Royal Ransom by Eric Walters Page A

calm, like nothing much is wrong. Okay?”
    â€œIf that’s what you wish,” Victoria said.
    â€œAnd let me do the talking, at least to start,” I added.
    We kept moving toward the fire. The tents became visible and the other two canoes were sitting on the shore, upside down, waiting for us to set off at dawn and … why couldn’t I see anybody? Where was Ray or Nigel or Albert? Why weren’t they standing there at the water’s edge, looking for us, calling out? It didn’t make sense. They wouldn’t have just gone to sleep.
    â€œHold on,” I said as I reached out and grabbed Andrew by the arm. “Just wait.”
    â€œI don’t want to wait. I want to get into dry clothing and—”
    â€œAnd keep your voice down.”
    â€œWhy in God’s name would I … is it a bear?” he asked, ending his sentence barely above a whisper.
    â€œJust stop and listen to me for a second.”
    â€œIs something wrong, Jamie?” Victoria asked.
    I crouched down, and they both did the same. “Do either of you see anybody at the campsite? Do you see Ray or Albert or Nigel?”
    â€œNo,” Victoria said. “I just assumed that they were out trying to locate us.”
    â€œOut in what? The canoes are both there,” I said.
    â€œWell … perhaps they are on foot searching through the forest and—”
    â€œThat makes even less sense. There’s no way they’d look in the forest when we left by water. Besides, even if they did go out looking, one person would have stayed at the camp.”
    â€œSomebody must be close by to keep that fire going so brightly,” Victoria said.
    â€œI agree. So where are they?”
    â€œWell, surely there must be a logical explanation,” Victoria said.
    â€œIf there is I’d really appreciate you sharing it with me.”
    Nobody said a word.
    â€œI am chilled to the bone,” Andrew said, and he started to rise to his feet. “Let’s just go and—”
    â€œNobody’s going anywhere,” I hissed as I grabbed him and pulled him back down.
    â€œI know that you are fearful of your reception when we arrive, Jamie, but we must go forward,” Victoria said.
    â€œI’d be an idiot not to be worried, but that’s not what’s on my mind now.”
    â€œWe cannot simply stay here,” Victoria said.
    â€œWe’re not. You two are. I need to get a closer look.”
    â€œJamie, what is it that you expect to see?” she asked.
    â€œI don’t know. But it doesn’t seem right. Just stay here and stay quiet.”
    â€œI don’t really understand why … but we’ll do as you ask.”
    I COULDN ’ T HELP THINKING that I was acting like an idiot. What did I suspect I’d find at the camp? Was I just letting my imagination get the better of me because I really was scared of what Ray and Albert were going to say? Of course I was scared, but that didn’t change the facts. Why weren’t they either out looking for us, or standing there by the tents calling out our names?
    I moved farther away from the stream bed and into the cover of the woods. I wanted to come at the camp from theback, out of the forest and as far away from the lake as possible. It seemed important not to be seen or heard.
    As I moved I felt my heart pounding in my chest and my breath was short. I wasn’t moving that fast. But this wasn’t about how hard I was working, it was about what I was thinking. I was scared, and that fear had nothing to do with what anybody was going to say to me.
    I moved slowly, staying low to the ground, going from bush to bush. The sun was still in the sky but it was so low that everything, no matter how small, cast a long shadow. I worked to stay in those shadows. At one point I stopped and slumped down silently to the ground. I tried to control my breathing. I felt myself shaking. This was crazy. Why was I so