Free Stars Over Sarawak by Anne Hampson Page B

visit a longhouse. Others have done it — and you yourself said they were friendly people.'
     
     'They are — but not to those who repay their hospitality by stealing from them.'
     
     'But I haven't stolen from them.'
     
     He looked at the bead necklace she wore.
     
     'IT was speaking to the chief just before I came in here and it is quite evident that these people believe that you've accepted the stolen jewellery. Kayun explained everything to me—'
     
     'You've seen Kayun?'
     
     'That's how I come to be here. I've never travelled so quickly in my life — at least, not on a river.' His voice was crisp; she suspected his anger was high, but he was at least managing to keep it in check, a circumstance for which she was inordinately thankful, since had he rounded on her with a flood of stem censure she would assuredly have burst into another fit of weeping, so taut were her nerves even now, when she felt reasonably safe, despite his statement that the Natives were in an ugly mood.
     
     'You were already out on your mission?' she said at last, looking up into his face with that smoky cover to her eyes. 'I had no idea it was to be so soon. Malcolm didn't say just when you were going, but somehow I gained the impression that it was to be later than this.'
     
     Allowing that to pass without comment, Carl went on to explain how, having stopped him on the river, Kayun had then related all that had happened — unaware of course that the two white people were acquainted, but naturally taking it for granted that Carl would lose no time in going to the rescue of one of his own people.
     
     'You have a lot to thank him for,' Carl Denver went on. 'Had he not raced down the river he wouldn't have met me, as it was my intention to proceed up one of the tributaries back there — the Dajang. You must have noticed the confluence?'
     
     'Yes.' Roanna paled a little. 'Had you gone up there he'd have missed you ...' She spoke to herself, realizing just how near she had been to missing the help which she was optimistic enough to believe Carl would give her. 'I — I'm very lucky.'
     
     'You appear to be far too confident of my being able to save you,' he frowned. 'I'm here, and naturally I shall do what I can to get you out of this mess in which your disregard of my advice has landed you, but I'm guaranteeing nothing. As I've already said, these people are in an ugly mood—' He broke off and his frown deepened as a crowd began to gather in the doorway. 'They're awaiting the appearance of the witch-doctor who is still a very important person in the lives of these people. They put great reliance on him and on his methods of discovering what will — and will not — please the spirits.'
     
     Roanna glanced at the men in the doorway, noting their interested expressions.
     
     'Are they so superstitious, then?'
     
     'Incredibly superstitious.'
     
     'What will the witch-doctor do?'
     
     'Heaven knows! He'll prepare draughts and consult the birds and take note of other omens.'
     
     'I expect you'll have some influence, though,' she said confidently, and Carl looked sternly at her.
     
     'You're far too optimistic,' he snapped. 'You'd not be so calm and collected if you knew just what danger you're in!'
     
     'I wasn't calm until you came,' she confessed, and the lift of one eyebrow was made to remind her that her recent near-hysteria could scarcely have passed him by and therefore her confession was superfluous. She coloured but, strangely, she was, as Carl had said, optimistic. There was no doubt about it, the very presence of this man had stilled her fears. He seemed so full of strength; his very personality was so forceful that even the witch-doctor must be affected by it. 'Tell me some more about these omens you were mentioning.'
     
     'You'll find out about them later this morning,' was all he said in answer to this before turning to speak to one of the men in Malay. The man went over to the one who spoke