"Get up book boy!" Mark commanded, sneering down at Nigel’s beaten bloodied form. "I need you to do me a favour." Mark effortlessly hoisted the little Briton to his feet and pushed him towards Sydney and Cameron. Clutching onto Nigel’s shoulder, he looked at Sydney. "So sweetheart, how valuable is he to you?"
Sydney wanted to rip Mark’s heart out and feed it to him, and he was well aware of it. She was seething with hate and that only fueled him on. "Leave him alone! He got us as far as he could, it’s impossible to make out some of the writings, they’re almost transparent!" Nigel was barely able to stand on his own so Mark cruelly shoved him onto his knees and held the rifle against the back of his head. Sydney’s heart nearly burst at the sight of his face... one eye was blackened, blood freely flowing from a large open wound at his cheek. And although his pain stricken eyes were open, they were cloudy and confused. "Nigel, no!"
As groggy as he was, he could just make out the shape of Sydney’s beautiful face hovering above his, her voice beckoning to him again and again. Her long dark hair framed her face like an angel’s. Blinking back a very bright light his eyes opened and his body began to tremble. "Syd..." The form looking down at him made no sound at first, but reached out and touched his arm. He snapped upright instantly, fully alert, only to be looking into the eyes of a woman long dead to this world...
"You must not remove the pearl..."
"Whoa!" Now he was sure he was dreaming, and desperately tried to scurry away from the apparition.
"Do not remove the pearl!" She reiterated, this time her voice was demanding and she drew even closer.
Unable to believe his eyes, Nigel finally found his tongue. "How...how is it I can understand you?"
"It is because I am coming to you from deep inside your soul..." The spectre explained. "You are the only one I can visit, the others are conscious, and one of them is my enemy."
"You must mean Mark..." The young native woman nodded. Nigel thought he could be dead, but if he was, why did he still feel physical pain? "What, who are you?"
"I am the Princess of Loht'a, and I warn that you must not remove my pearl!" As she crossed the cavern floor a strange light began to glow from behind the underground waterfall. Standing before it she turned back to Nigel.
"Why not?"
"If you take what is precious from me, I will in turn take what you hold most dear."
His eyes opened with a start, his heart racing and mind crystal clear. "Sydney!" He too had been bound, and was now leaning against Syd and Cameron like a sack of potatoes. "Oh Sydney, thank God! I’ve got to tell you..."
"You’re awake! Nigel, I was so worried!" Sydney admitted, noticing his serious expression. "Tell me what?" She asked in a subdued voice, not wanting to attract any more of Mark’s attention. "You’ve got an awful bump on your head!"
"I’ll be fine, that’s the least of our problems. Just listen... I know where it is. I know where to find the pearl!"
Sydney didn’t know if he was still delirious or just plain going crazy. "What? How did you figure it out? You’ve been out cold for the better half of an hour now!" She asked him, keeping a wary eye on Mark.
"I didn’t." He caught her questioning gaze and held her there. "I know this is going to sound like the ravings of a lunatic, but I swear to God, our Indian princess told me where it was."
Now Sydney was sure he was hallucinating. She said nothing, but followed his eager eyes over to a small waterfall on the far side of the cave. She and Nigel always had a way to speak to each other so no one else would know... Her expression changed immediately as she came to realise that in the stories Nigel had related about the legends, there was something about the pearl being hidden in a tidal pool. After comparing the cave theory to water, it didn’t make any sense. Now it was all falling into place. Anyone coming out to this point would think they had taken the wrong tunnel and head back inside! They wouldn’t be stopping to search here! She was suddenly excited, knowing that if they could escape Mark the pearl would be well on its way to being reunited with the rest of the Loht’a necklace. "If you’re right, I’ll kiss you!"
Her last remark blindsided him momentarily as he sat there trying to imagine such a wonderful feeling. "Uh, well... Syd, we can’t take it with us."
"And why not?"
"The Loht’a Princess told me if anyone removes it from here, we’ll suffer some unknown consequence. It was like she was giving us a warning to do the right thing."
"So, what are we all discussing tonight?" Mark’s loud booming voice echoed inside the chasm, causing all three of his prisoners to jump.
Go to Part Eleven.