Read Online Sebastian Darke: Prince of Explorers by Philip Caveney - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Philip Caveney
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asked Sebastian. 'I know that you move around from time to time, so . . . would you be able to find the place again?'
Joseph smiled. 'I believe so. You see, I think it was this village.'
Sebastian looked puzzled.
'We often return to former sites,' explained Keera. 'It means that we have very little work to do when we get there: we just patch up the huts we made before. We have lived in this place many times.' She turned to Joseph. 'But how can you be sure?' she asked him. 'This happened when you were a boy and you must have lived in so many different places. How do you know it's this one?'
'I'm pretty sure it was here,' he told her. 'I may be long in the tooth but there's nothing wrong with my memory.' He returned to his story. 'We set off along a rusa trail heading west and walked for the best part of two days. Then we reached a place where a fast-flowing river crossed our path. It was wide and rapid and we stood there, wondering how we would ever get across it.'
He paused for a moment and lifted his cup to his lips.
Sebastian saw that Salah was listening intently, her eyes on the old man's face. She was smiling knowingly – this was no doubt a familiar story.
'Then one man noticed something a short distance down river,' continued Joseph. 'He lifted a finger to his lips and pointed. We looked and, to our delight, we saw a huge tree. It had thick black roots coming up out of the ground, forming deep hollows, and amongst the roots lay a family of rusa – a big male, several sows and their babies. It was like a gift from Okrin. The men turned and began to creep forward, spears raised. I did likewise.'
He pointed in front of him as though he could actually see the animals waiting there for him. 'The boar rose up, squealing with anger, tusks glittering in the sunlight. It saw the ring of men advancing upon it and searched for the weakest point.' Joseph smiled. 'I was head and shoulders shorter than the others, so of course it went for me. It moved fast for such a heavy beast. Before I knew it, it had slammed into me and was swinging its head to try to get its tusks into my flesh. I didn't have time to think. I grabbed two fistfuls of hair and hung on for dear life.'
Sebastian stared at the old man, trying to imagine him as a young, inexperienced boy plunged into such a desperate situation.
'I heard the yells of the other men as they turned in pursuit, but I didn't dare let go, lest I be trampled underfoot. Of course, I had forgotten that behind me was the river. In its rage the rusa had forgotten also. Suddenly the ground was gone from beneath my feet and we were falling, the rusa and I.' He shrugged his skinny shoulders. 'I had expected to hit the ground,' he said; 'to have the life crushed out of me. When we splashed down into freezing water, the shock made
me cry out in terror; and the next instant the rusa was gone and I was being swept along at incredible speed, held in the chilly embrace of the water.'
Joseph shook his head and his ancient eyes mirrored the terror he must have felt at the time. 'I was not a good swimmer – far from it – and I panicked every time my head went below the surface. The warriors pursued me along the bank for some distance, but they could not keep up and were soon left behind: I was quite alone . . .'
There was a long silence, during which the tiniest sound would have seemed like an intrusion. That was Max's cue to break wind with incredible ferocity. Everybody turned to look at him indignantly.
'Sorry,' he said. 'Must have been the chai.'
'Please ignore his behaviour,' hissed Sebastian, his face reddening. 'Go on with your story.'
The old man nodded. 'I do not know how long I was swept down that river,' he said. 'I was bounced off rocks, tumbled through rapids, dragged deep under the surface. At one point, just as I was grabbing a tree branch, the rusa came hurtling down the river and crashed into me. Its tusks snagged in my
Joseph smiled. 'I believe so. You see, I think it was this village.'
Sebastian looked puzzled.
'We often return to former sites,' explained Keera. 'It means that we have very little work to do when we get there: we just patch up the huts we made before. We have lived in this place many times.' She turned to Joseph. 'But how can you be sure?' she asked him. 'This happened when you were a boy and you must have lived in so many different places. How do you know it's this one?'
'I'm pretty sure it was here,' he told her. 'I may be long in the tooth but there's nothing wrong with my memory.' He returned to his story. 'We set off along a rusa trail heading west and walked for the best part of two days. Then we reached a place where a fast-flowing river crossed our path. It was wide and rapid and we stood there, wondering how we would ever get across it.'
He paused for a moment and lifted his cup to his lips.
Sebastian saw that Salah was listening intently, her eyes on the old man's face. She was smiling knowingly – this was no doubt a familiar story.
'Then one man noticed something a short distance down river,' continued Joseph. 'He lifted a finger to his lips and pointed. We looked and, to our delight, we saw a huge tree. It had thick black roots coming up out of the ground, forming deep hollows, and amongst the roots lay a family of rusa – a big male, several sows and their babies. It was like a gift from Okrin. The men turned and began to creep forward, spears raised. I did likewise.'
He pointed in front of him as though he could actually see the animals waiting there for him. 'The boar rose up, squealing with anger, tusks glittering in the sunlight. It saw the ring of men advancing upon it and searched for the weakest point.' Joseph smiled. 'I was head and shoulders shorter than the others, so of course it went for me. It moved fast for such a heavy beast. Before I knew it, it had slammed into me and was swinging its head to try to get its tusks into my flesh. I didn't have time to think. I grabbed two fistfuls of hair and hung on for dear life.'
Sebastian stared at the old man, trying to imagine him as a young, inexperienced boy plunged into such a desperate situation.
'I heard the yells of the other men as they turned in pursuit, but I didn't dare let go, lest I be trampled underfoot. Of course, I had forgotten that behind me was the river. In its rage the rusa had forgotten also. Suddenly the ground was gone from beneath my feet and we were falling, the rusa and I.' He shrugged his skinny shoulders. 'I had expected to hit the ground,' he said; 'to have the life crushed out of me. When we splashed down into freezing water, the shock made
me cry out in terror; and the next instant the rusa was gone and I was being swept along at incredible speed, held in the chilly embrace of the water.'
Joseph shook his head and his ancient eyes mirrored the terror he must have felt at the time. 'I was not a good swimmer – far from it – and I panicked every time my head went below the surface. The warriors pursued me along the bank for some distance, but they could not keep up and were soon left behind: I was quite alone . . .'
There was a long silence, during which the tiniest sound would have seemed like an intrusion. That was Max's cue to break wind with incredible ferocity. Everybody turned to look at him indignantly.
'Sorry,' he said. 'Must have been the chai.'
'Please ignore his behaviour,' hissed Sebastian, his face reddening. 'Go on with your story.'
The old man nodded. 'I do not know how long I was swept down that river,' he said. 'I was bounced off rocks, tumbled through rapids, dragged deep under the surface. At one point, just as I was grabbing a tree branch, the rusa came hurtling down the river and crashed into me. Its tusks snagged in my
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