Raoul spent the evening inspecting the plane, and when Brandon rolled out of bed the next morning, clean and well rested, the Frenchman announced through Ike that he would indeed be able to fix the aircraft. He said he'd get to work on it immediately, but he'd have to head into town eventually for supplies so it might be a while before it was up and running.

Brandon nodded absently, his thoughts still far away. He didn't want to leave the village until he heard from Sam.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long.

That afternoon an Mbuti girl came running, right into Raoul's house. She sputtered in French to Ike and Raoul, looking excitedly at Brandon and gesturing for him to follow. Raoul quickly donned his hat and led Brandon through the rows of maize to the line of BaMbuti huts.

Sam, Temba, and Alfred were standing amongst the BaMbuti. Temba spoke to the others, but Sam's eyes found his and her lips framed the softest smile. She raced to him, jumping into his arms. Her familiar body pressed against him, relieving all of the stress he had felt since they had crashed. Suddenly, nothing else mattered.

"I need to contact a Hurley representative," Alfred declared. After the news of Nessa's death, Alfred's excitement over the discovery was tempered with grief. He had hoped to share the news with her.

"If you need, mate, I'll take you where you need to go," Ike told him. "Just say the word and we'll be off."

"As soon as possible," Alfred replied. "I don't want to take any chances."

"Understood. We can head out in the morning if you like."

They sat at Raoul's table with a dinner of corn and potatoes. Two days had pa.s.sed since their return from the forest.

"Does that mean you won't be staying here with us?" Sam asked.

"Afraid not," Ike replied, shifting in his seat. He reached into his pocket and produced the ring Nessa gave to him. "I need to find a good place for this. It keeps cutting into my a.s.s whenever I sit down."

"How about on a woman's finger?" Sam suggested coyly.

"Really now?" Ike asked. "How would you feel if when Brandon proposed he gave you some dead chick's ring?"

"Well, if he put it like that I probably wouldn't appreciate it too much," she laughed. "But if he told me a good story . . ."

"I see."

"Why don't you do that?" Brandon asked. "Head back to Australia. Settle down. Stop getting shot at."

Ike laughed. "Oh, I will. You can bet I will some day." He shook his head. "But, the thing is, I'm just not done with Africa yet. It's hard to explain."

Brandon nodded, but Sam gave him a bright smile. "It's okay," she replied. "I get it, completely."

Ike and Alfred left the next day as promised. Brandon gave Ike his contact information. He tried to hand Ike the check, but Ike tore it up right in front of him.

Sam gave Alfred a long hug and wished him luck.

The day after they left, Raoul took the big truck into town with promises to return with a fixed airplane, ready to fly. In that time, Brandon and Sam spent most of their day with Temba. Some of the BaMbuti took time to mourn Kuntolo's death, and Brandon was surprised by the intensity of the emotional outpourings; but even before Raoul returned things began to get back to normal.

At one point, Brandon asked Temba what would become of the BaMbuti in the forest. Temba replied that they would have to move on to another part of the forest because they would not be welcome in this village or by this river again. He then added that maybe one day they would be, but not today.

It was a full week before Raoul returned, towing their Cessna behind. He invited them up onto the trailer bed to have a look. Brandon looked under the engine and noticed that the bullet holes had been welded over. It didn't look quite as good as new, but Raoul promised it would serve them well on their trip across Africa.

As anxious as they were to complete their journey, when the realization of their imminent departure seeped in, Sam grew reluctant to leave. She spent more and more time with Temba and Raoul. While Brandon had felt a bond forming between him and Raoul for their shared experience, Sam became more attached to Temba.

And so it was, a month after they had so abruptly crash-landed in the middle of the Ituri Forest, Raoul and his pygmies rolled the layers of fallen maize off the dirt runway. Temba and Raoul waited to see the couple off.

"I am going to miss this place a lot," Sam told Temba honestly.

"I would miss it too, if I was ever foolish enough to leave," Temba replied with a grin. "Maybe you can come back again."

She embraced Temba warmly and when the two stepped apart, Brandon cut in with a firm handshake. "I'm glad I met you, Temba, you and Kuntolo. I just wish it was under better circ.u.mstances."

He shrugged. "Death is part of the forest. It is better not to dwell on the things you can't change."

"True enough."

Sam gave Temba one last look. "You're a great friend, Temba. I won't ever forget you."

They climbed into the Cessna and started the engine whirring. The propeller blade spun to life as if it had never been damaged.

"After what happened with your last landing, mind if I handle the take-off?"

"Are you kidding?" Sam asked incredulous, donning her sungla.s.ses.

"C'mon, just for the first few miles."

"Uh-uh. I haven't flown in weeks," she replied. "Sit in the back and mind your own business."

"But-"

"No buts. You fly like a girl."

Brandon kissed his wife on the cheek as she started down the runway. Then he sat back in his seat and watched green maize give way to clear blue sky.

Epilogue.

General Zadu was awakened in his tent in the middle of the night by something as subtle as a change in the breeze. His eyes flashed around searching for the source of the disturbance, but finding nothing he rolled over and pulled his fur bedroll tighter over his body.

A dark shadow pa.s.sed over him, moving in total silence. Zadu's eyes flashed open, and before he could shout a strong hand closed tight over his mouth. He smelled the sour scent of palm wine and instantly recognized his mysterious a.s.sa.s.sin.

The Belgian spy!

As Zadu gurgled and wheezed on his own blood, he thought the spy must have feasted on pygmy flesh. Only pygmy magic could accomplish such a feat of stealth.

The spy slipped into the night. The body would not be found until the next day, when Jean came to see what was taking his general so long. There, beside Zadu's head, he would find a shiny gift, left by the a.s.sa.s.sin.

Lutalo's knife, stained with Zadu's blood.

end.