The Fire of Life Read Free

a hot humid night with small insects buzzing round her face.
    Only up on to the sandbanks. Samantha told you about them?' Mike sounded annoyed. ' She delights in scaring people. I can assure you that no crocodile could get up to this height.'
    Or . . . or snakes?'
    Very unlikely. Maybe you noticed that there was a wide band of small stones round the rondavel. This keeps away snakes. It's where people allow creepers or shrubs to grow up close to the windows that snakes get in. You scared?'
    Rayanne managed a laugh. The understatement of the year? It was another corny phrase, yet it described the words exactly. ` In a way. It's all so strange.'
    You'll adjust. It's amazing what you can get used to when you have no choice,' Mike said cheerfully, unlocking her rondavel, opening the door, switching on the light.
    After he had left her, first checking that a tray with iced water, a thermos of boiling water, a cup and saucer, coffee, sugar and milk was on the table by her bedside, Rayanne thought of his words.
    It's amazing what you can get used to when you have no choice.' How right he was : when you have no choice! Had Cary Jefferson deliberately put her in this horrible rondavel in order to scare her? she wondered. Was this his sly method of getti ng rid of her? He had said she h as a headache '. Perhaps this was part of his plan.
    Well, if so, his plan was going to fail, she told herself as she undressed, carefully putting the torch
     
    under her pillow, for after midnight there would be no light.
    Once in bed, she switched off the light and lay hugging the torch as if it was the proverbial teddy-bear. How quiet it was! She could hear the mosquitoes banging against the screens on the window. Perhaps they could scent her, for there was no light to attract them. Some frogs began croaking. Then quiet again. Then suddenly a loud buzzing, rather like a hive of bees let loose. The cicadas, of course! She was nearly asleep when a nerve-shattering howl broke the quietness. In a moment, the howling came again. It was closer. Another howl and again it was even still closer. Her hand shaking, Rayanne fumbled for the bedside lamp switch. Nothing happened. Only the darkness stayed. She switched on the torch . . .
    Again nothing happened. The batteries must have run out, for there was only darkness still.

CHAPTER II
    In the morning, Rayanne looked at her reflection anxiously. It had been a terribly frightening night in which she had hardly slept, hugging the useless torch, listening to the strange night cries. She was sure she had heard a lion roaring—and an elephant trumpeting anger. A flash of light had shone through her windows several times, frightening her until she heard a dog bark and knew it was the night watchman. Not that he was much comfort, for he was only walking by and soon gone. Never in all her life had she been so frightened.
    And it showed in her pale face, her red tired eyes with the dark shadows below them. Somehow she must hide that. Cary Jefferson must not be allowed to win, or even know how near winning he had been! In the night, she had sworn she would leave in the morning. But now the sun was bright and warm, making the brown river sparkle as she looked out of the window and saw the huge red flowers on the flamboyants, and could smell the delicious scent from the white gardenias behind the rondavel, and she knew that somehow or other, she must stick it out. She could just imagine her brothers' teasing if she went home the day after she arrived at the Reserve.
    ' We knew you'd never make it,' they'd say triumphantly.
    And her father would shake his head sadly. I told you this was no life for a girl. It's work for a man with his strength and brains.'
     
    And perhaps her mother would say very quietly: I don't blame you, Rayanne, I'd have been scared stiff, too.'
    No, she had to stay, Rayanne knew that. Maybe Mike was right and in a little while she would adjust. She had to. She had no choice.
    Half an hour later, she