Return To Primordial Island, Rick Poldark [top non fiction books of all time .TXT] 📗

much was abundantly clear. ‘What about the others? I’m sure there are others that believe as you do.’

‘There are, but they are in the minority.’

‘What do you care? Extinction would take generations. You wouldn’t live to see it.’

Ghenga swept his head around, repeatedly pumping his dewlap as he swallowed hard. It was a major emotional response. ‘The Zehhaki were once a great people. The large reptiles, the ones you call dinosaurs, are the descendants of the Zehhaki. They are what we devolved into. We are their progenitors. I do not wish that for my ancestors.’

Peter thought he sensed a sentiment like pensive nostalgia. As Peter felt responsibility towards the Umazoa and even the Zehhaki, Ghenga felt the same responsibility towards his people.

Peter released the orb. He had much to think about.

Tracey squeezed his arm. “What is it? Is everything okay?”

Nielsen looked astounded. “You spoke with him, didn’t you? What did he say?”

“More importantly, is he friend or foe?” asked Collins.

Peter looked at each of them. “Okay, you want to know? You’re not going to believe this…”

Chapter 7

Jason followed the lizard men’s tracks along the riverbank, wondering if what he’d experienced was some kind of dream. He remembered being sick, Mary being taken away, and feeling totally powerless to do anything about it. He remembered talking to someone…was he really talking? The whole exchange was lost in a fog inside his mind.

He stopped every so often, squatting and examining the tracks. The lizard men’s tracks started out numerous; Jason estimated thirty or so sets. However, as he progressed down the riverbank, keeping a careful eye out for predators, he noticed some veering off to the right and into the jungle, and others veering off into the river.

The ones leading into the river grew deeper and deeper, with the final sets of prints for each individual pressing down a few to several inches into the soft silt. This indicated to Jason that they crouched and dove into the river. Those things could swim.

As he squatted, examining the prints, he thought he caught something downriver in the corner of his eye. When he looked up, he saw a head bobbing in the current.

“Help! Jason, help me!”

He squinted, trying to see who it was. It was Susan. “Susan, swim towards me. I’ve got you.”

She doggy paddled to the right as the river carried her toward him. Jason stepped into the water, waist-deep. “That’s it, Susan. Swim to me.”

But she was coming too fast. Within seconds she was swept past him. He reached out for her, but she was still too far out. Jason ran back up onto the riverbank and ran alongside the river. He was able to catch up to her and keep pace. The current wasn’t exactly rapids, but it was too strong for her to fight it. “Swim to the side,” he called out. “Swim to me. I’ll get you.”

“I can’t,” she cried. “It’s too strong.” She dipped below the surface for a moment, spitting up water upon resurfacing. Jason saw several splashes around her. She looked down into the water, screeching. “Something’s grabbing…” She slipped under again.

Jason sprinted ahead of where she went under and ran into the water, splashing loudly. He unsheathed his massive hunting knife and dove under the water. He saw flashes of green writhing about and Susan kicking and waving her arms, trying to escape.

Jason kicked his way over to the underwater tumult and reached for one of Susan’s feet. Her right foot had a three-clawed hand wrapped around it. He lashed out with his blade, slashing at it until her foot was shrouded in a cloud of crimson. He pulled at her ankle, and it was free.

Running out of air, he worked his way up her body, grabbed her waist, and pulled upward, kicking his legs. She rose with him, the both of them breaching the surface, gasping for air. Something pulled at his feet as Susan screamed, and they were both pulled under again. Jason curled up, bringing his hands closer to his feet, and he slashed at the arm grabbing his ankle. The lizard man recoiled, releasing him. He turned to Susan and pulled his way around her body towards her feet. A spear thrust up at him, narrowly missing his side.

He slashed at the two lizard men, desperate to grab either of them and pull them down. He dodged a couple of spear thrusts as they recoiled from his slashing. Jason shoved Susan to the surface. He burst up into the air, took a deep breath, and dove back down.

As he kicked, propelling himself down, the other two lizard men swam up to meet him. They each thrust a spear at him. He deflected one with his knife and was grazed by the other just under his ribs. Blood trickled out of his wound in a cloud. As they grappled, the cloud expanded, obscuring their vision. Jason reached out and grabbed a scaled wrist. He pulled himself close and knifed the surprised lizard man in the neck.

As he pulled his knife out of its throat, a claw struck out to his left and then a spear between his legs. The other lizard man was close. Jason swam out of the bloody cloud and to the side. The remaining lizard man lunged at him, gliding through the water, but a long, thick shape shot up from underneath it.

The reptilian attacker stopped short of colliding with Jason and was pulled under by a massive snake chomping down on its legs. The lizard man turned its attention to the massive boa as he sank, and Jason shot up to the surface. He filled his lungs with air and wiped the water out of his eyes. He saw Susan drifting closer to shore.

Jason swam over to her as fast as he could. She was exhausted