The Secret People

'And what was that?'

'Oh, just to give them some information.'

He uttered the last answer with an air of finality which discouraged further questions. Margaret found it irritating. Still, it was his own business. It was puzzling to know what information could have been important enough to support such a bargain. Such knowledge as she herself had tried from time to time to impart to the little people had never been welcomed with any enthusiasm. In any case, he had not gained a great deal. For herself, she would prefer to be in the prison caves with people of her own kind. She told him so.

'But I am not going to stay here. I'm going to escape.'

'How?'

He shrugged. 'I must look round—explore first. There are ways in—there must be ways out.'

She contemplated him, wondering how he proposed to escape. So far as she could see, it would be scarcely easier from here than from the prison caves. Openings there were, airshafts and cracks, hundreds of them, but the pygmies would be watching him just as they watched her. They might be a backward, simple race, but they were not fools. They must know why he had bargained for the freedom of the outer caves.

'Garm told me,' she said, 'that no one has ever got away.'

'I know, that's what they say, but ... who is Garm?'

'The old man who was praying just now. He told me what happened to the last man who tried.'

'Well?'

'He started to climb an airshaft. They let him get a little way up, and then built a fire underneath—a big fire. The smoke and the heat were too much for him. Fie let go in the end, and came tumbling down. He landed in the fire, and they didn't bother to pull him out.'

'I see. They got rid of him, but no one could accuse them of actually killing him. Very nice.'

He appeared little perturbed by the prospect.

'Then you don't intend to try one of the airshafts?'

'I must look round,' he repeated. 'As I see it, there is no great hurry; a few days more or less doesn't count much on top of four years. It wants thinking out carefully. I must get out first time—there won't be a second chance.' He looked up and caught Margaret's doubting expression. 'Little ray of sunshine, aren't you?'

'What do you mean?'

'Well, all you've done up till now is to tell me how it's never been done, and can't be done. Anybody'd think you were in with these little devils.'

'I'm sorry, but-You see, I thought of nothing but escape at first; then I found out it was hopeless. It's a bit difficult to get optimistic again suddenly. It's not even as if you had a plan____'

'Maybe I have. I did manage to plan my way clear of the prison caves.'

'But you're just as much in prison now.'

He chose to ignore her last remark.

'You didn't try to make a break for it?'

Margaret shook her head. 'I thought of it once, but something held me back.'

'How do you mean?' Miguel looked puzzled.

'Just a feeling that if I did it, I'd be doing the wrong thing. An idea that I wouldn't get through, perhaps, and if I failed, I should have spoilt the possibility for anyone else.'

'I don't quite get you.'

'You heard how we got in?'

He nodded. 'In part of a wrecked plane, wasn't it?'

'Yes, and it's still there where we left it. There's a current running through the cave, but I don't know where it goes. I thought that if I went downstream for a bit I might get beyond the pygmy caves, and find a way out somewhere where they couldn't follow me. I know it all sounds rather vague—it wasn't really much of a plan; just an idea.'

'You think this river would carry von beyond the inhabited caves?'

'It might. It must go somewhere.'

Miguel did not answer at once, he seemed sunk in thought.

'It's only really necessary for one person to get out,' she went on. 'Once this place is known about they'll send an expedition, and rescue us all. If you or I-' She looked at him, hesitating. After all, why not? Fear that she would be physically too weak to make good her escape had been the real deterrent. Miguel was far from weak. His was the hard, wiry type which could survive hardships. Why shouldn't he take a risk in the Sun Bird? He received the suggestion none too kindly.

'You'd rather I took the risk than you?'

'No, it's not that—I told you I don't think I could manage it.'

Miguel's attitude remained unenthusiastic. But in his eyes there was a gleam which Margaret missed.

'Don't you see?' she continued. 'It's the very chance you want. The pygmies don't know the Sun Bird's there. They'd be puzzled right from the beginning. While they were looking for you in the airshafts, you'd be floating off miles away. You must take it—it's your one chance—our one chance.'

But Miguel continued to look dubious.

'How do I know I'll be able to find a way out?'

'You don't, but isn't it worth the risk? Oh, please, please try it—we're all depending on you; all those people down in the prison caves. If only you can do it, you'll save not only yourself, but all of us.'

'But how can I find this Sun Bird? Where is it?'

'I can't describe the way to it, but I can show you.'

Miguel was looking half convinced. He glanced doubtfully at the guards.

'We'll have to get rid of them.'

'I can dodge them—I did it before in one of the fungus caves.'

'When can we go?' Miguel spoke suddenly in a sharper tone. 'Now?'

Margaret hesitated. Why not now? They could take a circuitous route, give the guards the slip on the way.

'Yes,' she decided.

She picked up the cat, and turned towards the steps. At the top of the flight she halted suddenly. Garm had returned with several followers. Hastily she turned back to caution Miguel.

'Be careful with Garm, he knows some English.' She made a quick decision. 'It's no good now. We couldn't shake them all off. Some other time.'

She turned to face the old man. He did not look pleased at the sight of Miguel, but he said nothing. Margaret wondered if he guessed that they had been talking of escape. Probably he did; it was the most likely topic.

She descended to meet him. His greeting was a shade curter than usual. The final glance he gave to Miguel was anything but friendly. Miguel grinned. As they passed away from him down the long temple, his grin grew broader.

He seemed oddly cheerful for one whose chance of escape had been delayed____

CHAPTER III

The arrangement of a meeting in a place where opportunities are few, and time has no meaning, is not easy. As far as Margaret could discover, only four things in the caves proceeded with reliable regularity: her own sleeping periods, the worship of Bast, the ripening of the fungi, and the duration of the period of gestation. Since the last two were useless for the purpose of time fixing, and the first was a law to itself, phased with complete independence of externals, it became necessary to plan the meeting with reference to Bast. And even there difficulties arose. Ever since Garm's demand for the goddess's assistance, the smooth running of pygmy life had been disturbed. An air of activity and purpose, wholly foreign, was pervading the caves. Attentions to Bast were more frequent, more flattering and a little briefer.

It was four 'days'—judged in terms of her own sleeping—before she and Miguel met again. Had it been only one, or even two 'days' the course of events might have been very different. As it happened, Miguel found himself facing a woman who looked at him with a new and discouraging expression.

Margaret had been talking with Garm. Twr unusual happenings in quick succession—the special prayer to Bast, and the unhindered wandering of Miguel—had roused in her a curiosity which must be satisfied. Garm had explained. The new light in which he placed Miguel was not flattering. It threw shadows of other doubts. Had Miguel really been so unwilling to use the Sun Bird for escape? Had he been disarming suspicion by letting the suggestion come from her?