Part Five
Indy threw open the glass door to Swakaywe's office and balked. Large, painted eyes looked back at him from a five- feet tall mask that was standing in the corner of the room. Swkaywe's voice continued to roll out from behind it, unchanged by Indy and Sisho's arrival. Swakaywe was wearing the mask, of course. His spindly arms and legs protruded from the sides... and he was holding a spear. The shaft was new, naked wood, but the spearhead was very old stone with delicate swirls and geometric shapes covering it - this was it.
Indy grabbed it and attempted to pull it out of Swakaywe's hand, but the old man's grip was good. Indy pulled back a fist and drove it between the mask's eyes, stopping the voice, dropping Swakaywe and freeing the spear. Indy turned to run out of the office, but Sisho was still standing in the doorway.
"Move it, Sisho!" Indy said. Then, he noticed the rather worried look about the man. Something out in the hallway bothered him. Indy looked and saw that the viper had left its canine conquests and was moving quickly down the hallway towards the office. Indy yanked Sisho backwards and shut the door.
Swakaywe mumbled something from the floor as Indy looked around for a window - there were none.
"Dr. Jones," Sisho said. "L'Araan says we'll kill everyone."
"Just the snake," Indy said, shifting his search to something more suited for killing snakes; like a flamethrower or dynamite... or a spear. Swakaywe continued to mumble from under the mask.
"He says Shaka's spirit will run loose if we take the spear from him."
"Well, I don't believe that, do I, Sisho?" Indy's sarcasm was followed by a quick flipping of the long spear to point it downwards. "Now, when I tell you to, open the door." Swakaywe's chatter continued.
"L'Araan says that he is only trying to contain him by invoking Zulu."
"Now!" Indy snapped. Sisho yanked the door open and Indy drove the spear down at the snake. The serpent was too quick, though, and dodged the attack, striking the blade before Indy could pull back. He stepped back inside and Sisho shut the door.
"Dammit," Indy said.
"Doctor Jones..." Sisho pleaded.
"Look, if he wanted to... control Shaka, why didn't he just let Tarana do it? Why did Dermlaff have to die? Why are my friends being held hostage? Wh- Hey-" Indy pointed to the snake, which had coiled up in a strike position on the other side of the glass. "Easier target," he said. "Now!"
Again, Sisho yanked the door open and, again, Indy lunged for the snake, this time, skewering it with the spear and chopping it in two in the process. Indy ducked back into the office and Sisho shut the door as the two halves of the snake flailed about, spraying the walls and the glass door with blood. Sisho spoke in Zulu to the curator, who had removed the mask and was getting to his feet. The response came and Sisho was oddly silent for a moment before barking back at Swakaywe who, in turn, snarled something at Sisho. The former concierge launched himself at Swakaywe then and the two tumbled to the floor, knocking the mask aside and falling against the desk, sliding it against the wall. Indy watched in perplexity for a moment as the men pounded on each other. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he pulled Sisho off and hauled Swakaywe up by his shirt. He pinned the old man against the wall.
"What'd he say, Sisho?"
"He said he brought Shaka back. The drought is his fault."
Swakaywe continued, now talking to Indy, as Sisho translated. "Only Shaka could return our dying, impoverished people to the power they had been. I tried to channel Shaka through me, but his will is too strong to be controlled. His anger at what his people had become was too great. Shaka refuses to return to the spirit world or do as I bid him. With the spear that killed him, though- the weapon that put him down once for the sake of his people- I will gain control of him and the Zulu nation will conquer South Africa again!"
"Why work against Tarana?" Indy asked.
"That child?" Swakaywe said through Sisho. "All she can do is talk to the ancestors, ask them to take Shaka back and relay their decisions. Only my magic can bind Shaka and use him."
Indy didn't care. Already, he was chalking up his earlier paralysis to his fear of snakes. Hadn't he been paralyzed even AFTER he'd forgotten about the dog? "I'm taking this spear to Tarana," he said to Swakaywe through Sisho. "Once my friends are free, do whatever you want, but DON'T get in our way." He let the sorcerer go and held the door open for Sisho. Swakaywe had one parting comment, but made no move to stop them. His expression was grave. Sisho didn't reply; he just walked out into the hallway and, avoiding the dead animals littering the place, left by the front door with Indy.
The two sat at the same cafe table they'd eaten lunch at hours earlier. The sun was almost down and the bus was due any moment. They waited in the same silence that had accompanied them since they left the Snake Park. Sisho obviously didn't want to offer up what Swakaywe had said as they left and Indy wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. He'd seen enough in his life to understand that the belief in magic in the world wasn't entirely unfounded, but he wasn't paranoid about it. Besides, Swakaywe was talking about ghosts - spirits of dead people. He'd never seen evidence of THAT type of magic... not really. After their coffee arrived, Indy pulled out the spearhead and examined it. It was three times the length of his hand and the snake's blood was staining the stone as it dried. Indy wiped it off with his napkin.
"We'll need to get King Bonatom before we go," Sisho said suddenly. "He is the one who will ask for rain." He got up uncerimoniously and walked into the cafe to use their phone. A few moments later, he returned, saying that his Highness would arrive at the village in the morning.
"I tried to convince him to come tonight, but he would not. He doesn't believe these prayers will work anymore than the last ones."
"Neither do I, which is why I want to get my friends and our trucks out of there as fast as possible."
"I wouldn't reccomend driving across the plains at night, Doctor Jones. Even if you light the road, the animals will run in front of you because they will be able to see where they are going in the light."
"What about the bus?"
"It has no headlights to attract them."
"No lights?"
"He knows the way quite well."
Indy wasn't sure he trusted anybody quite THAT much. "Tomorrow morning, then," he said as their awaited bus pulled up nearby. "But I don't want to be here when it doesn't rain."
"I don't really know what to expect tomorrow," Sisho said as he and Indy walked to the corner. "L'Araan said we were setting free a power that would destroy us all."
Indy climbed onto the bus.
The dark ride was roughly half over when the bus driver locked down the brakes. Everyone in the bus was caught off guard and thrown forward. When the momentum finally broke and the bus stopped, Indy peeled his face off the seat in front of him and stood up. He couldn't see anything, so he walked towards the front as the passengers began yelling at the bus driver, who was leaning over the steering wheel looking out into the darkness.
Several pairs of orange eyes blocked the road ahead of them. More were circling the bus.
"Run over them," Indy said, looking to the bus driver, but the man was frozen just as Sisho had been in the Snake Park. Just as he, himself had been... but that was because of the snake... Indy drew his revolver and cranked the handle that opened the bus doors, cutting on the weak interior light. Keeping his feet inside the bus, he leaned out of the doors and fired. A yelp accompanied the dimming of a pair of orange dots. Using his peripheral vision to aim (just in case), he took out three more dogs before he was grabbed by his collar and yanked out of the bus.
His feet dragged for a moment before he could get them under him and spin on his attacker. The man pulling him was no one he recognized, but by the light falling out of the bus, Indy could see a now familiar glaze to his eyes. The man reached for Indy's neck. Indy jumped back a step and whacked the man in the temple with the butt of his gun. The man staggered back.
"Doctor Jones!" Sisho called from inside the bus. Indy looked to him and followed his finger as it pointed out across the dark plain. The orange dots were circling him now. Being careful not to look directly at them, he took out two more, and then his gun was empty. He replaced his gun in his holster and began working his way back to the bus door. He had just started uncoiling his whip, when he was suddenly in the center of a spotlight.
Swakaywe's voice, not at all sounding like it could come out of his slight frame, boomed a single word across the plains and the dogs ceased their advance. The sorcerer appeared then, exiting the Jeep that the spotlight was mounted on and moving towards Indy. He spoke in Zulu and held his hand out. Indy smirked and put his fists up. If Swakaywe wanted the spear, he was going to have to fight for it. Seeing Indy's stance, Swakaywe uttered another command and a heavily muscled native man exited the vehicle as well. Swakaywe stepped back. This man, like the first man, who moved up next to him, had the zombie look about him. Behind them, the dogs grouped and formed a snarling rear rank, still trying to catch Indy's eye.
The men inside the bus were all yelling at the bus driver. If all of the dogs were back here, then the driver would be leaving soon. With or without him.
Whip in hand, he reached the middle of the bus and prepared to make a break for the door.. When the first man moved towards him, Indy cracked the whip right across the bridge of his nose, hoping the shock would wake him up. The man staggered and blinked, but the enchantment was strong and did not release him. Indy coiled the whip up in his fist and stepped to the man, landing a good, solid right to his jaw. The man's head snapped sideways and, again, he faltered, but he could not feel what Indy was doing to him and continued to move forward. The second man had moved in also, and landed a sucker punch on Indy's cheek, which staggered him back against the bus. Indy turned to run for the door, but two dogs moved to block his way. He cracked his whip at them, but they, too, held their ground. Indy ducked a wild punch from the first man and yet another from the second. The bus suddenly lurched forward in first gear.
"Doctor Jones!" Sisho yelled from inside the bus. Indy quickly arced his whip over the dogs, aiming for the folding arms that opened the door. His whip grabbed and he was instantly yanked over the heads of the canine threat. He landed hard and fell to his knees, though, and the whip came loose from the door. The bus groaned into second gear as the dogs behind him turned and gave chase. The spotlight tracked him. Indy let the whip dangle in his left hand and ran for the door. The dogs loped after him, closing the distance.
Indy turned on the speed. The door was closer, closer... when the bus slowed to drop into third, he would jump for it.
He was concentrating so hard on the door, that he almost didn't notice his new attacker until it was too late. Teeth, claws, a feline roar and slit green eyes appeared out of the darkness in front of him and Indy flopped to the ground to avoid them. The lioness sailed into the dog pack, killing one with a swipe of her claws and catching one in her jaws. The dogs immediately began to bark and attack the lioness and the spotlight moved from Indy to the new battle. Two more lioness', intent on the lit battle, ran past the still prone Jones. Indy got back up and ran behind the bus as the panicked driver closed the door, then chewed up the clutch looking for third gear. The bus riders continued to yell at the driver. Indy heard men scream back at the lioness' attack and suddenly, the spotlight was back on him. Indy watched his shadow run up the back of the bus as Sisho stared out at him, worry and encouragement on his face. Indy clenched his teeth, held onto his hat, threw his head back and willed his legs to pump faster as he slowly gained on the bus. Faster... faster... the bus was pulling away! Sisho opened the emergency back door and held out his hand. Indy was too far away to reach, though, and he was falling behind fast. He switched the whip over to his right hand. Sisho saw this and braced his feet and hands against either side of the doorway. Indy had to focus a narrow arc while running - not easy even when you aren't trying to jump onto a moving vehicle. Sisho willingly let the whip wrap around his midsection and dig into his skin. He grabbed the whip with one hand and began to pull. Several of the men on board moved to help him. Indy was concentrating on keeping his legs going when he was suddenly tackled from behind. His death grip on his whip held firm as he flew, face first, into the dirt and rolled on his side to see that one of the lionesses had run him down. As Indy was dragged by the bus out from under her, her claws raked down Indy's side and legs. His slide halted suddenly, and, looking back at the bus, Indy realized that his fall had almost pulled Sisho out of the back. A thick knot of men had him by the pants and ankles. Sisho now held onto the whip with both hands, keeping it around his waist.The lioness leaped for him again, just as the slack in the whip disappeared and Indy rocketed away behind the bus again, scraping along the dry dirt road.
Dust and dirt clouded Indy's view of the bus, but he could feel the men pulling Sisho and himself towards the door. The lioness, able to see Indy clearly in the spotlight, chased after him. This time, when she leapt, Indy kicked his feet wildly, defending himself as much as possible, but the lioness clawed his legs violently and took home a piece of his pants leg in her teeth. She fell behind again and regrouped for another charge. The road tore Indy open even more, but he tried to let his jacket take most of the abuse. He felt himself being lifted from the ground suddenly and he held on grimly, kicking at the lioness as she closed again. Finally, he was in the air and then the bus riders pulled him inside, where he collapsed against Sisho. Indy drew deep, relieved breaths for a moment before speaking.
"Thanks..." he huffed, "for not letting go."
"No thanks neccessary," Sisho said, smiling and catching his breath, "I know how difficult it is to catch a bus out here."
Indy chuckled, despite the pain in his chest and legs, and stood under his own power. He turned to close the emergency door and saw the lioness running for the door, still intent on her well- lit prey. Indy quickly pulled it shut and watched the lioness skid to a stop, then turn and run back in the other direction. The spotlight from the jeep turned back to the lionesses decimating the dogs and men and was then no more than a white smudge in the distance.
"Junior!" Henry yelled when he saw Indy get off the bus. He waved his hand so his son could find him in the torch- bearing crowd gathering around the bus' doors. Indy did see him and waved back, but he was immediately grabbed and led, once again at gunpoint, into Tarana's hut. Indy was immediately aware of the dogs and forced his eyes to stay away from them. Tarana lounged on a bed of animal hides, stretching to show off her flat stomach and lean hips. Indy squinted through the torchlight at her, trying to find some trace of wrinkles or crow's feet on her face, but there were none. She asked him something in Zulu and, while Sisho had not made his way through the crowd yet, he knew what she wanted. He pulled the spearhead from his haversack and held it out. Tarana was up immediately and reverently took it from him.
Indy ached. He was bleeding pretty badly and he wanted a bath. He turned to leave as Sisho entered the hut and spoke to Tarana. Indy tried to move past him, but was gently restrained. Sisho obviously wanted him around for this discussion that he could not understand. The coincierge indicated the doctor's wounds and Indy heard L'Araan Swakaywe's name mentioned a few times. Tarana became genuinely concerned and, for a moment, Indy thought that she suddenly looked a little too... wizened for the teenager he'd pegged her for.
Tarana spoke after a long silence and Sisho escorted Indy out of the hut.
"I will have your wounds tended, Doctor Jones. Tarana extends her thanks and the thanks of our people."
"That's good to know," Indy said as Henry, Bruce and Elise drew up short of him and gaped at his shredded pants, bloody legs and dirty clothes..
"There is news that you will enjoy less, though," Sisho said quickly, knowing Indy would soon be plagued with questions from his friends. "Tarana also wishes you to be her honored guest at the ceremony tomorrow."
"Sisho, I told you we're not going to be here when it doesn't rain."
"I am just relaying her commands. Everyone here is up just after dawn. If you wish to leave, do it before sunrise, please. It won't make her quite so angry at me for letting you slip away."
Indy smiled conspiritorially. "You know, for a guy who tried to kill me yesterday, you're not so bad."
"Nor you for a white man," Sisho said smiling. "I am glad things worked out as well as they have."
Henry wasn't able to stand being silent anymore. His forehead wrinkled and mouth agape, he finally asked: "Junior, what happened to you?"
"I'll be fine, Dad. I just need some cleaning up."
"This way," Sisho said.
"Did you find it?" asked Bruce.
"You look like hell," said Elise.
"Yes and thank you," Indy said.
After getting many bandages and stinging herbs placed on his torn up legs, Indy finally got to the end of his story about his hunt for the spear.
"Sisho could have found it himself," he said with a yawn as he stretched out on his little piece of the floor in Sisho's hut. "If the police would have ever given him access to Dermlaff's records. It was actually pretty easy... Except for the snake... and the lions."
"And the dogs," added Sisho,bedding down with his wife.
"Yeah, the magic dogs, too..." Indy said with a laugh.
"I don't understand something," Elise said. "If the predators out there are attracted to light because they can see what they're hunting better, how are you able to make fires in your village out here?"
"Our hunters killed all the predators in this area long ago," Sisho said. "We have our territory just as the lions have theirs. But this drought HAS made them bolder. Shaka's wrath is affecting all things. I suggest waking me as soon as you hear anything."
"Shaka's wrath," Indy scoffed, laying his head on his rolled up jacket and pulling his hat over his face.
Henry did not share his son's easy dismissal. He wondered how Henry Jr. could have seen things like the cup of Christ and the ark of the Covenant and still be so skeptical. Of course, had he known what he was getting into in either case, he probably wouldn't have bothered. Maybe that skepticism kept him alive. Maybe God loves disbelievers. In any case, Henry paid heed to Sisho's warning as they all turned in and he slept with one ear open...
...Which is why he was doubly shocked at what they found in the morning.
