Julie and the Monkey Witch

Chapter 4

"Kame," he said. The medicine man walked up next to the chief, who leaned and whispered into his ear. "We need to inform the tribe about this... thing. How should we do it?"

"Carefully," said Kame. "I can break it to them if you need help."

"That would be appreciated," said Manti.

While their backs were turned, two tribesmen were whispering to each other, and one slipped away. Neither Manti nor Kame saw who it was. And even if they did, there was some possibility it might not matter at all.

Manti listened to Kame's plan, nodding his head and taking mental notes. When Kame finished, Manti gave his opinion, and Kame listened just as intently. "We do not need to make it horrifying," said Kame. "Just make them aware."

"Then it works," said Manti. "See what you can do."

"Understood," said Kame. The medicine man turned to the tribespeople who'd gathered in the center of the village — not every one of them, of course, but the ones who happened to be there.

"Gather round, anyone who wants to listen!" he called. "And I shall tell you a tale!" That got their attention. Everyone likes a good tale, and the Teo are no exception. Their mythology is rich, filled with the exploits great heroes, the gods, and spirits. Thanks to the researchers, these stories are being written down. "A while ago, Kainak told me of a beast who lives in his part of the world, known as Bigfoot."

True, Bigfoot might be a little clichéd, but hey, it's a good story. And so, Kame wove his tale, setting it in the jungle, and grabbing his peoples' attention. They were enraptured with his tale, which, while fraught with peril, was engaging and not as forward as a fist to the face. As he finished, he reminded his people to stay on alert that they may find this creature but assured them they had nothing to worry about. It is a tale, after all. And Kame mostly made it up on the spot.

And judging by their reaction, they loved every minute of it. "That was amazing, Kame!" said one of the village mothers. "My heart could not stop beating!"

"I appreciate that," Kame said with a bow. "A storyteller appreciates all feedback!"

Manti's sly smile told everything. They had a cover story. Now all they needed—

BANG!

That sounded like one of the haole's wands! He and his tribesmen turned in the direction of the sound. Some of them stood, and in their confusion, murmurings began to spread. Manti stormed to the village gate, doing his best to keep his people calm. His frustration at the situation was evident. But the tribespeople had seen him frustrated before, and it wasn't unusual for this to happen.

P'li ran screaming into the village, terrifying everyone. Manti grabbed the warrior and held him still, and Kame was not too far behind.

"THEY ATTACKED ME!" he screamed hysterically.

"Who? WHO attacked you?" Kame asked.

"THE HAOLES!"

"P'li, calm down!" Manti ordered. "I have not known the palemen to attack us. Perhaps it was a mistake?"

"IT WAS THEM!!!" P'li shouted again, causing more warriors to grab him and throw him to the ground.

"Manti?" Kame asked.

Manti sighed. "I am not ready to blame them yet," he said. "It may have been a mistake." But he looked at the other members of the tribe and saw their reactions. The murmuring had spread out of control. And amidst this confusion, a couple of tribesmen slipped out of the village.

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The researchers heard the bang, too. But it was a distant, faint 'bang' and not the loud, close one the Teo heard. So it's not a stretch to assume they didn't really know about what was going on.