Quest (Dane Maddock Adventures) Read Free Page A

understand. It didn’t appear crazed at all. Its actions were purposeful, and, I don’t know, it was almost as if it thought it was a giant predator and I was the small animal in its way. It never seemed the least bit frightened, or even wary, just determined. It was like there was no question of it doing what it wanted to do, and I could pose no threat to it in any way.”
    “I work at a vet’s office every summer,” Emily added. “Even in the early stages of rabies, if an animal goes into the aggressive state, it’s accompanied by other symptoms, like disorientation, trembling, loss of muscle coordination. I saw none of that. That animal was different. We kept the body if you would like to look at it.”
    They led him to the spot where the opossum lay. Thomas took his time examining the disfigured remains of the small mammal though, in truth, he doubted he would recognize even the late-stage signs of rabies. He kept his features calm, letting the silence and his own serenity settle the nerves of his upset students. Finally, he gave a diagnosis of “perhaps” and rose to his feet.
    “Our notebooks are complete, Doctor Thornton. They have been for two days. Victor took half the remaining supplies. Let’s just go home.” Emily sounded as if she were on the verge of tears.
    The pleading tone grated on his nerves. They had to leave, he understood that, but that did not mean he had to be happy about it. To have come so close and yet failed. It would be another year, at the soonest, before he could return, and that was assuming his sponsors would fund another trip. He had promised results, and they were not going to be happy when he returned empty-handed. “Fine,” he said, rising to his feet. “Pack up as much as you can. We’ll leave in the morning.”
    Derek’s and Emily’s faces relaxed, and each thanked him profusely, assuring him that this had been the best field ecology trip ever, and that they couldn’t wait to get home and tell their families all about it.
    Denesh did not appear to share in their joy. He frowned, his eyes fixed on a spot deep in the jungle.
    “What’s wrong with you?” Emily nudged him. “Lighten up a little.”
    “Quiet.” The tone of his voice silenced everyone in the group. “Something’s coming.”
    Thomas turned to look in the direction Denesh indicated in time to see three figures stride out of the jungle. They were short and stocky, with glossy black hair cut short in the Yanomami style. Their bodies were painted orange-brown with black smudges all over that put him to mind of a jaguar. Each was armed with a stone-tipped short spear and a stone axe. They moved directly toward the camp, their faces blank, and their strides resolute.
    “Who are they?” Derek whispered. “There aren’t supposed to be any natives in this area.”
    Actually, very little was known about this region. The area was so remote that it had remained unexplored in modern times. The satellite photos Thomas had inspected revealed nothing but a blanket of unrelenting green.
    “I have no idea. They must be from an undiscovered tribe.” Thomas shook his head. These men had the general look and build of the natives of this region, but he noticed subtle differences. Their faces were narrow, and their noses longer. He could not discern eye color from this distance, but they were definitely not the brown one usually found here. Curious, he took a step forward, but Denesh stopped him with a firm grip on his forearm.
    “Let me do it. I know a smattering of languages from this area. Perhaps I can get them to understand me. If this actually is a tribe that has avoided outside contact, and we can communicate with them, I could write quite the paper on it.”
    He walked toward them, his open hands at his sides, and spoke to them in a language Thomas did not recognize. The natives neither acknowledged his words, nor broke their stride. Denesh tried again in three other languages unfamiliar to Thomas, and then in