At all costs (The Legend of Tarzan)

The Jungle

Christopher looked around him at the Jungle as they moved through the thick forest. Everything felt damp, and warm. Even the air felt heavy. He heard birds high up in the trees, and the growling of a leopard in the distance. He couldn't see the faces of the men carrying them, but he knew they were nervous. The white man was nervously looking from side to side, jerking his head slightly each time. Christopher's story about the spirit Tarzan, and Jombo's belief in his existence had made even the white man nervous, and it would hopefully work to his advantage.

Up front, Elizabeth could see Jombo's face, filled with worry as he looked around him constantly. Each step taken carefully, as his paranoia seemed to grow. She had quickly caught on to Christopher's plan to make the men fear the spirits, especially the spirit of Tarzan. Of course she knew Tarzan was not a spirit living in the jungle, but they should fear him none the less. She knew her father would come after them, and the men guarding them -or hurting them once he would find them- should be very afraid of him. Mother and father never talked about father's past, but she knew the stories people told about "Tarzan lord of the apes". She heard other people whisper rumours about him at tea parties and birthday gatherings. Stories about him killing jaguars which tried to attack the young apes, and stories of him fighting the alpha mangini in order to protect their mother. She had seen the scars on her father's body a few times, when she accidentally walked into his bedroom while he was changing. He always tried to hide the scars, and the details of his past, but she knew quite a lot. She knew he was strong, and could hurt others easily. And she also knew that he would hurt the men who had taken them if necessary.

Slowly, she started to hear heavy pants coming from the man who was carrying her.

'Let's rest for a moment.' He said. 'The air is so thick here, it feels like its resisting us.' He sat Elizabeth down against a tree and sat down himself, a few feet away from her. Christopher was sat down beside her, and Jombo sat down too. Christopher was sure Jombo agreed that the air was resisting them. Then Jombo spoke up and confirmed his thoughts.

'We should not linger.' He mumbled.

'Why are you so afraid of the Tarzan spirit?' Elizabeth asked.

Jumbo looked up at her, seemingly surprised. Did he think she could not speak? Or did he think she was too ill to speak?

'I do not think the spirit would take to kindly to us taking you from your family in England. And the spirit called Tarzan, he is not known known for kindness.'

'Do you know why you were hired to take us?' Christopher asked.

'I don't...' he sighed. 'I know the man who hired us is angered with your family, and wishes revenge. But why I do not know. I do not even know your name, or that of your family.'

'Would it matter if you did?' Christopher asked him.

'It would matter to my conscience if I knew whether or not your family deserves the suffering it is experiencing while you were gone. But I cannot afford to pick my battles. I have no place among the tribes, and now place among the white men. My only way to stay alive, is by money. And this is the only way for me to get it.'

'Money won't be of much use if Tarzan gets to you first...'

'Which is why I pray, that he will have mercy on my soul.' Jombo said, his voice shaking, as he looked around him again, with that same look of paranoia.

'Perhaps the spirit will show you mercy, if you help us escape.' Elizabeth chimed in.

Jombo looked at her, and for a moment she believed he would let her go, until the other man pushed her head against the tree with brute force. 'Lizzie!' she heard Christopher gasp, but he didn't dare to speak. 'Don't try to bribe him with superstition, princess.' The man said. He let go of her head as he scoffed and shook his head. Then he threw her over his shoulder again. 'Get up. We're moving on.'

And soon all of them were on the move again, going through the forest. And although they were never attacked or bothered by any animals, Christopher swore he saw some apelike creatures staring at them as they moved along.