Part 17 (1/2)
”Elliot, stop,” Richard commands.
”How can I sleep after this? How can any of you sleep, when you don't know what might be crawling into your bed?”
”It was a puff adder,” says Johnny. ”That would be my guess.”
Once again, he's managed to startle me with his silent approach. I turn and see him toss wood into the dying fire.
”You saw the snake?” I ask.
”No. But Elliot said it hissed at him.” Johnny moves toward us, carrying the ever-present rifle. ”Was it yellow-brown? Speckled, with a triangular head?” he asks Elliot.
”It was a snake, that's all I know! You think I bothered to ask its name?”
”Puff adders are common out here in the bush. We'll probably see more of them.”
”How poisonous are they?” Richard asks.
”Left untreated, the venom can be fatal. But if it makes you feel any better, their bites are often dry and carry no venom at all. It probably just crawled into Elliot's bed to get warm. That's what reptiles do.” He looks around at us. ”That's why I warned you all to keep your tents zipped up.”
”It was zipped up,” Elliot says.
”Then how did it get into your tent?”
”You know how freaked out I am about malaria. I always zip up to keep the mosquitoes out. I didn't think a f.u.c.king snake could get inside!”
”It could have gotten in during the day,” I suggest. ”While you weren't in the tent.”
”I'm telling you, I never leave it unzipped. Even during the day.”
Without a word, Johnny circles to the other side of Elliot's tent. Is he searching for the snake? Does he think it's still lurking somewhere under the canvas, waiting for another chance to invade? Suddenly Johnny drops down where we can't see him. The silence is unbearable.
Sylvia calls out in an unsteady voice: ”Is the snake still there?”
Johnny doesn't answer. He rises to his feet and when I see his expression, my hands turn to ice.
”What is it?” Sylvia asks. ”What is it?”
”Come see this for yourselves,” he says quietly.
Almost hidden by scrubby gra.s.s, the slit runs along the lower edge of the tent. Not a mere rip, this is a clean, straight cut in the canvas, and the significance is instantly clear to us all.
Elliot looks around at us in disbelief. ”Who did this? Who the h.e.l.l cut open my tent?”
”You all have knives,” points out Johnny. ”Anyone could have done it.”
”Not anyone,” says Richard. ”We were asleep. You were the one out here all night, keeping watch as you call it.”
”I left at first light to get firewood.” Johnny looks Richard up and down. ”And how long have you been up and dressed?”
”You see what he's doing, don't you?” Richard turns to look at us. ”Don't forget who has control of the gun. Who's been in charge here, while everything's gone straight to h.e.l.l.”
”Why my tent?” Elliot's voice has gone shrill, infecting us all with his panic. ”Why me?”
”The men,” says Vivian softly. ”He's taking out the men first. He killed Clarence. Then Isao. And now it's Elliot ...”
Richard takes a step toward Johnny and the rifle instantly snaps up, its barrel pointed straight at Richard's chest. ”Back away,” Johnny orders.
”So this is how it's going to be,” says Richard. ”He'll shoot me first. Then he'll kill Elliot. And what about the women, Johnny? You may have Millie on your side, but you can't take the rest of us down. Not if we all fight back.”
”It's you,” says Johnny. ”You're the one doing this.”
Richard takes another step toward him. ”I'm the one who'll stop you.”
”Richard,” I plead. ”Don't do this.”
”It's time to choose sides, Millie.”
”There are no sides! We have to talk about this. We have to be rational.”
Richard takes another step toward Johnny. It's a dare, a contest of nerves. The bush has stripped him of reason, and he's acting on raw fury now, at Johnny his rival. At me, the traitor. Time slows down and I register every detail with painful clarity. The sweat on Johnny's brow. The snap of the twig under Richard's boot as he rocks forward. Johnny's hand, his muscles twitching taut, preparing to fire.
And I see Keiko-small, frail Keiko-as she slips silently behind Johnny. I see her raise her arms. I see the rock slam into the back of Johnny's head.
HE IS STILL ALIVE.
Minutes after the blow, his eyes flicker open. The rock sliced open his scalp, and he's shed an alarming amount of blood, but the look he gives us is clear-eyed and fully aware.
”You're making a mistake, all of you,” he says. ”You have to listen to me.”
”No one's listening to you,” says Richard. His shadow moves across Johnny, and he stands staring down at him. He's the one with the rifle now, the one in control.
Groaning, Johnny tries to rise, but it's a struggle for him just to sit up. ”Without me, you're not going to make it.”
Richard looks at the others, who stand in a circle around Johnny. ”Shall we take a vote?”
Vivian shakes her head. ”I don't trust him.”
”Then what are we going to do with him?” says Elliot.
”Tie him up. That's what.” Richard nods to the blondes. ”Go find some rope.”
”No. No.” Johnny staggers to his feet. Even though he's swaying, he's still too intimidating for anyone to tackle. ”Shoot me if you want, Richard. Right here, right now. But I won't be tied up. I won't be left helpless. Not out here.”
”Go on, tie him up!” Richard snaps at the blondes, but they stand frozen. ”Elliot, you do it!”
”Just try it,” Johnny growls.
Elliot blanches and backs away.
Turning to Richard, Johnny says: ”So you've got the gun now, hey? Proved you're the alpha male. Was that the whole point of the game?”