Read Online Shadow Play by Katherine Sutcliffe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katherine Sutcliffe
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the narrowing of his eyes.
As silence stretched out between them, she struggled with the overwhelming need to turn and flee. Riveted, she steadied her breathing and said, "I must speak with you, Mr. Kane."
A long moment passed.
"Don't tell me you're in the market for a little snake oil."
She shook her head, and his grin became indolent.
"The snout of a white-lipped peccary, perhaps?"
"Mr. Kane."
"The beak of a toucan, or maybe a bottle of essence of hoatzin for that special someone you hate... hmm?"
A group of hagglers approached, and fearing she would lose him to the customers, she frantically searched the ram- shackle booth for something to buy. Spying a finely webbed butterfly net, she pointed to it and said, "I'll take that."
He laughed.
"I'm serious," she said. "Give me that net."
"To catch what?"
"Butterflies, of course. Norman, my fiance" owns an extensive collection of butterflies from around the world. I promised I would bring him several when I return home."
"Your fiance likes to pull wings off butterflies, does he?"
"No, he only—"
"Drives pins through their guts."
Frowning, Sarah lowered her voice as the crowd moved to the next stall. "Mr. Kane, I didn't come here to haggle over butterfly nets. I came to ask you one last time to help me. Have you given my proposition more thought?"
He nodded.
She waited, but got no further response. "Well?" she prompted.
"No chance," he replied with a finality that made her cringe.
Tossing her hat aside and placing her gloved hands on the stall counter, she leaned nearer, so that the ash of his cigarette was only inches from her nose. She noted the tiny lines of dissipation around his eyes and the faint scar cutting slightly into his lower lip. "Please," she said in a whisper. "Can we not discuss this like rational adults?"
He raised one eyebrow and a bead of sweat trickled down his unshaven cheek. He blew a stream of smoke through his lips, shook his head, and lifted a pair of hairy withered sacs of skin before her eyes. "Chere, do you see these?"
She glanced at them and shuddered.
"They're jaguar testicles. Mine will look just like that if King catches me in Japuri again."
"If it's more money you want, I'll get it somehow."
He looked at her mouth.
"A thousand? Is that what you want?" She dug inside her reticule and pulled out the ring. She slammed it onto the counter. "It must be worth five hundred. Take it. It's yours, along with the five hundred I've already offered, as well as the portrait.'' He started to swing away; she reached for his arm in desperation, her ringers sinking into his granite like muscle. It stopped him in his tracks.
"Damn you," she hissed. "I refuse to beg. If you'll not help me, I'll find someone who will. I'll go without a guide if I must. I'll boat up that river to King's front door and demand what he stole from my father!"
He yanked his arm away, the motion spilling ashes to the ground. "Who the devil said anything about you going to Japura?"
"Surely you didn't think I would meekly hand over my money and wait patiently in Georgetown. That is what got my father into this predicament in the first place."
"You? In Japura' He threw his head back and laughed. ' 'I can just imagine your reaction the first time you find a bat in your bedding. Or better yet, a Xavante headhunter."
"How dare you," she whispered in a voice tight with emotion. "How dare you laugh at me. I am just as capable of surviving the journey as you are, Mr. Kane."
His eyes mocked her. "Yeah. Right."
"Then I'll simply go without you." She turned away.
"Hey!" he shouted. When she looked at him again, he shook his head. "You little idiot.
You don't know what the hell you're saying."
"I am desperate, sir."
"And soon to be dead if you think you can deal with King on your own."
"What choice do you leave me?"
Kane raked one hand through his hair. His face looked whiter; his voice sounded deeper and more hoarse.' 'Darlin', you're dealin' with a madman. King's
As silence stretched out between them, she struggled with the overwhelming need to turn and flee. Riveted, she steadied her breathing and said, "I must speak with you, Mr. Kane."
A long moment passed.
"Don't tell me you're in the market for a little snake oil."
She shook her head, and his grin became indolent.
"The snout of a white-lipped peccary, perhaps?"
"Mr. Kane."
"The beak of a toucan, or maybe a bottle of essence of hoatzin for that special someone you hate... hmm?"
A group of hagglers approached, and fearing she would lose him to the customers, she frantically searched the ram- shackle booth for something to buy. Spying a finely webbed butterfly net, she pointed to it and said, "I'll take that."
He laughed.
"I'm serious," she said. "Give me that net."
"To catch what?"
"Butterflies, of course. Norman, my fiance" owns an extensive collection of butterflies from around the world. I promised I would bring him several when I return home."
"Your fiance likes to pull wings off butterflies, does he?"
"No, he only—"
"Drives pins through their guts."
Frowning, Sarah lowered her voice as the crowd moved to the next stall. "Mr. Kane, I didn't come here to haggle over butterfly nets. I came to ask you one last time to help me. Have you given my proposition more thought?"
He nodded.
She waited, but got no further response. "Well?" she prompted.
"No chance," he replied with a finality that made her cringe.
Tossing her hat aside and placing her gloved hands on the stall counter, she leaned nearer, so that the ash of his cigarette was only inches from her nose. She noted the tiny lines of dissipation around his eyes and the faint scar cutting slightly into his lower lip. "Please," she said in a whisper. "Can we not discuss this like rational adults?"
He raised one eyebrow and a bead of sweat trickled down his unshaven cheek. He blew a stream of smoke through his lips, shook his head, and lifted a pair of hairy withered sacs of skin before her eyes. "Chere, do you see these?"
She glanced at them and shuddered.
"They're jaguar testicles. Mine will look just like that if King catches me in Japuri again."
"If it's more money you want, I'll get it somehow."
He looked at her mouth.
"A thousand? Is that what you want?" She dug inside her reticule and pulled out the ring. She slammed it onto the counter. "It must be worth five hundred. Take it. It's yours, along with the five hundred I've already offered, as well as the portrait.'' He started to swing away; she reached for his arm in desperation, her ringers sinking into his granite like muscle. It stopped him in his tracks.
"Damn you," she hissed. "I refuse to beg. If you'll not help me, I'll find someone who will. I'll go without a guide if I must. I'll boat up that river to King's front door and demand what he stole from my father!"
He yanked his arm away, the motion spilling ashes to the ground. "Who the devil said anything about you going to Japura?"
"Surely you didn't think I would meekly hand over my money and wait patiently in Georgetown. That is what got my father into this predicament in the first place."
"You? In Japura' He threw his head back and laughed. ' 'I can just imagine your reaction the first time you find a bat in your bedding. Or better yet, a Xavante headhunter."
"How dare you," she whispered in a voice tight with emotion. "How dare you laugh at me. I am just as capable of surviving the journey as you are, Mr. Kane."
His eyes mocked her. "Yeah. Right."
"Then I'll simply go without you." She turned away.
"Hey!" he shouted. When she looked at him again, he shook his head. "You little idiot.
You don't know what the hell you're saying."
"I am desperate, sir."
"And soon to be dead if you think you can deal with King on your own."
"What choice do you leave me?"
Kane raked one hand through his hair. His face looked whiter; his voice sounded deeper and more hoarse.' 'Darlin', you're dealin' with a madman. King's
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