The Gods Among Us

Chapter 29, Julie Smiled at Her

Chapter 29, Julie smiled at Her

Julie smiled at the artwork on Riangi's back. What a world she found herself in, this brutal savage world so far from home. She knew that her only chance of survival was to keep her wits about her and try to one-up her hosts. She considered how she frightened the Basindi. In high school, she remembered the story by Mark Twain, about a Yankee in King Arthur's court. All she could remember was, how this guy from Connecticut found himself back in the olden days and here he was in a host of trouble until he remembered about a solar eclipse and scared the hell out of everybody by telling them he could make the sun disappear. That saved him.

That's it, she said.

What?

An eclipse. Riangi was at a loss, clueless.

What are you talking about Jugee?

Oh, nothin'. Just should a paid more attention in science class is all. What are you smiling at dork?

Riangi stared at her distended stomach. Baby is inside you. Jugee is plump. And he squeezed her tits.

Julie had other things on her mind at present and scratched her head. Jugee has bugs. He understood and sat her down and searched meticulously through her hair picking out the lice one at a time. When he had finished, she leaned back spread her legs, and said, here too.

The weather changed. A cool breeze blew in, and dark clouds collected above. Julie reciprocated and picked the bugs out of his hair too, and when she had finished, he was excited. Riangi had lost interest in her since she began to show. She often felt the need for sex, but he would have nothing to do with her and avoided her as if she were menstruating.

They gathered their things and ate the last of their dried meat and berries, and after drinking their fill of fresh water felt satisfied enough to start their journey north to where Riangi thought his clan lived. As they made their way out of the dingle towards the gauntlet through which the river passed, she had a vague sense they were being watched. The weather looked as though it would turn bad, and a breeze turned into gusts, bringing with it more dark clouds.

Riangi stopped all of a sudden holding out his hand for her to do likewise. He looked over his shoulder back towards the falls and the ominous cave. Julie followed his eyes. She focused on the falls, not sure of what he saw or heard. Then she could see them lining the opposite shoreline. She yelped and it sounded like she was being throttled by some unseen hands. Then Riangi's firm hand gripped her arm pulling her towards him.

There must be thousands of 'em.

Show no fear. Look straight ahead and follow me, he said.

What do they want?

We are trespassing. They might be looking to see what we are doing here. We'll find out what they want soon enough.

The two walked along the shoreline and came upon a large rock formation jutting out into the water barring their way. They could either swim around it or climb over it. The latter option seemed a bit of a task as it nestled deeply into the side of the hill, and so they swam. They were up to their waists in the water when Julie saw what looked like huge logs piled against the stones. Suddenly, one of them moved.

Ow, what the hell are those?

Dragons.

She wished he'd stop calling them that.

One of them darted into the water. They watched as it swam close to shore. The others still on land hissed, thrashing at each other with their gaping snouts. Julie dropped everything she carried and jumped on Riangi's back. The crocodiles all filed into the water, dipping below the surface. Monkeys screamed from the trees. Riangi was unable to hold onto Julie and his things and he dropped them. And because she was trying to climb higher onto his shoulders, he lost his balance and they both fell in. The water boiled with hungry gators, and they quickly approached.