Chapter 16

Several hours later found them korons from the waterfall, yet both were wishing they were still in the water. The air temperature was steaming, and they had only memories of their swim to keep them cool now. 

"Well, what do you know?" Uri said at last, lifting his wrist for her to observe the signal that had suddenly popped up. "Now my people can get a fix on us and send out a rescue team. They should be able to track us down in no time." 

"That's good," Casina said, her tone sounding weary and, for some odd reason, sad. "Then you can return to your wife and kids and leave me the heck alone." 

Uri jerked around at this, shock being far too mild a word at this point for what he had just heard. He stared at her in surprise, waiting for an explanation. 

She met his gaze without flinching. "Well, you are married, aren't you?" How could a gorgeous man like you not be married? she thought sadly. 

He snorted silently. "Well...yes," he said. "Sort of, anyways." I knew it! 

But he could tell she didn't like that answer. 

"What is that supposed to mean? You either are or you're not." 

He ran a frustrated hand across the back of his neck. "Well, it's complicated." 

"Sure sure. That's what they all say when they stray too far from the fold." 

But this angered him. He took a step toward her. "Now wait a minute. I--" 

"You don't need to explain yourself," she said, putting a hand up between them. "I understand. I'm just a diversion. Out here in the rainforest. One kiss and you're gone, right? You just had to sample the goods again, right? I'm surprised you just didn't go for it all. Being with a Zarcon is probably a whole new experience for you." 

"Miss Don--Casina," he began, trying to maintain some degree of modicum in their discussion, "it's not like that at all. And besides, why are you so upset? You didn't have to kiss me back you know. You're very good at slapping me and fighting me tooth-and-nail." 

"Well, had I known you were married, I never would have kissed you in the first place." Turning her back, she walked away, refusing to say anything more, and he refused to wait for her to explain further. Turning, he shook his head and continued plowing through thickly tangled liana vines, wondering how a woman's mind actually worked. 

* * * * 

It was nearly dark when the unexpected happened. Nor was it a good unexpected. 

Having been on the move for several more hours, Uri and Casina suddenly came face-to-face with some inhabitants of the rainforest, who surrounded them. Casina moved behind Uri, wide-eyed with fear as she stared around her. 

"Great," she heard Uri mutter. "Just what we need." 

"Who are they?" 

"The Melasantos. The most feared tribe of man-eaters in the entire galaxy. Very primitive." 

Up until now, their luck had held out. But it seemed that as soon as Casina had grown irate with him about one lousy kiss, that was when their luck had changed. By all the stars, how had he allowed 

himself to be in such a predicament? he wondered now, staring dismally at the thirty or forty spearheads now aimed at them. He frowned at his own carelessness. And considering the way Casina 

had kissed him back, he actually thought she'd been enjoying being that close to him. 

Casina stared in horror at the spears aimed at her throat. She glanced up at Uri, who maintained an amazing calm, as if the tribesmen were nothing more than pesky mosquitoes. 

"Uri," she whispered. "What do we do now?" 

"Stay quiet and do what they want," he said. "For now." 

No sooner had he spoken when one of the group, apparently the leader, jabbed him with the tip of his spear to urge him forward, indicating that they were to go with them. Surrounded on all sides, there was little the two could do but comply with their wishes. 

When they entered their village, several korons away, Casina and Uri were immediately separated. Terrified, Casina looked to Uri for assistance, but he merely nodded at her to do as they wanted. So, trying to hold back her tears, she allowed the natives to lead her away. 

An old man with a bald head and pot belly pouring overtop a grass skirt was sitting under a makeshift roof, holding a staff. Obviously the chief, considering all of the bone adornments about his neck and in his ears. 

When Casina was brought forward, they shoved her to her knees before him, then babbled in some strange language she wasn't even certain Uri could understand. Trembling, she remained silent, waiting for whatever it was they were deciding. It bothered her that they kept pointing to her skin and fingering her hair. A quick glance behind her revealed that Uri was now tied to a large, tall pole stuck in the ground, on the edge of the compound, with his hands secured behind his back. He was intently observing the proceedings, but his face gave away nothing of his thoughts. 

The chief babbled something to his men, who immediately grabbed Casina and dragged her off to a hut that looked to be made of bamboo. They shoved her inside and placed a guard outside the door. Inside, there was only an animal skin on the hard-packed ground and nothing else. A quick glance around showed Casina there was no other way of escape, although she was darned well going to try and find one. She then spent much of her time trying to, hoping she might be able to sneak out and untie Uri. 

Eventually she gave up. Her fingers were raw and sore from trying to dig at the ground beneath the base of the hut. But the hut itself was sturdy and strong, and she hadn't made so much as a dent under it or through it. Disappointed and more fearful, she ended up sitting cross-legged on the animal hide, wringing her hands with worry. Oh, Uri, she whimpered silently. Why do these things keep 

happening to us? She stifled a sob, trying to ignore her fear at thought of never seeing him again. Why that bothered her, she wasn't certain. Since he already had a wife, there wasn't much she could do now to lay claim to the man, although lately it seemed he was all she ever thought about, whether she admitted it to herself or not. That heated kiss earlier made her want him in a way she could no longer deny. Shocked and infuriated by her reaction to him, she did her best to keep him at a distance, snapping at him, afraid she would reveal too much. But now, considering their current circumstances, she wondered if that had been the right thing to do. 

* * * * 

Uri glared at his captors, who were stoking up a huge fire beneath a giant cauldron. That he was probably their next intended meal brought a smirk to his face as he wondered how much they actually knew about the world beyond the rainforest. 

He didn't like that they considered Casina diseased because of her white-blonde hair and skin. 

She wasn't going to be eaten, but he was certain the chief had other plans that didn't bode well for her. The thought of that revolting man's hands on her infuriated him as nothing ever had. 

For now, he would just bide his time. All his senses were on alert, and he knew exactly what he was going to do. When he was going to do it was another thing, however. But most certainly it was going to happen before evening repast. That much he knew. 

And as the flames beneath the boiling water rose higher, hugging it until it bubbled, so did his ire at the Melasantos. They had taken his d'lab'r, medallion, and pulse guns from him first thing, but he knew Jeiel had no doubt already dispatched a team to locate them. He only hoped the natives wouldn't make Casina come out and watch as they tried making stew meat out of him. Or she would see things she might never forgive him for. 

The Melasanto village lay nestled in a large clearing in the midst of the rainforest, so moonlight was actually visible and resplendent that night. The sky was full of stars of such number that Uri could barely keep from looking up at them, as he sought guidance from his Source. 

Although the majority of those in Jupitar worshipped the Creator of all the heavens, the 

Melasantos were in the minority, devising their own carvings for idol practices that Kaanig Altair hated with every fiber of his being. Over the scalons, he had sought to wipe out the heathens from the galaxy, but it was a difficult chore in a world so vast. It was a feat in itself just to keep galactic matters under control to begin with. But it was a good world, a peaceful one by all accounts. It was only in places like Sequestia where the heathen thrived, where they knew they could hide from people like the Altair and his H'Sans in the Saagernon rainforest. As if they could hide their sins from any supernatural deity as well. And since the Altair had more important things to tend to, removing these sorts of tribes from the galaxy wasn't usually at the top of his priority list. 

As Uri stood gazing into the starry heavens, considering the matter, he was distracted when a man walked across the compound to Casina's hut to speak to the guard. He saw the man nod and enter the hut, only to reemerge moments later with Casina in tow. She looked frightened, tired, and alone, and that bothered him. He felt so protective of her that he felt he was letting her down even now. 

He watched as she was led over to a makeshift chair in front of the chief's humongous hut. They thrust her into it but kept her under guard. The chief appeared not long afterward, rubbing his fat belly as he observed her. Uri recognized disgust on her face when she looked up at the man but quickly averted her gaze, all but cringing in her seat. Her head came up as soon as the chief walked away, and he saw her finally glancing in his direction. Her face brightened a bit as she met his gaze, her whole countenance shining, so he knew there was hope yet. She hadn't been defeated by this one little setback. Still, he wished they had kept her in the hut...for now. 

* * * * 

Why Casina felt the need to rescue Uri was beyond her. The urge to escape and go to him was overwhelming, and she looked around for any chance she could to free herself. If only the guard wasn't so close to her just then, she thought she could make a run for it. At least she wasn't tied up, as Uri was. Seeing him like that was disturbing. He was always so in control, so sure of himself. 

A shout from the chief caught her attention. He was standing a few feet from Uri now and directing some of the natives to untie him. 

Two men hurried to do the chief's bidding and quickly led Uri to the center of the compound. He seemed calm, but Casina was frantic. Having spied the huge pot of boiling water, she knew instantly what the natives were about and was desperate to free him. 

She glanced at the chief who gave another command, this time to the musicians to sound the drums. It reminded Casina so much of movies she had seen of cannibals in darkest Africa, in the Congo, that she could barely breathe, she was so frightened. Why Uri seemed so calm was beyond her, considering he was probably going to be their next meal. 

Barely aware of anything but her need to escape and free him, she slowly came to her feet. She glanced at the guard, but he now seemed more interested in what was transpiring with Uri than with her. Knowing God was still on her side, she slowly slunk away, sneaking into the jungle behind her, hoping no one would notice. 

She moved until she was hidden from her captors, then waited to see if anyone was coming after her. After a moment, afraid her luck would not hold out, she finally scurried off like a rabbit, edging her way quietly around the compound. She remained hidden and hoped the guard wouldn't realize she had not gone far. She paused occasionally to listen for him searching for her. But if he was, she hoped he had gone straight through into the trees and not in her direction. Thank heavens she didn't hear anything to signify that that was the case. 

She circled around until she was a few meters behind where Uri stood. A guard was on either side of him now. He merely stood there waiting with arms crossed, seemingly bored with the entire dilemma they were in. She knew he had seen her escape but did not alert the Melasantos. Instead, he remained calmly standing in the midst of the natives, who were wildly dancing to the sound of the beating drums. Apparently, a ceremony was needed before dinner was prepared. That was fortunate for Casina and a welcome, if temporary, reprieve for Uri. 

She bit her lip, anxious. Although she was free, she couldn't leave Uri to be eaten by his captors. Grateful for the cover of darkness, she hid behind a giant leaf, pondering how to rescue him.