Where Tigers Are at Home (29 page)

The pictures of these demons appeared then disappeared as my master named them, only increasing the terror around me. I felt the Princess trembling against my arm. After them it was hell, depicted with gripping realism. Myriads of naked bodies were being subjected to the most abominable tortures, suffering through that by which they had sinned. We could see all types of depravity punished appropriately without being spared anything of the torments awaiting the damned in the world beyond. But however deep an impression the images of the demons had made on the audience, the depiction of the vices & their punishment appeared to excite them equally. I found the chuckles and laughs I could hear around me offensive, everywhere I could see smiling faces &, here and there, wandering hands …

But soon, as the music cut off a last image of the torments with the common chord, Athanasius asked everyone to join him in reciting the
Anima Christi
. Without further ado the text of this beautiful prayer appeared on the wall, translated line by line into seven languages:

And the fervor with which the prayer was said by everyone there, the emotion welling up from the voices resounding under the mirror cupola was certainly the most satisfying of rewards for Athanasius.

Scattered over the saloon table, several books on micropaleontology, five or six specimens of
Corumbella
, a powerful magnifying glass and drawing materials had easily created a familiar working environment. For the umpteenth time Mauro was reading Dietlev’s report to the Brazilian Academy of Sciences.

Elaine’s voice came from behind him: “Still at work, then?”

Mauro smiled and shook his head. “Not really … I was daydreaming. We’ve been on this boat for a week now and I’m starting to feel I’ve been here forever. A bit as if we’re never going to arrive anywhere, nor ever get back …”

“I must be less of a romantic,” she said with a hint of mockery, “because I can’t wait to get to our destination. God knows what we’ll find up there. The fossil Dietlev got his hands on is so much
older than
Corumbella
; if we find the deposit, it’s more or less certain we’ll discover other species from the same period. It would revolutionize the whole of paleontology.”

“I know that, but it doesn’t have to stop me enjoying the present moment, does it?”

“
Carpe diem
, you mean? It’s a bit difficult when even the shower water’s moldy and we’ve been eating nothing but piranha … And then”—she glanced over his shoulder—“I don’t like this Petersen. He’s obnoxious, even when he’s making an effort to be nice. I can’t stand any more of him.”

“I agree with you there. I’ve hardly ever met anyone I’ve taken such an instant dislike to. I could do without—”

Mauro was interrupted by a dull rattle followed by a longer burst that made the metal side of the boat ring.

“What was that?” Elaine asked in an automatic reflex.

Mauro didn’t reply but she could tell by his expression that he too had identified it: the sound of an automatic rifle. With two minds but a single thought, they ran up on deck. A flight of frightened birds was still pouring out of the jungle, like a pillow case being torn open.

“Quick! Lie down!” Milton screamed, flat on his front along the rail. “They’re firing at us!”

“Don’t panic, don’t panic,
Senhor Professor
,” said Petersen calmly as he came out of the wheelhouse. “They didn’t fire
at
us, they fired
in front
of us, it’s a signal from my Paraguayan friends. You can get up. I’ll go and have a chat with them and it’ll be OK, you’ll see. It’ll take an hour at most … There’s no need to worry,” he said, seeing Mauro and Elaine, “you’re under my protection. Stay calm and nothing’ll happen to you. I’ll go in the dinghy, it won’t take long.”

Dietlev’s deep voice was suddenly heard. “I’ll go with you?”

Herman turned around, looking furious, as if no one had ever asked him anything so unreasonable. “But of course, come and have a cup of tea, they’ll be delighted to make your acquaintance … Now could we be serious? You help that stupid Indian keep the gunboat in the current. We can’t anchor here, the riverbed’s too unstable.”

Without waiting, Petersen went to the stern. They watched him climb over the rail to get on the dinghy, then heard him start the outboard motor. The inflatable soon appeared and went past them at great speed upriver, toward a little beach concealed among the tangle of mangroves. After having landed, Petersen quickly moored his boat and immediately vanished, as if swallowed up by the undergrowth.

“Where were you?” Elaine asked Dietlev.

“In the wheelhouse with Herman and Yurupig.”

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” Milton broke in irritably. He was still pale from the fright.

“I assure you it’s just something very … 
South American
,” said Dietlev, keeping his tone light. There’s some hunters around here, guys from Paraguay who smuggle out crocodile skins. From what I’ve heard, they’re also dealing in cocaine to supplement their income. Our dear captain has gone to see to his business with them and until we hear otherwise, it’s nothing to do with us.”

“Crocodiles!” Mauro exclaimed, suddenly angry. “The bastards! And no one comes to check up on this illegal trade?”

“Not really, no. They’re real professionals. They were parachuted in two or three years ago and cleared a portion of the jungle, enough to make a landing strip for their Piper, then they set about their dirty work. It you must know, they hunt with Kalashnikovs. Since several boats, including one from the customs, came under fire from heavy machine guns, no one comes up here. No
honest people, anyway. And as they grease the palms of certain local officials, it’s not going to change in the near future …”

“It’s unbelievable! Unbelievable … I can’t get over it,” said Milton, stunned. “And you brought us here! How did you find out about all this?”

Dietlev hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying, just long enough for Mauro to realize he wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“From Petersen, of course. He knew we were going to a zone they control; the landscape changes very quickly around here and it’s practically impossible to find a precise spot from one week to the next. As I’m the one who hired him, he warned me he might have to pick up some parcels around here …”

“At least you could have warned us.”

“I didn’t realize they would give us such a noisy welcome. There was no reason to be afraid, and there still isn’t. As soon as Petersen gets back, we’ll be on our way as if nothing had happened. It’s not our job to uphold the law out here, is it? So we’ll just calm down and wait, without pointless recriminations.” Then, with a pleasant smile, he added, “Fix us a drink, I’m going to go and see how Yurupig’s getting on.”

“Just a moment,” said Elaine in a strange voice. “What’s that thing supposed to mean?”

All eyes turned in the direction she was pointing: a hundred yards behind the boat, where the banks made a bottleneck, a tree trunk had been thrown across the river. Pregnant with silent threat, its inexplicable presence meant there was no way back down the river.

YURUPIG HAVING NO
need of anyone with him at the helm, they went down to the saloon to establish their position. First of all Dietlev showed them where they were on the satellite maps he had
brought: “I’ve been checking our position as we’ve proceeded. That’s where the river narrows and that white patch there, a little to the northeast, is probably their landing strip. We can’t be more than three days away from our destination. OK, let’s summarize the situation: Petersen’s been gone more than an hour and there’s no way of turning back—which is somewhat disturbing, I agree, even if it’s probably no more than a simple protective measure—”

“A simple protective measure?!” Milton broke in, close to hysteria. “Are you joking? We’re trapped and all you can say is: ‘a simple protective measure!’ ”

Dietlev made an effort to remain calm. “Just think about it, Milton. They know it’s Petersen’s boat, but they don’t know who’s on board. They must know what type of person they’re dealing with; just imagine if Herman double-crossed them, if the authorities made it worth his while to bring the police up here, or even the army. What would you do in their place? These guys are well organized, their survival depends on it.”

“And if Herman doesn’t come back?” Elaine asked calmly.

“He
will
come back. Or, at the worst, they’ll come. Whatever, there’s nothing we can do, so there’s no point in making ourselves scared stiff while we wait. Tomorrow we’ll all be laughing at the whole business.”

“We’re at their mercy,” Milton said, “and you couldn’t give a damn. Well I do. It’s all your fault and I can assure you, Dietlev, as soon as we get back you’re really in for it. I’ll have you thrown out of the university.”

“Good! Now you’re thinking about what to do when we get back, which proves you’re not entirely stupid. As for changing university, I didn’t wait for you to consider that: I’ve been offered a chair at Tübingen and another at Harvard. I’m spoiled for choice … And I’m ready to do anything not to have to see your ugly mug anymore.”

“Dietlev, please!” said Elaine, worried by the turn the discussion was taking.

“I know, I know,” he said, grinding his teeth, “but he’s really starting to get on my nerves.”

“I can tell you, all this will be reported. The rector is one of my closest friends and I’m sure that—”

At this Dietlev exploded. “That what?” he asked, grabbing Milton by the collar. “You’re sure that what? One more word, just one, and I’ll smash your face in.”

Milton’s glasses misted over with fright and he restricted himself to several “Oh my goodness”es like a shocked old maid. With a contemptuous push, Dietlev sent him tumbling onto a bench.

“I’m going out for some fresh air,” he said to Elaine with a reassuring wink. “Don’t worry about me, I’ve wanted to tell that stupid ass what I think about him for ages.”

“I’m coming with you. You’re right, it is rather stuffy in here.”

“Did you see that?” Milton said, turning to Mauro. “You’re a witness. That foul fellow laid hands on me, he insulted me.”

Mauro slowly adjusted the headphones of his Walkman over his ears. “I saw him calm you down, showing great tact, I have to say, after you had a hysterical fit unworthy of a university professor, but I didn’t hear much, apart from your threats. My Walkman, you know …”

“You as well! You’re on their side. Let me tell you, my young friend, you will never—”

Elaine put her head into the gangway. “I don’t know if you’re interested,” she said to Milton, “but Petersen’s just getting into the Zodiac. So leave the lad in peace and come and make up with Dietlev. It seems you need to apologize to him.”

When Milton came up on deck, Herman was still on the bank together with a group of three men. Dietlev was observing them through his binoculars.

“It looks as if there’s some problem,” he said, not taking his eyes off them, “they all look pretty excited …”

Elaine knew him, he would never have feigned such unconcern if he hadn’t been genuinely worried. For the first time since they’d left Corumba, she suddenly felt afraid.

“A problem, what problem?” Milton asked, whining already. “I knew, I just knew things would go wrong.”

“Oh shut up, for God’s sake,” Dietlev barked, still glued to his binoculars. “Ah, that’s it, he’s getting in the boat. Or rather,
they’re
getting in the boat. Petersen’s not alone, there’s one of the guys with him.”

He turned to face Milton. “Armed,” he said tonelessly, looking him straight in the eye. “Right, everyone stay calm, it’s not the moment to screw things up.”

“
JUST GIVE ME
a couple of minutes,” Herman begged as soon as he was on board, “then I’ll explain everything. Don’t worry, it’s OK. Just a little hitch …” He was sweating and seemed concerned despite the alcohol he’d obviously been drinking.

The man with him was a real brute, the kind you sometimes see on American motorcycles: mustache, stubble, greasy hair, a bandanna around his forehead, he seemed perfectly at ease in his ragged fatigues. Dietlev observed the belt with compartments he wore slung over his shoulder. Automatic rifle over his stomach, he sized them up one by one with a satisfied look, as if he’d ascertained Herman hadn’t lied to him. Subjecting Elaine to a longer scrutiny, he gave a knowing smile revealing an impeccable set of carnivore’s teeth. “
Puta madre!
” he said in a hoarse voice, automatically touching his testicles.

Humiliated, Elaine looked away toward the river.

None of them could have said how long the inspection lasted, so petrified were they by the man’s very physical arrogance. All
Elaine could remember afterward was his powerful smell like that of a wild beast.

“And the Indian?” he asked in Spanish.

“At the wheel,” Herman replied, clearly concerned to reassure him. “Don’t worry,
amigo
, there’s no one else.”

“OK, lead the way,” he said, taking hold of his rifle, “you’re going to show me around.” He followed Herman inside with disdainful self-assurance.

Milton was completely demoralized. Eyes wide, he sought a comforting word or look. Dietlev was desperately but vainly making an effort to think. He tried to analyze the situation, to see the data as if it were a problem in science, without managing to get rid of the stupid images that kept getting in the way of his reasoning; the most insistent was an obsessive one of an overfull mug of beer with the foam constantly trickling down onto the bar. Elaine, suddenly struck with the irrepressible desire to go to the lavatory but equally paralyzed by her refusal to confess to the need and her fear of having to pee where she was, concentrated on her bladder, entirely taken up with her dilemma.