Read Online The Ragged Heiress by Dilly Court - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dilly Court
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pocket and tipped some coins into his hand, holding it out to them. ‘Me pay more, savvy?’
‘Don’t speak to them like that,’ Lucetta protested. ‘Do you want them to abandon us in the middle of the jungle?’ Infuriated by his stupidity, she tugged on the liana which joined them together, catching him off balance so that he fell to his knees. His shouts and curses were drowned by the men’s laughter; they seemed to think it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. The older man picked up the coins that Stranks had dropped and threw them at him. Still laughing, they turned on their heels and vanished into the bush.
Stranks rose to his feet, slashing at the liana and freeing Lucetta. ‘This is all your fault. I should slit your throat here and now.’ He raised the knife as if he meantto kill her but a sudden downpour drenched them to the skin in seconds. The shock of the warm rainwater cascading over him stopped Stranks as if he had been turned to stone. He raised his face to the sky and opened his mouth, swallowing the water in noisy gulps. Lucetta followed suit. Never had fresh water tasted so sweet. Momentarily forgetting about her captors, even though her wrists were still bound, she raised her arms above her head and allowed the tropical rain to wash the dust and sweat from her body. Even Guthrie seemed a little quieter as the water cooled his fever and moistened his dry lips.
It was over as suddenly as it had begun. Stranks seized Lucetta by the hair and just when she thought she had breathed her last, he brought the knife down and slit the liana fibres that bound her wrists. He pushed her away from him. ‘You won’t get far, so don’t try to escape.’
She rubbed her chafed flesh, eyeing him warily. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘Not that it’s any business of yours, but I’m going to find a safe place to get some rest. You stay here and look after Guthrie.’ He trudged off, his booted feet squelching in the newly formed mud.
Lucetta’s knees gave way beneath her and she sank down on a dead log. Stranks was right; she wouldn’t get far on her own. She was completely lost and in a very short time the tropical night would wrap itself around them like black velvet. Already she could hear the ‘geck-oh’ night call of the geckos and the continuous croaking of frogs. The undergrowth surroundingthem was alive with sound and the foliage above her head rustled with the movement of bats and other nocturnal creatures. Guthrie had quietened considerably and was muttering feverishly as he lay on the now sodden matting.
Her stomach rumbled and she realised that she was extremely hungry. She picked up the sack that Stranks had bought from the Balinese villagers and emptied it onto the ground. Two coconuts rolled onto the forest floor followed by a bunch of finger-sized bananas and a couple of star fruit. Without stopping to think how Stranks might react when he discovered that some of the fruit was missing, she peeled a banana and sank her teeth into the sweet flesh, barely chewing it before swallowing. She ate another and was about to gobble a third when she realised that Guthrie had opened his eyes and was staring at her. She knelt down beside him, breaking off a small piece of banana and holding it to his lips. ‘Try to eat. You need to keep your strength up.’ As obedient as a small child, he opened his mouth and chewed the soft fruit, gulping it down with an effort.
‘Water,’ he croaked. ‘Give me water.’
Lucetta picked up a coconut and tried smashing it against a stone, but the hard shell withstood the shock and it bounced out of her hand. Stranks was the only one who possessed a knife and the milk would have to remain inside the nut until his return. She tore a strip from his shirt, which was still damp enough to moisten his cracked lips. She could not be certain, but she thought he smiled at her as he lapsed into mercifulunconsciousness. There was nothing more she could do and she
‘Don’t speak to them like that,’ Lucetta protested. ‘Do you want them to abandon us in the middle of the jungle?’ Infuriated by his stupidity, she tugged on the liana which joined them together, catching him off balance so that he fell to his knees. His shouts and curses were drowned by the men’s laughter; they seemed to think it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. The older man picked up the coins that Stranks had dropped and threw them at him. Still laughing, they turned on their heels and vanished into the bush.
Stranks rose to his feet, slashing at the liana and freeing Lucetta. ‘This is all your fault. I should slit your throat here and now.’ He raised the knife as if he meantto kill her but a sudden downpour drenched them to the skin in seconds. The shock of the warm rainwater cascading over him stopped Stranks as if he had been turned to stone. He raised his face to the sky and opened his mouth, swallowing the water in noisy gulps. Lucetta followed suit. Never had fresh water tasted so sweet. Momentarily forgetting about her captors, even though her wrists were still bound, she raised her arms above her head and allowed the tropical rain to wash the dust and sweat from her body. Even Guthrie seemed a little quieter as the water cooled his fever and moistened his dry lips.
It was over as suddenly as it had begun. Stranks seized Lucetta by the hair and just when she thought she had breathed her last, he brought the knife down and slit the liana fibres that bound her wrists. He pushed her away from him. ‘You won’t get far, so don’t try to escape.’
She rubbed her chafed flesh, eyeing him warily. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘Not that it’s any business of yours, but I’m going to find a safe place to get some rest. You stay here and look after Guthrie.’ He trudged off, his booted feet squelching in the newly formed mud.
Lucetta’s knees gave way beneath her and she sank down on a dead log. Stranks was right; she wouldn’t get far on her own. She was completely lost and in a very short time the tropical night would wrap itself around them like black velvet. Already she could hear the ‘geck-oh’ night call of the geckos and the continuous croaking of frogs. The undergrowth surroundingthem was alive with sound and the foliage above her head rustled with the movement of bats and other nocturnal creatures. Guthrie had quietened considerably and was muttering feverishly as he lay on the now sodden matting.
Her stomach rumbled and she realised that she was extremely hungry. She picked up the sack that Stranks had bought from the Balinese villagers and emptied it onto the ground. Two coconuts rolled onto the forest floor followed by a bunch of finger-sized bananas and a couple of star fruit. Without stopping to think how Stranks might react when he discovered that some of the fruit was missing, she peeled a banana and sank her teeth into the sweet flesh, barely chewing it before swallowing. She ate another and was about to gobble a third when she realised that Guthrie had opened his eyes and was staring at her. She knelt down beside him, breaking off a small piece of banana and holding it to his lips. ‘Try to eat. You need to keep your strength up.’ As obedient as a small child, he opened his mouth and chewed the soft fruit, gulping it down with an effort.
‘Water,’ he croaked. ‘Give me water.’
Lucetta picked up a coconut and tried smashing it against a stone, but the hard shell withstood the shock and it bounced out of her hand. Stranks was the only one who possessed a knife and the milk would have to remain inside the nut until his return. She tore a strip from his shirt, which was still damp enough to moisten his cracked lips. She could not be certain, but she thought he smiled at her as he lapsed into mercifulunconsciousness. There was nothing more she could do and she
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