Chameleon by Sarah Holding

Author:Sarah Holding
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 2020-06-19T00:00:00+00:00

Tablet XI

Stasis Giants

The baboon seemed quite adept at navigating the immense tunnel system. I followed, hoping that she had a better idea of her whereabouts than I did. She seemed to be bringing us closer to the source of the rumbling, because it was getting much louder. The tunnel also felt much more spacious in this section. I reached out my arms and could no longer touch the walls on either side. This made me feel nervous for some reason; I had got used to the false sense of security that the narrow tunnels gave me. In addition, the roof was getting much higher over our heads. Babi ran from side to side, rising halfway up the wall on one side and gathering momentum, then skipping across to the opposite side in a wide zigzag. I was having to run just to keep up with her but was brought to an abrupt stop when the baboon suddenly shrieked and stopped dead at the tunnel mouth. My stomach lurched as I stared down into a vast cavern. The space was lit by glowing specks of light that covered the cave walls. Down below, I saw massive creatures moving. They were thickset bipeds, lumbering to and fro. I realised the heavy footsteps and low murmuring voices of these giants were the source of the rhythmic rumbling sounds I’d been hearing, not the ocean.

Without pausing, the baboon clambered down the cave wall and I watched as she moved across to where the creatures were clustered. Pointing in my direction, Babi started chattering to the giants, excited about my arrival. There was no sign of Leon amongst them. I stood there panicking, wondering what the giants might have done with Leon, unable to decide if I should take the cowardly option and go back the way I had come or confront them now. Before I’d made up my mind, one of the giants moved across to the rock below where I was standing, reached up and lifted me down. It was terrifying, but I was powerless to do anything about it. The giant’s fingers pressed into my ribs as it clutched me in its fist. When it brought me up to its face to take a better look at me, its breath stank. I stared back until it put me down on the rock and patted me on the head, as if I was a small child. Then it noticed I was holding the snake and indicated that I must hand it over. I bowed, hoping the giant would think it was a gift. The giant looked approvingly at the limp snake and withdrew.

Babi brought me a hunk of something strange and lumpy to eat and sat beside me while I tried to decide if it was edible. Although my hunger was intense, my need for sleep was even stronger. The warm, fetid air of the cavern and the sound of the giants murmuring was quite soporific and somehow I nodded off.

*

I woke to find I had been placed into some kind of coffin and someone was closing the lid on top of me.

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