Part 13 (1/2)
She was nearing the place where the cough had come from, yet Skag did not run. A second time he held up his hand, palm outward, but she still came forward laughing.
”You ran from me?”
”I did not think of you coming so far--to-day.”
Skag had stepped between her and the river, turning her toward the city, but Carlin drew back.
”I have come so far. I want to go to our--to the monkey glen!”
She was watching him strangely. Skag understood something that moment: that he might know of Carlin's delight through her eyes, of all joy and good that he might bring, but that he should never know from her eyes if he brought hurt. Skag put this back into the deep place of his mind.
”All right. We'll go back,” he said. ”They were here--the whole troupe. Just a minute ago, they swung away--”
He saw for an instant her wonderment that he had come alone. She would have been very glad to see the monkey people again; she could not quite see why she should have missed this; she did not understand his words--that he had not expected her to follow into the glen.
She was sitting down on her own log, but he stood. Skag was driven to speak. The need had now to do with one of his favourite words. It was a matter of _equity_ that he speak. The words came in a slow ordered tone:
”I was waiting for you there--back at the edge of the jungle--but it came to me that I was not ready.”
Carlin had been looking away into the three-lanes. Her eyes came up to his.
”Not ready?” she said.
”All night I could only remember one thing--”
”What thing?”
”That you had not told me you would come again.”
Carlin's shoulders lifted a little. She cleared her throat, saying:
”I thought of it.”
”This morning the idea occurred that you might come to the jungle at noon--like yesterday, but the hours wouldn't pa.s.s after that. I met something different that would not be quiet--”
”Where?”
”I mean in myself.”
Carlin's eyes widened a little, but she only said:
”Oh!”
”It would not rest. I could not wait in calm. I was afraid you wouldn't come--yet I was afraid of your coming. My face worked of its own accord, and my words would not say what I knew--”
”When was that?”
”It was worse when I reached the jungle a little before noon and began to watch for you.”
”And--you ran away?”