Aloft Page #2

that we travel east past Lekanisera.

The ruins of Jalpora are supposed to lie

between here and the Tana river.

That's just the problem, Quatermain.

Too many rumours and not enough facts.

Ah, hell, Dutchman. Half of Africa's been

explored on rumour, hope and legend.

Yes.

And blood.

Too many people going off into

unexplored Africa and not coming back.

I outfitted your brother's group last year.

- The last I'll see of that equipment.

- I wouldn't bet my lungs on that.

I'm gonna put a party together,

one way or the other, or I go alone.

You'll do it, too, won't you?

Not knowing where you're going,

and getting lost as hell.

All right, let's go see

if we can buy you some help.

Sure, we've been planning

this trip for months.

OK, so that's one against him.

But after all, isn't his concern for his

family and his friends part of his appeal?

Oh, hell, George.

He needs me. As a matter of fact

he can't live without me.

Whee!

Yahoo!

(Quatermain) How would you like to go

on an expedition to East Africa?

Yeah, East Africa. You'll love it.

We leave tomorrow.

Maybe next time.

(Dutchman) I figure you can choose

between the Wamusas, who'll rob you,

Tumatas, who'll desert you,

or the Mapaki, who'll eat you.

With all this going for me,

who needs to worry about getting lost?

Ah, mighty chief.

Slayer of elephants, eater-up of lions,

clever one, watchful one,

brave one, quick one,

whose shot never misses.

Grasp a hand and hold it

to the death. Quatermain.

That's me, all right.

Am I a stranger now?

Yah!

(yells)

Umslopogaas. And Groanmaker.

Hey, that's OK. I get the idea.

I'm glad to see you too.

You're a long way from home, aren't you?

I who am highborn, ay,

of the blood of a great king - a chief.

I am a wanderer. A man without a kraal,

with nought save my axe.

And you, Quatermain, why are you here?

I'm trying to put together a party

to go into East Africa,

but everybody but me is too smart to go.

They live and breathe fear. Not I.

Let the blow come quickly

and the blood run red.

I travel with five Askari

over whom I hold much influence.

- You have your party.

- Ah.

Quatermain.

Careful there.

That one's got a bloodthirst.

He also has five Askari

over whom he holds much influence.

Thank you.

Well, well, well.

Your image has haunted me, sir, and that

of your brother and the friends you seek.

I could not rest easy were I to let you

embark on a journey of such peril alone,

when it is I who possess

the legend's secrets.

- I guess that means you wanna come.

- No, no, no.

I don't want to come, but, sir,

it is a journey through legend,

shrouded in mystery, which I,

as your humble guide, will unravel.

Gee, and I thought it was just a trek

into unexplored Africa.

(speaks Arabic)

- Sir, a mystic experience awaits us.

- (screaming)

- Oh, no, it can't be.

- Yes.

I recognise that scream.

(screams)

(shrieks)

Attack! Attack!

(screams)

Hey, good-lookin'.

Quatermain!

Did you make a wrong turn?

America's about 6,000 miles that way.

- I'm glad to see you, too, Quatermain.

- I'm glad, just surprised.

We can always go to America.

We can always get married.

- Yeah.

- Right now I should be with you.

I want you to come

but you said it's too dangerous.

- You can't get rid of me with a lecture.

- I don't want you to get hurt.

I'm not gonna sit around worrying if

I'm gonna be a widow before I'm a bride.

- Jesse.

- Please, you can't ask me to do that.

- Jesse.

- I won't listen. You see? I'm not listening.

The walls of Jalpora.

Nice work. For a while I thought

we'd end up in Cleveland.

Proof that only a fool questions

the wisdom of Swarma.

Proof that even a blind monkey

sometimes finds a banana.

Wait.

(Jesse shrieks)

The guardians of Jalpora.

- Rough neighbourhood.

- Yeah.

(thunder)

Perhaps I should wait here.

Meditate on our journey.

(thunder)

It is the stirring of restless souls.

What purpose do these walls serve?

Religious, possibly?

They don't belong here.

These stones are 3,000 miles from home.

- Gold.

- Gold?

A golden sun setting on a river.

A fiery river.

Did someone say "gold"?

- Is there a river near here?

- The Tana.

Maybe we follow the river to a golden sun.

Or to a golden city.

I think we're starting

to piss off somebody's god.

(Jesse and Quatermain scream)

- Oh, my God.

- No!

It's Hudson.

(Jesse) This is it, isn't it?

We're gonna die now.

Please, the stone! Shove back the stone!

Shove back the stone!

Your legs! Your legs! Oh, God! Oh!

Oh, God.

You all right?

The legend, of course, warned of this -

the ground devouring intruders.

The golden orb tempting the Fates.

So it comes to pass.

What's that?

- An Eshowe.

- War dress.

Yeah.

(speaks tribal language)

(speaks tribal language)

That doesn't sound too friendly.

It was friendly all right. He wants you

in exchange for using his river.

Can't we strike some other arrangement?

I'm sure going to try.

(speaks tribal language)

(speak tribal language)

Please, must you upset him?

Umslopogaas can't understand

why he prefers you to the tea kettle.

(yells)

(others yell)

Oh, my God.

- So, it was, I hope, a friendly parting?

- He hopes we enjoyed our last sunset.

- So what do we do now? Turn back?

- Too late for that.

We go as far as we can,

then sleep in the canoe.

The Eshowe are territorial.

We just try to get out of their territory.

(yells)

(groans)

Swarma, row. Jesse, reload.

Try putting it in the water.

Madam, I am a man of peace,

a man of prayer.

Good. Then pray you don't

have to use this.

Why?

Oh, no! Please!

Please!

Do you think we passed them?

(Quatermain) Not quite.

(battle cry)

(battle cry)

(squeals)

Oh, my God.

Swarma! The dynamite!

(yells)

(tribesmen gasp)

Oh!

The dynamite! Quick!

(tribesmen gasp)

- (shouts) Duva! Duva!

- What is it?

The spear didn't harm me

so they think I'm a devil.

- (tribesmen chant) Duva! Duva!

- Come on.

(tribesmen chant) Duva! Duva!

- Do you think they've given up?

- For now, anyway.

Depends on how long

they're scared of the devil.

Look!

Hold on!

(Swarma) Oh, I have died.

I have died.

Why did I not heed the legends

about this rotten trip?

Have I entered into the shadows

with this whimpering wretch?

I hate to disappoint you guys,

but I think we're still alive.

(Jesse) And we've lost another Askari.

(growling)

(Jesse groans)

(Jesse screams)

(Swarma whimpers)

(Jesse moans and sobs)

- (Jesse) Feel the heat.

- (Swarma) We enter the Devil's Heart.

(Quatermain)

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

(Jesse) The water's hot too.

Are we going into a volcano?

(Quatermain) No, just the Devil's Heart.

(sizzling)

Quatermain, what are we gonna do?

(rumbling)

Back-paddle.

To the right.

Pull.

On the right.

(Askari screams)

This could be it.

Great.

(screams)

Sorry.

Where are we?

The river must have tossed us off

into an antechamber. Where exactly?

- How are you?

- Oh, I don't know. Ouch.

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