The Final Adversary (34 page)

“You had a hard time of it,” Katie said sympathetically. “But what about Bestman? We heard that he’d been kidnapped by Batoni.”

“I’m afraid that’s true,” Gardner nodded. “He heard about the miracle God did and came down to see the chief’s wife. He’s a relative of hers, you know. Well, he went wild for joy, my word, he did! But the next day he was gone. I asked around and found out that he’d left to go preach the Good News. But he went straight to Batoni’s village, and that old pirate locked ’im up.”

“We heard that Batoni was going to kill him,” Katie said. “We’ve got to do something!”

“Yes, we do indeed, lass.” He had a determined look in his eyes as he spoke. “I would have gone to get him before this, but I’m too weak. And these people are still terrified of what will happen to them if they cross Batoni.”

“I’ll go first thing in the morning,” Barney said grimly. “We can’t let him stay in the hands of Batoni.”

“Ah, that’s my dear boy!” Awful smiled. “I’ve been prayin’ that the Good Lord would help me get to that village, and He’s sent you.”

“You’re in
no
condition to make that trip, Awful!” Del protested.

“I’ve got four good men who’ve agreed to carry me.” Awful looked at him defiantly. “I was goin’ to start in the mornin’ by myself anyway. But now you can come along with me.”

The argument was sharp, but brief. Nothing would dissuade Gardner. “You’d be better off prayin’ than arguin’ with me.” A humorous light touched his eyes. “God may answer
your prayers to save Bestman, but I’ll never let you change
my
mind!”

“You are a rebel!” Barney smiled. The sight of Awful, sick as he was, brought a sense of joy to him, and he hugged the thin man, his friend. “I’d lock you up, but you’d probably pick the locks!”

Awful looked Barney straight in the eyes. “I’ve missed you, dear boy—indeed, I have!”

Barney’s eyes burned, and he turned his head away. “Katie, I’ll get you a place to sleep. Del, you can stay with Awful and me.”

Barney took Katie to a hut where a middle-aged woman was cooking over an open fire, and called, “Laota!”

Overjoyed to see Barney, she dropped her stick and grabbed his hands as he came near. She talked so fast Katie couldn’t understand a word.

“Katie, this is Chief Lodi’s wife. You’ll stay with her tonight.”

Katie fixed her eyes on Laota and stammered, “I—I thank God that He touched you, sister.”

Bobbing her head and smiling broadly, Laota chattered on.

“She’ll talk you to death, Katie,” Barney smiled. To Laota he said, “I’m so happy God has made you well.”

Tears ran down her cheeks, and she said in broken English, “God Him good. Bring back Laota from dark place!”

She beckoned to Katie. “Come. I show you bed.”

Turning to leave, Barney said, “I’m going back to talk with Awful, Katie. He really looks weak.”

“I’ll go with you, Barney,” she insisted. She took Laota’s hands in hers. “I will come later,” she promised.

Katie and Barney started toward the mission house, waving to the smiling faces along the way. “You’ll never change his mind,” Katie said soberly. “He’s very stubborn.”

“I don’t want you to go to Batoni’s village, Katie,” Barney said abruptly. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Oh yes?” Katie set her jaw adamantly. “I’m just as
stubborn as you are, Barney. What did you say over and over to Dorothy when she begged you not to come here?
I’ve got to go!
Wasn’t that it?”

By now the morning sun was steaming hot and Barney suggested, “Let’s sit in the shade for a while.” It was really an excuse to give him time to answer Katie’s probing argument. “That sun’s burning me up,” he went on. “Haven’t been in the bush for a while.” They dropped down on a fallen log beneath a spreading tree.

Katie knew Barney was troubled. And she guessed it was mostly about her safety, so she said, “Barney, if you clutter up your mind with worries about me, you won’t be able to pray. Right now we all need to be seeking God. It’s going to be dangerous, of course, but what isn’t dangerous in this place? Why, I’m more afraid of malaria than I am of that old witch doctor of a chief!”

As she spoke, he watched the animated movements of her face. Her skin had sunburned deeply from the intense heat. Beads of perspiration gathered on her upper lip and over the fine fatigue lines etched on the edges of her mouth.
She’s very attractive, in spite of the harsh climate,
Barney thought.

He dropped his eyes, lest she read his mind. “You’re right, I suppose. But we are in a tough situation for sure. There’re no policemen out here, Katie. Batoni is like all these warlike chiefs, as unstable as gun powder. One spark and they blow up. He could have a fit of anger and kill all of us. It’s happened before out here.”

“We knew coming here wouldn’t be easy, didn’t we? Remember how we used to talk about it at the mission?”

“I remember.”

Barney’s eyes were half shut against the brilliance of the sun. His sweat-soaked shirt clung to his body, the swelling muscles of his chest and shoulders clearly outlined. He was strong physically, Katie knew, but in the craggy planes of his face and the steady light of his brown eyes, there was another kind of strength. That was what had drawn her to
him in the early days, and she realized it was still there. He had lost his way, but underneath he had not changed. This thought made her smile.

“What makes you smile?”

“Oh, I’m just thankful that I’m here,” she said quickly, hiding the undercurrent of emotion. “God’s been good to me. I was so lost, and He brought me out of the pit. All of this—” She waved at the primitive village—stench, poverty, clutter. “Why, it’s not as bad as New York, Barney. It’s a little dirtier, maybe, but the people long for God. I think our people have too much. They have so many
things,
they crowd God out of their lives. These people don’t have anything, so Jesus can find a place in them. They make room for Him.”

“That’s the way I’ve always thought about it,” Barney replied. “Andy, he’s able to see the big picture. He can think of the entire continent of Africa, but all I can think of is Bestman or maybe Laota.” He laughed shortly, ashamed at his lack of vision.

But Katie said cautiously, “That’s the way Andy is.” She wanted to add,
And Dorothy too.
But she was too wise for that. Instead, she said, “Do you have any plan? About getting Bestman away from Batoni, I mean?”

“Not even a part of one! How about you?”

“My mind’s a blank!” she confessed. Then the humor of the situation struck her. “Here we go—one woman, three men, one so sick he has to be carried. And we’re going to march into the village where the most wicked chief in Africa wants to kill all Christians!” She laughed aloud and shook her hair free, letting it cascade down her back.

He watched her for a moment, grinning. “You’re good for a man, Katie Sullivan! Most women would be nagging to take them back to safety. That’s what I saw in you back in New York.”

She flushed at his praise, and jumped to her feet. “Come on,” she commanded. “I want to see what’s left of the juju house.”

He led the way to the charred remains of the structure. In no time they were joined at the site by the children of the village.

“Kwi Balee, you remember honey?” One of the young boys spoke up.

“The honey in the juju house that was here?” Barney asked.

“Yes! When chief burn juju house down, bees, they leave. I wait. When fire go, I eat honey.”

“Was it good?” Barney smiled.

“Very good! Some peoples say, ‘You die!’ But me, I sing song you teach.” He opened his mouth wide and sang, “Oh, there’s honey in the rock! There’s honey in the rock!” Then he grinned widely. “Very good honey, Kwi Balee!”

“Good for you, Luke!” Barney laughed, patting him on the head.

“He’s a fine boy, Luke,” Barney said as he and Katie continued toward the mission house. “I baptized him last year.”

“These people love you, Barney,” Katie said soberly.

Her comment triggered something deep within him and he whirled around, his eyes sweeping over the village. “I
miss
this place, Katie!” The words burst out like a gusher. “I wish—” He stopped and his shoulders slumped. “But a man can’t be everywhere.”

“God only wants us in one place.”

God only wants us in one place.
The phrase echoed in his mind as they walked along slowly. He kept his head down until finally he nodded and lifted his eyes to hers. “And all we have to do is find that
one
place.”

She didn’t answer, for by then they were at their destination.

“Hey,” Del cried as the two entered, “this is the best rat stew I’ve ever tasted. Better sit down before it’s all gone.”

The thought turned her stomach, but she took a chair across from Barney and cautiously tasted the helping Del dished up for her. Surprised, she said, “It
is
good!”

“You’ve come a long way, Katie Sullivan,” Awful smiled.
“I remember when you had to douse rat soup with Stanley Beecham’s hot sauce to get even one mouthful down.”

Katie nodded. “I guess we’ve all come a long way, Awful. But we’ve got a ways to go yet.”

They spent the day quietly, mostly in prayer. Barney implored, “Lord, you know how unable I am. But
you
are able, so no matter what it costs me, let us bring Bestman back with us.” Awful had a difficult time, dropping off to sleep, then awakening just as abruptly.

That night after Katie had gone to Chief Lodi’s house and Awful was asleep, Del said, “Barney, remember when I asked you to help me with Katie?”

“Sure do.” Barney turned to look ruefully at his friend. “I made hash out of it, didn’t I?”

Del’s honest face broke into a grin. “Well, you didn’t have much to work with. Anyway, thanks for trying.”

“Want me to try again?” Barney asked carefully.

“Nope.”

The blanket statement of resignation took Barney off guard. “What’s happened to you, Del?”

Saunders ducked his head, then lifted it again. “Why, I found out three things. One, I’m not in love with Katie. She’s a great girl, but not for me. Two, she’s not in love with me. So you can take down your sign as a marriage broker, Winslow!”

Barney smiled with relief. “Guess you know best, Del. But what’s the third thing?”

A strange expression flashed across his face. “Well, Barney, that third thing, I’m going to let
you
find out for yourself.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Powers of Darkness

Batoni’s village was only fifteen miles from Gropaka, but the pathway was steep, winding through a series of serrated mountain ranges and crossing two swift rivers. The rivers were down, so the small party forded them with no difficulty. But the porters carrying Gardner were slowed by the dense undergrowth. At times they had to get on their hands and knees to plow through the mass of vines; and late that afternoon, Barney decided to make camp beside a small river. As the porters built a fire, Barney took his shotgun and headed for the riverbank.

Del looked down the river where Barney had disappeared, then at Katie resting nearby. “Katie, did you know I asked Barney to help me court you?” He’d made up his mind to confess the affair to her on the trip, and took the first chance.

His bluntness amused Katie. She studied his open features, and said, “He asked me to marry you, Del. Why didn’t you ask me yourself?”

“Aw, Katie, I don’t know!” Del pulled up a handful of grass and threw it down with a sudden gesture. He grinned, his red hair standing out against the green wall of the jungle. “It was a crazy idea I had. I’ve always liked you, and I was lonesome.”

“That’s the way I’ve felt about you, Del,” she replied gently. “I’ve been a little lonesome myself.” Then she asked curiously, “Why’d you ask Barney to do your courting?”

Surprised at the question, his brow furrowed. “Why, you and him are so close, Katie. It made sense to me at the time.”
With a sly smile, he added, “But now I know better. The thing I don’t understand is why he keeps hanging around Dorothy Hansen.”

“She’s an attractive woman, Del. It’s natural that Barney would be drawn to her. And,” she continued, though the subject made her uncomfortable, “it looks like he just might marry her. Slim and Pearl are married. That leaves you and me as the only single ones left, Del.” She laughed shortly. “Maybe I
ought
to marry you!”

Alarmed, Del protested, “No, Katie, that won’t work!”

Surprised at the sheer dismay on his face, she laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, Del,” she said, putting her hand on his arm. “I’m not going to chase you down and make you marry me.” But she was curious. “You
did
want to marry me. What changed your mind?”

“Like I told Barney last night,” Del replied, “I found out three things, Katie. You don’t love me and I don’t love you.”

“That’s two. What’s the third?”

“That’s for you and Barney to find out,” he said enigmatically. Suddenly the sound of two explosions broke the silence that followed his answer, and he added, “I bet he got something. He never misses. Except with women,” he added with a broad grin.

The sage comment was lost to the wind as the expert hunter returned with two fat waterfowl, which the natives roasted hurriedly. The missionaries sat around the fire, eating and discussing the next day’s activity.

“Awful, what’s your plan?” Barney asked. “I hope you’ve got one, because I haven’t.”

Gardner looked worse than he had before the journey. But his eyes were alert, and he said cheerfully, “My plan? Why, it’s to rescue Bestman and bring ’im back!”

“That’s a good
overall
plan, Awful,” Barney agreed. “But I’d like to hear a few of the details.”

“Haven’t got none!” Gardner stared into the fire, watching the dancing flames. “Most of the time when we make plans,
we make ’em up and ask God to join us as we carry ’em out. We don’t stop to think that God’s got a plan already made. Now, what I’m tryin’ to do is find out what
His
plan is—and get in on it. Because His don’t fail like mine!”

Barney poked a burning log with a stick, sending a myriad of blazing sparks swirling into the air. The jungle was rank around them, and the raw odor of a thousand miles of trees was wafted on the slight breeze.