[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]very powerful and water in these lands is a precious commodity, just as it is
in Egypt.
Annja launched into the second set of tablets. Excitement stirred within her,
along with fear.
I saw the boy again today. He told me that the men who attacked his village
are now dead. The potion has always performed well.
When I asked him what he did with the rest of the potion, he told me that
Anansi directed him to put it in the place of treasures so that it might be
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used again if needed.
He gave me a small bag of emeralds and rubies. Before he left, he also showed
me a small stone he's inscribing that will tell the history of Anansi's
promise to protect his people. On one side, the stone bears the image of an
atrocious spider. The other holds the language of his people.
Finished with the translations, Annja stared at Garin. "Is this true?" she
asked.
He nodded. "You're hunting something that could kill you and a lot of other
people."
"And you're here because you care about people?"
"No," Garin said. "I'm here because I care about you."
Annja didn't believe him. There was more. She waited.
Garin cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "But there's more, Annja. For five
hundred years, only Roux and I have shared the mystery of the sword. I'd given
up on it. But you came along and made that mystery new again. Made it
attainable once more. Or at least clothed it in that illusion. And you've
turned our two-sided war into a three-way battle. I've never gotten the best
of Roux. With you at my side, I think that balance of power could change."
"Why would I ever help you?" Annja asked.
"Because one day, you may not have a choice. Roux is not your benefactor. If
you get in his way and you might he'll step on you."
A chill threaded down through Annja's spine as she faced the possibility that
Garin might be speaking honestly.
"Well," Garin asked, "do we have a deal? Or did we just have breakfast?"
Chapter 25
Annja made the introductions, giving Garin's name as Gar Lambert, a
professional treasure hunter she'd bumped into while in town.
Hallinger and Ganesvoort seemed pleased by the possibility that someone
familiar with the area and someone who had armed men at his disposal could
join the expedition.
McIntosh and his entourage weren't so easy to convince. They sat together at
the back of the room Garin had reserved for the meeting.
"It's amazing how you just happened to come along," McIntosh said.
"Not so amazing," Garin replied. He'd changed clothes, dropping the suit and
slipping into jeans and a khaki shirt. He also affected an American accent.
The skill of weaving different accents and behaviors was something Annja had
noticed in both Roux and Garin. Both men were as skilled as trained actors.
"I've been watching the news. I knew Annja was in West Africa. We've already
been here for weeks."
The dozen men who followed Garin were hard-eyed and silent. Most of them
looked as if they'd fit right in with the Kidira citizens. Except that most of
the Senegalese didn't look like killers.
"When we ran into each other earlier," Annja said, "I explained what we were
doing." She looked at McIntosh. "I also told him we were short on manpower."
Garin smiled. "Naturally, I couldn't let Annja go trekking around the wilds of
the savanna unprotected. Especially not with Tafari gunning for her."
"Naturally," McIntosh said sarcastically.
Annja didn't say anything, although the expression on McIntosh's face made it
tempting. She kept quiet, and after a few minutes, everyone began discussing
how they were going to get the expedition under way.
"How well do you know this guy?"
Annja glanced at McIntosh as they walked along the sidewalk.
Garin and his crew of mercenary cutthroats had set out to finalize the
vehicles and armament they were taking.
"I trust him," Annja said.
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"With your life?"
"Yes."
"What about the lives of the rest of us?"
Annja stopped and wheeled on McIntosh so fiercely that he backed up a step. "I
trust him with the lives of other people as much as I trust you with them,
Agent McIntosh."
Passersby started going around them, giving them a wide berth.
"Furthermore," Annja said, "you and your men don't have to take this trip if
you don't want to."
McIntosh got his feet under him and leaned into her. "I came this far with
you. I'm not going to turn tail now."
"We're not on your turf anymore," Annja said, feeling a little concerned for
him. "This isn't Atlanta. That wilderness out there isn't like anything you've
ever dealt with. This is my game now."
"Except for your buddy. Looks like it's his game, too."
"He's been around this kind of thing longer than I have," she said.
"Tafari is still out there somewhere, Annja."
"I know," she said. "That'll give you the chance to capture him like you
wanted. You should be glad."
"Well, I'm not." McIntosh was breathing hard.
Annja got the impression he was about to do something stupid, like try to kiss
her. That's the last thing I need right now, she told herself.
McIntosh cursed and walked away.
"Somebody's coming."
Annja looked up from her computer and stared down the trail that cut through
the savanna. Kidira was hours behind them, and the western sky was starting to
turn purple with the dimming of the day. They were making their way toward a
distant hill to the west. Locals, Annja had discovered when she'd asked, had
called the place Brothers of Water. Given that the Spider Stone showed a
suggestion of waterways in the map at least, she hoped it was a suggestion
of waterways Anansi's treasure was likely to be hidden somewhere near there.
Garin rode in the lead Land Rover. His driver halted. The other drivers behind
him fanned out, all of them parking in a formation that allowed for defensive
moves.
"I need you to stay put, Ms. Creed," Annja's driver said. He rolled the
vehicle to a stop, then closed a big hand around the assault rifle between the
seats.
Annja put her computer away. She wore a .45-caliber semiautomatic on her hip.
Her T-shirt and cargo pants were soaked through from the heat. She wore a New
York Yankees baseball cap and wraparound sunglasses.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]zanotowane.pldoc.pisz.plpdf.pisz.plkajaszek.htw.pl
