Marguerite and Malone had been traveling for a couple of hours. The trail, if you could call it that, had long ago been over run by the jungle. Malone had been hacking away with the machete the Zanga had given him. Marguerite was tired and thoroughly convinced that Malone had been taking lessons from Roxton. For the past two hours he had been leading at a fast pace, only slowing down occasionally to consult his map.
�Malone I�m tired,� Marguerite complained. �I need to rest.�
�I want to keep moving Marguerite,� Malone said. �I want to make it to the caves before dark.�
�Well I�m not taking another step,� Marguerite protested. She walked over to a tree and sat down, taking her pack off.
Malone shook his head and walked over to Marguerite. He sat down on the ground and opened his canteen, taking a sip of water. Marguerite had opened her bag and taken out some fruit she had in there. She handed one to Malone.
�So Malone just how many caves are there anyway?� Marguerite asked.
�I�m not sure,� Malone replied. �According to the map at least ten, there could be even more.�
�How much farther?� Marguerite asked. �I�m exhausted.�
�I figure probably a couple more hours,� Malone said. �We should easily make it before dark.�
�Why is it so important to you that we find these caves?� Marguerite asked.
�Because it could be a way off the plateau,� Malone said. �Don�t you want to go home Marguerite?�
�Of course I do, but that�s not the question,� Marguerite replied. �Why is it so important we go now? A couple of days wouldn�t have mattered.�
�I�m just anxious to find the way off,� Malone said defensively.
�You want to be the one to find the way off, don�t you?� Marguerite said, watching Malone. �You want credit for getting us out of this Godforsaken place.�
Now the pieces were falling into place, thought Marguerite. This strange quest of Malone�s was finally starting to make sense.
�I don�t know what you mean,� Malone said defensively. �I just want to find a way home.�
�Oh please Malone,� Marguerite said, �You may fool the others but you don�t fool me. You�ve been different since your return from the spirit world. You�re more reckless, more intense, and yet more mature. On one hand you seem to value life more, and yet you take foolish chances. Why is that?�
�I can�t explain it Marguerite,� Malone replied. �I wish I could. I can�t remember what happened in the spirit world, and yet it still affects me. I feel as if I tasted death and have been given a second chance. What you and the others call reckless or foolish I call experiencing life. After coming so close to death, I need to prove to myself that I�m really alive.
Malone was worried that Marguerite would ridicule him, but once he started he couldn�t seem to stop. He had kept all this inside him for so long.
�Challenger once said I was a writer not a doer,� Malone said with a sigh. �He was right too. I sat on the sidelines and observed.�
�There�s nothing wrong with that,� Marguerite said.
�I want to be more. I want to be someone Veronica can be proud of. But more than that I want to be someone I can be proud of.�
�Malone don�t change yourself for Veronica,� Marguerite said. �I�ve tried to tell you it�s the writer, the dreamer in you that she fell in love with. You don�t need to be another Roxton. You�re just as important to the group as he is. You pull your weight just as much as he does.�
�But I�m not that man anymore,� Malone said. �I�ve changed. My run in with death changed me forever. I can�t pretend otherwise. Sometimes I feel as if something is missing,� Malone continued, �a part of me.�
�Of course it changed you Malone,� Marguerite said. �But that�s no excuse for your behavior with the Hagens. Veronica said you took some foolish risks that could have gotten you killed.�
�I know Veronica accused me of acting as if I thought I was invincible. But she was wrong. For the first time in my life I wasn�t afraid Marguerite,� Malone said. �Do you know what that feels like? �
�No Malone I don�t,� Marguerite said sadly. �Fear is a healthy emotion. It keeps us from doing foolish things that could get us killed.�
�I know Marguerite,� Malone said. �It was stupid of me and I promise I won�t do that anymore. I know you think this trip is foolish but it�s something I have to do.�
�I do understand Malone,� Marguerite said. �I know what it�s like to have emptiness inside; to feel as if something is missing, but you�re not sure what it is.�
�Yes I felt you would,� Malone said. �You would understand why my psychic abilities frightened me, the way your ability to read any language frightens you. That�s why you�re the only one I could really tell this to; the only one who would understand.�
�I don�t know what you mean, Malone,� Marguerite said, in a bit of a huff. �I�m not afraid.�
�I didn�t mean now,� Malone said trying to calm Marguerite down. �I meant when you first discovered this ability.�
�Oh well maybe way back then I might have been a little startled by my abilities,� Marguerite replied.
Malone smiled knowing this was a big concession from Marguerite, who rarely admitted to any weaknesses.
�And who knows, Marguerite said with a smile. �I may find some gems or gold in one of these caves. At least then the trip won�t be a total waste.� She smiled, showing Malone she was teasing him.
�I�ll make a deal with you Marguerite,� Malone said. �If you find anything of value, I�ll help you dig it out.�
�You got yourself a deal Malone,� Marguerite said laughing. Malone helped Marguerite up. She put her pack back on as the two of them headed down the overgrown trail.
A few miles away, Roxton, Veronica and Challenger had also stopped for a rest. Roxton was leaning against a tree, keeping watch. Challenger was going through the bags checking the plants they had already gathered. Veronica was going through her pack and took out some food for them to eat.
Veronica handed Challenger some fruit. He thanked her but never looked up from his task. Veronica just smiled and stood up and walked over to where Roxton was keeping watch.
�Here Roxton, have some fruit,� Veronica said, handing the hunter an apple.
�Thanks Veronica,� Roxton said with a smile, �but I�m not really hungry.�
�You�re worried about Marguerite aren�t you?� Veronica said. �I don�t understand why you worry so much about her. She can take care of herself. She has her whole life.�
�Yes you�re right she has,� Roxton said. �But I want her to know she can depend on me to take care of her now.�
�Roxton you�re crazy if you think for one minute Marguerite is going to just stand idly by and let you protect her. She is strong and independent. Don�t try to change her into something else.�
�I have no desire to change her,� Roxton said defensively. �The woman of fire and steel is the one I care about. But sometimes she takes foolish chances.�
�I know,� Veronica said, �kind of like Malone does. I don�t know what�s gotten into him lately.�
�Veronica the man had a very close encounter with death,� Roxton said. �Even though he isn�t able to remember what happened in the spirit world, I�m sure it�s had a great impact on his life. You�re right about his taking foolish chances though,� Roxton continued. �I hope that is out of his system now.�
�Yes me too,� Veronica said. �I understand he went through a lot but he�s changed so much. The way he acted this morning in the tree house because there wasn�t any coffee was positively childish.�
�Was it?� Roxton asked. �Do we all not treat Malone and Marguerite differently sometimes, as if they don�t pull their weight?�
�I don�t do it consciously,� Veronica said. �Malone does pull his weight. I can�t say the same for Marguerite.�
�Really?� Roxton asked. �She�s gone on a trading trip to acquire material for new shirts and trousers for us. When she returns to the tree house she�ll start sewing. I think that�s an important contribution, don�t you?�
�Okay I�ll give you that one,� Veronica said, shaking her head. �I don�t know what we�d do without her sewing skills. But I�m sure Marguerite will trade for some fabric to make some new blouses for her too.�
�Well she should,� Roxton said. �She needs new clothes too. The point I�m trying to make is that both of them contribute to the group, just in different ways.�
�I know you�re right Roxton,� Veronica said, �It�s just I look at both of them differently. Malone is a gentle, kind man and Marguerite, well Marguerite is different than anyone I�ve ever met before. In some ways I understand her, in another way she confuses me.�
�Yes well she confuses me sometimes too,� Roxton admitted. �But I understand all those years of keeping her feelings inside, being afraid to trust anyone, I could see how it would make her the woman she is now. We don�t know much about her childhood.�
�I understand she grew up not knowing who her real parents are,� Veronica said. �and I can sympathize with her wanting answers that she may never get.�
�Yes I can�t even begin to imagine what it�s like to be adopted by people who obviously did not want her to begin with,� Roxton said sadly. �She was raised in convents and boarding schools. I suspect she ran away as soon as she was old enough. But you know Marguerite. She doesn�t like to talk about her past.�
�Yes I know,� Veronica said. �Doesn�t it ever bother you that she�s so secretive about the past?�
�Of course it does. Who knows what she is hiding. But hopefully in time she�ll trust me enough to tell me.�
�Well Roxton I have to give you this,� Veronica said with a grin, �no matter what she does, you never give up on Marguerite.�
�And what about you Veronica? Have you given up on Malone?� He watched as the smile left Veronica�s face.
�I don�t know Roxton,� Veronica admitted. �He�s changed since he�s come back to us. Sometimes I wonder if he cares about me the way he used to. When he�s not working he�s writing in his journal. I guess I feel left out.�
�I think you�re wrong Veronica,� Roxton said. �I think our Neddy Boy cares very much about you. But I think sometimes you intimidate him.�
�I do?� Veronica replied astonished. �How do I do that?�
�Malone comes from a world and a time in which men are the protectors and the providers,� Roxton stated. �You are both and I�m sure he feels sometimes he can�t live up to your expectations.�
�But that�s silly,� Veronica protested. �All I want Ned to do is be himself. That�s the man I care about.�
�Maybe he doesn�t feel that way,� Roxton said. �Maybe he feels he has something to prove to you or maybe it�s just to himself. I don�t know Veronica. I just know there�s restlessness in Malone. I�ve sensed it ever since he returned to us.�
�Yes but is there anything we can do for him?� Veronica asked, somewhat bewildered.
�No the problem is his,� Roxton replied. �Only Malone can find the answers he needs. I think it�s time we continue on,� Roxton said. �We still have a couple of good hours before it starts to get dark.�
�Yes the farther we travel tonight, the sooner we can return tomorrow,� Veronica replied. �Challenger are you ready?�
�Oh yes,� Challenger replied. �I�m anxious to find more specimens. We have already acquired some plants that help reduce infection, inflammation and fever. However, we do need to find some more willow bark.�
The three of them continued on their journey, with Challenger commenting on the different species of plants, and Roxton and Veronica only partially hearing him. They were observing the jungle around them, alert to anything out of the ordinary.
Veronica was in the lead. She could hear the voice of Professor Challenger droning on behind her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. Over the years, Veronica had learned to trust her instincts. They were telling her something was not right.
A rustle in the bushes made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Someone or something was out there. She stopped and looked behind her. Roxton had moved and was standing still with Challenger, his hand across Challenger�s mouth. The jungle had suddenly got deathly quiet.
Roxton removed his hand and looked over at Veronica. He nodded towards the bushes. She nodded back, signifying she understood. Something was there, probably raptors. They were both ready when the two raptors jumped out. The first one was killed immediately by Roxton. Veronica wasted no time in taking down the second one with a single throw from her knife.
�You two never cease to amaze me,� Challenger said to his two companions. �I never realized we were not alone.�
�That�s because you were talking,� Veronica said. �You have to pay attention out here. Being careless can get you killed.�
�Of course my dear, you are right,� Challenger said. �So is it safe to continue?�
�I believe so,� Roxton said.
Veronica turned around and began following the trail again. That feeling of dread returned again.
It should have ended with that attack by the raptors, Veronica thought. So why am I still having these feelings, as if something bad is going to happen?
Veronica followed as the trail veered to the right. The jungle growth was very dense in this area. She looked behind and saw that Challenger had stopped to examine something and Roxton was trying to get him moving again.
As she rounded a particularly dense spot and came out in the clearing, she came face to face with another raptor. The raptor was only about five feet away. Before Veronica could reach for her knife, the beast moved in for the kill. Veronica�s only thought, as she watched the raptor rapidly advance, was regret that her final words to Ned had been spoken in anger.
