The Pirates of Shan: A Rick Brant Science-Adventure Story “Dangerous Discovery” - Chapter 14 The High Fire

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fourteen of the Pirates of Shan, a Rick Brandt's
science adventure story by Harold L. Goodwin. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Read by Cinda J. M.
Chapter fourteen, the high Fire. The Saliba Sea was dark,
with a low swell but no chop. There was just

(00:22):
enough wind to fill the ventus sails, which suited Rick
at this stage in the proceedings. He was more concerned
about silence and safety than speed. Zircon and Scotti had
moved another mile seaward as soon as the venta was launched.
That was to avoid anyone on the island hearing the
engines in case a sudden onshore wind came up up ahead.

(00:43):
Shahada was a dark blur against the sail, trimming it
for maximum efficiency. Presently, the Hindu boy came back to
the tiller and sat down near Rick. Shan's volcanic cone
blotted out stars ahead. There were no lights of any
kind on the mountain itself, and the number of lights
in the village was gradually diminishing. The water splashed a

(01:06):
little under the rudder, and the cordage holding the mast
and sail creaked as a vagrant breeze caught the vinta.
Otherwise there was no sound. Once a fish jumped near by,
and Rick was halfway to his feet, hand going to
the pistol at his belt before he realized what it was.
He smiled at his own tenseness. Rick wiped moist palms

(01:27):
on the thighs of his tight pants and strained to
see the first sign of the beach on which he
and Shahada would land. Shahada, according to plan, moved to
the bow of the morro craft in order to keep
a lookout. The timing was all right. Rick thought there
were still lights in the village, but not many. Early,
when too many pirates were out of doors would not

(01:49):
be a good time. Later, when perhaps only guards were
moving about, would be even worse. They had tried to
time their reconnaissance for an in between period, and it
looked as though the sil election of the hour was good.
Most villagers were in bed, but enough kerosene lamps and
candles burned to show that the two of them probably
would not attract special attention by being out so late.

(02:13):
Shahada came back and whispered, we dropped sail now ok
Rick was careful to keep his voice at a whisper
he knew sound carried across the water. The boys let
the sail down and lashed it just enough to keep
a sudden breeze from tangling the lines, then took paddles
and steered for the small crescent of beach that made
a light streak between the sea and the black rock

(02:35):
of the volcano. The lights of the village were gradually
lost as the jutting rock between the beach and the
western lands slope blocked their view. Rick and Shahada timed
their paddle strokes to catch a low wave as it
sped to shore, and in a moment, the Vinta's bow
grated on sand. Shahada jumped ashore, carrying the craft's anchor,

(02:58):
a block of stone with a hole in it for
the road, and hauled the Vina's bow up on dry
coral sand. Rick stepped to the sand and paused ears
tuned for any unusual noise. He heard nothing except the
sharp barking of a dog in the village. If this
is like most Asiatic villages, there'll be enough mutts to
make it a dog catcher's paradise, he whispered in Shahata's

(03:21):
ear they'll give us away. Sure, Jahada shook his head.
Leave to me have plenty sad experience with dogs. I
come ready for them. Rick wondered how the Hindu boy
was prepared, but he realized this was no time for questions.
He put his lips close to the hidden radio unit

(03:41):
under Shahata's turban and called softly Rick to home base.
Go ahead, Rick Zirkhon's voice said faintly through the heavy
folds of turban. We're on the beach, about to leave
the VENTA good luck. We're standing by for a fast
run if needed, be careful. We will Rick off for now.

(04:02):
He drew the automatic from his sash, pulled back the slide,
and let it carry around into the chamber. Then he
lowered the hammer to half cock and made sure the
safety was on. He tucked the pistol into his sash
and loosened the criss in its sheath. Shahada drew his
barrang and made a few practice wings, the blade gleaming
in the starlight. Rick led the way westward along the

(04:24):
beach to where the black lava rock lay in tumbled masses.
If they could climb across the tongue of lava, all
would be well. If not, they would have to return
to the beach and swim around it. The lava was
in big chunks and there were ample hand and footholds.
It was an easy climb to the top of the floe,
only about twenty feet above sea level, and an easy

(04:47):
climb down again. The only hard part was moving across
the top of the floe through the mass of lava boulders.
Presently the two boys stood on soil, still hidden among
lava outcrops. The village was to their left. In front
of them to the west was a cornfield. Rick wasn't
surprised to see the corn He knew that from Central

(05:08):
Philippines south to Sulu there was more corn eaten than rice.
Keep an eye open for a guard, he whispered to Shahata.
We'll wait a few minutes to see if one shows up.
Then if it seems clear, we'll move along the edge
of the cornfield toward the village. Good plan, Shahada agreed.
Rick strained to catch the sound or motion. When his

(05:31):
luminous watch style told him five minutes had elapsed, he
leaned toward Shahada. No sign of a guard. Let's go
Apparently the pirates were sure attack could only come from
the west, as Zurkon had thought. Undoubtedly they had lookouts
on the western shore. Rick led the way, keeping close
to the abrupt rise of the volcanic cone. He saw

(05:54):
there were plenty of gaps and holes in the lava
into which they could duck, as well as the cornfield.
Knowing they could be out of sight in a matter
of seconds gave him confidence, and he moved rapidly ahead.
A slight breeze brought him the scent, or rather stench,
of the village. He wrinkled his nose and suppressed his sneeze. Wow.

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If the pirates possessed any virtues, cleanliness was not one
of them. Cornfield ran right up to the edge of
the village, which was nestled under a point where the
volcano dropped steeply for perhaps one hundred feet. It was
a good defensive position. Rick saw the black lava cliff
probably could be climbed and would offer a wonderful location

(06:35):
for riflemen. Even heavy weapons would have a hard time
dislodging them. Ahead was a kind of street, a wide
gap between rows of houses. Some of the houses showed
the yellow flickering light of candles or kerosene lamps, but
most were dark. The houses were raised up on piles,
in the fashion common throughout the Philippines, and most of

(06:56):
them offered little obstruction to the view. Rick shrank back
as a man walked down the street turned went up
a ladder into one of the houses. In the dim light,
Rick could see that he had tight pants, a flat turban,
and a rifle in his hand. The boy shuddered. There
probably were enough deadly weapons in the village to outfit
a regimental combat team. One slip and those weapons would

(07:19):
be turned on them. Shahada put his lips close to
Rick's ear. What we do now? Look for a house
with guards, I guess it seemed the only possibility. If
Tony and Shannon were in the village, they would almost
certainly be guarded. Guards probably would be the only clew
to their presence. For long moments, Rick debated on how

(07:40):
best to approach the problem. There wasn't any easy way.
He tapped Shahatta on the shoulder. Let's go. The two
boys stepped out from their concealment against the volcanic wall
and walked boldly into the village. Rick had his fingers
crossed for luck, but he was ready to uncross them
in a hurry and go for the pistol in his sash.
Their disguise had to protect them from casual viewers. He

(08:02):
had confidence that the deep shadows of the village would
conceal the fact that they were strangers unless they came
face to face with someone. The street paralleled the face
of the volcano, with houses on both sides. For the
first few steps, they saw no one. Then far down
the street a moro crossed, and it took all of
Rick's courage to keep walking casually. Ahead. Near by, a

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dog barked, and the noise sent a stream of sweat
dripping down Ric's back. The barking continued, drew nearer. Rick
half drew his crisp but Shahata whispered hoarsely. Wait. A
mongrel of indiscriminate breeds sidled up to them. Hackles raised teeth,
gleaming faintly in a snarl, Shahata bent low and murmured.

(08:45):
The dog leaped frantically, and Rick's heart caught in his throat.
Then the Hindoo boy miraculously was petting the vicious mut
What did you do Rick demanded in a whisper. You
remember canned home bakers. I opened can and put some
in my pocket. Feed one to dog. Here are friend,

(09:05):
now come on? Rick had to grin the mysterious hindoo.
Behind the mystery was a practical solution to problems. Just
stick a couple of home bargers in the pocket. The
boy led the way again, Shahta hurrying to catch up.
Beside them. The once fierce dog gamboled like a puppy,
hoping for another hand out. In a few moments, Rick

(09:26):
saw that the two streets of the town formed a
huge tea, with the stems starting under the mountain and
running toward the west. He had an idea that Tony
and Shannon would be near the center of the village,
in the most protected position, simply because it would be
easier to guard them that way. That meant they would
be close to the intersection where he and Shahada now stood.

(09:47):
A poke in the ribs from Shahata took his mind
off the problem in a hurry and put it on
a new and immediate one. A man was walking directly
toward them, coming from the direction of the western shore.
Rick couldn't see him clear. It was too dark in
the village, but he could see enough to know that
the pirate carried a rifle and a barong tucked into
his belt. Rick's hand started for the pistol, then paused.

(10:10):
He couldn't shoot now, It would bring the whole village
down on them. For a moment, he nearly panicked. Then,
with a nod to Shahata, he walked directly toward the man.
The bold approach was the best one. He figured to
run was to bring a shot. He had a vague
idea of getting within range then jumping the Morrow. Certainly,
they couldn't stop and talk with him. Neither of them

(10:31):
knew the language. The pirate didn't seem uncertain or alarmed.
He walked toward the two boys casually, obviously not yet
recognizing them as strangers. He would soon. Rick knew it
was important to get the jump on the Morrow first
and prevent him yelling if possible. Then, as Rick prepared
for a wild spring and a round house punch, Shahada

(10:52):
whispered be ready and lifted his hand in salute. The
Morow lifted his hand too, and said something in the
native tongue. It might have been a greeting. Neither boy
ever knew for sure. Shahata walked right up to him,
muttering something that was probably Hindu double talk. The Indian
boy moved, so the Moro swung around, trying to understand
what Shahata was saying. For an instant, the pirate's back

(11:15):
was to Rick. He moved like a charging panther. The
pistol came out of his sash and descended Beryl first,
all of his desperate strength behind it. He felt it
slam down on the pirate's turban and connect solidly with
the head underneath. Shahata caught the man as he fell,
and in an instant the two boys had hauled him
under the nearest house. Rick found the man's pulse and

(11:36):
breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. It was thready and slow,
but it was there. The pirate would wake up, but
not for some time. The dog sniffed inquiringly at the
fallen morrow, but made no noise. Rick took Shahata by
the arm and pulled him out into the street, again,
pausing anxiously to see if the brief and violent meeting

(11:57):
had attracted attention a pairar It hadn't. There were no
signs of life in nearby houses, and no one looked
out of those with lights further along the street. Rick
decided they'd better conduct their search with all possible speed.
The boys moved rapidly along the street at the top
of the tee toward the water front. On the south,

(12:18):
Dog trotted alongside their firm friend. Now, Rick knew the
boat dock must be at the end of the street.
That would certainly mean guards, and it wouldn't be wise
to go too close. He had a sudden thought that
the scientists might be prisoners on one of the vintas,
then rejected it. No Vinta he had seen was big
enough to serve as a prison, and there had been

(12:40):
known sign of the boat the missing men had rented.
That could also mean the scientists weren't even on the island.
But if not, where could they be. Shahata's hand on
his arm stopped Rick. He saw that they nearly completed
their inspection of this particular street. The masts of vintas
and the sheen of water among the pirate craft were
visible directly ahead. He put his lips close to Shahata's

(13:02):
ear and whispered, let's cut west through the houses. Ric's
idea was to go through the quadrant of town they
were now traversing until he saw the water front on
the west. Then they could cross the street that he
pictured as the stem of the tea and turned back
toward the mountain, going through the town on the other side.
That way, if any trouble developed, they would only be
a few yards from the cornfield and could certainly loose

(13:24):
themselves until Zirkon and Scotti could come roaring in. They
passed under a lighted house and through the split bamboo
floor lass they could see two men drinking basi or
some other native beverage from sections of bamboo. Now and
then the two men talked in casual, drowsy tones. Nowhere
was there a sign of guards until Rick and Shahada

(13:46):
passed completely through the village and emerged under the great
branches of a mango tree. Ahead of them was a
field of grain, probably millet, and beyond it was the
western shore of the island. As they watched, two men
walked along the shore toward each other, met chatted for
a moment, then turned and walked away from each other. Guards,
Rick said softly, walking their patrols along the beach. It

(14:10):
was as he suspected, the two guards patrolling the beach
could see everything that offered danger by walking from where
they had met two points roughly halfway around the island.
Maybe they see us in the vinta, Shahada whispered, but
maybe they no think much about it. Rick thought he
might be right, but the greater probability was that they

(14:30):
hadn't been seen at all, especially if they had approached
the shore while the guards were walking toward each other
near the western end of the island. We'll be a
little more cautious on the way back, Rick returned softly.
Is so, Shahada agreed. What we do now? Rick motioned
toward the street that led from the volcano to the
western shore. Crossed that and look at the houses on

(14:53):
the other side. Come on. With a quick look around
to be sure no one was watching or showing any
other due interest in them, he moved out from the
shadow of the mango tree and headed past the irregularly
placed houses to where the wide strip of yellow dust
marked the street. They reached the street's edge without incident
and paused for another quick look before crossing. As Rick

(15:16):
glanced up the street a flicker of yellow high in
the air caught his eye. He lifted his head and
stared directly at it. A fire. It was high up
on the face of the cliff behind the village, where
they couldn't have seen it from the street. Under the cliff,
he wondered, was it a beacon for pirates? You might
be out in the Vinta's apparently, was on a shelf

(15:38):
of some sort, more than a hundred feet above the village. Then,
as he watched, a tall, thin figure passed in front
of the fire and was silhouetted briefly against the flames.
He grabbed for Shahata. That was no Moro, not with
those long legs and arms, and no Morrow on this
island were wear thick glasses from which the firelight had

(16:00):
glinted momentarily, That was Howard Shannon end of chapter fourteen.