Lady of the Snakes

Chapter 10

That night there was another hunt. Piggy, pleading ass-mar, stayed behind. Nora might have gone, but she was feeling dizzy and nauseous, and knew she needed to stay back. After much begging from Ada, Nora had let her go, but had asked Simon and Ralph to take care of her, just in case.

Standing up from the sand, she felt suddenly dizzy. “Ooh…” Nora grabbed her head.

“What?” Piggy looked up from a littlun with a cut on his arm.

“I need to lie down, I-” The last thing she saw before everything went dark was Piggy’s glasses flashing in the light.

……..

Jack crouched low, obscured by creepers. His warm breath went in, out. Behind and around him there was restless rustling movements of boys. Jack wished he could have gone hunting by himself, but he knew that he alone couldn't kill a pig. He heard something crashing through the undergrowth.

“Shush.” He hissed at them. Out of the forest came something dirty, scratched, and large. A pig! Feeling a rush of wild adrenaline, Jack lunged with his spear.

But when he came out from behind the creepers and was about to stab the thing, Simon cried, “WAIT!”

Jack paused. The thing was whimpering and wheezing underneath him pitifully. Simon moved out from behind the creepers. “Piggy? Is that you?”

Piggy wheezed in affirmation. It took him some time to be able to get words out, but finally he was able to gasp out, “Nora-she's fainted-had to tell you-”

“And you left her all alone with the littluns?” Jack shook Piggy angrily. “What if the beast had-”

Ralph emerged. “I've told you there isn't any beast, Jack.” He looked at Piggy. “Is she still at the beach?”

“Yes.” Piggy said, with slightly less difficulty. “I tried to move her into one of the shelters, but I couldn't.”

“You just left her lying on the beach?” Jack shook Piggy harder.

Ralph pulled Jack’s arms off of Piggy. “There's no time for getting angry. We have to get down there. Now.”

........

When they reached the beach, they found ten littluns in a protective circle around Nora. Bess was in the middle.

“Nora! Wake up! Nora?” She was starting to cry. Simon pulled her off Nora gently and took all the littluns to the next shelter.

Very gently, Ralph picked up Nora and carried her into the smaller shelter. He couldn't have her that far away and all by herself when she was sick.

“She's burning up.” Jack said, feeling Nora's forehead.

“Sunburned, too.” Ralph pushed her curly hair out of her face.

Boys poked their heads in quietly, assessing the situation for themselves. When Harold came, he nodded to himself and said, “It's the sun sickness.”

“The what?”

“The sun sickness. I lived in India for a bit when I was younger, and I got it. I came close to dying. Comes from being in the sun too much, and not getting enough water. And sunburns, and such.” He peered at Nora. “Is she hot?”

“As hot as she could get!” Jack exclaimed.

“Get water, cold water, and give it to her.” Harold said authoritatively. “When I had it, I threw up, so you'll need something for that, too.”

Nora moaned and turned over. “And she could get delirious.” Harold added, stepping out.

Jack and Ralph stared at each other. “Go-go get cold water, then.” Ralph directed shakily. “Lots of it.”

Jack glared at him. “And you're just going to stay here and act the hero?”

“Somebody has to stay with her!” Ralph threw his hands up defensively.

Jack stalked out, muttering mutinously.

Ralph looked at Nora worriedly.

And what, whispered a little voice in his head, will happen when she dies?

She won’t die, she can’t!

The voice wrapped like a vine around his mind. Not a very good chief, are you? Three boys dead already and now the only girl you’ll ever have a chance with-

No! No! Shut up! It’s not like that! Ralph closed his eyes and fought the voice off.

Then he glanced at Nora. She was shivering, trying to reach for a blanket. The dry leaves crackled as she tossed and turned.

Simon poked his head in. “How is she?”

“She's got a fever.” Ralph motioned. “Jack's getting water.”
“Here it is.” Jack was carrying a two shells full of water. Roger, behind him, was holding two more. “We should switch off."