with this,’ Lucetta said, wincing with pain as he gave her arm a savage twist. ‘You’ll never get off the island.’
Stranks chortled with laughter, although there was no humour in the sound. ‘You may think I’m stupid, but I know who you are. Guthrie and me was waiting to be taken on board the
Caroline
when you come ashore in your fancy clothes and with that pretty little nose stuck in the air. I don’t know who your pa is but I can smell money a mile off. I’m sure he’ll be only too happy to pay for the return of his little darling, and the authorities won’t touch Guthrie and me while we’ve got you in tow.’
He released Lucetta with a savage push that sent her staggering. She would have fallen to the ground had she not clutched a liana which hung from a tall banyan tree.
‘How far do you think you’ll get with him in that condition?’ she demanded. ‘Your friend can’t stand, let alone walk, and do you know where you’re headed? If you go back to Benoa harbour you’ll be caught for certain.’
‘And you’ve got a lot of lip for someone in your position,’ Stranks said, scowling. ‘But if you must know, we’re making for Gilimanuk. Guthrie and me can geta boat to Java from there. We got money and we can buy a passage to somewhere the law won’t catch up with us.’
‘Gilimanuk is miles away to the north. You’ll never make it.’
‘I’ll make it all right, and the first thing I’ll do when we get there is wring your neck and feed you to the sharks.’
‘But why burden yourself with a woman and an injured man?’ Lucetta said softly. ‘You could make Gilimanuk in a couple of days if you went alone.’
‘And leave you to set the law on me? D’you think I’m a complete fool?’ Stranks raised his hand as if to strike her but a low moan from Guthrie diverted his attention.
‘Water. For God’s sake give me water.’
‘There ain’t none,’ Stranks said gruffly. ‘Hang on there, mate. I’m parched too, but I’ve got to sort this trull out afore I go looking for water.’
He took a step towards Lucetta, pulling a knife from his belt, and for a terrifying moment she thought he intended to kill her, but he hacked a length off the liana and seizing her by the shoulders, he pinned her arms behind her back. He lashed her wrists together and cutting a longer length of the vine, he bound her to the trunk of the banyan tree. ‘There, that’ll hold you until I get back.’
Lucetta was about to scream for help, but Stranks slapped his hand over her mouth, holding his knife to her throat. ‘One peep from you, missy, and I really will slit your gullet.’
She did not doubt that he meant every word he said, and she was barely surprised when he ripped a length from the hem of her sarong and gagged her so that she could not utter a sound. He grinned, revealing an uneven row of blackened teeth. ‘That’ll keep you quiet for a bit, Miss High and Mighty.’
He was gone for what seemed like hours and Lucetta had to suffer the torment of flies buzzing around her face while ants crawled over her feet and made exploratory trips up her bare legs. Guthrie lapsed in and out of consciousness, begging for water in his lucid moments, his eyes beseeching Lucetta for help that she was unable to give. His groans of pain became unintelligible gibberish as fever racked his body. Lucetta could only watch helplessly and wait for Stranks to return.
A green snake slithered from the undergrowth and she held her breath as it moved towards Guthrie’s inert body. She hoped that he would remain unconscious as the reptile stopped, its forked tongue flicking in and out as it absorbed the scent of the man lying on the forest floor. Don’t let it come near me, Lucetta prayed silently, as sweat trickled down her face and neck. The snake raised its flat head and stared at her with basilisk eyes, then just as suddenly as it had come it disappeared into the undergrowth. Shuddering violently, Lucetta felt tears of
Stranks chortled with laughter, although there was no humour in the sound. ‘You may think I’m stupid, but I know who you are. Guthrie and me was waiting to be taken on board the
Caroline
when you come ashore in your fancy clothes and with that pretty little nose stuck in the air. I don’t know who your pa is but I can smell money a mile off. I’m sure he’ll be only too happy to pay for the return of his little darling, and the authorities won’t touch Guthrie and me while we’ve got you in tow.’
He released Lucetta with a savage push that sent her staggering. She would have fallen to the ground had she not clutched a liana which hung from a tall banyan tree.
‘How far do you think you’ll get with him in that condition?’ she demanded. ‘Your friend can’t stand, let alone walk, and do you know where you’re headed? If you go back to Benoa harbour you’ll be caught for certain.’
‘And you’ve got a lot of lip for someone in your position,’ Stranks said, scowling. ‘But if you must know, we’re making for Gilimanuk. Guthrie and me can geta boat to Java from there. We got money and we can buy a passage to somewhere the law won’t catch up with us.’
‘Gilimanuk is miles away to the north. You’ll never make it.’
‘I’ll make it all right, and the first thing I’ll do when we get there is wring your neck and feed you to the sharks.’
‘But why burden yourself with a woman and an injured man?’ Lucetta said softly. ‘You could make Gilimanuk in a couple of days if you went alone.’
‘And leave you to set the law on me? D’you think I’m a complete fool?’ Stranks raised his hand as if to strike her but a low moan from Guthrie diverted his attention.
‘Water. For God’s sake give me water.’
‘There ain’t none,’ Stranks said gruffly. ‘Hang on there, mate. I’m parched too, but I’ve got to sort this trull out afore I go looking for water.’
He took a step towards Lucetta, pulling a knife from his belt, and for a terrifying moment she thought he intended to kill her, but he hacked a length off the liana and seizing her by the shoulders, he pinned her arms behind her back. He lashed her wrists together and cutting a longer length of the vine, he bound her to the trunk of the banyan tree. ‘There, that’ll hold you until I get back.’
Lucetta was about to scream for help, but Stranks slapped his hand over her mouth, holding his knife to her throat. ‘One peep from you, missy, and I really will slit your gullet.’
She did not doubt that he meant every word he said, and she was barely surprised when he ripped a length from the hem of her sarong and gagged her so that she could not utter a sound. He grinned, revealing an uneven row of blackened teeth. ‘That’ll keep you quiet for a bit, Miss High and Mighty.’
He was gone for what seemed like hours and Lucetta had to suffer the torment of flies buzzing around her face while ants crawled over her feet and made exploratory trips up her bare legs. Guthrie lapsed in and out of consciousness, begging for water in his lucid moments, his eyes beseeching Lucetta for help that she was unable to give. His groans of pain became unintelligible gibberish as fever racked his body. Lucetta could only watch helplessly and wait for Stranks to return.
A green snake slithered from the undergrowth and she held her breath as it moved towards Guthrie’s inert body. She hoped that he would remain unconscious as the reptile stopped, its forked tongue flicking in and out as it absorbed the scent of the man lying on the forest floor. Don’t let it come near me, Lucetta prayed silently, as sweat trickled down her face and neck. The snake raised its flat head and stared at her with basilisk eyes, then just as suddenly as it had come it disappeared into the undergrowth. Shuddering violently, Lucetta felt tears of
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