* * *
Some days later, Heinrich and Erasmus were in the swamp, really a seasonally drowned forest, which bridged the two river systems. Heinrich and Erasmus felt pretty much drowned themselves, having just gone through a downpour that felt like sitting under a waterfall. But the sun had come out, and they were drying out gradually, with a renewed appreciation of why the natives didn’t bother much with clothing.
Now, birds were chirping . . . and Erasmus was cursing. “I always thought Hell was all fiery and red, but now I know it’s watery and green.” He had just pulled on his oar and struck some obstruction, a submerged log or tree root, and the impact had jarred him badly.
“It grows on you,” said Heinrich, giving Erasmus only a fraction of his attention. He was trying to read the primitive compass he had brought along. “And don’t jostle me, damn it; if I drop this compass in the muck, we’ll never find our way out.” He waited for the needle to steady.
“Okay, we’re still bearing east . . .” Heinrich picked up his own paddle. Soon it was his turn to complain. The waters were even shallower now, and it seemed as though they were hitting an underwater obstruction every few strokes.
Some monkeys howled overhead.
“Shut up!” Erasmus yelled at them. In response, they bombarded him with clots of shit. Erasmus grabbed his musket and tried to sight on them, but it was hopeless. They were well hidden in the green canopy above the colonists.
“I wish I could climb after the little buggers and throttle them. In fact, I wish we could just swing through the trees like them and not have to paddle at all . . .”
“Not have to paddle . . .” Heinrich repeated. “Put down your paddle, Erasmus, and try this.” He reached up and pulled on a stout liana hanging in front of him, pulling the boat forward. After a moment, Erasmus imitated him. There was no lack of vines to choose from. It was slow, but it was easier on the anatomy.
Ashanti Village
“Hey, Kojo, we’d like a word with you.” The three colonists formed a triangle around him.
“What do you want?” His eyes measured the gap between them, and the distance to where he had set down his machete.
“We’d like to see this gold you found.”
He shook his head vigorously. “Didn’t find gold.”
In the privacy of his thoughts, he groaned. Heinrich and Erasmus must have gossiped about it! After they promised to keep it secret, too!
“Don’t worry, we’re not going to take it from you. . . . But we want to see it.”
Kojo had an unpleasant vision of what they might do if he continued to stonewall. “I gave it to the governor. For safekeeping.” That was true.
“Shit!” said the shortest of the three. “He’s probably got it in the Company treasury-house.”
“Doesn’t matter,” said the tallest. “Now we’re sure that the story’s true; there’s gold to be found. So where’d you find it, Kojo?”
Kojo didn’t answer quickly enough, and “Shortie” punched him in the stomach. Kojo whooshed.
“He can’t talk if he can’t breathe,” admonished “The Tall One.”
The third man spoke up. “Listen, Kojo, we colonists freed you and your kinfolk from those slavers. You find gold, you have to tell us where you found it.”
Kojo started to explain.
“Fuck, this is too complicated,” said Shortie. “Why don’t we just take him with us? He can guide us every step of the way.”
The Tall One shrugged. “Sounds good to me, if you’re willing to guard him. Gag and hogtie him for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll hide him under a tarp, and paddle down to the Marowijne.”
Soon Kojo was tied to a tree, with only his thoughts to keep him company. The spirits have punished me for disobeying Maria. I shouldn’t have told Antoa. I shouldn’t have spoken to Heinrich. I shouldn’t have believed that guard who said that the law required that I report any gold finds.
* * *
Tetube pointed at the canoe tied up a mile downriver of the Ashanti village. “Why would the Ashanti leave a canoe there? There are better places right by the village.” Tetube and Coqui had decided to visit Kojo.
“I don’t know,” whispered Coqui. “Perhaps someone wanted to surprise them.” He stopped paddling and grabbed his bow. He let the current carry them back downstream until the mystery canoe was out of sight around a bend. Then he put the bow down again, and brought their own canoe to the water’s edge.
“Stay in the canoe, keep a paddle in hand. I will check out what’s going on.” He grabbed his bow and machete.