102
JUAN FRANCISCO BLANCO
Back in the time and space where Jonathan and Viviana were
peacefully sleeping stood Ki Mab’s young son, Kuó, just outside
their NorthFace tent. Kuó had been ordered by his father to
wake the two outsiders, and ask them to follow him to where his
father was waiting down by the river. Kuó was told to tell the
outsiders if they asked what was going on, that Bardala and Tital
needed their help. Kuó’s only problem was that he believed in
his father, and he looked up to his father as being good. He had
not witnessed Trall’s healing. His father had told him and
everyone else that he could, that he had been the one to heal the
tribal leader. Ki Mab had told anyone who would listen, that the
outsiders were the ones who were evil, and wanted the villagers
as their slaves, and that around the next bend in the jungle trail
were the friends of the outsiders, the fierce Atoo. Ki Mab was
good at spinning a web of deceit. He told the tribe members that
he had known these outsiders for many years, and that his magic
had given them their unusual powers, but they had turned on
him, turning to evil ways. Ki Mab bragged he was the only good
shaman of his tribe.
Kuó had trouble opening the NorthFace tent’s zipper. He
didn’t know how to enter this strange sleeping place. He had to
call out to the outsiders to wake them, “Viviana, Jonathan, wake
up! I need your help.”
Jonathan woke up first, saying, “Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Kuó.”
“What do you need?” Jonathan said sleepily.
“Bardala and Tital want both of you to come with me down to
the river.”