The Amazon Triangle (NaNoWriMo 2016 Project)

Chapter 16 (The Materu Village)

Every occupant of the cage looked up sharply at the gentle voice speaking in a language they understood. None of them dared to reply, and the Materu frowned.

"You are Ben's people, are you not?"

Hank lunged forward. "You know Ben?" he spluttered. "Ben Morrison? That's my son! I lost him a few days ago. I'm Ben's father! You know my son?"

Jan leaned toward her, grabbing Hank's shoulder for support. "What about the others? Did he have a girl with him? That's my daughter Edith. Or another boy—Justin is his name? Did you find all of them?"

"Neyri!" Deloma barked, marching over and shoving the Materu aside. Hank saw Vedala emerging from a nearby hut at the commotion, but he hardly cared to focus just now.

Ben could still be alive! How would they get to him, though?

The two warriors argued in English—Henry guessed it was because Deloma wished to taunt them more.

"Neyri, why do you trouble the prisoners?" The warrior demanded.

Neyri, the Materu, shook her head. "Kssh, I was only curious. I have not seen humans so white before."

"We found them in the jungle," Deloma straightened with pride. "The angry one, he bad wounded. We know these are what Geida call Wisturns."

Henry bit his lip to keep from laughing outright at the botched pronunciation.

"Why does Vedala keep them in a cage?" Neyri asked innocently. "Wisturns is dangerous?" She turned to acknowledge the Fidenru chief.

Vedala explained the events herself. By her inflection and gestures, Hank guessed that she justified imprisoning them as punishment for trying to escape.

Deloma added in English, "Is reason so many are wounded. Slow Wisturns make it hard for Fidenru to hide as we should."

Neyri examined the prisoners closely again, making her way around the support pole to Frank's side. She tilted her head and squinted at the bandaged leg.

"Deloma, how you say angry Wisturn walk out with you, if he wounded so very bad?"

Deloma crossed her arms. "Is not so bad now. Skana use last supply of healing stuff we have, or he die very fast when first he come." She chuckled darkly at the memory. "Other Wisturns no like what we do, make very afraid when Deloma play scary trick on them!"

Neyri slipped her hand carefully into one of the square holes in the grate at the side of the cage.

Frank shifted his leg out of her reach. "Hands off!" he growled.

Neyri held his gaze. "I not hurt you. I help you escape. You must trust."

Frank didn't budge.

"Come on, old buddy!" Henry cajoled him. "She knows Ben, she's not one of the Fidenru, and she's friendly. You saw her with the wounded natives. She knows what she's doing." He met eyes with the Materu. "We trust you," he said.

Neyri nodded. "I take you to Ben," she whispered, but her words vanished under a terrific roar of pain from Francis.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL YOU SODDING BLACK COW?!?!?!?"

Neyri's hand slipped out of the grate as Deloma yanked her away and chastised her severely in their language.

Jan scrambled to Frank's side. "What did she do? Are you okay?"

Tears streaked down Frank's face as he grimaced. "No I'm bloody not okay! That witch just ripped the bandage and nearly took my f---ing leg off with it!"