The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel) (51 page)

14

I
n the gorge, as the rain abated, Rambuka took stock of the situation. Recognizing his enemies had the advantage of superior cover, he signaled to his men to pull back and regroup. A quick headcount showed he’d suffered eight casualties—five dead and another three seriously wounded. That left him with twenty-three able-bodied men.

Cursing his enemies, Rambuka conferred with his senior warriors. They quickly concluded their enemies could not remain in the gorge forever. Sooner or later, they’d have to move on. That was when they’d be vulnerable.

“We wait for them to make the next move,” Rambuka said.

Joeli’s men took advantage of the lull in fighting to retreat to the foot of a steep hill at the far end of the gorge. There, they found Waisale and the two women resting.

Seeing Nathan, Susannah rushed over to him. “Thank God you’re alive,” she whispered. She immediately regretted expressing her innermost emotions. Still unsure whether he felt the same as she did, she didn’t want to make herself any more vulnerable than she was.

“It’s not God you should be thanking,” Nathan said, raising his musket. “It’s this.”

Susannah smiled patiently and shook her head. “No, Nathan. It’s God.”

Nathan chuckled then grew serious. Looking into Susannah’s hazel-flecked eyes, he wondered again if she was experiencing the same strong feelings he had for her. He sensed she was. Nathan longed to pull her to him and kiss her, but still something made him hesitate.

Not usually one to hesitate, he didn’t know what it was that was stopping him being spontaneous now. Maybe the timing wasn’t right, he reasoned. Whatever it was, he despised himself for not revealing his true feelings.

You don’t even know if you’re going to survive this little excursion, and yet here you
are afraid of being rejected by a missionary’s daughter!

Nathan became aware of Joeli firing orders at his warriors. Moments later, a Qopa warrior ran past them, accidentally nudging Susannah. She nearly lost her footing and suddenly found herself in Nathan’s arms, her face less than an inch from his.

The American went to release her. To his surprise, Susannah kept hold of him for a moment.

What’s she playing at?

Again, he looked into her eyes. Not for the first time, he felt as though he were drowning in them. He wanted to kiss her, but again he froze.

As Susannah looked up at Nathan, she felt as though she was losing control of her senses. Everything seemed to be whirling around her and her heart was hammering away in her chest.

In Nathan’s powerful masculine presence, Susannah had an overwhelming sense that God had created him just for her. She knew that was irrational, but she clung to that thought as everything began spinning around her. Fearing she was about to faint, she pushed Nathan away and took a step back.

Nathan thought he’d upset her. Embarrassed, he mumbled, “I’ll be back shortly.” He hurried over to where Joeli was standing.

Watching him go, Susannah was upset, but not for the reason Nathan thought she was. She was upset he hadn’t kissed her. She’d seen him looking longingly at her, yet nothing had happened.

Susannah wanted so desperately to feel his kiss. She recognized her intense feelings for Nathan were growing ever stronger—hastened no doubt by the dangerous situation they found themselves in.

It was then Susannah realized she didn’t want to die before she’d made love to Nathan.
To die without ever feeling that intimacy with another soul,
she decided,
would be an injustice of the highest order.
Susannah uttered a silent prayer to God that he would not allow her to die a virgin. She knew if she died after she’d made love to Nathan, she would at least feel she’d reached fulfillment as a woman.

Nathan arrived at Joeli’s side as the ratu was doing a headcount. Joeli quickly determined their numbers had been reduced to seventeen. He’d lost three men and several others had been wounded.

Grim-faced, the ratu turned to Nathan. “Where Jack Halliday?” he asked. Nathan shrugged, indicating he didn’t know. Joeli added, “We could use his muskets.”

Like Joeli, Nathan was now convinced Jack had fled. In a way, he couldn’t really blame him. The Cockney had probably reached the conclusion this was a suicide mission. Even if he survived it, it was likely Joeli or one of his warriors would kill him for having seduced their women. Despite this, Nathan was angry he’d misread Jack. He’d picked him to be a man of his word and now felt let down.

Looking at Joeli, Nathan asked, “What do you want to do?”

“We cannot outrun outcasts,” Joeli said resignedly. “We make stand here.”

Nathan saw Joeli was looking at the steep hill that rose up directly in front of them. He assessed it was at least one thousand feet high. Although strangely devoid of vegetation, it offered plenty of cover in the form of large rocks and boulders. It was a natural fortress. “This looks like a good killing ground,” he agreed.

Joeli nodded. Turning to Waisale and pointing to the hill’s summit, he said, “Take the women up there.”

Again, Waisale took the two women each by the hand and started dragging them up the hill. As they began climbing, Susannah looked back at Nathan. Their eyes locked knowingly for a few moments. Nathan felt his heart go out to her. He prayed she’d be safe.

Just then, shouts came from upriver. Joeli turned to see one of his trackers, Penaia, running toward them. Shouting as he ran, Penaia called, “Rambuka’s dogs are coming again!”

“How many?” Joeli asked. He guessed the outcasts had seen Waisale and the women setting off up the hill.

“I count twenty-three,” Penaia responded.

Joeli signaled to his warriors to follow him up the hill. They strode out after him, carrying their wounded with them.

Nathan lingered behind. He absentmindedly touched his whale bone pendant as he waited. Moments later, Rambuka and Uraia rounded a bend not a hundred yards upriver. They were closely followed by the other outcasts.

Seeing the American standing his ground, Rambuka stopped and looked directly at him. Uraia and the others pulled up beside their leader. Behind Nathan, the figures of Joeli and his warriors could be seen scrambling up the steep hill. Not taking his eyes off Nathan, Rambuka said, “The White-Face is mine.” Uraia nodded.

Nathan looked directly at Rambuka for a moment longer then turned and started running up the hill. He zigzagged as he ran, to make the uphill journey easier and to make it harder for anyone to shoot him if they were so inclined. No shots came.

Behind him, Uraia surveyed the steep hill. “The Qopa pigs will make their stand there,” he predicted.

Rambuka studied the terrain. “They have chosen well,” he conceded. He then gathered his followers around him to discuss tactics.

# 

It was late morning before the outcasts made their move. It hadn’t surprised Nathan that they were in no hurry. The outcasts would know the hill their enemies now occupied
offered their best chance of survival, so it was obvious they would make their stand here.

Now, as Rambuka led his followers up the hill, Nathan and Joeli watched them from behind a small boulder near the summit. Nathan focused his scope on Rambuka. The Outcast’s menacing features were magnified dramatically by the scope’s lenses. Nathan handed the scope to Joeli, who immediately put it up to his eye. “We need to hold this hill or we’re dead,” the American said.

Joeli grunted once as he studied his enemy through the scope. “We have the high ground,” he said. “Rambuka soon feel power of Joeli.”

“As long as our ammunition holds,” Nathan cautioned. His concern was shared by Joeli. Nathan looked around as Waisale joined them. “Are the women okay?”

Not comprehending the question, Waisale looked at Joeli.

“He asks if the women are safe,” the ratu translated.

The handsome young warrior looked at Nathan and nodded. Nathan knew Waisale had hidden Susannah and Sina behind a large boulder on the summit, which was only a few yards away.

For no apparent reason, and despite the severity of their situation, Joeli found himself thinking about the secret dye Waisale had used to turn his hair pink. Although the warriors had all washed the dye from their hair before setting out from Momi Bay, Joeli hadn’t forgotten Waisale’s promise to divulge the ingredients he used to dye his hair pink if Sina was rescued from the outcasts. Joeli and his warriors had spent many long hours speculating on the various natural ingredients that could have been used. The thought suddenly occurred to him that if Waisale was killed in the coming battle, his secret would die with him. Looking at his friend, he asked, “Do you remember your promise?”

Waisale immediately knew what Joeli was talking about. He was aware that Joeli and the others had been highly jealous of his uniquely colored hair. Grinning sheepishly, he said, “I traded fish for some dyes of the White-Face when one of the tall ships visited.”

For the first time in days, Joeli laughed aloud. After so much speculation, it struck him as amusing that the so-called secret ingredients Waisale used was something as mundane as European dyes. Waisale joined in the laughter.

Looking on, Nathan could only guess as to what had amused them. The trio returned their attention to their enemies below. The outcasts were already a third of the way up the hill. They were zigzagging their way up the hill, using boulders for cover.

Turning to Joeli, Nathan said, “You should tell the others to wait for your signal before they start shooting. We must save ammunition.”

Joeli immediately relayed instructions to Waisale. The young warrior nodded and scampered away to pass on Joeli’s orders to the other warriors who had taken up defensive positions among the rocks.

15

A
s the outcasts continued climbing up the hill, a frightened Susannah and Sina sat resting, their backs against the large boulder on the summit. A broad, grassy valley stretched out before them. It extended all the way to a range of forest-covered hills far to the west.

Holding hands for comfort, the two women were exhausted after a morning of non-stop activity. Susannah, in particular, was in bad shape. Having survived her abduction from Momi Bay and then the morning’s flight from Tomanivi, being dragged up the hill had been the last straw for her. She was physically, mentally, and emotionally spent.

Sina nodded toward the distant hills. “Momi Bay that way,” she said wistfully.

Susannah smiled. She could only guess at how much Sina missed her home and loved ones. Nathan suddenly appeared at her side. “Nathan!” She couldn’t disguise how relieved she was to see him.

“Are you all right?” he asked, kneeling down beside her.

Susannah nodded. “Where are they now?” she asked, referring to the outcasts.

“They’re coming,” Nathan said, scanning the valley below. He lingered a moment, keen to spend as much time as he could in Susannah’s presence, but more unsure than ever what to say to her.

Looking at him as he studied the valley floor, Susannah wished she had more time with Nathan so they could just get to know each other. Everything seemed so rushed and out of control. The young woman sensed that behind Nathan’s confident exterior, there was uncertainty. Suddenly fearful, she leaned closer to him and whispered, “I don’t want to die here, Nathan.”

“That’s not going to happen, Susannah,” Nathan said adamantly. He tried to sound as convincing as he could even if he didn’t fully believe what he was saying. “Our Qopa friends are great fighters, and they will defend us just as they did when the outcasts attacked us at Momi Bay.”

He purposefully omitted the fact that this battle was in Rambuka’s territory and the outcasts were numerically superior. Nor did he mention the Qopa didn’t have the sophisticated palisades and trenches that protected their village.

Susannah looked at him intently. “How did we ever get caught up in all this?”

“I don’t know,” Nathan said, sitting down beside her.

Susannah rested her head against Nathan’s shoulder. It felt so natural, she didn’t even notice the light rain that was beginning to fall. For some unfathomable reason, the memory of her father’s gruesome death came to her. Slowly, inevitably, the emotions she’d been storing up since her abduction bubbled to the surface. Giving in to her grief, she buried her face in Nathan’s chest and cried until she had no tears left.

As he held her tight, Nathan glanced at Sina, who stared back at him gravely. She could relate to how he and Susannah felt. After all, she had just been reunited with Waisale and they were both experiencing similar emotions. She smiled understandingly at Nathan.

Finally, Susannah looked up at Nathan. “I miss my father,” she whispered.

“I know.” He wished he could help her through her pain. All he could do was hold her. Forcing himself to focus on their present situation, he suddenly stood up and addressed both women. “You must flee while you can.” He spoke with urgency now. “There’s no guarantee we can hold these savages off. Do you understand?”

The women looked at each other then back at Nathan and shook their heads in unison.

Sina said, “No . . . our place here.”

Nathan became angry. “Look—”

Susannah interjected, saying, “No, Nathan. We stay.”

Nathan was momentarily dumbfounded. He stood staring down at the stubborn pair.

The silence was shattered by a musket shot and all three jumped. The shot was immediately followed by a crescendo of musket fire.

Nathan looked around the boulder and saw that the outcasts were nearing the summit. He turned back to Susannah. Grabbing her by both shoulders, he said, “If we look like we’re gonna be overrun, you get down there to safety.” He pointed to the valley below. “Find a place to hide and stay there.”

Susannah nodded. Their eyes locked once more. Nathan then hurried off to rejoin the others.

Crawling down to Joeli, he could see the outcasts were very close now. They were dashing from rock to rock, priming and firing their muskets as they ran. The light rain ensured conditions underfoot remained treacherous, slowing them, but still they kept coming, inching toward their enemies at the top of the hill.

The outcasts were inspired by their leader, Rambuka, who suddenly decided to ignore the available cover and run straight up the hill. Other outcasts fell in behind him.

Joeli shouted, “Kill Rambuka!

Waisale and several other warriors aimed their muskets at the outcast leader. All shots missed their mark. Noting their intentions, Nathan raised his musket. Looking down the barrel, he lined up Rambuka in his sights. Rambuka was fifty yards away and closing fast. A Samoan outcast followed hard on his heels.

Just as Nathan squeezed the trigger, Rambuka slipped and fell. Nathan’s shot hit the Samoan between the eyes, felling him. Oblivious to the near miss, Rambuka jumped up and continued running.

Cursing, Nathan primed his musket for another shot. He looked up just in time to see Rambuka dive for cover behind rocks some thirty yards away.

At the same time, a musket shot boomed out from a nearby hillside, felling an outcast. Nathan scanned the terrain, looking for a glimpse of the marksman.

It could only be Jack.

Over the next minute, three more shots came from the direction of the adjoining hill and three more outcasts fell.

Finally, Nathan saw him.

It is Jack!

The Cockney was lying prone on a rock ledge near the top of the adjoining hill. From where he was, Jack had a clear view of the outcasts. He fired again and yet another outcast fell.

Cheering erupted among Joeli’s warriors. Below them, Rambuka’s outcasts were forced to take cover to avoid Jack’s sharpshooting.

Realizing the danger, Rambuka led his followers along a ridge to remove themselves from Jack’s line of fire.  Behind them, the bodies of their fellow outcasts lay strewn over the hillside.

In the preceding firefight, the defenders had also taken casualties. Two more warriors lay dead and another two wounded. Waisale was among the latter. He was nursing a shoulder wound.

Fleeing Tomanivi the previous night, Jack had had second thoughts about deserting the very people who had rescued him from the cannibals’ cooking pot. He was nearly halfway to the village he’d been using as his base when his conscience had finally gotten the better of him; he’d turned back and retraced his steps to Tomanivi, eventually catching up with Joeli’s party in the gorge. By then, the outcasts had also caught up to them, so he’d looked for a vantage point from where he could inflict some damage with the two muskets he still carried. He’d soon found a good spot on the hillside that adjoined the hill Nathan and the others were making their stand on.

The shooting faded then died, heralding another lull in the fighting. For the moment, both camps lay low as light rain continued to fall.

Casualties were mounting. The Qopas’ numbers had been reduced to fifteen, the outcasts seventeen. Although only slightly fewer in number, and holding the high ground advantage, Joeli’s men were running dangerously low on ammunition.