It was day break and Jane woke to a knocking on the bedroom door. ‘Yes,’ she yelled, half asleep.
Aisha called through the door, ‘Wake up call. Master James is having breakfast.’
‘Okay,’ Jane groaned, and rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. She sensed before she noticed that Mark’s side of the bed was empty. She wondered why he hadn’t woken her, but then realised that he hadn’t been in bed at all.
She got up, showered and joined James at the breakfast table. ‘Has Mark been in the lab all night?’ she asked, glancing at the kitchen door.
‘Yes, Aisha has taken him some breakfast.’
‘Any progress?’
James shook his head. ‘It doesn’t look good.’
Just then Mark appeared. His hair, normally tied back in a ponytail, was loose and dangling down his neck. The usually trimmed goatee beard and moustache seemed dishevelled and thickening stubble was spreading across his cheeks.
He slumped down on a chair next to Jane and let his face fall into his hands. ‘I can’t stop it,’ he groaned. ‘It’s already travelled deep into the earth.’ He dropped his hands and Jane could see a watery film on his eyes. ‘I’m so sorry.’
She put her arms around him and he responded by gripping her tight. She was shocked by the force of his hug and of the need for her to hold him. There was so much heaviness and sadness coming from him. Mark pulled away, brushing his hand over his face.
‘You’ve been working too long with the infected crystals. It’s having an affect on you,’ James stated, staring hard at him.
‘James is right,’ Jane added. ‘Your energy is low.’ She hesitated and cautiously asked, ‘You’re not…’
‘Infected?’ Mark finished for her. He shook his head. ‘No, just tired.’
James got up. ‘Sorry, but you can’t rest now, we have to go. It’s going to take at least six hours to reach the rendezvous point and then it could be several more hours after that. You’ll just have to sleep whilst we are in the car.’
Mark nodded and got up. ‘I’ll just go and freshen up.’
When he was gone Jane turned to James. ‘We can’t delay till tomorrow?’
‘No, my friend is rarely seen, so if he says he’ll meet us at a certain place, then we must be there.’ James slightly lowered his voice, ‘Anyway, I think we need to get Mark away from the crystals. Their negative vibration is pulling him down. Did you feel it?’
Jane had, and she was worried. ‘Yes, we must help him to get back to feeling better.’
James raised an eyebrow. ‘That, dear lady, is your department. We leave in half an hour. Do what you can.’ He gave her a big wink and left the room.
Jane stared after him, thinking, he didn’t mean… he couldn’t possibly expect her to… She shook her head and decided she didn’t know what he was talking about and went to the bedroom.
Mark was coming out of the bathroom, towel drying his hair, with another towel wrapped around his waist. Jane went straight to him and put her arms around his damp, muscular chest. She nuzzled her head into his neck. He put his arms around her and just held her. ‘I’m so sorry about what I said yesterday,’ she said, looking up. ‘I didn’t mean to blame you.’
‘I know. It’s okay. But you’re right; I am to blame. I experimented with it and then left it. I didn’t take responsibility for what I had done.’
Jane frantically shook her head. ‘This isn’t your creation.’
Mark pushed back her blonde hair. ‘Part of it is, and somehow I have to finish it. This is my life purpose.’
Jane hugged him closer, a feeling of dread overwhelming her. ‘I don’t want to lose you.’
He gently raised her chin and brushed her lips with a kiss. ‘I love you,’ he whispered, and kissed her with an intensity that seemed to hold them forever in that moment.
Half an hour later they entered the lounge with a small rucksack each. Jane had thin walking trousers on with a light tan blouse, while Mark was dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt.
James’s smile was so wide that Jane was sure it would split his face. ‘You’re looking tons better,’ he said to Mark, as he got off the sofa.
‘Love and tender care works wonders,’ Mark replied laughing at Jane’s expression of embarrassment.
‘Right, we’re ready,’ Jane declared, deflecting any further comment.
James suddenly became serious, ‘Kwasi has told me we are being watched. He spotted someone last night in the bush outside the compound and he thinks they’re still there.’
‘It’s Ferrand,’ Mark stated. ‘He’s found me.’
‘It might not be that,’ Jane cut in quickly. ‘Fiona said the PI hadn’t found out anything at the office.’
‘I think Jane is right. I could be the one he is watching,’ James added. ‘Remember, I was the one who reported his mine to the government, and he may suspect that I had something to do with its destruction.’ He thought for a moment then said, ‘If it was you he was after, his men would be in here now, don’t you think? We’ll hide you both in the car. When we are on the move, I’ll find a way of losing them,’ he paused again then said, ‘I just have to make a call.’ He picked up the telephone.
‘Stan?’ Jane asked.
James grinned and dialled a number.
* * *
Jane snuggled down on the floor behind the passenger’s front seat of the Mercedes, as comfortably as she could, with Mark doing the same behind the driver’s seat. Aisha gently placed a cotton rug over them, whilst saying what seemed like a prayer.
Jane couldn’t believe she was doing this. Only a week ago she was at her office, delegating work to others as she prepared for the trip to Africa. A holiday, she had said to Fiona. But this was no holiday. Now she was hiding in the back of a car, behaving like a person on the run. She didn’t know whether to be excited or scared. Her hand touched Mark’s hand and she felt him squeeze it.
‘We’ll be okay,’ he whispered.
With the rug in place, Jane heard Aisha move away from the door and then James’s whispered voice, ‘You two okay? We’ll be off in a minute, just have to do a bit of distraction first.’
Distraction? Jane thought, what did he mean? It soon became clear as she heard James open the boot and Kwasi open the garage door.
‘How could you forget to pack the car?’ James’s yell was loud enough for anyone outside the compound to hear him.
There were a few thuds and bangs in the boot as if items were being thrown in. ‘The tent, you idiot, won’t go in the boot. Stick it on the back seat.’ Then something came thudding onto the back seat, inches from Jane’s head. ‘I’ll be gone for a few days and when I get back, I expect this garage to be tidy.’
‘Yes, boss,’ came Kwasi’s submissive reply.
James slammed the back doors and boot shut, then slid into the driver’s seat. He started the engine, revving it loudly; behind the noise he said in a loud whisper, ‘You and Aisha know what to do if you get visitors?’
‘Yes, boss, no trouble.’
James drove the car out of the garage, stopping at the compound gates. A few seconds later, they were driving down the road. ‘Keep down, it looks clear but I want to make sure.’
Jane thought she was going to suffocate under the rug, but the car’s air conditioning helped to keep cool air flowing to her. The suspension cushioned the effect of most of the bumps, but the crunched up position was becoming more and more uncomfortable.
‘Damn,’ James said, ‘they’re following in a white car.’
‘How are you going to loose them?’ Mark asked.
‘I’m just texting Stan, who is in a small town about a mile ahead. There’s going to be an accident.’
‘Accident?’ Jane said, alarmed.
‘Not to fret, dear lady, not us, but the mess it will create will be impassable.’
Jane didn’t like the sound of it especially as there would be no pre-warning for her or Mark.
They travelled in silence until James said, ‘Town ahead.’
Jane waited, tensing herself ready for what was to come. It seemed to take forever, then she heard people shouting and the car surged forward at speed as James put his foot down.
A thunderous explosion shook the car, followed by a crunching sound of metal hitting the road. Seconds later came the sound of metal screeching and sliding against metal. The noise was so intense; Jane covered her ears against the deafening sound. The car roared through it and, without warning, suddenly braked. Jane’s body was forced hard against the front seat. The car swiftly turned to the right, pushing her sideways towards the back door. After a few more sharp turns to the left and right, the car stopped.
Jane held her breath, listening.
‘Time to change cars,’ James said, exiting the car.
She felt Mark move and the rug lifted enough so she could see. It looked dark outside the car, but it wasn’t night, so she assumed they were inside something.
James opened the back door and lifted the rug from her. ‘I’m sorry for the uncomfortable ride; here let me help you.’
Jane slid herself off the floor onto the back seat and took James’s hand as she eased herself out of the car. Her legs were stiff, and it took her a few seconds to steady herself before she could look around. She realised that they were inside what seemed to be a hut, and stood by the half open door was Stan, his rifle slung over his shoulder.
James went up to him and slapped him on the back. ‘Brilliant work.’
Stan smiled. ‘It’ll take them hours to clear it.’
‘Clear what?’ Jane asked, joining them.
Stan moved aside and Jane could see a narrow column of smoke rising above the rooftops of the houses opposite.
‘An engine fault set fire to a lorry, which exploded when the fire reached the fuel tank. Its trailer tipped over and its barrels of tar and steel girders have made a real mess on the road,’ Stan said quietly.
The calmness in his voice caused Jane to look at him. This stuff was normal to him. A minor accomplishment in a profession of skills, Jane had yet to see. He must have been military trained, but Jane wondered what he now did for a living, apart from helping out James, that is.
‘I have the Jeep ready, this way,’ Stan said, moving out of the door.
Jane caught hold of Mark’s hand. She was nervous, unsure she was ready for this adventure. It seemed unreal, a dream even. This sort of thing only happened in fiction, didn’t it? Mark must have picked up on her apprehension, for he squeezed her hand.
Silently they followed James and Stan to a dusty, dirty Jeep parked around the corner. Jane climbed into the back with Mark and buckled up, remembering the last journey she had done in it and not relishing the next six hours.
James showed Stan where they had to be on the map and the Jeep moved off, slow at first, slipping round the narrow roads, leaving no dust trail. Once they had left the town, the road continued towards some mountains and turned from a gravel road to a dirt track.
Jane watched the land pass by, the scenery hardly changing but rolling on and on. Despite the heat and roughness of the road, she found herself nodding off. In her semi-sleep state she heard the voice of her guide, Three Wolves, calling her. She visualised a meadow and saw him standing by the trees to her right. She ran to him and he smiled. ‘Did you call me?’ Jane asked, as she reached him.
‘I had you in mind,’ he replied. ‘I am glad you are here.’
They walked to a clearing amongst the trees and sat down. The wind was light, yet the leaves of the trees rustled gently and the sun glistened through the spaces between them. The chorus of bird song gently cooed to a silence. It felt really peaceful and Jane sighed.
‘What is bothering you?’ Three Wolves asked.
Jane sighed again realising that she wanted to cry. ‘I… I’m scared. This thing happening with the crystals is so vast, I… I don’t know what to do.’ She felt tears come to her eyes and slip down her cheeks. ‘I can’t believe it’s real.’
Three Wolves said quietly, ‘When something seems too big to tackle, it is best to look at it in small pieces.’
‘You mean like a project, breaking it down to what needs to be done and in what order?’
Three Wolves nodded.
‘But this virus is so big, it’s unstoppable.’
‘Only if you believe it is,’ Three Wolves cut in.
Jane wiped the wetness from her eyes. ‘But how can I believe anything else? Mark says he can’t stop it.’
Three Wolves said nothing, just looked at her.
Jane thought about what she had just said. ‘Mark doesn’t believe he can stop it,’ she confirmed to herself.
‘And what you believe…’ Three Wolves prompted.
‘You create,’ Jane finished. ‘What must I do?’
Three Wolves smiled but didn’t answer.
Jane knew she must figure this out by herself, so she thought about Mark. ‘I must make Mark believe he can do it.’
Three Wolves shook his head.
‘I must get him to realise he can do it.’
Again he shook his head.
Jane thought some more. After a few minutes she leant back heavily against the tree trunk. ‘I don’t know. I can’t think of a way to make Mark change his belief.’
‘You cannot change someone else’s belief,’ Three Wolves stated.
Jane looked at him, remembering what she had learnt from Jasmine and her wooden box. “An open mind leads to belief and belief leads to faith and trust.” ‘I have to change my own beliefs,’ she almost shouted. ‘I have to have an open mind and this will lead to belief and faith that all will be right.’
Three Wolves smiled.
‘I know this, but why did I forget it?’ she asked.
‘Fear,’ Three Wolves replied.
‘Yes, of course, fear feeds negative belief. I was so caught up in the fear, I couldn’t see a way out.’ She looked at Three Wolves and wished she had his wisdom, then, she frowned. ‘I still don’t know where to start to change this.’
Three Wolves chuckled, ‘You do, you have just said it.’ He stood up. ‘Time to go.’
Jane groaned, ‘But I want you to help me.’
‘Only you can help yourself.’
Jane walked back to the meadow with him.
‘We will talk again,’ he said.
Jane nodded and said goodbye.
A sharp jolt and the pain of her head hitting the side window woke her. Stan was wrestling with the Jeep’s steering wheel, as its wheels bounced out of a hole in the road. She must of groaned or cried out, for once he had gained control again, he turned briefly to look at her.
‘Sorry about that, are you hurt?’
‘No, just a bump on the head.’ She rubbed it, then realised tears from the meditation were slipping down her cheeks and quickly wiped them away. She saw Stan linger his gaze on her before turning back to look at the road.
Mark stirred too; he had been laid across the middle seat between them. She wished she had thought of doing that for the ache in her neck from her head being slumped forward was developing into a headache. She stopped her thoughts immediately. No, the ache would ease and she would be okay, she hoped.
Mark stretched as best he could. ‘How long have I been out?’
James swung round to face him. ‘About two hours. There’s a village ahead and we’re going to stop for a break.’ He cleared his throat and turned to Jane, ‘I’m afraid the toilet facilities are rather primitive.’
‘Don’t worry about me, if I have to, I’ll go anywhere,’ Jane said with confidence. She saw Stan grin and knew he didn’t believe a word she said.
After half an hour they were back on the road with Jane thinking that next time they stopped, she would opt for going behind a bush.
The next few hours Jane just watched the landscape become more and more desolate. There were fewer trees and much more savannah. The road, if you could call it that, deteriorated with every mile and in some places the Jeep left the road and drove over the land.
She thought about her talk with Three Wolves. Somehow she had to change her fear into something positive. Instead of the crystals being incurable she had to believe they could be saved, but how? She remembered James’s workman and how the love of his family was helping him, but even that wasn’t enough. The trip into the crystal where she had experienced its beautiful energy came to her mind, but again it wasn’t enough to stop the virus. She could feel her fear slipping in, each time she thought about it.
She glanced at Mark, he had been distant, even depressed, this morning but now he was returning to his normal self. Love was the key to solving this, but how? Did she need to know how? Couldn’t she just believe that love would save the crystals? Despite a niggling doubt, somewhere at the back of her mind, she tried to focus on feeling love.
The Jeep bounced over another boulder and Jane squirmed in her seat. Her body was not used to the roughness of the journey and the ache in her back was spreading down to her bottom. She leaned forward to Stan. ‘Can we stop so I can stretch my legs, please?’
Stan nodded and within half an hour, he pulled off the road to a small flat area. As Jane got out of the Jeep Stan said, ‘Keep close to the vehicle, we are in wild country.’
Jane looked at him.
‘Lions,’ he answered, to her silent question.
Jane hadn’t thought about it until he mentioned it. She stretched, bent and flexed her body, not straying too far. She pulled her knees up to her chest and pushed them out again. Someone came up to her and she turned to see it was Mark.
‘How are you doing?’ he asked.
‘Okay, you?’ She saw a slight hesitation before he nodded. ‘What is it?’
Again he hesitated then said, ‘I shouldn’t be here. I should be at the lab.’
She could hear the worry in his voice, so she gently took his hand. ‘Don’t worry. Remember there is a reason we are going to see this bushman friend of James’s. We don’t know what it is yet but if we weren’t meant to go we wouldn’t be here.’
His face seemed to lighten. ‘You think this trip will help us?’
‘Yes, I think it will.’ She smiled and said, ‘I believe the solution to the crystals will reveal itself and I know you will stop the virus spreading.’
Mark tried to laugh it off, ‘I wish I could believe you.’
Jane scowled at him. ‘Have you forgotten what we worked on at Jasmine’s; the words that appeared on my box?’ She omitted to own up that she had too. ‘Belief is not required, only an open mind,’ she quoted.
Mark nodded and said, ‘And an open mind brings belief and belief brings faith.’
‘I have faith in you, I know you can do this.’ Jane actually felt the words as she said them and knew she was moving in the right direction.
Mark shook his head and Jane quickly said, ‘Stay with the open mind for now. Think of this trip as the next step to finding a cure.’
He smiled and kissed her cheek. ‘I’ll try.’
She pulled his face towards her and kissed him on the lips long and hard, allowing her heart to open and her love to pour into him. She let him go, smiling, ‘If you’re going to kiss me, kiss me properly.’
Mark grinned and pulled her closer for another kiss.
‘Time to go!’ Stan shouted from the Jeep.
‘Later then,’ Mark whispered, releasing her and starting back.
Jane took the opportunity to relieve herself and slipped away from the path to behind a bush. When she returned to the Jeep, she noticed Stan was waiting outside the vehicle, his rifle laid across his arms. Although his eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, she sensed he was watching her. When she reached him, he moved forward and stopped her.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked softly, gently touching her arm.
Jane nodded, slightly taken back by his concern. ‘It was only a little bump.’ She touched the tender skin and was surprised when Stan raised his right hand and pushed back her hair to see for himself. His touch was soft and sensual.
‘It was just that I noticed you were crying.’
Jane felt herself beginning to flush. Their bodies were close and his touch had sent a tingle through her skin. She diverted her eyes from looking into his face. ‘It was nothing, just some emotion I had to deal with. I’m okay now.’
He didn’t say anything, but walked her to the side door. Once she was in the Jeep he passed James his rifle and climbed into the driver’s side.
Jane took a deep breath. Was she reading too much into Stan’s actions? She liked him, yes, but was it more than that?
The rest of the trip was much of the same rough roads and scenery as they had already done, until finally, Stan pulled off the road and followed a sandy track to a rocky outcrop. He pulled the Jeep right up to the rock face and switched off the engine. The intense heat of the sun at midday burned down upon them and with no breeze from travelling, it became unbearable. Jane took a scarf from her bag and began wiping the sweat from her face. She opened the door and moved to sit on the ground against the rock face in the small shade it provided.
James gave her a bottle of water and sat next to her, whilst Mark and Stan began rigging up a lean-to tent over them.
‘How long do we wait? Jane asked.
‘No idea. He will come when he comes.’
‘Who is he and how did you meet?
James laughed, ‘You won’t believe me if I told you.’
‘Try me,’ Jane persisted.
‘He is a village Shaman and we met in a bar.’
‘What?’
James chuckled, ‘I said you wouldn’t believe me.’
‘Well I didn’t expect that. I thought it would have been out in the bush like this.’ Jane looked around at the barren land.
James smiled. ‘That came later.’
Jane raised her eyes in expectation and James began to tell her his story, ‘I came to Africa to get away from my mother…’
* * *
‘And what do you intend to do with this Geological diploma?’ James’s mother said, looking down at the certificate with a degree of distaste.
‘I’m going to find oil,’ James said with excitement.
‘Oil? Really James, I didn’t send you to boarding school so you could dirty your hands with oil.’
‘Mother, please.’ James knew this wasn’t going well.
‘Donald, speak to your son.’
James looked at his father. He of all people would understand his choice, from one Geologist to another.
‘Hmm, I understand your concern, Cynthia, but the boy needs to experience the world and why not this?’
James knew it had been his father’s influence that had got him the oil job, but he didn’t tell his mother that.
‘Well I’m not happy. He’s a gentleman and should behave like one.’ His mother put down the certificate and picked up her fine-bone china teacup.
‘At least he can try it, if only for a short time,’ his father cooed gently.
James recognised the tactic. It was one his father used on many occasions.
‘Then I could help Father out on his new dig,’ James interjected, not seeing his father’s warning headshake before speaking.
‘A new dig! Donald you said this was the last one.’
‘It is dear, it’s just that James sees it as a new one.’ His father recovered well.
‘Look Mother, I’ve done all this training and it would be a waste not to do it. It will get me out of the house, so to speak.’
‘I would rather you be here, meeting and mixing with other families, perhaps even finding yourself a wife.’
James sighed. This always came up. ‘I’m too young.’
His mother sipped more tea and then put down her cup. ‘I will let you go, on one condition.’
‘You will let me go!’ James snorted, his anger building.
His mother ignored him and continued, ‘You go for two years and on your return you promise to actively pursue a wife.’
‘No Mother, NO! I’m not going to be forced into marriage. I’m going to do this job with or without your blessing.’ He got up and left the room.
* * *
‘You went into oil?’ Jane interrupted.
‘Yes, to start with, but then my mother inherited the family fortune when her only brother died and told me she would disinherit me if I didn’t come home.’
‘So you went back home?’
James laughed. ‘For a short time, but my mother’s insistence I got married drove me to come to Africa.’
‘Did you lose your fortune?’
James shook his head. ‘My father got her to agree to invest in me running a diamond mine, but it wasn’t diamonds I found…’
* * *
James remembered sitting at a bar in a small village just outside Namibia airport. He had the plans of the mine area open in front of him. Something was wrong. The layout of the land and the core sample that had been used to justify the purchase as a diamond mine, didn’t match. He was puzzled on how his father could have missed the obvious inconsistencies. He moved to the door, for it was quieter, and dialled his father’s number on his mobile.
‘Father? I have a problem. This is not a diamond mine.’
‘I know.’
James stared at the phone then said, ‘But… you told Mother…’
‘Does it matter what I told your mother?’ his father suddenly said. He continued before James could reply, ‘Look son, just go and be yourself. Enjoy your freedom.’
‘I… I…’ James couldn’t find the words to express the emotions he was feeling.
‘I think you’ll find something interesting on that plot,’ his father said. ‘The land formation is unusual. I’d be interested on hearing what you find, apart from the diamonds that is.’
James took a deep breath and said, ‘Thank you for everything… Dad.’ He cleared his throat and continued, ‘I’ll keep you informed. Look after yourself.’
‘You too son.’
James put the phone back in his pocket, staring across the busy road, as he composed himself. He wished he could have expressed how much he appreciated and loved his father, but that wasn’t the Alcott’s way.
When he turned back to the bar he found a small, raggedly-dressed black man sat on his seat looking over his map.
‘Hey, do you mind!’ James scolded, when he reached the man.
‘I don’t mind,’ the man said quietly, moving to the next seat.
James looked at him, surprised at the good English and gentleness in his voice. Under the man’s exterior dirty brown shirt and trousers, he seemed to glow. His skin was not black but a deep, rich copper brown. His soft brown eyes sparkled with light and the short, black peppercorn hair was partly covered in a grey cap that looked like it belonged to the local road worker outside.
The man pointed a long bony finger to a place on the map and said, ‘This is where you will mine.’
James looked at the smudge mark the man had left and was surprised that it was at the exact spot he had been considering. ‘What has this got to do with you? Are you after a job?’
The man shook his head.
‘Then why are you interested in it?’
The man smiled. ‘It is your destiny, if you want it to be.’
James became intrigued. ‘What’s in the land?’
The man got off the chair. ‘Nothing and everything.’
James stood up and blocked his way. ‘I’d like to know more,’ he said.
The man looked at him for a long time then said, ‘Meet me sunrise tomorrow at the south end of this village.’ He walked out of the bar.
James picked up his map and went after him, but when he reached the street the man had gone.
Just before sunrise James was waiting at the edge of the village. He didn’t know why he had come, except something about the man had intrigued him. He couldn’t see anyone around and as the sun’s rays crept over the horizon, he wondered if he had been a fool. He watched the sky brighten and the tip of the sun emerge from the line of trees in the distance. As the sun’s warmth touched his body, he saw the man sat beneath a tree to his right. James walked over to him, noticing that the man was speaking to the sun in a language that had clicks mingled with unfamiliar words. He waited until the man had finished before moving nearer.
The man smiled when he saw James.
‘What were you doing just then? James asked.
‘Greeting the sun and giving thanks for a new day.’
James nodded remembering how good he had felt when the sun touched him.
The man got up. ‘Why did you come?’
‘I’m curious about what you said to me yesterday and how you could know where I should mine?’
The man smiled gently. ‘Can you give me two days of your life?’
James was taken back at first, then said, ‘To do what?’
‘To walk with me.’
James thought about the work he had to do to get the mine up and running. Could he afford to give up two days to do this? After a few seconds he said, ‘I’ll give you two days but no more. When do you want to start?’
The man just said, ‘Now is good.’
‘I’ll need to get some stuff first,’ James said with urgency.
‘You need nothing, come.’ The man began to walk away.
James’s mind was going berserk, how could he just go like this? He had no change of clothes, no tent to sleep in, or food and water. He hadn’t made any arrangements for the mine or informed the hotel. He didn’t know this man he would be walking into the bush with or where he was going? To anyone else this would be utter madness, a recipe for disaster, but he felt no apprehension in his body just the need to go with this man.
He saw the man stop, turn and beckon him and, without hesitation, he went to him. ‘My name is James,’ he said as he reached him.
‘Kumta,’ the man said, in the clicking language James had heard before. James tried to repeat it, causing the man to laugh at his attempt. After his third try, the man said, ‘You call me Fred.’
‘Fred! That sounds really English.’
‘It is the name the government says we are to use to communicate with them,’ Fred said, as he began to remove the brown shirt and trousers, leaving himself almost naked except for a cloth covering his private parts.
James wasn’t sure what was happening until Fred pulled a cloth bag from behind a rock together with a spear, bow and sheaf of arrows. He stuffed the clothes into the bag and slung it across his chest. The arrows and bow went across his back and the spear he held in his hand. ‘We walk this way,’ he said pointing towards the rising sun.
‘Where to?’ James asked.
‘There is no place, just the journey.’
James looked back to the village, hesitation should have been gripping him, but instead he felt a sense of peace. He took a scarf from his trouser pocket, wrapped it around his neck and followed Fred out into the bush.
* * *
‘And that is how I met Fred,’ James said, throwing a small stone at another a foot away.
‘So what happened?’ Jane was intrigued.
‘Fred and I walked and walked. At night we slept in the open and every day Fred found us food and water.’ He sighed, as if remembering this experience gave him pleasure. ‘He was amazing, his knowledge incredible.’
‘So did you find out what he knew about the mine?
James paused from throwing another stone. ‘Well, not really. He just said I’d find something I wouldn’t be expecting and it wasn’t until I discovered the large quartz crystal points that I connected it to what he said.’
‘You think he knew about the virus?’
James shrugged his shoulders. ‘Who knows, but he changed my life. Those two days turned into three weeks and I would have stayed longer had he not told me to go and start my mine.’
‘Amazing,’ Jane said, noticing they had been joined by Mark and Stan.
‘It’s amazing anyone can live out here,’ Stan stated, wiping the sweat from his neck and face. He continued, ‘You sure this is the place?’
James nodded slowly. ‘Yes, we just have to wait.’
* * *
It was after sunset when Fred made his appearance. Jane hadn’t heard him arrive until she caught the sound of his soft clicking voice calling James’s name. He came out of the darkness, a shadowy figure reflecting in the light of the small fire Stan had made. He looked exactly how James had described him except that, the glow of the fire, as he got closer, seemed to make his bronze skin shine.
He smiled as James introduced him to Stan and Mark, but when it came to Jane’s turn his smile changed to a frown and he peered at her for some time.
‘What is it?’ Jane asked.
‘It is not you,’ Fred said and bowed slightly.
Jane was confused. ‘Not me, I don’t understand.’
Fred indicated for her to sit beside him around the fire. ‘Tomorrow, I will take you to our sacred caves. There is a painting deep inside, not known by many. It is connected to all your destinies.’ He looked specifically at James.
Jane saw James’s hesitation. ‘You sure?’ he asked.
‘You have not found the person we spoke of. That is a problem.’ Fred pondered then said, ‘You soon will.’
Jane thought she saw a touch of red appear on James’s cheeks before he grunted back, ‘You keep your fortune telling to yourself.’
‘Why is it important for James to find this person?’ she asked.
Fred turned to her. ‘Tomorrow you will see.’ He got up and found himself a place to sleep.
The next morning Jane woke to the sound of someone softly calling her name. She opened her eyes and saw it was Stan, ‘Sorry to wake you, but Fred wants to leave early.’ Jane nodded and slipped out of the sleeping bag and mosquito net. The sun hadn’t appeared on the horizon yet, but the sky was brightening quickly. She stretched, easing her muscles gently for they ached. After the long rough journey, sleeping on the hard floor hadn’t helped. Still, she was thankful for the thin mat Stan had insisted she have last night, otherwise she might not have been able to move this morning. She looked across to Mark who was just getting up. He eased himself to a standing position and rubbed the base of his back.
He smiled and moved closer to her. ‘Sleep well?’
She shook her head, remembering that she had tossed and turned for a while, listening to the sounds of the desert that seemed so enhanced, it was as if everything that moved or crawled was just by her head. ‘You?’
‘Like a baby.’
‘Liar.’ She saw him grin.
‘Perhaps tonight I can share your sleeping bag and mat?’ Before she could reply, he kissed her.
‘Thought you might like some coffee,’ Stan interrupted.
Jane and Mark took the cups from him and he abruptly turned back to the fire. Jane noticed him glance back at her before he got busy cooking breakfast.
‘Who would have thought that James would have his own bodyguard,’ she said taking a sip of coffee.
Mark turned his gaze from the fire back to her. ‘James is full of surprises.’
‘And who would have thought we would find ourselves here, in the middle of the desert in Africa.’ Jane’s thoughts briefly touched back to her life in Jersey. It seemed to be another lifetime, now. ‘I hope we learn something to help you find a cure for the crystals.’
‘Well, I’m not holding my breath,’ Mark said, throwing the dregs of his cup on to the floor.
Jane gave him a stern look.
‘But I’m keeping an open mind,’ he said quickly.
‘Breakfast is up!’ Stan shouted.