Mountains of the Moon
Exit Alvarez
Alvarez thought it wasn’t a good idea to be so near a volcano. Leaving the vicinity of the smoking peaks of the Ol Doinyo Lengai range, they trekked further westwards. The fire hadn’t even touched the deep forest there, and the rain had made the woods even denser with shrubs and vines. Many fountains, water-falls and creeks, large and small, flowed through there — but none was known to Alvarez.
Then they arrived at a place where there were limestone and granite hills and hilloks all around, with caves of various sizes pockmarking them. The natural scenery here was somewhat different from elsewhere in the Richtersveld. The forest wasn’t that dense here, but there were many large trees scattered around the hills and caves.
They set up their tent atop a granite hillock. Shankar had a sense of unease around the place since arriving. He could neither understand nor explain to Alvarez exactly what lurking danger in this place that he was apprehensive about.
One day Alvarez said — It’s all a mirage Shankar, we are still circling in the forest. I saw that tree again today, that one marked with DA. But you remember, we have been trekking westwards for 15 days. Then how can we come near that tree?
Shankar said — Then what do we do?
There is a way. Can climb a large tree tonight, and set our directions by looking at the stars. You stay in the tent.
Shankar couldn’t understand one thing. If they were just moving around in a circle, then how could they arrive at this land of hillocks and caves? He couldn’t remember coming here ever before. Alvarez explained by saying that he had never bothered trekking east after seeing that tree. They would have arrived here by walking a couple of miles eastwards.
Shankar was alone in the tent that night, reading Bankimchandra’s Rajsingh. This was the only Bangla book he had brought with him from home, and he reads it again and again whenever he has time.
How distant is India, with its Mughal-Rajput fights over Chitore, Mewar! All of that seems unreal while sitting in this unknown great woods of this uncharted continent.
Suddenly it sounded like footsteps outside the tent. Shankar first thought that Alvarez had climbed down from the tree and was returning to the tent — but immediately it seemed to him that this wasn’t natural human steps, it sounded as if someone was limping or dragging both their heels. Shankar grabbed Alvarez’s Winchester Repeater, which was neary, and aimed it at the tent door. The step outside stopped — then started on the left, south of the tent. Breathing sound of a large beast was heard — just like that night when they were climbing the mountain. Slightly frightened, Shankar lost his patience and fired. Once… twice —
Immediately, and the a couple of minutes later, revolver could be heard from a treetop afar. Alvarex thought that Shankar must have been in danger, why else would he fire a gun at night? Maybe he was hurrying back.
Meanwhile the gun shots from multiple directions must have frightened away the beast, as it couldn’t be heard anymore. Shankar came out of the tent with his torch switched on, thinking he would signal Alvarez to not climb down from the tree, when he heard two further pistol shots and a feint cry from the nearby wood.
Shankar ran towards the direction of the gun shot. A little further into the woods, he saw Alvarez lying under a large tree. Shankar shuddered when the torchlight fell on him — blood all over his body, the head was on an unnatural tilt with the body, his jacket was all torn.
Shankar took his head on his lap. Called — Alvarez! Alvarez!
No response from Alvarez. His lips once moved, like he was going to say something, he was staring at Shankar, but there was no light in those eyes; or perhaps a disinterested, apathetic vision.
Shankar carried him to the tent. After splashing some water on his face, and while trying to take his jacket off, he saw that flesh was ripped off from around the shoulder below the neck. It was similar along the back. A very powerful beast had used its claws or teeth on the back.
And on the soft earth around were footsteps—
Three deep toes.
That’s how the whole night passed, with no sound nor sense from Alvarez. His mind seemed to have returned with daybreak. He looked at Shankar with surprise, as if he was meeting a stranger for the first time. Then he closed his eyes. In the afternoon he started muttering something in his mother tongue, none of which Shankar could understand. He looked at Shankar again later in that afternoon. To Shankar, this glance suggested recognition. This time he said in English — Shankar! Still sitting? Decamp — let’s go — then he started waving his hand like a madman and said —A king’s treasure is in that cave — you can’t see — I can. Let’s go — decamp — don’t take too long.
Those were Alvarez’s last words.
This is the ninth chapter of Shankar’s adventure. In the first chapter, we learn about Shankar. In the second chapter, he encounters a man-eating lion in East Africa. In the third, he escapes death from a snake bite. In the fourth, he saves an old man’s life. In the fifth we hear about Alvarez’s adventures. In the sixth, Shankar and Alvarez start their journey. In the seveth, Alvarez talks about the strange beasts that might still be undiscovered. In the eighth, they are lost in the unmapped jungles of Africa. In the ninth, they see a volcanic eruption.
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