Dale K. Robinson
As the moon rose, Elmo placed a final rock upon a mound of earth beside the river that runs to Cathne through the valley of Onthar.
The warriors and the nobles and the people had followed Phordos to the city to empty the dungeons of Nemone and proclaim Alextar king, leaving their dead queen lying at the edge of the Field of the Lions with the dead Belthar. The human service they had neglected the ape-man had performed, and now beneath the soft radiance of an African moon he stood with bowed head beside the grave of a woman who had found at last, if not happiness, at least peace.
A great shaggy head gently butted his leg, interrupting the prayer that Elmo offered in Nemone's behalf. He wrapped a hand in the black mane of Jad-Bal-Ja, the golden lion, giving the great beast a loving stroke much as you or I might a tabby cat. The rumble in the beast's throat indicated his pleasure, as the purr of the tabby cat would. Jad-Bal-Ja loved his master and had searched many days to find him, only to rescue him at the last moment from the fangs and claws of Belthar, the great lion of Cathne.
A chattering furball leapt to the ape-man's shoulder and threw it's arms around Elmo's neck. "Nkima search jungle for Elmo, fight many Manu and Numa to find Elmo! Many hungry Manu! Many hungry Numa! But Nkima not afraid! Nkima find Elmo!"
The monkey Nkima was very brave in the presence of his master, Elmo, an inveterate bully and braggart, brave when there was no danger. Like Jad-Bal-Ja, he had searched the jungles for his friend, master, and protector. Elmo laughed. "Nkima very brave Manu!" he agreed.
With Nkima perched atop his shoulder and the great lion at his side, Elmo quit the valley of Onthar. His friends in Cathne had returned to him his weapons: a grass rope, a bow, arrows, a spear, and his most prized possession - the hunting knife that had belonged to the father he had never known.
It was a march of many days, but time meant little to Elmo as he meandered in the general direction of ... of what? Not home, "home" to the ape-man was the jungle. No, but still he moved in the direction of the quiet bungalow where awaited his mate, his son and his son's mate and their balu.
At last, he stood at the jungle's edge, the great lion at his side and the tiny monkey upon his shoulder. Upon the veranda he spied the love of his life, Jane, long blonde hair flowing, as she stood at the railing and peered out at the jungle. As he started toward the bungalow, she spied her husband, her mate, and ran to meet him, throwing her arms about his neck to the protest of Nkima who lost his perch. He took the woman into his arms, planting a long kiss upon her up-turned lips. "I've missed you, John, my love!" she proclaimed. "And I you," he replied. "How are Jack and Meriem and their latest balu?"
"Estate business called Jack to London and Meriem and the baby went with them. They'll be back in time for Christmas. Esmeralda cabled that she, John Paul, and Jackie will be arriving from school for the holiday break week after next. Would you believe it, John? She's actually going to fly!"
The ape-man smiled at the thought of Esmeralda aboard an aeroplane. She was a far cry from the comical character she had been when Elmo had first seen her with Jane at the jungle clearing where his father's cabin had set. The jungle no longer frightened her, much, anyway, although she always kept her distance from the golden lion, Jad-Bal-Ja and the mangani, the great apes, that sometimes frequented the African estate.
It was late afternoon when the ship docked at Alexandria and the black woman debarked with her two charges, a tall, lanky boy of seventeen and his nine year old nephew. The older boy had a jet black shock of hair which he continuously pushed from his face. The younger boy looked enough like him to have been a brother rather his brother's son.The boys collected the trio's baggage and the older boy hailed a cab. The Egyptian driver spoke broken English and the young man haggled with him over a price to carry the three to the Alexandria Hotel, agreeing to a price a shilling more than he offered, but three less than he was willing to pay for the trip. John Paul, the younger boy, slid into the back seat and Esmeralda, the governess, settled heavily beside him. Jackie, the older boy, supervised the loading of the baggage and slipped into the passenger seat beside the driver.
As the cab pulled away from the port, a large truck pulled out in front of the taxi and the driver cursed him in Arabic. Jackie suppressed a smile. Although he had haggled with the driver in English, the young man was fluent in Arabic. The invectives he had just heard, he filed away for future use. Both his father and his brother's wife had neglected to teach him such words, as had his tutor at school.
The truck moved on, its driver unaware that his mother's virtue and his father's honor had been besmirched. The cab driver floored the gas pedal and the vehicle shot around the truck. With one hand on the wheel and his fist waving in the air at the truck driver, the cab driver careened through the streets of Alexandria. Jackie's heart raced and Esmeralda wailed. John Paul squealed in delight.
Despite the wild taxi ride, the trio arrived at the Alexandria Hotel without incident and settled into their rooms. John Paul was all for seeing the sights of Alexandria, but Esmeralda vetoed that, saying that they had all the following morning to explore before catching their train to Cairo in the afternoon. John Paul accepted that edict begrudingly, although Jackie suspected that Esmeralda would find a reason to beg off in the morning. He was content to lounge about the rest of the afternoon, calling for a bath before dressing for dinner in the hotel restaurant. John Paul had bathed as well, but only at Esmeralda's insistence.
The three went down stairs together to the dining room, which was filled with a variety of Arab, English, American, and other patrons. Most were quite presentable and pleasant looking folks, except for an Englishman with oily hair and a stained white linen suit who sat talking animatedly with an equally disreputable looking Egyptian.
Jackie found it far more pleasant to look at the Americans, a studious looking man who reminded him of his grandfather, who ate quietly with his wife and daughter. The daughter was quite pleasant to look upon. She appeared to be near Jackie's own age, brown haired, with blue gray eyes. She smiled when she caught him looking at her. He felt his face turn red and he quickly looked away.
After dinner, he stood on the hotel's veranda, taking in the sounds and sights of Egypt's busy port city. John Paul sat nearby, put out that Esmeralda would not permit him to leave the hotel.
Jackie felt her approach; it was a sixth sense he had inherited from his father.
She stood at the rail near him. "It's a beautiful city, isn't it?
"Very," he answered.
"I'm Pat. Patricia Cochran. From Baltimore. In the United States."
"I'm Jackie, er, Jack Clayton. Of London and Africa. But my mother was from Baltimore."
"Pleased to meet you, Jack Clayton." She stuck out her right hand. Jackie gave it loose shake, but she tightened her grip. He returned the grip. "Good. I like a firm handshake," she said matter of factly.
"What brings you to Egypt, Miss Cochran? asked Jackie. Behind her back, Jackie could see John Paul making faces at the young couple.
"My name is Pat. And I'm traveling with my family. My father is an archeologist. We are traveling to Nairobi where he has hired a safari to .... I'm sorry, I'm speaking out of turn.. There are, uh, unsavory elements who would like to stop him if they knew what he was searching for."
"We are traveling to Nairobi as well. My father's estate lies near there. You are going by ship through the canal?"
"Oh, no! We are flying from Cairo direct to Nairobi. I'm very excited about it!
A female voice called "Patricia, time to retire! We have a busy day tomorrow."
"I have to go! Goodnight, Jack Clayton!" And she was gone.
"'Goodnight, Jack Clayton!'" mimicked John Paul with a nine year old's teasing laugh."That's not your name. Jack Clayton is my father. Your name is Jackie. Or John Cecil."
"Shut up, twerp. My name is Jack if I say so." Jackie said as he watched her walk away. "Here comes Esmeralda. Time for bed."
Morning came and went As Jackie has suspected, Esmeralda had managed to avoid touring the city, much to John Paul's disgust. Early afternoon found the two boys and Esmeralda in the hotel lobby awaiting a taxi to the train station. Jackie hung back, hoping Pat and her family would also be leaving for the railway station. He was rewarded with the sight of her descending the stairs ahead of a porter with her bags. A trim woman followed her, arm in arm with a short, bespectacled man. Mr. Cochran, dressed in khaki and carrying a pith helmet, looked like an archeologist, thought Jackie. But his eyes quickly returned to the young woman. Jackie was, after all, a seventeen year old on the verge of manhood. The young woman lead her parents right to Jackie, much to his embarassment.
"Mother, Father, this is Jack Clayton. His father has an estate near Nairobi. Jack, my parents, Doctor and Mrs. Cochran," she said by way of introduction.
"My pleasure, Mrs. Cochran, Doctor," Jack said.
"Young man," acknowledged the doctor.
"Patricia mentioned she met a young Englishman last night. I wasn't expecting one so handsome or polite!" gushed Mrs. Cochran. Jackie's face flushed with embarassment. John Paul giggled and Jackie grew redder.
"This is my nephew, John Paul and his nanny, Esmeralda." At that, John Paul kicked Jackie as the introductions were completed. "The Cochrans are going to Nairobi by aeroplane as well, Esmeralda."
"Lordy, I never would have thought I'd be flying across Africa," Esmeralda said. "But since Miss Jane and I first set foot in Africa, I've done so many things I thought I'd never have done! And if Bessie Coleman can fly, so can I," she declared.
The taxi arrived, the same Egyptian driver who deposited the boys and Esmeralda at the hotel the previous day. "Would you like to share our taxi?" asked Jackie.
"Thank you, Jack," said Mrs. Cochran. "That would be nice." The doctor said nothing, but Jackie's keen ears heard him "harrumph!" under his breath.
The two families loaded into the taxi and their belongings were strapped to the roof, except for a leather case which the doctor carried tightly. Jack and Pat rode in the front with the driver, while John Paul unwillingly squeezed into the back with the adults.
Jack again had haggled with the driver in his broken English over the fare and had arrived at something he felt was equitable. Pleased with himself and conscious of the young woman pressed close to him in the front seat, Jack failed to note the oily haired Englishman in the stained linen suit who exited the hotel after them or the automobile he got into. The equally unpleasant looking Egyptian who drove kept the taxi in sight as the first automobile wound around the city toward the railway station.
Jack knew that the driver was taking the long way around to justify his exorbitant fare, but didn't care. The longer the ride took, the longer he'd find himself in close company with Pat.
"Young sir, we are being followed," the driver quietly announced in an Oxford accent.
"What? Followed? And what happened to your accent?" demanded Pat.
"I went to school in England," the driver shrugged sheepishly. "And yes, we are being followed. Two men, an Egyptian and a white man in the automobile behind us."
In flawless Arabic, Jack said "Lose them. I'll pay you very well."
The Egyptian grinned. "For the son of your father, no charge!" He pressed the accelerator and the car leaped forward.
In the rear, Esmeralda wailed and Doctor Cochran demanded to know what was going on.
Jack ignored him. "You know my father?" he asked in Arabic.
"He once saved my life. I owe him much for the services he and your mother did myself and my family many years ago."
"Daddy, the driver says we're being followed!" Pat called to her father.
"What?! We mustn't let the map fall into their hands!" exclaimed Cochran.
"A map?" squealed John Paul. "What kind of map? A pirate map?"
"Hush, John Paul!" squealed Esmeralda.
"Let me out after you make the next right turn while we're out of their sight," ordered Jackie.
"That may be dangerous, young master!" the driver answered.
Jackie grinned. "Only for them!"
The taxi swung around a corner to the right and the driver tapped the brakes. Jackie opened the door and jumped out, rolling once to bring himself back to his feet. A peddler hawked his wares on the corner from a push cart. Jackie shoved the cart into the street in front of the pursuing auto as the peddler shreiked in outrage. The driver failed to avoid the cart, smashing it and sending trinkets flying. He wrenched the wheel to the left and crashed into a building.
Jackie, still grinning, pressed several pound notes into the hand of the screaming peddler and raced away down the street, not waiting to see if his antagonists had survived the crash or not. Around the next corner, he found the taxi waiting and Esmeralda struggling to restrain John Paul with Pat's help. "Are you okay?" asked Pat. "I was so worried!"
"I'm fine, but our friends are out of action for a while." To the driver, he said, "Let's go! We have a train to catch!"
The Cochrans and the Claytons shared a compartment on the train to Cairo, much to Jackie's pleasure. He was glad to be able to spend more time with Pat, but he was also fascinated by whatever secret her father clutched in the leather case. A map, he had said. Jackie speculated on what that map might lead to. Did it lead to the hidden treasures of Opar? His father would be none too pleased to have a safari of treasure seekers in his jungle, regardless of the treasure they sought. "Would you like to take a stroll before we go to the dining car for dinner?" Jackie asked Pat. "That would be nice!" she answered. "I'd like to stretch my legs a bit."
The young couple left the car and strolled in the direction of the lounge car. As they opened the door and stepped inside, Jackie spied the Englishman in the stained white linen suit. He recognized the man as the white man he had seen in the car chasing them earlier in the afternoon.
Jackie quickly pulled Pat back. "See the man in the white suit? The one with the oily hair?" he asked. "He was one of the men chasing us."
"What could he be after?" Patricia asked.
"You tell me. What kind of map is your father carrying? What is he looking for?" Jackie asked. " I can't tell you. It's a secret."
"You might as well tell me. Because that unscrupulous gentleman seems to already know," he added, indicating the Englishman.
"Not here," she said. "let's go back to the compartment."
As they stepped back out of the car, she stopped him. " The map leads to the treasures of the Alexandrian Library."
"The library was destroyed about 1500 years ago. Very little survived," he told her. "Why look for it in the jungles"
"A large portion was spirited away by a small group of scribes around 300 AD. They travelled south along the Nile and cached the library's treasures along the shore of a lake at the headwaters of the Nile."
"The headwaters of the Nile? Lake Victoria wasn't discovered until around 1850," Jackie said.
"1858, by John Hanning Speke," she corrected. "But the scribes of the Alexandrian Library discovered it more than a thousand years before Speke or Baker or Stanley explored Africa."
"Let's get back to the compartment. I don't think we need to let our friend in there know we've seen him," Jackie told her.
"How did your father come across the map?" he asked as they started back.
"It was found in an archeological dig near the sight of the Aswan Dam in 1902," she told him. "It was among a lot of artifacts that were packed away and stored at the Baltimore Museum of Natural History. My father was cataloging the artifacts and found the story of the scribes and their map. The museum is funding our safari to locate the cache and return it safely."
"Why would anyone be trying to stop your father? What use could anyone have for a bunch of old parchament and papyrus scrolls?"
"They're priceless! They contain the sum of knowledge of the ancient world. Perhaps The Odessy written in Homer's own hand. Imagine!"
They stopped at the door to the compartment. "Don't tell my Dad you know about the map," she cautioned.
The Claytons and Cochrans had dinner in their compartment to avoid the Englishman in the white suit and then settled down to a restless sleep. The seats in the compartment were hard and uncomfortable, but there was no sleeping car on this train. Small, hard bunks, little more than narrow shelves, folded down from the front and rear walls. John Paul took one and Pat took the other. Esmeralda and Jackie made themselves as comfortable as possible, as did the Cochrans. Dr. Cochran, however, never relaxed his grip on the leather case.
Morning found the train arriving at the Cairo station. As the two families stepped off the train, Jackie strained to see the Englishman in the white suit among the crowd. There was no sign of him, but Jackie still felt they were being watched. At the station, the group hired a taxi to the airport, where they faced a wait of several hours while the plane was prepared for the 2200 mile flight to Nairobi.The flight itself would be made in several hops, stopping for fuel and rest. Initially, the flight would follow the coast of the Red Sea, then cut overland, across Ethiopia. The travellers would spend the night in Addis Abba before beginning the final leg to Nairobi.
At last, the plane was ready and the two families boarded the aluminum tri-motor. There were two other passengers, oil men bound for British Somliland. The craft was fitted with wicker seats for the passengers, and Jackie managed to seat himself next to Pat. He had remained vigilant, keeping an eye out for the Englishman in the stained linen suit. He felt that they had managed to slip away from the men trailing them, but he was still cautious.
The plane's engines started amid loud noise and great clouds of black smoke. The plane shook and vibrated and rocked as it taxied out for take off. Then the engines begin to turn faster and the vibrations smoothed out. Then the craft was rolling again, bouncing along the runway. The tail came up as the speed increased and then the nose came up and the bouncing stopped as the plane became airborne.
Jackie turned to look at Esmeralda, who gripped the arms of her seat with white knuckles. Her normally dark complexion was pasty and her eyes were closed. He grinned at John Paul seated next to her. John Paul, always eager for adventure, was thrilled with the new experience. Jackie, with the wisdom of his years, suspected that John Paul would soon become bored with the enforced inactivity.
The flight was uneventful, except for John Paul kicking the rear of Jackie's seat and making faces at his back. The plane landed at the first stop and the crew refueled while the passengers stretched their legs and took advantage of the amenities, such as they were at the tiny makeshift airfield. Then they were back in the air and on their way to the next stop.
After another stop for fuel in British Somaliland, the flight began its final leg of the day. Next stop would be Addis Abba. Climbing high in the sky, the craft left behind the stifling heat below. The remainder of the flight was uneventful and arrived in Addis Abba in the late evening. The flight had been exhausting and the two families said good night after a light meal in the hotel restaurant.
Morning arrived and the group met for breakfast while awaiting a taxi to the aerodrome. Jackie kept an eye open for suspicious activity, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary. He felt they had managed to elude their pursuers in Cairo. Dr. Cochran was not so certain.Soon they were back at the airfield and boarding the trimotor for the flight to Nairobi. The boarding stair was folded up and the door closed. The huge engines coughed and spluttered and shook the airframe as they started in clouds of black smoke. Soon the plane bounced along and climbed into the African sky, headed southwest toward Nairobi.
Jackie dozed, his hand lightly touching Pat’s. Pat slept softly, as did her mother and Esmeralda. Young John Paul fidgeted and Doctor Cochran studied a book of notes from his leather case. The engines changed pitch and Jackie came instantly alert, a trait inherited from his father. He stretched and glanced at his pocket watch -- the plane must have had a good tailwind; they were starting to land nearly an hour ahead of schedule. “Is this Nairobi?” asked Pat with a yawn.
“Must be. We’ve made good time.”
Jackie peered out the windows, trying to see Nairobi from the air, a sight he’d never seen. All he could see was un-ending jungle. At last, a clearing came into view and the plane banked to make its approach. Rather than the British East African city of Nairobi, ancient ruins clad in vines and jungle growth came into view.
“Something’s wrong. This isn’t Nairobi.” Jackie rose from his seat and stepped up to the cockpit. Just before he reached it, the curtain between cockpit and cabin parted. A greasy haired Englishman in a stained white linen suit stepped out, a large automatic pistol in his right hand.
“Please return to your seat, lad.”
As Jackie backed up, Esmeralda spied the gun and screamed.
“Shut up!” He pointed the gun at her and Esmeralda promptly fainted.
With a smirking grin, he stepped up to the doctor and wrenched the leather case away. “You’ve led me a merry chase, Doctor, but at last it has ended.”
“Where are we?” demanded Jackie.
“Not that it matters, this is New Alexandria. “ The Englishman noted the startled look on Cochran’s face. “That’s right, Doctor. We found this place months ago.”
“Why do you need us?” asked Jackie.
“We only need the Doctor and his notes. The rest of you are, well, insurance.”
The plane came to a bumpy landing in the clearing and taxied right up to the edge of the jungle. As quickly as the engines were shut down, men came out of the edge of the jungle and pushed the craft into a makeshift hangar hidden under the jungle canopy. The door was opened and the stairs lowered. The passengers were ushered out under gunpoint and herded into the back of a truck. The Englishman climbed in with them, pistol in hand.The truck bounced along through the jungle, stopping before an ancient wall covered with faded drawings.
“Welcome to New Alexandria! Repository of the world’s greatest treasures! The writings of Homer, in his own hand! The secrets of Atlantis, revealed! All the treasures of the ancient world, thought lost forever, found at last.” The Englishman stepped down from the truck and motioned his prisoners to get out as well. He led them through a gate and into the ruins he called New Alexandria.
The city was nearly as heavily overgrown inside the walls as outside. According to the legend Pat had told him about, Jackie suspected that they were near Lake Victoria, but he’d not seen it from the air. As the Englishman led them through the ruins, Jackie surveyed the city and noted the way back to the gate. He was not nearly as good a tracker as his father, but he was better than most “civilized” men.
At the Nairobi Airport, an English lord and his lady waited impatiently for an aircraft that was several hours overdue. “John. I’m frightened. Their flight should have been here by now! Something has happened to them!” Jane huddled in the strong arms of her husband. He held her close and comforted her.
An airport official approached. “Excuse me, Lord Greystoke, Lady Greystoke. I have news from Addis Abba.” Greystoke turned his steel grey eyes upon the man. “Yes?”
“The aeroplane left Addis Abba on time and should have landed here several hours ago. I’m afraid the machine must have gone down somewhere. It would have run out of petrol over an hour ago.” The man fidgeted, but pressed on.
“The pilot was a good man, quite experienced on this route. I’m certain that he has landed somewhere with mechanical problems. I’ve dispatched search aircraft from Addis Abba and two are being readied now to begin searching from here. We will find them, Lady Greystoke,” he added.
Greystoke nodded and Lady Jane thanked him. As the official left to coordinate search efforts, Jane turned to her husband.
“I’ll start right away,” he said to her unasked question. He quickly stripped off the thin veneer of civilization, no longer looking like an English lord, holder of a vast African estate, but like the savage ape-man he was. He crushed Lady Jane to his bare chest and kissed her.
“Be careful, John,” she whispered.
And he was gone, vanishing into the jungle, naked but for a g-string and armed only with the knife he had found long ago in the tiny cabin where he had been born and where his human parents had died.
Jackie inspected every crevice and nook and cranny of the dimmly lit cell. He knew that ancient structures like this often had secret passages. But he had never had to find one. He had only the stories of his brother Korak and his father as reference.
He moved slowly along the base of the wall, listening and feeling his way along. His sensitive ears heard a low whistle as air escaped around one of the blocks in the wall. He explored the block with his fingers, looking for a way to move it.
By alternately pushing on the ends of the block, he began to loosen the stone. It moved slowly, dislodging a millenia of crumbled mortar. He worked methodically and slowly to keep the noise from attracting attention. He had moved it out of the wall almost an inch when he heard footsteps approaching their cell.
He sat with his back against the wall to hide his work. The cell door was thrown open and Dr. Cochran was rudely shoved in to fall upon his face. Two men with rifles at the ready stepped in behind him. A third man brought in a basket of bread and fruit and a bucket of water.
Suddenly, John Paul broke from Esmeralda, leaping at the man who bore the food. He landed upon the man’s back, kicking, biting, choking. One of the gunmen grabbed him by the collar, ripping him away and tossing him across the cell. Esmeralda screamed. The men laughed.
“You’d better let us go!” John Paul said.
“Shut up, John Paul!” ordered Jackie.
“You’ll be sorry when my dad and grandfather get here! My dad is Korak the Killer!”
“Shut up, John Paul!” ordered Jackie.
The men laughed and closed the cell door behind them. “When Korak the Killer gets here, Ahmed the Butcher will be waiting,” one called.
Laying upon his stomach and reaching into the dark, he felt with his hands as far as he could, wary of danger. He inched into the opening, which was a tight fit even for his lithe body.
The wall was several feet thick, but there was a passage beyond it. A vertical passage. But without light, he could not see what was above or below. He rolled over onto his back to rest for a moment before he inched his way back. As he lay there, staring upward into the dark, he realized that he wasn’t in complete darkness. Above, he could see stars at the top of the shaft.
He carefully replaced the stone. The shaft might prove to be a way to escape, but it was too dark tonight to make out details. A slight slip could mean a fall to his death, which would serve no purpose. He could wait for the first glimpse of daylight and a better look before venturing out. He determined to rest and try again in the morning.
The Cochrans were huddled together against a wall. Esmeralda leaned aagainst a wall, snoring gently, with John Paul’s head in her ample lap. As Jackie tried to find a place to rest, Pat left her mother’s side and sat beside him.
“Did you find anything?” she asked.
“Only a vertcal shaft. It’s far too dark in there to see anything. I’ll take another look in the daylight,” he told her.
“Do you think they’ll kill us?” she asked.
“I don’t know, but we’re not dead yet,” he told her. “My father will be looking for us,” he added. “And if anyone can find us, he can.”