Return To Primordial Island by Rick Poldark (namjoon book recommendations TXT) 📗

Jason lowered his knife hand only a little, but his muscles were still tensed. “How the hell did he get down here?”

As if in answer, Ghenga held up clawed fingers and coiled his tail behind him.

“Relax,” said Peter. “Some lizards climb trees. Iguanas use their claws and tail to climb.” He stepped forward toward Ghenga, who swallowed, bobbing his dewlap.

“Peter, what are you doing?” Jason held his knife at the ready.

“I’m going to communicate. Watch.”

Ghenga extended the crystal ball to Peter, who placed his hand on top of it, establishing the neural link with the Zehhaki.

‘I am pleased to see you came.’

“We ran into some of your people, but we escaped. What are you doing here?” Peter answered out loud for Jason’s benefit.

‘I am here to help protect you against Nazimaa.’

Peter smiled. “We will need all the help we can get. She has our two friends.”

‘She is using them to make you free her.’

“Is there a way we can save them without freeing her?”

‘You are here to awaken Simians first.’

Peter had forgotten that was the whole reason Ghenga directed him to find this place. It was no longer necessary. Peter cursed himself, realizing he should’ve broken the link before allowing his mind to drift to that new development.

‘You must awaken Simians.’

“I must rescue my friends, first. Have you seen them?”

Ghenga exhibited a strange emotional display. He grew stiff and he extended his dewlap as far as it would go. ‘It is more important to wake the Simians.’

“How? How do I awaken them?”

‘First, you awaken their king. I will take you to his tomb.’

“Let me tell my friend.” Peter broke the connection with Ghenga. He walked over to where Jason stood at the ready and pulled him aside. He leaned in, “Something’s wrong.”

“You’re damned right something’s wrong. You’re talking to one of those things.”

“He’s demanding that I awaken the Simians, starting with their king.”

Jason scowled. “Well, tell him we’re not doing that anymore.”

“He doesn’t seem to want to listen.”

“We don’t have time for this,” said Jason. “Do you think he’ll help us or not?”

Peter turned and approached Ghenga again, who stood there, watching them talk with his large black pools for eyes. Peter placed his hand atop the crystal orb again.

‘Will you awaken Simians now?’

“Will you help us save our friends? They’re somewhere within this temple. Nazimaa has them.”

‘Stay away from Nazimaa. Awaken the Simians.’

Peter shook his head. “If my friends are in danger, I can’t stay away. Will you help us?”

Ghenga pondered the dilemma for a moment. ‘Yes. I will help you, and then you will awaken the Simians.’

“Okay,” said Peter. He removed his hand from the crystal, severing the neural link. He wasn’t entirely sure how to handle this. He really was here for Tracey and Mary. They had another method of dealing with the Zehhaki, but Peter was very careful not to let that notion enter his mind. Somehow, he didn’t think Ghenga would approve of the hunter using the death orb to render his entire race extinct. In fact, that outcome was precisely what Ghenga was trying to avoid.

Peter was riddled with ambivalence. Ghenga wasn’t like the others. He seemed reasonable and sincere. Surely, there must’ve been other Zehhaki like him. Peter suddenly felt guilty about what he and Jason were going to attempt. Good or bad, the Zehhaki hadn’t asked to be reawakened, thrust into a world that had moved on without them. Then again, did they really belong here at this moment in time?

Peter knew that Charles Darwin rejected the notion of progression. Rather, he saw evolution as each species being best adapted to their environment. It didn’t matter if the organism was single celled or as complex as humans. The Zehhaki, and the Simians for that matter, had been selected for extinction many moons ago. In nature, species modify, they don’t go extinct and suddenly return through artificial means. Then again, in this place, in this dimension, Peter wondered if the laws of evolution even applied.

Jason was growing impatient. “So, what’s the story? Time’s a wasting.”

Peter didn’t want to get into the moral-ethical dilemma before them. “He’ll help us. He knows Nazimaa better than either of us.” Which was curious, as in his ventures into the Zehhaki temple and lair, he saw no reference to her, positive or negative. Then again, he hadn’t spent as much time with the Zehhaki as he had the Umazoa, who also didn’t reference her. Like Native American tribes, they prayed to multiple nature-based deities, and there were some they feared. The Umazoa didn’t speak of those, likely out of some established taboo, so Peter hadn’t learned much about them.

Jason nodded. “Okay, which way do we go?”

They all looked around. Ghenga, not comprehending their discussion, watched them. Then, picking up on the fact they were searching for a door, he joined them, running his clawed hands along the stone walls of the cavern.

Peter inspected the ape statues, tugging on spears and arms, looking for a mechanical lever of some sort. Jason inspected the ground. “Peter, I found something.”

Peter looked away from a statue he was investigating. “What is it?”

“I think I found the girls’ prints.” He pointed with his finger. He walked slowly and cautiously, following them to the west wall of the cavern. “The prints end here.”

“Then there must be a secret door,” said Peter.

Jason traced his fingertips around the wall. “There’s a faint painting of what looks like the Simian King depicted in the painting. If there’s a door here, the edges must be seamless.”

Peter started tugging more parts of the statues. He tried to shove one to see if it moved, but it was too heavy. Ghenga, realizing what he was doing, slipped his crystal orb into a pouch that hung from