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Raymond! The Montaines are too powerful, you
can t fight them. Someone believes it does and
there is no telling what they might do if they get
desperate to protect their name and reputations.
They might even try to take Remy from me.
Raymond s warm hands clasped hers tightly.
 Hush, darling. Remy is twenty two years old now
and well beyond the grasp of the Montaines. There
is nothing they can do about it.
 But what if they try to hurt Remy in order to
stop her?
 That s why I want to go down there and see for
myself what s going on. If I have to, I ll bring the
police in on this.
68
 The police are crooked; you know that, Perly
said, her voice shaking with tears.  They are all on
the Montaine payroll.
 Not all of them, he replied gently.  I know my
old buddy Sam Coleman isn t, and he is the local
Sheriff now. I think it s time we stood up for
ourselves, Perly. Time to stop hiding, if that s what
this comes down to. But for the moment, I have a
daughter to protect. He moved to the door.  Get
packed, honey...I ll get the car serviced and ready
to go and arrange time off work. We ll leave early in
the morning, maybe even tonight.
Perly felt her stomach lurch, the old fears and
memories clawing at her mind, but she nodded to
her husband.  All right, Raymond, if this is what you
want.
 So where is this map, asked Cork belligerently.
He had followed Remy up to his cabin, lugging her
heavy suitcase all the way. He deposited it inside
the door and stood with his hands on his hips, his
chin jutted out. He was ready for action. The sooner
he got this over with, the sooner he could eject his
houseguest.
 Gee, I think I m going to swoon from your
hospitality, Remy replied scornfully.  Aren t you
even going to tell me where I m supposed to sleep?
Or do I just pull up a floorboard?
His jaw tightening, Cork picked up the suitcase
and strode to a door off the left side of the cabin.
Opening it up, he deposited the suitcase inside and
bowed low, his arm indicating she should come in.
 Your boudoir awaits, madam, he said sarcastically.
He waited as she sidled in past him, his eyes
gleaming. She d better hide that ass!
The room was not finished yet, but Cork had
managed to set up a cot there. Not all the wallboard
69
was up and there was no other furniture, but it was
a place to sleep. He hadn t planned on a guest quite
this soon!
 Now then, where s the map?
 It s gone, Remy replied, dragging her suitcase
to the cot. At least it had a brightly colored quilt and
a pillow with a clean white case on it. She could live
out of her suitcase for awhile.
Cork s eyes flashed dangerously.  What do you
mean...gone?
 Someone stole it out of Gramma s library last
night, she replied.  At least, we think it was stolen.
The French doors were locked, and Gramma says
she didn t lock them. And we looked all over the
house, but it isn t there. I left it on the table in the
library, and now it s totally gone.
Cork was nonplussed.  And you didn t see fit to
tell me this before I hauled you out here?
Remy looked up at him.  No, it doesn t change
anything. I have an exact memory of the map;
that s all I need to know.
 I want to see it...draw it, said Cork grimly, not
liking this new development.
 All right...give me some paper and a pencil.
Cork ushered her to the kitchen table and
plonked paper and a pencil in front of her.
 Now...draw.
 Geez, you don t have to be so bossy, muttered
Remy, scowling up at him. She tucked her smooth
brown hair behind her small ear.
Cork took a seat on the other side of the table
with a grunt and didn t reply. He just folded his
massive golden arms and watched her, his jaw set
rigidly as if he was impatient to be off.
70
Remy bent over the paper and diligently
recreated the map, all the way down to the scribbly
poem, just as she remembered it.
Weep not, my child the dawn will come,
Its lighted fingers point the way.
When Zamballa greets the morning sun,
All will be revealed, I say.
Cork studied the map when she handed it to
him, his hand rubbing his chin absentmindedly.
 So...Zamballa is the snake God, right?
 Yes, replied Remy, remembering the part she
had committed to her memory. She hadn t drawn
that part on the map and didn t intend to. It would
be her secret until she chose to reveal it.
 Who is this child she is referring to?
 I m assuming that s my mother, Remy replied.
 The diary was given to her by Great Gramma, so it
stands to reason the map was supposed to go to
her.
 Yeah, that would make sense. He thought
about the statue he had uncovered the night before.
 You know...there is a snake statue in the garden...I
found it last night. I didn t have time to look at it
real close, but I wonder if it has anything to do with
this clue?
Remy s heart beat fast with excitement. A snake
statue had been the part of the map she had torn
off. But it hadn t said where it was; just that it was
the harbinger of dawn. She didn t tell Cork, though;
she wanted to find it for herself!
 Well, let s go look around, she said excitedly,
jumping up.
71
 Hold on there, we need to get a few things
straight first. Cork stood up and frowned down at
her.
 Like what?
 Like the fact that you are never...and I
repeat...never to go back there alone. Or anywhere
alone for that matter, is that clear? He glared at
her, insisting on her compliance.
 Can I go to the bathroom alone? She asked
sarcastically.
 Don t be a moron...of course you can go to the
privy, he said disgustedly.  It s right out back of
the cabin.
 Is that all? She asked impatiently, ready to be
off.
 There is something else, he replied dryly.
 There have been some strange goings on around
here...things I m not used to. Until I get to the
bottom of it, we need to be really careful.
 Strange...as in how? Remy asked curiously.
 Like voices...strange apparitions...weird stuff,
he said uneasily, not sure if she was going to
believe him. He was surprised when she nodded
thoughtfully.
 I saw something too, she confessed.  When I
was in the quicksand, something like an old woman
appeared and told me it wasn t my day to
die...that...that... Remy flushed, remembering the
specter had told her that her man was coming to
get her.
 That what?
Remy shifted to the other foot.  Just that you
were coming to get me, she finished.  That s when
the rope appeared. I figured I must have imagined
it, but if you saw it too...maybe it was my Great
Gramma.
72
 I don t believe in ghosts, growled Cork grimly.
 Well, what else could it be?
 I don t know, but I don t believe in ghosts, he
reiterated.  There must be some other explanation.
Maybe someone is playing tricks on us.
Remy shifted back to the other foot, anxious to
get going.  Why would anyone do that?
 Again, I don t know, he replied impatiently.
 But there is something funny going on around
here, and I intend to get to the bottom of it. He
strode to the fireplace and took down the machete.
 Here, try not to cut your leg off with this, he
snapped as he handed it to her.  Better yet, don t
cut mine off!
 Ha ha, replied Remy, glaring at him.  What do
I need this for?
 I saw a snake coming out of the old cellar. He
took his pistol down, checked it and put it in the
back of his belt.  Just to be on the safe side, I m
taking my gun too.
 What happened to your stereo shooting rifle?
It was Cork s turn to glare at her.  We are going [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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