The Amulet of Power - Mike Resnick [86]
The big man began circling to his left, and Lara turned to face him. He took a step forward, she backed away, and suddenly felt the rail behind her.
“I have you now!” he rasped and dove for her.
She tried to sidestep, but his arms were spread too wide, and as he grabbed her the pair of them crashed against the railing. Lara felt it give way, and then they were rolling over the edge, into the gorge. Desperately she reached for the edge of the walkway, and her fingers barely grasped it. The waiter began falling and latched on to her leg.
The additional weight almost yanked her loose, but she kicked his head twice with her free foot, and just when she was sure she couldn’t hold on any longer, he lost his own grip on her and fell into the gorge.
Lara looked down, saw both men getting to their feet, and after pulling herself back up onto the walkway, began rush-ing back to the Ark, planning to lock all the ground-level doors so they couldn’t come after her again.
Then she heard an ear-splitting roar, followed by two shrieks of terror.
Well, she thought, recalling what Oliver had told her, if you know enough not to run away, if you don’t panic, you just might live through the night, which is more than you planned for me.
She resisted the urge to see if they had enough self-control to survive, and went back inside the Ark to have a cup of tea before turning in for the night.
29
They were up at sunrise, and immediately sought out Franz Theibolt. Lara decided to wear her pistols and didn’t much care what kind of commotion they caused, but almost everyone was asleep after watching animals all night long.
“Did you get us a car?” asked Oliver.
“Yes,” answered the old hunter. “I also got a pretty interesting radio message about two hours ago. Seems a couple of our employees showed up at the park gate, pretty badly bruised, all cut up from running into thornbushes in the dark, and scared half to death. I don’t suppose either of you know anything about them?”
“Why should we know anything?” asked Lara.
Theibolt chuckled at her exaggerated innocence, then turned to Oliver. “How long will you need the car?”
“Just a few hours,” said Oliver. “I’ll leave it at the airport.”
“It could take hours to find it in that parking lot,” complained Theibolt.
“Wilson Airport, not Kenyatta.”
“Oh, that’s okay then,” said Theibolt. “Remember when that was the only airport in all of East Africa?”
“Yeah,” said Oliver. “There are probably still a couple of us who remember.”
“Damned jet planes damned near put it out of business,” said Theibolt. “It had one of the best bars in town, too. You’d sit there, have a couple of gin and tonics waiting for the plane to land, pick up your clients, drive ’em through the Nairobi Park so they could get their first look at some of the game they’d be hunting, and then haul ’em off to the Norfolk or the New Stanley. Now everything is jet planes and computers and the like.” He shook his head sadly. “Time just kind of snuck up when we weren’t looking and passed us by, Malcolm.”
“It happens to everyone sooner or later,” answered Oliver. “At least we’re still working.”
“Pointing out elephants at sixty yards and explaining to the tourists why they can’t walk up and pet one,” snorted Theibolt. “Ah, well, I’m in a country I love and I’m getting paid for what I do. Not much sense feeling sorry for myself.” He handed a set of keys to Oliver. “Here you are. It’s the zebra-striped safari car.”
“I hate those stripes,” said Oliver disgustedly. “I’d love to have the tour operator who thought up those damned things lined up in my sights.” He made a face. “They’re just out-and-out ugly. When the game notices them at all, they run the other direction.” He turned to Lara. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
He led her to the car.
“What’s all that stuff in the back?” asked Lara, looking in through the window.
“Looks like a tent,” answered Oliver. He opened the back door. “Yeah, that’s