Sebastian Darke: Prince of Explorers by Philip Caveney Page B

beneath his boots and foliage rustling as he brushed by. He couldn't help feeling like a great clumsy oaf beside them.
     
Now Cal paused for a moment, listening intently. He pointed into the jungle to his left and stepped off the trail, gliding in amongst the trees with the grace of a panther. The others turned to follow and now Sebastian found it really hard going. Ferns and thorns snagged against his clothing, insects buzzed around him and he was aware of a thick sweat beading his forehead. By comparison, Cal and Galt looked as if they had set out on nothing more than a pleasant stroll.
     
Suddenly Sebastian flinched as he heard a noise coming from up ahead: the unmistakable clink of armour. He watched as Cal knelt behind a screen of bushes and peered through them. Sebastian crouched down and took a quick peek. Ahead of him, a party of Gograth were moving slowly and silently towards the village, their swords held ready for action. It was clear that they were about to attack the Jilith.
     
Taking a deep breath, Sebastian slid his own sword from its scabbard as quietly as he could. He watched and waited, his heart beating rapidly. Beside him, Cornelius was expertly assembling his miniature crossbow. Once he had slid a bolt into place, he lifted the weapon and took careful aim on one of the creatures in the midst of the group. There was an abrupt hiss and then the Gograth warrior halted in his tracks; the bolt had struck him in his thick neck, just above the breastplate. He fell to the ground and his companions stopped and stared stupidly down at him.
     
'Now!' roared Cornelius. And they all burst out from cover and ran straight at the enemy.
     
It went exactly as planned. Taken by surprise, the Gograth put up only a token resistance, and in a matter of moments half their number had fallen beneath the flashing blades of their enemies. The rest turned and retreated in complete disarray. Cornelius managed to rein in Cal and Galt, allowing the surviving Gograth to make their escape.
     
'Tell General Darvon that this is how the Jilith vanquish all their enemies!' Cornelius bellowed at their retreating backs. 'Tell him that the Gograth are cowards who hide behind the backs of their women.' He seemed to be searching for more insults, so Sebastian weighed in with one of his own.
     
'Tell him that the Gograth smell of rusa poo!' he yelled.
     
Cornelius gave him a pitying look. 'Embarrassing,' he said.
     
'Don't you know how to give a decent insult?'
     
'We don't need to insult them,' said Cal. 'Killing them will be enough.'
     
'What do we do now?' asked Sebastian.
     
'We wait,' said Cornelius calmly. And he settled himself down on the ground and took out his pipe.
     
 
     
They didn't have to wait very long. Soon enough, they heard the booming of drums, the blasts of great horns; and something else – a distant rumbling that seemed to shake the earth beneath them.
     
'What was that?' muttered Sebastian. 'Sounded almost like thunder.'
     
'That was thunder,' muttered Galt. He lifted his head and sniffed the air. 'Rain's coming,' he said matter-of-factly.
     
'What?' Sebastian looked at Cornelius. 'Did you hear that? Rain!'
     
'Yes, yes,' said Cornelius, waving a hand dismissively.
     
'But . . . what if it starts falling before the Gograth reach the village?'
     
'Don't worry, it's nowhere near us,' insisted Cornelius, but his smile had lost some of its confidence.
     
'If we can't set light to that conflagrus—' began Sebastian.
     
'You're sounding more like Max every day,' snapped Cornelius. 'Now stop griping for a moment and let me listen.' He did exactly that for a moment, then nodded approvingly. 'Sounds like they've summoned plenty of reinforcements,' he said. 'Good. The more the merrier.' He glanced sternly at the two Jilith men. 'Don't forget what we agreed now. We have to run. If you try to stand and fight, you'll mess up the whole plan.'
     
'Yes, yes.' Cal nodded but he looked far from happy. 'I just don't