been able to resume their homewards journey. Of necessity, neither the mare’s nor her consort’s hobbles had been removed at that stage. The omission had reduced the pace at which the party could travel, yet they had considered any distance they could put between themselves and Bon-Gatah was worthwhile. There had been no sign of pursuit, but every hour that went by increased the danger of a search being instituted.
Nightfall had found the four young people making camp within sight of the jungle. Once again, Dawn and Bunduki had slept in close proximity to the quaggas. When ready to move on the next day, they had made what proved to be a successful gamble by removing the restraints from their captives’ front legs. Either because they were far from their original territory or through a growing trust of their captors, the mare and the stallion had behaved well and the party had been able to make much better time. There had been a slight reluctance on the quaggas’ part when it came to entering the jungle, but this was smoothed over without causing any undue delay.
On making camp somewhat earlier in the afternoon than would otherwise have been the case, particularly with the Jey-Mat Telongas’ village being so near, the Earth couple had commenced with the next stage of accustoming the quaggas to a new way of life. Securing them to sturdy bushes in a clearing, Dawn and Bunduki had started to place a blanket on the back of each. As was to be expected, this had caused some initial restlessness, but it was not prolonged. Nor had the girl and the blond giant attempted to take the training any further at that point.
Reaching the village shortly before noon on the third day, the party had been greeted by the whole of the population and the news of their arrival had been sent forth via the ‘talking drums’ by which the Telongas—and the other nations—communicated rapidly over considerable distances. So effective was the system that, within minutes, every other community had been notified of their return.
As on Joar-Fane’s arrival following her first escape from the clutches of the Mun-Gatahs’ People-Taker, the reception had been mixed. All of the hunters, whether from Jey-Mat or those who had gathered in response to the signal for defiance against their oppressors and were still present, had been delighted at seeing that Dawn and Bunduki were safe. They had regarded it as further evidence of the Mun-Gatahs’ fallibility.
While pleased by the return of the four young people, the Council of Elders—who were the leaders of the community—and non-hunting citizens had had misgivings. However, these had struck Dawn and Bunduki as being less pronounced than on the earlier occasion. Not only had the people seen that the hitherto invincible Mun-Gatahs could be defied and defeated, but they also remembered the needless brutality which had characterized the final and unprecedentedly large abduction. Loving their children and respecting the aged, not even the most pacific of them could forget or forgive what had happened. Mothers had been compelled to leave behind their babies as an unrequired encumbrance on the journey into slavery. Not only had the Elders been put to torture with the result that two had died, those too aged to travel had been deserted.
Bearing those facts in mind, the younger members of the community and the two men who had been elected to replace the dead Elders were now willing to consider the possibility of actively opposing further oppressions. The viewpoint was shared by the hunters from the other villages, but they had warned that their more passive populations might regard the suggestion with disfavor. It would, they had declared, all depend upon whether Bunduki of the ‘Earths’ could persuade their neighbors that the ‘Suppliers’ approved of resistance in the face of a convention that had been in existence for far longer than the oldest inhabitants could remember.
At the conclusion of the welcome, which had relieved Dawn and Bunduki from the necessity of starting to convert the Telonga nation from a pacifism that was no longer practical, Dawn and Bunduki had been told of their gift from the ‘Suppliers’. Being accustomed to having their needs satisfied, the villagers had expressed neither surprise nor alarm at having found the tree house where no such thing had previously existed. Although the lake was not far from the village, none of them had visited the region since the abduction. So they could not say when the construction had been commenced, how it had been carried out, nor how long it had taken to erect and equip the Earth couple’s home.
Having no desire to look a gift horse too closely in the mouth, the girl and the blond giant had accepted the ‘Suppliers’ bounty without question. However, despite sharing Bunduki’s eagerness to complete the quaggas’ training and to set about the task of teaching the Telongas to defend their villages, Dawn was too much of a woman to do anything until she had ensured that all of the furniture and fittings were positioned to her satisfaction. In this, she had had the support and assistance of Joar-Fane and the rest of the female population of Jey-Mat.
Discovering that a number of weapons, tools and other devices which would be of use in the future had been delivered, Bunduki had conceded the wisdom of postponing any action until he and Dawn were settled in. Except for one detail, settling in would not have been a lengthy process. In fact, Dawn had announced herself satisfied by sundown. But here was one matter that prevented them from moving in immediately. As yet, she and Bunduki were not married.
Discussing the problem with Joar-Fane’s father, who was still functioning in lieu of Dawn’s actual parents, the blond giant had been told that the wedding could not be performed until all the arrangements had been completed. For all their proclivity towards lovemaking, the Telongas had strong views on marriage and were sticklers for conformation with ceremonial observances. The nuptials of two such prominent members of the community must be performed to the accompaniment of a celebration of great size. Knowing that their status would be enhanced and their work made easier if such a celebration took place, Bunduki had seen the wisdom of agreeing.
Tav-Han had promised he would do all in his power to speed things along, but his wife and daughter had been adamant that the preparations could not be completed for another seven days at least. They would, both had declared, even prefer that this was extended to ten days so that the best results could be attained. Much as Dawn had shared the blond giant’s impatience, she had accepted the decision reached by her Telonga ‘family’ just as she would have done if it had been made by her mother on Earth. To conform with the local convention, she could not occupy her future home while she was unmarried and would have to stay at her adopted parents’ house each night until after the ceremony.
Apart from short periods in the tree house, the girl and Bunduki had spent the whole of the fourth day working with the quaggas. Wanting nothing to distract the animals, they had arranged to leave their borrowed banar-gatahs at the village with those which had been retained by the hunters following the annihilation of the People-Taker and his escort. What was more, at their request, only Joar-Fane and At-Vee had been present during the training periods. The Telonga couple had not entered the corral, but stayed on the porch of the house to watch what was being done.
In addition to continuing the blanket training, Dawn and Bunduki had worked at accustoming the quaggas to being caught by a thrown lariat. Judging from the way the animals had shown an understanding of the futility of fighting against the constriction of a running noose, the knowledge must have been inherited through experience gained during generations of domestication. Or, considering that they had progressed to the inclusion of a saddle by the early afternoon, there could have been another reason.
To have achieved so much in such short time was, as the girl and the blond giant had appreciated, remarkable. In fact, they realized that all of the quaggas’ behavior since capture was extraordinarily fortunate as far as their own needs were concerned. Not only had there been little sign of aggression, but the animals were already beginning to respond to the names, ‘Isabel’ and ‘Shambulia’. Certainly the latter had never shown any inclination to carry out the instruction, ‘attack’.
While the quaggas’ acquiescence might have stemmed from a recent acquaintance with human beings, Dawn and Bunduki had grown increasingly convinced that it was more likely to be the result of mental conditioning by the ‘Suppliers’ who had already proved that they could influence the behavior of wild elephants. In which case, having anticipated their protégés’ need for reliable and superlative means of transport, they could have arranged the meeting. The Earth couple had been intended to see and capture the quaggas, which in turn had been prepared so as to make training them a less difficult and more speedy process than it would have been in their natural state.
For all their summations, Dawn and Bunduki had refused to be lulled into a state of over-confidence or complacency. They had felt sure that there must be a limit to the shortcuts their benefactors had made possible. So, instead of mounting personally when the quaggas had no longer shown any reluctance in bearing the saddles, they had contented themselves with placing sacks filled with soil on their backs. Watching the way in which the burdens were sent flying, they had considered their caution was well justified. So they had persevered with the same tactics until the disappearance of the sun had brought the day’s work to an end. By that time, both animals had been growing tractable when carrying the loads.
Up until halfway through the fifth morning, Dawn and Bunduki had continued to implant the idea of accepting a weight on the saddle. When they had decided that the lesson had been absorbed, they had surprised Joar-Fane and At-Vee by leading the quaggas from the corral. Descending from the tree house’s porch, the Telonga couple had followed as they led the animals to the shore of the lake. Reaching a point where the bank was firm and level sand with no rocks or other obstructions to mar its surface as it sloped gently into the water, they had halted to commence the preparations which had provoked the Hunter’s question and brief interplay of comments between the girls.
‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ Joar-Fane remarked, trying to conceal her concern by adopting a tone of an unspoken, “But I doubt it”. Little as she knew about such things, she guessed that what was going to happen next could be dangerous. ‘After I spent all that time wading in a cold stream and looking after your banar-gatahs, I’d hate to see those two get away.’
‘I’ll try my best to see it doesn’t happen,’ Bunduki promised, fastening one end of the stout rope he had brought from the tree house to the saddle horn.
‘Huh!’ the little Telonga girl sniffed. ‘If you’re going to try your best, Shambulia is as good as on his way back to the Land-Without-Trees.’
‘I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t have stopped the “Hairy People” taking you either time.’ xxxiv Bunduki replied, knotting the other end of the rope around his waist. Then he took out his knife and passed it to At-Vee continuing, ‘Oh well, I may as well make a start and see what happens.’
‘You’ll make a fool of yourself as usual,’ Dawn stated, but the words did not fool her friends. They knew she shared their anxiety. ‘Go ahead. Then I’ll show you how to do it properly.’
‘I’ll never know why you went to fetch her back, brother,’ At-Vee commented, wondering what would happen when Bunduki mounted and drawing some comfort from the thought that the sand would be softer to land on than the ground in the corral.
Much to Joar-Fane’s and At-Vee’s surprise, although the latter had deduced one of the reasons why the location had been selected, the blond giant did not mount immediately. Instead, grasping the one-piece reins which were now attached securely to the bosal of the hackamore, he started to walk slowly into the lake. It said much for the confidence which had already developed between them that Shambulia began to follow him with little hesitation. What small reluctance was shown ended when Bunduki gave a softly spoken order in the simple language of the Australopithecus. Experience had taught him this could be understood better by the stallion than English or the lingua franca of Zillikian’s human population. The word-sounds were accompanied by a gentle, yet commanding, tug on the reins. Stepping after him, Shambulia advanced until standing belly deep in the water.
‘Good luck, darling,’ Dawn breathed, knowing why her husband-to-be had waded in so far.
Aware that he was almost certain to have a fight on his hands when he mounted the big stallion, Bunduki had accepted the need to take precautions. So he was employing two techniques practiced by, among others, the Comanche Indians of the United States. They were calculated to lessen the danger of injury to himself and the animal, as well as reducing the chance of Shambulia’s escape if Bunduki was thrown.
Authorities in all matters equestrian, the Nemenuh xxxv warriors had discovered that to submerge an unbroken horse until the water was lapping around its belly reduced its mobility and rendered it less capable of bucking. Even if it should succeed in pitching off the rider, his landing would be cushioned by the water no matter how awkwardly he fell. Furthermore, as they were connected by the rope, the animal’s flight would be impeded by having to drag him along and it would be more readily recaptured.
There might be, the blond giant realized as he grasped the saddle horn and found the near side wooden stirrup with his left foot, a chance that the same did not apply where a quagga was concerned. However, he had never been a man to be held back by vague doubts, possibilities, or uncertainties. So, throwing a grin at his wife-to-be and friends, he swung himself astride the saddle.
For a moment, nothing happened!
Having grown to accept a weight being placed upon the alien object which was attached to his body, at first Shambulia noticed only that this one was considerably heavier than its predecessors. Then the burden moved and he realized that it was alive.
The realization provoked an immediate and instinctive reaction!
Letting out an explosive snort of mingled alarm and anger, the big stallion did not wait to try and discover what kind of creature was sitting on him. Instead, he set about making a determined effort to fling whatever it might be from its perch. Even though hampered by the depth of the water, the spine-arching bound he made was not to be despised. Rising until his hooves were inches clear of the surface, on his way down, he kicked upwards with his hindquarters. Known in rodeo circles on Earth as ‘bucking straight away’, such a tactic was, on occasion, exceptionally effective. However, for it to succeed, the rider’s rump—having been lifted well above the saddle—had to descend upon the cantle rather than returning to the seat. xxxvi
Alert to the peril, Bunduki used the tremendous strength of his thighs to prevent his displacement. However, Shambulia’s next attempt was to rear on his hind legs and, as the blond giant was still using a bosal, this was far more difficult to control than if a metal bit had been employed. Desperate measures called for just as desperate counter-measures. So, keeping the reins in his left hand as it also grabbed the saddle horn, he delivered a slap to the top of the stallion’s head with his right hand. Startled by the unexpected assault, Shambulia brought down his forelegs and took off again in another ‘straight away buck’ which proved no more effective than his first.
Refusing to be put off by his three failures to dislodge the blond giant, Shambulia continued to fight with unabated determination and vigor. Possessed of the ideal physique for such an effort—being large, very powerful and forceful in his actions—he concentrated upon the high-rising, plunging bounds of ‘bucking straight away’ with only an occasional variation of ‘chinning the moon’, xxxvii to break the monotony. He was considerably hampered by being forced to fight in an unnatural element for one of his species and repeatedly sought to correct this.
In spite of the limitations imposed upon him by relying only upon the bosal as a means of control and guidance, Bunduki’s skilful manipulation of the reins and his weight combined to prevent the stallion from regaining dry land. Nor, for all of Shambulia’s dependence upon only two tactics, did he find the battle monotonous and easy. In fact, delighted as he was by his success in remaining astride the saddle, he was far from sorry when his expertise and bodily bulk contrived to exhaust and bring the stallion’s struggles to an end.
‘There you are, Kichwa Mkubwa,’ xxxviii the blond giant said, addressing Dawn triumphantly if breathlessly, as he guided Shambulia ashore and dismounted. The faces of the girl and the two Telongas were flushed with the vigor they had expended upon yelling encouragement that he had been too occupied to notice. ‘That’s how it should be done. Let’s see if you can do anywhere near as well with Isabel.’
‘Kichwa Mkubwa yourself!’ Dawn replied, with a disdainful toss of her head, but unable to conceal her elation at her husband-to-be’s victory. ‘Stand back and watch an expert show you how it doesn’t need all that splashing and fuss to win.’
For all her comment, the girl knew that she would need to call upon all the strength and equestrian ability she possessed if she was to be equally successful.