Read Online Africa Zero by Neal Asher - Free Book Online

while I thought. “Kephis, the
Silverwoman—” he looked surprised at the name, “would kill you. Neither assegai
nor your rifle would hurt her. She would take you and slowly rip you into
pieces so as to anger me. You have a sister and perhaps other family. Stay with
them. Save your weapons for the Protestanti, the leopard, and the tyrannosaur,
where they will do more than make a few scratches.”
    “I
would come with you,” said Kephis.
    Sipana
looked at her brother in fright. “Kephis, I think—”
    “Kephis!”
    I
looked round. The Rainman stood at the door of his hut. He said, “Five good men
have died this day. They fought bravely and well. It rendered them nought. I
cannot command you, but for the sake of this village, I ask you to stay.”
    Kephis
looked at the Rainman for a long time, then nodded his head and strode away.
Sipana followed him.
    “I
thank you,” I said.
    “I
would ask you to go in peace,” he said. “But I think you would laugh at me.”
    I
laughed anyway and set out for the jetty. I felt guilty about borrowing
Sipana’s canoe, but I did not suppose she would notice for some time. She had
other concerns.
     

part five
    I
was on the river for an hour with tension making static crackle in my hair,
then, just when I was beginning to think I would have an easy ride to the Iron
Falls, I saw something long and green with a conspicuous collection of teeth
grinning at me from the near bank. He was a monstrous specimen: over ten metres
from the tip of his tail to his snout, and no slouch when it came to sliding
into the water. I shook my head and looked at the flimsy paddle I held. What
had Sipana said? They do not go down river because of the crocodiles. Had I
listened, learned, remembered? Of course not, not superior old me. I began to
paddle as fast as I could without breaking the paddle.
    The
crocodile disappeared for a short while then reappeared seven metres behind me,
just eyes and nostrils and a huge disturbance in the water. Of course I could
have boiled him there with the antiphoton gun. I just did not want to. I
suppose, truth to tell, is that I prefer animals to humans. Had an unknown
human threatened me I would have killed him without a second thought. I guess
it is all to do with knowledge. This crocodile was probably only hungry.
Thinking that I looked down at my feet and had an idea.
    “Here,
crocky!”
    The
first black bass hit the water a few feet in front of his snout. A slight
twitch of his head and it was gone. I threw the second one a little behind him
and while he turned for it I gained a few yards on him. But in a moment he was
back in position. I suppose they were just a taster for him: an appetizer
before the main course. He would be disappointed. He would find me easy to
swallow—his mouth was big enough—but somewhat difficult to digest. I did not
intend to give him the chance to find out. One after the other I threw the last
of the bass in a wide pattern, then I paddled like hell as he swirled after
them.
    The
paddle was hitting the water on each side of the canoe like a propeller. I was
leaving a mist of water behind me and thought I had a good chance of getting
away. Then there was a loud crack and the paddle flew in half in my hands. I
caught one half, but the other half landed seven metres behind me, where there
was a suspicious looking swirl. The paddle disappeared. Damn! I reached into my
pocket and took out the gun. Perhaps I could scare him off. I doubted it.
    With
leisurely grace he came up beside the canoe as it slowed. He was very close and
I got a good long look at his two-metre long head and gently smiling jaws. He
was a real monster. I doubted there were any other crocodiles on this stretch
of river. This boy would have them for breakfast. The only time I had seen a
crocodile of this size before was centuries back and they had been the result
of some pretty weird genetic and surgical experiments. I watched him and he
just continued to swim along