‘Far be it for me to sound like a nagging wife,’ Dawn Gunn said quietly, eyeing Bunduki in a disapproving manner as they walked out of the Wurka-Telonga village accompanied by several men, including the four who had brought them most of the way from Jey-Mat.
‘Why not?’ the blond giant interrupted. ‘You always did before we were married.’
‘I’ll ignore that,’ the girl declared, in a way which bore the unspoken addition of, “but just wait until later”. ‘As I said, far be it from me to sound like a nagging wife, but I do think what you’re planning might be thought just a tiny bit injudicious.’
‘I didn’t know they taught you words like that at Roe-dean,’ Bunduki commented.
‘Dangerous, even,’ Dawn continued, paying no apparent attention to her husband’s injection. ‘But that’s only my opinion, of course.’
‘When did you say you were going to start not nagging?’ Bunduki inquired, although he agreed with his wife’s comment. ‘Anyway, if I can pull it off for dear old Tik-Felum, he’ll have his proof in a way that should satisfy him.’
‘And if you don’t pull it off, you could be killed,’ Dawn warned, then pouted. ‘You haven’t any thought for me, you brute. There’s no widow’s pension on Zillikian.’
For all the light manner in which they were talking, neither the girl nor her husband underestimated the danger of what he was planning to do. However, she realized that he was taking a deliberately calculated risk and had made his decision based upon his knowledge of what it entailed. His behavior was neither rash, nor incautious, but that which they both had agreed would best serve their needs under the circumstances.
While the return to the village should have been one of triumph, Tik-Felum had done his best to prevent it from being regarded in that light. He had, as the Earth couple had guessed, sent the members of his coterie amongst the villagers to spread the word that only visible proof of the ‘crocodile’s’ death would be regarded as acceptable. So, with his men hovering around and taking notice of what was happening, the news that the corpse was not available for inspection produced the effect he required.
Not all of the Senior Elders’ adherents were available to give him support. Deneb-Ginwe, Han-Preep, and Flant-Wlip were conspicuous by their absence. Before either Dawn or Bunduki could mention the matter of the disturbance that had lost them the alligator’s body, Tik-Felum had informed them that the trio were making an expedition to the coast of the ‘Lake With Only One Shore’. They had left some time before, according to him, with the intention of catching some of the green sea turtles so highly prized as culinary delicacies and which would have been a fitting meal to celebrate the Dapan-Dankaras mission having proved successful.
Having excused the absence of his sons and apparently had the explanation accepted, Tik-Felum had inquired into the reason for the alligator’s body being missing. On hearing what had happened, but not that the Earth couple and Hav-Bart were aware of who was responsible, he had then adopted an air of such blatantly false commiseration that Dawn had found it hard to prevent herself from showing her true feelings. Nor had she felt any better disposed towards him when he had suggested that the disturbance had been the work of a river-spirit protecting the predator.
‘In which case,’ the Senior Elder had gone on, still speaking far louder than was necessary, so that the assembled populace could also hear. ‘There are those who might say the water-spirit turned aside your arrow and the “crocodile” still lives.’
‘We all saw the arrow strike and its head was sticking out of the other side of the “crocodile’s” body,’ Hav-Bart had protested, sharing his people’s general lack of zoological knowledge and being unable to identify the saurian correctly. Oblivious of the venomous glare being directed at him by Tik-Felum, he went on equally loudly, ‘It was dying as it went down and, unless the current has carried its body away, we’ll find it when it comes to the surface again.’
‘You say that the arrow pierced so deeply that its head came out at the other side?’ the Senior Elder had asked, hoping to arouse incredulity among his audience as they were all aware of the predator’s size.
‘It did,’ Hav-Bart had agreed, then countered swiftly, That is no ordinary bow and the arrows have heads on them like none I have ever seen.’
‘Let anybody who thinks they aren’t powerful enough to do the deed stand out and say so,’ Dawn had announced, picking out the men with whom she and her husband had been in contention at Jey-Mat. ‘My Lord Bunduki will soon prove whether it be true or false.’
‘Come, my lady,’ the blond giant had said, when nobody offered to accept his wife’s challenge. ‘We’ll go and deal with the second “crocodile”.’ Instead of moving off, however, he had raised the bow so that all could see and, swinging his gaze so that it settled on first one and then the others of Tik-Felum’s coterie, he continued in a carrying voice, ‘But this I say, water-spirit. If you come anywhere near me, or make a sound to try and save the other “crocodile”, I’ll find and kill you. You have my word as the Dapan-Dankara for that!’
To each of the sullen crew who had helped the Senior Elder enforce his regime, it seemed that the white-haired foreigner had selected him personally for attention. Obviously the Senior Elder’s story of a water-spirit had not been believed and the ‘Earths’ had known what had happened. There was a chilling menace in the voice and the cold blue eyes of the tremendously muscled speaker that warned he meant every word he had said. What was more, they were all aware—two at first hand—that he was capable of carrying out his threat.
Watching the effect of Bunduki’s statement upon his adherents, Tik-Felum had known that he could not depend upon any of them attempting a disruption of the bid to dispose of the second ‘crocodile’. They were taking the blond giant’s words to heart. Remembering the difficulty he had experienced in persuading his sons and Flant-Wlip to carry out the first and infinitely safer interference, he had accepted that nothing further along those lines would be possible.
Unwilling to concede defeat, the Senior Elder had tried without success to find out what plan of campaign Bunduki was meaning to employ. He was met with such a blandly polite reply, that nothing would be decided upon until the situation was surveyed, that he was compelled to leave his curiosity unsatisfied. Nor had he been able to think up a suitable refusal when the blond giant had requested assistance, backed with a solemn promise that no harm would be allowed to come to those who were assigned to the task. Instead, albeit reluctantly, he had had to give his consent to Hav-Bart and nine other villagers accompanying the “Earths”. Nor did a hope that had arisen reach fruition.
Showing a ready grasp of what was needed, Hav-Bart had selected nine companions who he was certain could be trusted. Studying them as he had stated his requirements and given instructions for what he expected from them, Bunduki had been convinced that the young Wurka had made a good choice and that he could rely upon them to do as he required.
Once clear of the village, Dawn and her husband soon forgot their levity and devoted their full attention to the business in hand. Everything they needed was available. In addition to the bows they were carrying, Hav-Bart was fetching along the blond giant’s m’kuki and shield. It was not that the latter weapons were to be used in the work ahead, but they had all considered it inadvisable to leave such tempting articles where Tik-Felum or his adherents could lay hands on them. The rest of the Wurkas were carrying the coils of rope and machetes—which the large bush-knives resembled—they had been asked to supply. Apart from the girl, none of them had any idea of what lay ahead. However, such was the faith inspired by Bunduki and their eagerness to be free of the hated regime which was oppressing them that they were willing to do as he had requested without asking questions.
As a precaution against a repetition of the ploy which had come very close to losing his first objective, the blond giant had arranged for lookouts to keep watch on the village. Others were left to guard against unwanted interlopers who might have evaded the first pair of watchers. Finally, after obtaining instructions on where to find their quarry, he and the girl had continued unescorted. The remainder of their helpers were to remain in concealment and without noise until they were called.
After they had parted company with the Wurkas, the Earth couple moved in complete silence. For all the disturbance their movements caused, they might have been a pair of enormous cats on the prowl. Nor, under the circumstances, were they any less dangerous or savage than the wildest predatory creature in the jungle.
Such was the measure of competence displayed by Dawn and Bunduki that they arrived at their destination without having been detected by either their prey or its avian consort. They came to a halt, still in the concealment of the bushes which fringed the water, and looked at a lagoon much like the one in which they had encountered their previous problem. There was one major difference, but it had been anticipated. With the heat of the afternoon sun, the saurian had left the water and was basking on the sand not more than twenty feet from them. Sprawled out with its head towards the lagoon, it was unaware that they were so close. Nor was the bird, a spur-winged plover on this occasion, any more conscious of their presence. While its attention was not diverted by an easily obtainable meal, it was engrossed in carrying out one of its symbiotic functions by picking debris from the teeth of the saurian’s open jaws.
‘It’s another alligator,’ Bunduki breathed and held his bow towards Dawn.
‘If it wasn’t, my lad,’ the girl replied, accepting the weapon and watching her husband very carefully removing his back-quiver. ‘You could forget it and use this damn thing.’
‘If it wasn’t and they sold life insurance on Zillikian, you’d say, “Go ahead”,’ the blond giant answered, laying the quiver down and freeing the boleadora to place on it. Still displaying excessive caution and hardly taking his eyes from the creatures on the sandbank, he discarded the bowie knife in a similar fashion. ‘Now all we have to do is settle down and wait.’
Resting her husband’s bow against a bush, Dawn slipped an arrow free from the bow quiver and nocked it to her string. Then she stood as silently and immobile as he did in spite of her anxiety over what lay ahead. Not a hint of her feelings showed on her beautiful face, but she sensed that Bunduki was aware of them. So she turned her head to give him what she hoped would be a smile of reassurance.
Quitting its work, the spur-winged plover took flight!
Not in panic, however, or because the girl’s movement had been detected.
Instead, the bird flew unhurriedly across the lagoon and passed out of sight beyond the river. Deprived of its consort’s attentions, the alligator slowly closed its powerful and awesomely equipped jaws. Wriggling its stomach against the sand, as if making its resting place softer, its eyes closed and it settled down for what the watchers hoped was a sleep.
Although Bunduki adopted a crouching posture like that of a sprinter awaiting the starter’s pistol in a race that was taking place before the use of starting-blocks became fashionable, he did not move. Nor did Dawn offer to raise her bow into a position of greater readiness. However, she could feel her heart pounding like a trip hammer and she had a momentary fear that the noise it was making would frighten away the alligator. Appreciating the absurdity of the thought broke the tension a little and caused her to smile.
‘Damn it,’ Dawn told herself silently. ‘If that big lump of mine doesn’t know what he’s doing by now, our folks have wasted a lot of time and effort on teaching him.’
‘Go on, you big ugly bastard!’ Bunduki breathed, just audibly to the girl, watching the saurian open its eyes. Oblivious of her thoughts and wanting to reassure her, he went on, ‘Go to sleep, damn it. I’d ask Dawn to sing you a lullaby, but that would scare you so deep into the swamps we’d never reach you.’
‘Just you wait, my lad!’ Dawn threatened in a whisper, without turning her attention from the massive, scaly predator on the sandbank. ‘Wait until I get you home!’
Seconds dragged by on leaden feet, to become a minute.
Then two!
Three!
Four!
Five!
Still Bunduki watched his prey, wanting to make sure that it was fast asleep before making his move. At the end of the fifth minute, he felt that the time had come and was on the point of giving a warning nod to Dawn. Before he could do so, a fish at the far side of the lagoon sprang into the air to snap at an insect flying incautiously by. At the loud splash caused by the attack, the alligator’s eyes snapped open. They closed again almost immediately, but the blond giant resigned himself to a further period of waiting.
Another four minutes crawled into oblivion.
‘Oh come on, darling!’ Dawn screamed, but only mentally. It’s fast asleep. Get it!’
Sensing rather than glancing to find out that she was looking his way, Bunduki’s head made a brief inclination as though he had heard his wife’s entreaty. Then, giving a thunderous bellow like that of a male Australopithecus launching an attack, he hurtled from his place of concealment and across the sandbank.
Awakened by the commotion, the alligator seemed to be confused and hesitated for a vital couple of seconds. Nor were the species Alligator Mississipiensis, or the Asiatic variety, A. Sinensis, as agile as a crocodile on land.
With the sand being flung up by his racing feet, the blond giant converged with the alligator. Swiftly as he sprinted, it was obvious that it could not be prevented from reaching its natural element, the water. Nor did he intend to try bringing it to a halt on dry land. Rather he was hoping to make the initial contact just before it entered the lagoon.
Watched by Dawn, who was turning her bow into the shooting position, Bunduki covered the remaining distance between himself and the alligator like a rugby player performing a tackle. Alighting on the scaly back of the wriggling saurian, as its nose was almost touching the water, he secured holds with both hands. The left enfolded the jaws in such a manner that his palm was covering the nostrils, tightened into a vice-like grip. At the same time, passing around the massive and knobbly body, the right obtained an equally secure hold of the off-side foreleg. Even as he was securing himself, drawing the saurian’s close to twelve foot bulk tightly against the right side of his enormously muscled frame, they plunged head first from the sandbank. As he had anticipated, the shoreline fell away sharply beyond the resting place and they came down in a deep pool. They made a complete somersault as soon as they went under. Running forward and shouting—screaming almost—for the Wurkas to join them, Dawn saw nothing of Bunduki but the soles of his bare feet for almost a minute.
Staring in anxiety as the alligator’s tail appeared briefly, to make a great arc and return beneath the surface of the amber-colored water of the lagoon, Dawn tried to comfort herself with the thought of how its physical make-up would result in Bunduki’s task—while being anything but a sinecure—being less hazardous than it appeared. For one thing, the muscles of the saurian’s jaws supplied the majority of their power for closing rather than opening. So a strong man could keep the mouth shut with one hand, provided of course that he was able to obtain such a hold. Secondly, as well as being more cumbersome on land, the alligator was less adept in the water than a crocodile and not nearly so dangerous a proposition. Lastly, although the blond giant had not yet found an opportunity to avail himself of it, there was a means by which the alligator could be subdued and rendered harmless with comparative ease.
For all her knowledge, the girl was deeply perturbed as the seconds ticked away. The only sign she had of where her husband might be was given by the way in which the now muddy water boiled and swirled in concert with the struggle going on below the surface. Just as she was wondering if the alligator had dragged him off, his blond head appeared. He had time, she noticed with relief, to suck in a deep breath of air before being taken underneath again.
Panting with their exertions, Hav-Bart and some of the Wurkas arrived. As they had not been told of the blond giant’s intentions, they stared in amazement on being informed by Dawn that he had deliberately tackled the ‘crocodile’ so as to capture it alive. Although they dwelt in terrain that had many of the Crocodilia as co-residents, they had never duplicated the Seminole Indians of Florida’s methods of capturing the creatures. lxvii So they could barely believe their eyes and ears. But they still affirmed that they would do all they could to help.
Five more times, Bunduki’s head and, twice, shoulders came into view. On each occasion, he was granted an opportunity to replenish his lungs. Following every appearance, the alligator’s tail would lash in fury at the surface and then the blunt, rounded, pike-like head would shoot above the water and disappear again still locked in his unrelenting grasp.
At last, the pace of the titanic struggle began to slow down. The spectators noticed with relief and delight that Bunduki was able to keep his head clear of the water and breathe more deeply. Also, the frenzied tail lashings of the alligator were growing proportionately weaker. Finally, after at least twenty minutes of continuous efforts, they were floating still locked together as tightly as two lovers and almost motionless on the surface of the lagoon.
‘Get ready!’ the blond giant called, raising his head clear of the water. I’m going to bring him in.’
Having spoken, Bunduki and his captive sank from view. For close to a minute there was no sign of either, but Dawn calmed the Wurkas fears by explaining how he had deliberately submerged to walk along the bottom and pull the alligator after him. When he next appeared, it was obvious that he had justified his wife’s faith in him. Still retaining his double holds on the jaws and foreleg, he twisted around until laying on his back at the edge of the sandbank. Having hauled the alligator on top of him, he wrapped his legs around its body in a scissor-hold.
‘Wait!’ Dawn hissed, as the Wurkas—for all the consternation showing on their faces at the prospect—were starting to move forward.
Obedient to the command, although they had never previously allowed a woman to dictate their actions, the men came to a halt. What they saw next would later be told by word of mouth and the ‘talking drums’ all through the Telonga nation. Because exactly what happened was not understood, it added tremendously to Bunduki’s already high reputation and caused him to be attributed with supernatural powers.
Releasing the foreleg, the blond giant began to rub his captive’s chest and belly with his right hand. At the first touch, the alligator swung its tail viciously; but as he continued with the gentle massaging motion, it relaxed. lxviii
Less than a minute later, it seemed to be sleeping peacefully. However, on Bunduki loosening the scissor-hold, the saurian made as if to struggle. A few more strokes of the hand brought the effort to an end and, satisfied, he nodded to his wife.
‘Now!’ Dawn said.
Running forward, discarding her bow and arrow in her haste, the girl was the first to touch the huge alligator. Not that the Wurkas were tardy in following her. Eager hands grasped and hauled the limp burden ashore. Not until they were doing so did the blond giant relax. Even then, he kept his hold on the jaws until they were fastened by a length of rope. Having done all he could to ensure none of his assistants would be harmed, he lay where he was to recover from the great strain and exertions of the capture, leaving them to secure the trophy,
‘Now,’ Hav-Bart said with satisfaction, after the alligator had been bound and sturdy splints affixed to keep the deadly tail immobile. ‘Let’s see Tik-Felum claim that you haven’t dealt with this one, Bunduki!’
~*~
‘Dapan-Dankara!’ gasped the attractive, tall and slender Wurka-Telonga girl who came running into the bedroom of the house in which Dawn Gunn and her husband were spending the night. ‘I need your help. Four men have taken Hav-Bart to the Place Of Punishment and will kill him unless you go to save him.’
Recognizing the visitor as Marn-Bara, the wife of their friend, the Earth couple—who had been sleeping fully clothed and who had left their bed quickly on being disturbed by her entry—lowered the knives they had kept close by in case there should be the need for weapons.
As the young Wurka had predicted, Tik-Felum had not been willing to concede that Bunduki was any more successful in dealing with the second alligator. The viewpoint was in part induced by his having been told merely that the saurian was still alive, although ‘possibly’ unable to cause further trouble for the villagers. Stating that he intended to go and look for himself, he had gathered the other Elders and, followed by the rest of the population, made his way to the lagoon. His reaction at discovering the mighty predator bound and helpless had not been what an outsider would have expected from the sight of such a fortunate removal of a menace to the community. Nor had his mood been changed for the better on hearing of the way in which all but his coterie had greeted the sight.
Although Hav-Bart and the other men who were involved in the capture had suggested a feast with the alligator cooked as the piece-de-resistance, Tik-Felum had refused. However, he had offered reasonable grounds for delaying the event. He had pointed out that the blond giant and Dawn had made a long journey and were too tired to enjoy the village’s hospitality to its fullest extent. Furthermore, his sons and Flant-Wlip had not yet returned from the coast. Tasty as the alligator might be, guests of such importance could only be accorded the honor that was their due by being offered the delicious green sea turtle cooked en casserole, as it would have been known on Earth. Finally, the women of the village would need at least a day in which to prepare a celebration of the magnitude the Dapan-Dankara deserved.
Acceding to the Senior Elder’s wishes, the Earth couple had said they would prefer to rest overnight and so be better able to do justice to their hosts’ hospitality when all was prepared. With the point settled, leaving the butchering of the alligator to the villagers, Dawn and Bunduki had returned and were placed in a house set aside for notable visitors. Convention dictated that they occupied it, although they would have preferred to stay close to Hav-Bart. His support, they had realized, could put him in jeopardy. Tik-Felum would not lightly forget nor forgive his behavior. However, they had felt that the danger would not commence while they were close by.
The arrival of Marn-Bara and the fright on her beautiful face warned the Earth couple that they had made an incorrect decision.
‘Take her back to her home and see she’s kept safe, darling!’ Bunduki ordered, scooping up the shield and slipping his left arm though its carrying loops without sheathing the knife. Then come after me with your bow and the m’kuki.’
Appreciating the gravity of the situation, Dawn did not indulge in any of the bantering comments which would have greeted a command from her husband on less serious occasions. Instead, she sprang to where her weapons were placed.
‘Take care, you big lump!’ the girl called, snatching up her bow, as the blond giant plunged out of the door.
Leaving the house, Bunduki started towards the main gates of the palisade around the village. As had been the case at Jey-Mat before he had taught the hunters there the value of security, no guard was kept on it: Nor was the small door in it kept locked, but was only bolted on the inside. So he knew that he would be able to get through and, once beyond, he knew where he would have to go. Hav-Bart had told him of the Place of Punishment and where it was located while they had been returning from hunting the first alligator.
To reach the gate, the blond giant had to pass between two houses. Moving along the alley, he found—not that he was surprised—that his coming had been anticipated and preparations had been taken to deal with him. Two men appeared as he was approaching the rear ends of the buildings. Each held a dapur bener kris and he recognized them as Jomus-Takn and a lesser member of Tik-Felum’s coterie.
There was no time for the blond giant to congratulate himself upon his perception. He had suspected that the abduction of Hav-Bart had been carried out with the additional purpose of luring him into a trap. So, as well as intending to go to his friend’s assistance, he had meant to spring it. What the plotters had not realized, because they did not use such a device, was that his shield had very special properties. They were not kept in ignorance for many seconds.
Coming from Bunduki’s left, having selected that side as being safer, Jomus- Takn swung a round-arm blow with his kris. On the right, the second man was launching a similar slice at the blond giant’s head.
Neither attack made contact with human flesh!
Driven with all the weight and power of a bulky body behind it, Jomus-Takn’s kris could not be halted although he saw that the shield was rising between it and his intended target. Nor did he think there was any need to pull back, but believed he could batter the protective device aside and reach the man behind it. When the contact was made, he learned just how wrong he had been. While the blade sliced through the hardened buffalo hide, it met and was shattered by a metal underneath that was of a far better temper than its own.
Nor did the second assailant fare any better. At the same instant as Jomus-Takn’s blade was disintegrating, his kris’ passage was stopped by the proposed victim’s weapon. An arm of enormous strength held and deflected the blow.
Disengaging the bowie knife as soon as it had pushed the kris aside, Bunduki whipped it across in a sweep that laid the man’s throat open to the bone. Then, giving Jomus-Takn no chance to recover from the shock of his weapon’s destruction, the great blade came around and its clip point passed between his ribs to impale his heart.
Effectively as the blond giant was dealing with his would-be killers, he was far from out of danger. Having laid in concealment on the flat roof of the right side building’s porch, yet a third of Tik-Felum’s coterie had risen to watch how his companions were faring. Either he had not trusted the other two to carry out the ambush, or he merely did not believe in leaving things to the last minute. Whichever was the reason, he held his bow ready for use and was already drawing back the string ready to loose its arrow.
While the man’s weapon was little more than half as powerful as Dawn’s bow, at that range it could propel the long and barbed arrow with sufficient force to be lethal.