Basilisk Eyes

Chapter 56: Mami Wata

As Harry followed the sounds of Adam and Lieutenant Holman as they walked toward the group that was gathered on the beach, he wondered how he had been talked into going down the gangplank so easily when moments before he was panicking at the idea.

Lieutenant Holman made it seem easy, he realized.

Tony, following the two men, occasionally turned to make comments about the terrain that (mostly) helped Harry navigate it. It wasn't as tricky as the trail down the mountainside to the HMS Eden had been—or maybe I'm getting better at this... Harry allowed. The ground was different under his feet—in the mountains it had been hard and sandy with lots of loose rocks and then small clumps of spiky plants that made squishy mounds. Here the earth was soft and spongy—each step released fragrant cut grass aromas.

Every once in a while, when the wind shifted direction from the ocean to the land, he was overwhelmed by the scents of dense vegetation. He'd never smelled anything like it before. It was so hot and humid, Harry was certain he was going to melt. His clothes were sticking to him and he felt as though he was way overdressed in his baggy T-shirt, trousers, socks, and shoes. And the wind carried the sound of birds and other animals (monkeys maybe?). Harry remembered the trip to the zoo where, right before everything went to hell in a handbasket, he had listened to an interactive display that had recorded the sounds of the jungle—and here it was... even more cacophonous in real life...

Is this real life or just someone's memory of real life? He wondered.

Soon, they were walking in sand. At first, it was hard and compacted, then it was loose and Harry was sinking deep into it with each step. He felt he had slowed to a sloth's pace and that he was losing ground.

"Harry," Tony said close by.

Harry jumped. He had been so intent on navigating the sand that he hadn't noticed that Tony had stopped.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Tony apologized. "It seems like you're struggling in the sand. I just thought you could use a... some help."

"Yeah, that'd be great. The sand is hard to walk in."

It sounded like they were getting close to the group of people on the beach and the squealing children. He could hear them splashing in the water now. He reached out and found Tony's back and they started walking again.

"This place is so amazing. I've never been to a jungle before and I guess this is a jungle—there are gigantic trees and vines and leaves and they are all so deeply green. I don't think I've ever seen green like this. I mean, wow. And the ocean is so blue. I've been to the ocean before, but it was grey and misty and cold. And there are parrots and other colorful birds flying everywhere."

Harry could feel Tony twisting around as he was taking it all in, then he started, "Wait! Did you see that? I think that was a monkey!"

Harry heard a chattering noise that pretty much confirmed it.

"It just ran out onto the beach and grabbed something and then darted right back!" Tony exclaimed. "Wicked! Wait until I tell Graham! He's not going to believe it!"

"Who's Graham?"

"My brother. He loves the monkeys at the zoo. The people here are covered in mud... like, not like they are dirty, but they are wearing it like we wear clothes. And they have these strange little straw hats that are decorated with shells and stuff," Tony described as they approached the group of people.

Harry could hear Adam and Lieutenant Holman's conversation coming to a standstill. He wished was close enough to hear more of what they were saying because, from the snatches he did hear, it sounded pretty fascinating.