The Adventurers

Chapter 32

Le Clerque turned, his eyes widening as he saw the native's prize. He shoved the girl aside and in one quick thrust, plunged his knife into the native's neck, all the while screaming religious babble. The head dropped with a splat and rolled to one wall as the native collapsed against the other. Seeing his chance, Sax dove at Le Clerque and the two men crashed into the small cabin, thrashing about on the floor.

On the bed the last of the natives sat picking rings and ornaments from the headless corpse of the Cardinal. He jumped up and stared at the fighters then grabbed his short spear and tried to get a clear shot at Sax. Sam burst into the cabin wielding the machete from the dead native in the passageway.

In one swift strike he slashed the man through the collar bone and part way down his chest, leaving the weapon in place when he couldn't pull it back. Sax managed to get on top of Le Clerque in the small space and with Sam's help, wrestled him to his feet, out of the cabin and up to the lounge. The bodies of the other two crew members and one of the Katopi natives were sprawled by the bulkhead.

"That was my last shot," Sam said nodding at the native.

"Lucky for you."

"Those guns were almost empty to begin with."

Sax shoved Le Clerque onto a bench seat and picked up a discarded spear from the floor. "Where's the girl?"

Sam looked around and then went topside, scouring all the spots on the top deck and the bridge then came back down.

"She's done a runner."

"Don't blame her, she's probably had enough religious behavior for a lifetime." He turned back to Le Clerque. "Okay, pal, let's hear your story."

"I am an instrument of the Holy Church on a mission to secure the treasure for distribution among God's flock."

Sam snorted and grimaced at the arrogant statement. "God's flock being the gang in Rome, eh?"

"You followed us to the lost city and you were the one that attacked Tapuk, our guide; that was your braid he had when we found him." Sax said.

Le Clerque scowled and automatically touched his hair. "It is this very behavior that Mother Church is hoping to eliminate as those savages are brought under her care. Look what happened to the Cardinal."

"You call them savages? We know what you did to some of Pazzo's men, don't point your dirty finger at the natives."

"I only helped them on their journey to be with our Lord."

"Fruitcake." Sam spat disgustedly "What'll we do with him?"

"Listen, this nutcase rounded up a bunch of thugs, raided this boat and slaughtered the crew... not to mention the Cardinal."

"That was blasphemous! It's what I said! They're savages."

"Stow it, pal. You wanted Chessery Blanchert. What for?"

Le Clerque fell silent except for a soft muttering, which, when Sax leaned down, learned was a prayer.

"Oh Christ, he's going religious on us now."

"You profane the Lord's name!" He jumped up from the bench and lunged at a stunned Sax.

They both rocked back against the opposite bulkhead and began fighting again. This time Sam grabbed a cast statue of Jesus from a small niche and laid it across the side of Le Clerque's head. The sound was strange as it echoed the noise from the plate in his jaw and with a heavy grunt he fell in a heap at Sax's feet, his mangled jaw hanging down and his dark eyes glazing over.

It took both of them nearly an hour to collect the bodies and organize the boat. Sax said a short prayer of his own when he saw that the lashed tiller had maintained an even course up the river and had not run aground somewhere. He set the revs a little faster and lashed the wheel again.

"Why didn't we toss them all overboard?"

"The crew were essentially good guys, they deserve something better than dinner for the caimans."

"And our zealot?"

"He can stay with the boat when we get off. Somebody has to have been in charge. Maybe the church will make him a Saint."

"Fine, but he ain't staying there." Sam dragged the body down to the tiny engine room and stuffed it into a corner.

They finished their other disposal duties, the Cardinal and his head, and the two natives in his cabin. The girl was brought up and placed under the old tarps along with the crew. Sax went back to the bridge and began looking at the crude charts showing river hazards and the few villages scattered along its wandering course. Sorocaba was marked with a heavy 'x' and Sax concluded that they were about a day and a half way.

From there they would make their way to São Paulo via whatever transport suitable. He believed that this would cover their tracks and leave their final destination up in the air for any pursuers.

* * *

The Zodiacs bounced up the river at speed, Trask in the bow of the first boat looking like a modern day Ahab in search of his whale. Where the river narrowed, the wake from the two boats slammed water against the riverbanks with enough force to scatter the wildlife sunning and eating along its edge.

"Over there! Arkady shouted, pointing. The boat slowed and Hammond steered it toward the shape in the water. "Katopi native." Trask said. "Turn him over." The body rolled slowly in the water and the staring eyes of the dead native looked skyward. "That's a bullet hole, Art."

"There's another one." Arkady shook his head a little further up the river where a large snake was hauling its prey up onto the bank.

"Something's goin' on. This guy wasn't any crewman on the Cardinal's boat. Check out the paint on his arms; he was on some kind of raid. They decorate themselves like that when they're expecting a fight."

"You think they were after the boat too?"

"Maybe. Maybe our friend the Father at Qutamma had an operation under way when we arrived."

"But he already thought he was getting the helicopter. What was on the boat that he cared about?"

"I don't know but let's find out for ourselves." Trask waved his hand ala John Wayne and the two boats leapt ahead, streaking straight up the middle of the river.