The
African Queen
Text ?003 Roger E. Moore
(roger70129@aol.com)
Daria and associated
characters are ?003 MTV Networks
Feedback (good, bad, indifferent,
just want to bother me, whatever) is appreciated. Please write to:
roger70129@aol.com
Synopsis: Fourteen heavily armed men
went hunting for her in the jungle. It was not a fair fight.
Author抯
Notes: This
story was written as an entry for Erin M.抯 Iron Chef competition on PPMB, to
create an 搃mpossible?crossover for 揇aria.?It is assumed that the reader is
familiar with the major characters of the 揇aria?TV show, so explanations of
who is who are not needed.
Acknowledgements: 牋牋牋牋牋?Thanks go out to Erin M., for starting the contest!
牋牋牋牋牋?When they came after her, it was
fourteen to one.
牋牋牋牋牋?Something struck a tree to Klinger抯
left, and he whipped his shotgun around梑ut now he had his back to her. She
leaped from the undergrowth and drove her right foot like a sledgehammer into
the small of his back. He cried out and fell, his trigger finger tightening. The
shotgun blast hit bearded McCaffrey in the head and killed the fellow poacher
instantly.
牋牋牋牋牋?She was gone before either body had
hit the ground.
牋牋牋牋牋?揥hat in the living hell are you doing??shouted Vasquez, pushing his way forward through the line of poachers. 揔ill the girl! She was right among you!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揝he抯 a ghost,?whispered Bellows. Sweat ran down his face as he turned about, gray with shock. 揝he抯 a bleeding ghost.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Enraged, Vasquez slapped Bellows
across the face. 揈nough of that! She抯 a girl! She can be killed! She抯
screwed up this expedition enough and made fools of us all! We haven抰 gotten a
single leopard pelt, and there抯 going to be hell to pay when we get back, do
you understand? Kill her or don抰 come back at all!?He stomped over to his
lieutenant, crouching over the groaning Klinger.
牋牋牋牋牋?揥e抮e in trouble,?said Culbertson, rising to his feet. 揌e may have internal injuries. We抮e going to have to carry him back. We抮e down to twelve men now, and we抮e on her home ground.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揟hen we抣l just have to make it our ground, won抰 we??snarled Vasquez. 揕eave him here for now. Get moving, and shoot the little monkey.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Bellows met her next. The end of her
five-foot fighting stick slammed into the back of his skull. He went down like
a sack of grain. O扝ara turned and saw her, but she was running at him by then.
Her fighting stick went under his right arm as she went past, and she levered
his head around and downward and into a tree trunk, knocking him out cold. She
snatched up her stick and disappeared a moment later.
牋牋牋牋牋?Vasquez found both his men a few
moments after that.
牋牋牋牋牋?揈nough of this!?he screamed.
揈nough of this! Look everywhere! Shoot the little bitch! Fill her stinking
body with棓
牋牋牋牋牋?Something crashed against the ground
a short distance away. Men shouted out as they raked the undergrowth with
automatic gunfire. A poacher screamed in agony.
牋牋牋牋牋?揅ease fire!?roared Vasquez, his face purple. 揅ease fire, you fools!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?A quick investigation revealed two
more men down, one of them dead梑oth shot by friendly fire. No trace of the
half-naked jungle woman could be seen.
牋牋牋牋牋?揘ow eight,?murmured Culbertson,
his face white.
牋牋牋牋牋?Vasquez was fit to be tied. 揙nly
shoot if you see her, you idiots! You抮e killing each other! You抣l hit me,
too, and I swear on the graves of my ancestors, I抣l棓
牋牋牋牋牋?A loud thump and a grunt came from
his left. He spun, his rifle up, and saw Culbertson sprawled out on the ground.
A five-foot pole lay near his head.
牋牋牋牋牋?The Ghost Woman抯 fighting stick.
牋牋牋牋牋?揝he抯 in the trees!?Vasquez shouted, looking upward as he spun around. 揝he抯 in the棓
牋牋牋牋牋?He saw her, then, but she wasn抰 in the trees. She was behind Richards, her arm around his neck, jamming a hypodermic needle into his side. Where in flaming hell did she get that? Vasquez fired from the hip, hitting Richards in the abdomen by mistake. As Richards gasped and sagged, she snatched something attached to the top of her loincloth and threw it at?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Vasquez dropped his rifle and
screamed, grabbing for his eyes. Unearthly pain ravaged his face from the peppery
sphere that struck his face. 揝he抯 here!?he shrieked. 揝he抯 right here!
Shoot! Shoo棓
*?*?*?*?*
牋牋牋牋牋?She returned to the scene of the
battle a few minutes later, walking in silence among the casualties. Five dead,
far more than she had expected. The poachers obviously had no concept of fire
control. Richards had perished from his gunshot wound, not from the syringe of
narcotics with which she had intended to knock him out. She toed Vasquez抯
boot, but he too was dead梥hot by his own men, just like the others. The
survivors had gathered their wounded and fled, so terrified of the Ghost Woman
that they refused stay in the jungle a minute longer.
牋牋牋牋牋?She picked up her fighting stick and
looked around her at the lush rainforest. It saddened her that in the midst of
all this noisy tangle and vibrant color and perfumed air, there had to be
death. It wasn抰 like this back in Lawndale, she knew. Life and death were the
ways of the jungle. Both walked beside you every second that you lived. She
knew that now better than anyone.
牋牋牋牋牋?Almost anyone.
牋牋牋牋牋?揧ou抳e been keeping busy,?said a
deep, pleasant voice behind her. The speaker had an English accent.
牋牋牋牋牋?揂 woman抯 work is never done,?she responded, and she sighed. 揂t least they won抰 be shooting leopards any longer.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揑 suppose not.?A huge, bronze arm snaked around her bare waist. 揌ad enough of this kind of life??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?She already knew the answer, but she
still thought back on her short time here. She was very young, a novice at
defending the wild, gorgeous tropical world she had come to love. She had once
been an artist, a thin, lanky high-school girl from Lawndale with a bad
attitude, a bit of raw creative talent, good running legs, and big dreams. It
seemed like a million years ago, like someone else抯 life and not her own.
牋牋牋牋牋?She thought about her old home and
wondered who lived there now. Trent, maybe. Everyone else would be gone now.
牋牋牋牋牋?Had she had enough of this new
world, this new life?
牋牋牋牋牋?揘o,?she said softly. 揘ot at all.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?He was quiet, and she looked up at
him梙is tangled black hair, piercing blue eyes, and incredible musculature. He
was both more and less than human, his only possessions a loincloth, hunting
knife, and coil of rope.
牋牋牋牋牋?He looked down at her and grinned
playfully.
牋牋牋牋牋?揗e Tarzan,?he said. 揧ou . . .??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?She pulled away from him and slapped
him lightly on one massive bicep.
牋牋牋牋牋?揓ane抯 my younger sister, you ass,?she said with a smile. She ran a hand through her short red hair. 揝he抯 probably in college now, doing what she thinks is real art.?She stretched out her hand and turned in place, indicating the bright green world around them. 揟his is real art,?she said, awe in her voice. 揟his is all that matters now.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?The ape-man laughed. 揙ne Lane woman
is more than enough for me,?he said, and he pulled her close. His face bent
down to hers.
牋牋牋牋牋?The world disappeared when they
kissed.
牋牋牋牋牋?In time, hand in hand, they left the sad scene around them and walked away through the rainforest, on a path leading them to the Honduran airfield where their plane awaited. Tomorrow, she would be on a new continent梚n Lord Greystoke抯 home?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?His queen.
Original:
2/19/03
Action/adventure,
shipper (Penny Lane/Tarzan), crossover (Tarzan)
FINIS