Bunduki 2 by J.T. Edson

Author:J.T. Edson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: tarzan, jungle adventures, fantasy ebook, piccadilly publishing, tarzan ebook, scifi ebook, jt edson, bunduki, new world fantasy, zillikian
Publisher: Piccadilly

Chapter Nine – Neither of us Emerged with Credit

At approximately the same time that Dawn Drummond-Clayton and Bunduki were descending from the parapet, roughly two hundred and fifty miles to the north-west, in the capital city of the Mun-Gatah nation, the Protectress of the Quagga God was about to become involved in a visit which was both puzzling and worrying to her.

There was, Charole tried to comfort herself, only one reason why the High Priest had asked that she should arrange a meeting to be carried out in such a manner. If it was as innocent as he inferred, she had nothing to worry about However, she was realistic enough to be aware that the High Priest might have a more sinister motive.

Two days had elapsed since the unsuccessful assassination attempt. On the arrival of her bodyguard, summoned by Charole’s pulling of the bell rope, there had been considerable consternation over the incident. An examination of the bodies had told her little. Although no one could identify the man, the woman had proved to be the sister of Talgum; formerly the Protectress’s favorite and senior adherent who had been killed when Bunduki of the Apes had escaped from the pavilion.

The leader of the bodyguard claimed that the woman had come in earlier saying she wanted to collect some of Talgum’s property. Believing her to be loyal to Charole, he had allowed her to do so without supervision. Obviously she had arrived prepared for the assassination. While she had been unarmed, she had smuggled a rope in under the cloak of mourning she had worn. The garment was found, together with the maid’s body, on the floor of the clothing alcove. The rope was fastened to the balustrade of the balcony. A second, with a grappling hook attached, was discovered at the high outer wall of the garden and explained how her companion had effected his entrance. Probably he had been positioned somewhere outside from where he could see the woman. She, in turn, had kept watch from the bedroom and had signaled to him after Charole had finished bathing and was returning to the villa.

That had proved to be the full extent of the Protectress’s knowledge. Although her adherents had carried out official and unofficial investigations, they could not identify the man or learn if the attempt had been organized by a rival faction. Nor had the spy she maintained in the High Priest’s retinue been any more successful in finding out if he was responsible. Charole could hardly believe that the woman was serving Dryaka, who had caused the deaths of her father and one brother. But she had been very surprised the previous afternoon to receive a message from the High Priest. He had said that he would come alone to her garden and asked that none of her retinue should be present. The secretive manner in which the request had been delivered was sufficiently intriguing for her to agree. When he arrived she saw he was unescorted and was not wearing his helmet and breastplate.

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