Royal Ransom (6 page)

“Looks like we're putting in,” I noted.

“For the night or for a portage?”

“No portage here, so it must be for the night.”

“That's wonderful,” she gushed.

“You tired?”

“I could go on if I had to.” She paused. “How far do you think we've gone?”

“Hard to say for sure.”

“Could you make an educated guess?”

“Well … we canoed for about four hours before we stopped for lunch, so we probably did around twelve kilometres and—”

“Didn't we cover more than that?” she asked.

I shook my head. “And then we did about the same … maybe a little more … between lunch and now.”

“So you think we've only done twenty-four or twenty-five kilometres?”

“I think so.”

“You must be wrong. Surely we travelled farther.”

I shrugged. “Could have.”

“My father told us about days when he canoed almost double that distance.”

“That's possible. It was a short day today, and we weren't moving very quickly.”

“I thought we were keeping up a good pace,” she said.

“Pretty good for city people. Besides, your father was with my grandfather, right?”

“That's what your grandmother said.”

“Then that would explain them travelling a lot farther. When my grandfather went out for what he called ‘a little paddle' he dipped his paddle in the water and didn't stop. He was amazing! I went out with him on a trip when I was about five and he was in his seventies. We covered over two hundred kilometres in five days, and you know that I didn't contribute much to the paddling.”

“Probably as much as my brother did today,” she said.

“Well … maybe a little bit more than that.”

She burst out laughing. She really did have a nice laugh.

“Did you spend much time with your grandfather?”

“It's hard not to when you live in the same little village.”

“When did he pass on?” she asked.

“Just a while ago.”

“You must miss him.”

Of course I missed him. He was my grandfather. I nodded.

“I didn't get to know my grandfather very well,” she said. “He died when I was very little.”

“If you want to know anything about
your
grandfather you should ask
my
grandmother,” I said.

She laughed again. “She certainly did take us by surprise when she recognized us, and then, when she began reciting our family history … and all those plates and pictures and mementos! It was so, so …”

“Strange?” I asked.

“Well, I was thinking ‘sweet,' but if one was to ever think about it, there certainly is something unusual about finding pictures of your family in the house of somebody you have never met before.”

“There are actually more pictures of
your
family in my house than there are of
my
family.”

Again she laughed.

“But I guess it wouldn't have been so sweet if it had cost you the trip,” I noted.

“That would have be so unfortunate … a tragedy.”

Up ahead Ray and Andrew had already made land. Ray had pulled the canoe up onto the shore and was pulling out the packs. Andrew was off to the side, sitting on a rock.

“I'll bring us in close, then I'll jump out and pull you into shore so you won't get wet,” I said.

“I'll do that,” Victoria said.

“That's okay, I can do it.”

“And so can I. I believe that proper canoe etiquette calls for the person in the bow to leave the craft and bring the canoe in.”

“I don't know nothing about etiquette, but if you want to jump in and get wet instead of me, then I'm not going to argue.”

I changed course so the canoe was coming straight in for the sandy beach. Suddenly she shifted around and threw her legs over the side, swung herself over and dropped into water up to her waist. Why hadn't she waited until we got closer to shore? She waded through the water, dragging the canoe behind her, and pulled the bow up onto the beach. I stood up and carefully walked up the canoe and jumped out onto the shore. Hey, any landing that ended with my feet dry was a good one! I grabbed the bow of the canoe and, along with Victoria, pulled it up and completely out of the water.

“Jamie, why didn't you bring the canoe in instead of—?”

“He wanted to!” Victoria called out, cutting Ray off. “But I wouldn't hear of it!”

“I guess he couldn't force you to let him, but if you're going to be doing that again you might want to wait until you actually get close to the shore,” Ray pointed out.

“I think I will be able to remember that lesson.”

“Good. So how did you enjoy your first day on the water?”

“I really liked it,” she said.

“Tired?”

She nodded.

“Well, there's not much more for you to do for the rest of the night. Just grab your pack and bring it up by your brother, and then we'll get everything set up.”

She took her pack and started up the slope to where Andrew sat.

“How was she?” Ray asked quietly.

“She did okay. She'll learn to paddle better as we—”

“I didn't mean about her paddling. What was she like?”

“Fine. Friendly. Talked.”

“You mean she didn't complain about the bugs, and how hard the seat was, and how she didn't want to be here and how hot it was?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then you got the better half of the pair.”

“Was he that bad?”

“Worse. If those bodyguard fellas hadn't been in the canoe right behind me I would have hit him with the paddle just to get him to shut up.”

“Do you want me to take him tomorrow?” I asked, regretting the words as I spoke them.

Ray shook his head. “Can't do that. Kid hardly paddled a lick the whole way so it's best he stays with me. Worst part was those ears of his.”

“His ears?”

“Didn't you notice them?”

“Not really,” I said, although thinking it through I did think they were on the large side.

“They're
huge!
” Ray exclaimed. “Him sitting in front of me like that in the canoe those ears blocked my view, and I swear when he turned his head the wrong way they caught the breeze and practically turned us around!”

I burst out laughing. Victoria and Andrew both turned around and stared down at us from the campsite. They were probably wondering what I found so funny. I'd have to think something up in case one of them asked later.

“I figure if I could only get him facing the right way with the wind behind us, those ears could work like sails and neither one of us would need to paddle!”

“Then maybe he
should
be in my canoe,” I said.

“I can't do that to my little cousin. I'm stuck with him. Simple as that.”

“Probably best.”

“But do me a favour, you take Prince Charming with you when you gather wood for the fire. With any luck you might lose him.”

I grabbed my pack and brought it up from the canoe. Victoria and Andrew sat silently. Neither looked like they had much energy left.

“Time to get moving,” Ray said.

“Moving? You mean we're getting back into the canoes?” Andrew asked.

“Moving your legs. Andrew, you go with Jamie and gather firewood.”

“I am
far
too tired,” he said.

“And you're going to be
far
too cold and hungry without a fire,” Ray said.

“I can go,” Victoria volunteered.

“Nope,” Ray said. “Setting up here at the camp is harder work than gathering firewood and I need the stronger of the two of you here.”

“Couldn't Jamie just go by himself?” Andrew asked.

“Nobody goes anywhere by themselves up here. Not smart.”

“Perhaps I could have Nigel or Albert go?” Andrew suggested.

Ray walked over until he was practically standing on top of Andrew. “Your bodyguards aren't here right now, so I think that maybe, if you're smart, you'll do what I tell you to do. Understand?”

Andrew practically jumped to his feet. I guess he wasn't used to people talking to him like that.

I started off into the bush. Reluctantly, Andrew followed behind me. We'd hardly lost sight of the campsite—and Ray—when he sat down again on a rock. I walked back to him, carrying the first few small pieces of wood that I'd picked up.

“Do you know why we never go out anywhere by ourselves?” I asked.

He didn't answer.

“Bears.”

“Bears?” It sounded like I'd got his attention.

“Mainly blacks, but some grizzlies as well.”

Andrew looked slowly around like he was expecting to see one.

“This is bear country. I've hardly ever gone on a trip without seeing some bears. Do you know the difference between the two types?” I asked.

“The colour, I would imagine,” he said.

“Of course the colour and the size, but the biggest difference is in the attitude.”

I started walking again and he jumped up and came after me. “What do you mean?”

I bent down and picked up a piece of wood. “Here, take this.”

“What do you mean, the attitude?” he repeated as he took the wood from me.

“Okay, let's say we're out here gathering firewood—”

“Wouldn't it be safer if we were back at the camp =instead of in the woods?” he asked, cutting me off.

“Not at all. The camp is where the food is. Food attracts bears. We're actually safer out here. Do you want me to continue?”

He nodded.

“So we're gathering wood and we run into a black bear. Do you know what it's most likely to do?”

“Kill us?” he asked, nervously.

“It could, but if he has a choice, most likely he's just going to turn and get away from us. He may be three or four times as big as us, but he's pretty shy, and he thinks we're pretty scary.”

“Us?”

“Some of us more than others. The black will only charge if it sees you as a threat to itself or its young, or if you surprise it.”

“How do you surprise it?”

“Can you get that piece of wood over there?” I said pointing off to the side.

He grabbed it.

“You surprise a bear when it doesn't hear you coming and you practically bump into it.”

“So should we make more noise?” he asked.

“I don't think we could make any more noise. Problem is, if you make too much noise you can chase
away the black bears, but you might just attract the grizzlies.”

He shut his mouth and stopped dead in his tracks.

“Here, take these,” I said, and I passed over half of the wood I'd been gathering. I started walking again and he practically bumped into me in his rush to be right by my side.

“Now, the grizzly is way different from his cousin bear. Besides being up to three times as big, it's what's going on in his head.”

“What's going on?”

“He's not shy and he's not scared. Not of us or of anything. When he sees us, he's only thinking one thing.”

“What's that?”

“He's thinking, ‘
When was the last time I ate?'”

Andrew stopped walking once again. “You're making a joke … right?”

“No. Grizzlies will eat just about anything they can catch, and they're amazingly fast for something that big.”

“Are they faster than a person … faster than me?” Andrew asked.

“A lot faster than you. But I'm not worried.”

“You're not?”

“'Course not.”

“Because you're faster than a grizzly?” he asked.

“I don't have to be.”

“You don't?” he asked.

“Nope. He probably can't catch two of us. I'll be okay as long as I can outrun
you
.”

Andrew looked shocked.

“Now stay close and let's get the rest of the wood.” I turned and walked away, struggling to keep the smile off my face.

The three tents were already set up when we arrived back. I dumped my wood in a heap beside a stone-ringed firepit. Andrew dropped his down on top of my pile. I started to break up the smaller pieces and pile them into a little teepee. Next I ripped up some bark and put it around the teepee. Finally I put a few bigger pieces around, stacking them up.

“I am curious to see how you are going to start the fire,” Victoria said.

I turned around. She was standing right behind me.

“How do you think I'm going to start the fire?” I asked.

“I wasn't sure. Perhaps rubbing sticks together, or a special Native tool, or—”

“Oh, I have one of those special Native tools,” I said cutting her off. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pack of matches and held them up to her.

“We call them
matches
.” I pulled one out, closed the cover, struck it on the back and dropped it into the firepit. It caught easily, and a little fire started to grow.

Chapter Six

I
HEARD A TWIG SNAP
just outside the tent. All that talk about bears hadn't made just Andrew nervous. Most of what I'd told him was actually true.

Ray slept peacefully, if not silently, beside me. If I was going to wake him up to ask him about the noise, I'd better pray there actually was a bear outside. Waking Ray up wasn't pretty.

Silently I shifted out of my sleeping bag and crawled to the flap. Outside, the fire continued to burn, creating a small island of light in the darkness. Just at the edge I caught sight of the silhouette of a figure sitting motionless on a rock. It looked small. Was it Andrew, or Victoria? If it was Andrew, did I really want to spend any more time with him? But if it was Victoria …

Slowly, so as not to make any sound, I undid the zipper of the tent. I slipped out through the opening and zipped it back up. Ray was still undisturbed. Quietly I walked away from the tent toward the lone figure sitting by the fire. It was Victoria!