| Chapter Twenty-nine |
Any further ceremonies were cut off as Shakaza’s eyes flew open and she and her brother stopped humming. The sonic
mapping was complete and they knew exactly what shape of makeshift key they would need to pick it. Tezaka held the
staple still between his paws in the opening between the bars of the cage. Shakaza extended her claws, focused her
formidable vision on the scrap of metal, and began to exert force on opposite ends. She had just enough time to
become a little frustrated when Zak again began to speak to her telepathically.
Humans approaching. Desist covert activity.
Kaza stopped what she was doing and curled up, pretending to be asleep or still unconscious. Once they could hear
the humans’ footsteps the rest of the cubs retreated to the back of the cage. Jozay looked on intently. Now that he had
subjects, he was bound by vows more powerful than words, blood or even love to serve and protect all those who were
similarly bound to obey him. He glanced down the body of the humans’ flying machine, seeing the one called Kodi
watching as his companions prepared the second crate to be released into the sky. How are you to help us as you
promised if you allow us to fall to our deaths? Although the human in question had demonstrated knowledge of
Commonal, the plane’s door was open and it was too loud to speak anyway.
The second crate was out the door, but apparently the motion didn’t agree with the plane for some reason, for it bucked
like a zebra kicking away a predator. As the Marahuté pitched violently upward, Jozay, from his elevated position along
the wall, could see the crate as it fell. He shouldn’t have been able to, he thought; it should have fallen from view too
quickly. But he could see it as it fell very slowly, a large piece of man-made fabric pulled taut above it.
It’s like big wing, slowing a fall. That made a little more sense. The humans weren’t killing them creatively, they were
relocating them. He reconstructed the preceding events in the light of this new knowledge. The puzzling activities of
Tezaka and Shakaza made a bit more sense; they obviously knew more about humans and their doings than they were
letting on. The humans could’ve killed them at any time so they must want them all alive. Live captives? That was almost
worse than death in Jozay’s mind.
The twins were back at work on their staple. This time they had brought their tails together under the staple as they
burst into flame. They seemed only a little uncomfortable with their paws and claws in the fire, and the staple quickly
became pliable. Jozay could smell the singed fur and the smoldering wood of the crate and he worried that the humans
would soon take notice, as well. He glanced down the length of the machine they were in but no one was stirring yet.
“Are you almost done with the burning? Even humans will be able to smell that soon.”
Shakaza muttered something in a language Jozay didn’t understand, but Tezaka responded, “We have finished the
general shape. We are now carving it as needed with our claws.” He half turned to the others in the cage and continued
to explain. “All right, everyone, here’s what’s going to happen to get us out of here. We are putting the final touches on
this key which will unlock my sister’s collar. Once she is loose she will get Jozay free of the wall, and then activate the
controls to open the door and eject our crate out of the plane.”
Sapphire had some mild objections to this. “That’s a terrible idea! We all still die!”
Jozay answered. “No, we won’t. These crates have a man-made wing inside them that slows the fall. We’ll land safely on
the ground.”
“That’s correct,” said Zak, sounding impressed. “That’s what the humans have been doing to the other crates, and that’
s what they want to do to us.”
The usually silent Babylon spoke up. “But if the humans are going to anyway, why are we?”
Again Jozay answered. “Because they want to relocate us somewhere of their choosing. This way we’ll be safe on the
ground and they won’t know where. It’s a good plan, don’t worry.”
Hope didn’t understand all this any better than the others, but she trusted Jozay implicitly. Intellectually, she knew that
Jozay shouldn’t know any more about humans than did she, but however he came across this knowledge, she believed
that he truly knew what he was talking about.
Zipper asked the obvious. “But how are pink-eye and the fire chick getting safely to the ground?”
“They’ll just have to hold on tight to the cage.”
Shakaza smiled at her brother’s response. “Is that going to be okay with you? Pink-eye?”
Jozay smiled right back. “Oh, I’ll be just fine. Fire-chick.” Hope laughed out loud. Now she really felt good about the
situation. And again, somehow, everyone from already cheerful Zipper down to scared and unsure Shadow felt just a bit
better at Hope’s laughter. It was like a drink of cool water when you’re out of breath, or a well-placed branch when
climbing a tree.
Tezaka laughed along with her, he couldn’t help it. And as much as it surprised him, he knew he was falling for the
young lioness. He winked at her as he held up the finished ‘key’. “Okay, everyone. Here we go!” He held the key
between his teeth, bent down, and stuck it in the lock around Kaza’s neck. He turned his head one way and his sister
turned her head the other way, and with a loud click, one of the planet’s most dangerous living weapons was again free
to do as she pleased.
mapping was complete and they knew exactly what shape of makeshift key they would need to pick it. Tezaka held the
staple still between his paws in the opening between the bars of the cage. Shakaza extended her claws, focused her
formidable vision on the scrap of metal, and began to exert force on opposite ends. She had just enough time to
become a little frustrated when Zak again began to speak to her telepathically.
Humans approaching. Desist covert activity.
Kaza stopped what she was doing and curled up, pretending to be asleep or still unconscious. Once they could hear
the humans’ footsteps the rest of the cubs retreated to the back of the cage. Jozay looked on intently. Now that he had
subjects, he was bound by vows more powerful than words, blood or even love to serve and protect all those who were
similarly bound to obey him. He glanced down the body of the humans’ flying machine, seeing the one called Kodi
watching as his companions prepared the second crate to be released into the sky. How are you to help us as you
promised if you allow us to fall to our deaths? Although the human in question had demonstrated knowledge of
Commonal, the plane’s door was open and it was too loud to speak anyway.
The second crate was out the door, but apparently the motion didn’t agree with the plane for some reason, for it bucked
like a zebra kicking away a predator. As the Marahuté pitched violently upward, Jozay, from his elevated position along
the wall, could see the crate as it fell. He shouldn’t have been able to, he thought; it should have fallen from view too
quickly. But he could see it as it fell very slowly, a large piece of man-made fabric pulled taut above it.
It’s like big wing, slowing a fall. That made a little more sense. The humans weren’t killing them creatively, they were
relocating them. He reconstructed the preceding events in the light of this new knowledge. The puzzling activities of
Tezaka and Shakaza made a bit more sense; they obviously knew more about humans and their doings than they were
letting on. The humans could’ve killed them at any time so they must want them all alive. Live captives? That was almost
worse than death in Jozay’s mind.
The twins were back at work on their staple. This time they had brought their tails together under the staple as they
burst into flame. They seemed only a little uncomfortable with their paws and claws in the fire, and the staple quickly
became pliable. Jozay could smell the singed fur and the smoldering wood of the crate and he worried that the humans
would soon take notice, as well. He glanced down the length of the machine they were in but no one was stirring yet.
“Are you almost done with the burning? Even humans will be able to smell that soon.”
Shakaza muttered something in a language Jozay didn’t understand, but Tezaka responded, “We have finished the
general shape. We are now carving it as needed with our claws.” He half turned to the others in the cage and continued
to explain. “All right, everyone, here’s what’s going to happen to get us out of here. We are putting the final touches on
this key which will unlock my sister’s collar. Once she is loose she will get Jozay free of the wall, and then activate the
controls to open the door and eject our crate out of the plane.”
Sapphire had some mild objections to this. “That’s a terrible idea! We all still die!”
Jozay answered. “No, we won’t. These crates have a man-made wing inside them that slows the fall. We’ll land safely on
the ground.”
“That’s correct,” said Zak, sounding impressed. “That’s what the humans have been doing to the other crates, and that’
s what they want to do to us.”
The usually silent Babylon spoke up. “But if the humans are going to anyway, why are we?”
Again Jozay answered. “Because they want to relocate us somewhere of their choosing. This way we’ll be safe on the
ground and they won’t know where. It’s a good plan, don’t worry.”
Hope didn’t understand all this any better than the others, but she trusted Jozay implicitly. Intellectually, she knew that
Jozay shouldn’t know any more about humans than did she, but however he came across this knowledge, she believed
that he truly knew what he was talking about.
Zipper asked the obvious. “But how are pink-eye and the fire chick getting safely to the ground?”
“They’ll just have to hold on tight to the cage.”
Shakaza smiled at her brother’s response. “Is that going to be okay with you? Pink-eye?”
Jozay smiled right back. “Oh, I’ll be just fine. Fire-chick.” Hope laughed out loud. Now she really felt good about the
situation. And again, somehow, everyone from already cheerful Zipper down to scared and unsure Shadow felt just a bit
better at Hope’s laughter. It was like a drink of cool water when you’re out of breath, or a well-placed branch when
climbing a tree.
Tezaka laughed along with her, he couldn’t help it. And as much as it surprised him, he knew he was falling for the
young lioness. He winked at her as he held up the finished ‘key’. “Okay, everyone. Here we go!” He held the key
between his teeth, bent down, and stuck it in the lock around Kaza’s neck. He turned his head one way and his sister
turned her head the other way, and with a loud click, one of the planet’s most dangerous living weapons was again free
to do as she pleased.
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