Flies And Spiders

This morning, I awoke before my comrades, shivering and uneasy, unable to shake the strange dreams about the temple. I had to go see it again. I found a lantern and quietly made my way to the tunnel. Once inside a ways, I lit the lantern, and journeyed back to the huge chamber.

I decided to start with the altar, inspecting it more closely. The crystals provided plenty of light, but to look at the detail I held up the lantern. My thoughts about the wings were correct; instead of a feather or cross-hatch pattern, several long lines spanned the wing, along the top and across the span. As I looked at the strange, large head, I saw the detail in the bone protruding from the back, a long ridge that curved down slightly. The eyes were large and lid-less. The beak was long and pointed, like that of a pelican. The sculpture was huge, with a wing-span two or three times the length of a man! A person could easily ride astride its back. From the back of the creature protruded a long, lizard-like tail. The solar disk, as Dr. Manton had described it, was simple in design, about two feet in diameter, and consisting of only a spiral shape that reached from the edge of the disk in a tight curve to the center. The altar didn't have any other decoration, and it didn't seem as though any jewels had ever been set anywhere. It was in perfect condition, and when I brushed off some of the dust, I could faintly see a deep blue hue.

I moved from the altar to the wall and began walking the perimeter. I soon began to discern notches, of a size that one could place candles or a lamp in them. About half-way around the room, directly across from the entrance, I found a strange carving indeed. Rather than the familiar motifs of the giant bird or the spiral, it looked like some sort of large insect. I touched it, and suddenly felt and heard a great rumbling. What I had taken to be sconces along the wall for light opened, and swarms of flies and spiders emerged, quickly filling the room! I ran out, up the tunnel, and into the cavern where my sleeping companions still lay.

"Get up!" I shouted, "RUN!"

Startled, they began to awaken and stir. I started shaking them, and gathering up our belongings. "Quickly! grab everything, we have to run!" They looked about confused. Then some of the insects emerged from the tunnel, and they jumped out of their blankets and coats and bolted for the door.

"To the beach!" shouted the Captain. We ran through the jungle, not once looking back, until we tumbled out onto the sand. "Start the ship!" he roared, and the engineers began their work. The insects poured out of the jungle, heading straight for us. We ran as fast as we could to the vessel, but some of the flies caught up before we could reach it. They were huge, with great stingers on their back ends. Dr. Smythe began swinging his bag at the few who had started to hover around our heads, and the Captain was taking shots at them with his pistol. We ran on, eventually finding the cover of the ship. We all worked to batten down all of the openings, but several got in. I grabbed an umbrella and started beating at them, while Dr. Manton hid behind some crates. Miss O'Connor found a pipe of some sort and valiantly fought them off beside me, while the Captain and Dr. Smythe took the front lines. Finally, we felt the lurch of the ship as she started to lift into the air. We squashed the last of them, and swept the corpses out of one of the cargo hatches as the ship rose quickly into the air. Eventually it seemed we were higher than the large flies could go, and we headed off on our original bearing, to the coast of Brazil.

Everyone gathered in the hold, resting and panting, exhausted. I thanked the Captain and Dr. Smythe. I hadn't expected the Doctor to be so brave against such an onslaught as we had faced on the island. We all looked at Dr. Manton disapprovingly. He shrugged us off, then sullenly made his way to his bunk. Miss O'Connor and Tom looked at each other as though they were sure they might have died, and were relieved to be safe again, together. I smiled at them, thinking warmly that the tall, awkward, quiet lad was a good match for my shy but vivacious assistant.

I stood up. "Well," I said, "I'm very glad to be away from there and on our way again."

Dr. Smythe smiled at me. "Even with all we might have discovered of the people there?"

"Even so," I replied, "For nothing is so interesting a discovery that I would risk those awful insects."

"What about the natives," he asked, "would you have stayed, even with them?"

"Natives can be reasoned with." I said, and went to my own bunk.