THE CRAVING

Chapter Five.

Shifting Power, Deadly Plans

Three nights and four days passed.

He was amazed by how well she adapted to the hunt.

Marguerite's favorite ploy was to walk in the jungle, seemingly by herself, wearing only a thin dress. She
would weep, as if lost, looking like a sweet and vulnerable lady in distress. Marguerite would then either
approach prey outright or they, the cannibals or head-hunters, would stalk her. The woman, of course,
looked like easy pickings. Just when it appeared they had Marguerite where they wanted her, ready to
attack and kill or do, perhaps, something even more unseemly, she would produced a deadly dagger from
the folds of her clothing.

Then, without warning, Roxton himself would join in on the massacre to finish the victim or victims off. It
was exhilarating and the couple found great joy in preparation and ambush.

As it was back at the treehouse, they made an formidable team. Nothing had changed in that regard.

***

Calista could hear their gentle laughter from the living area. They were snuggled together, on the sofa in
front of the fireplace, having just returned and cleaned up from a successful hunt. Both were tired and
satisfied and were now partaking in a relaxed conversation. Calista watched silently from around a corner.
She studied them, Marguerite and Roxton, and how he - seated behind her as she rested her back against
his chest - lifted a hand in the glow of the firelight to pull a bit of wavy hair from her shoulder just so he had
an excuse to drop a hand to the woman's soft, pale cheek and touch it. Marguerite laughed at something he
whispered from behind into her ear and her golden eyes sparkled as she regarded him. In return, Roxton's
bold amber eyes gazed down at his Marguerite with obvious yearning.

'Never has he looked at me that way.' Calista seethed. As a matter of fact, he had barely looked at her at
all since that woman came to live in her home. Two evenings ago Calista, out of desperation, had
approached them with an idea. If Roxton was willing why didn't *both* of his adoring subjects show his
lordship what it was like to be fussed over in his bed chamber. She recalled Marguerite looking at her,
amused, then Roxton - vaguely interested for a moment. The couple then laughed. "Perhaps later." Roxton
had said as he linked an arm with Marguerite and they retired for the night. Calista watched them, her
teeth gritted and her fingernails dug deeply into her palms. She had never been so insulted!

Once again, with an emotion boarding on anger, Calista noted that Marguerite now wore one of her favorite
gowns. It was the magenta with ornate buttons. It had belonged to Calista's Aunt Nettie. Around
Marguerite's neck was that silver heart-shaped charm. It had a significant and rather maudlin meaning.
Calista was told this when she first saw it. When Marguerite was a normal human being she had considered
it a link to her true family, her real mother and father. Now, in a dismissing gesture, she claimed it was worn
because the locket was merely pretty and Roxton, during a moment of devotion, saved it for her.
Marguerite said there was no other reason now to feel affection or sentiment for anyone other than her
current family here in the palace. Marguerite had smiled at Calista with an arched, somewhat superior
eyebrow, as if telling her to watch her step. Calista had silently bristled. Who did she think she was, coming
into her home and behaving like she owned the place!?

Yet, Marguerite was almost nearly correct. She held the love, even in this existence, of Lord John Roxton,
current master of the palace. The man had grown powerful in the short time he was here and the two were
like a king and queen, not guests or even the family, of she who originally held sway. This truly came to
light when Finzure and Annay, only yesterday, started to take orders outright from Marguerite. Calista was
disturbed when she had ordered Annay to perform a simple household chore and the girl looked directly to
Marguerite for conformation, which was given. Calista could feel power slipping through her fingers and she
began to dread what the next week or two might hold. This could not go on much longer or she would be
deemed an unnecessary part of their happy home.

There was only one thing that might save her ...

Neither Roxton or Marguerite were typical creatures of craving. Unlike the others, they had boundaries
that out-weighted the blood lust that infected their judgment. Simply put, there were certain things the
couple would not do. They would not kill women or children. They swore to stay away from peaceful plateau
villages, the Zanga were totally off limits, and they would not ever consider seeing their friends from the
treehouse again. Cannibals, head hunters, apemen and plateau beasts were all up for grabs but there would
have to be a very special circumstance if ever they strayed from their one human hold out, what they
considered plain decency to the other underlings who shared the plateau with them.

But just how long, Calista thought, could they keep that up? Especially when, even now, their treehouse
companions were searching high and low for them. One day, most assuredly, they would be spotted.
Especially, Calista pondered, if she had something to say about it.

***

"Will you tell me how it was done? How you were changed this time?" Marguerite asked Roxton as they
reclined together in front of the fireplace, her head laying lazily on his shoulder. Dark shadows were
already appearing on the walls about them, introducing nightfall. Soon they would go outside and listen for
night sounds. The stars and moon would speak to them and tell each secrets that only a privileged few could
ever hear ...

"It's not a very interesting story." Roxton said.

"Tell me anyway." Marguerite insisted, holding his hand and examining the fingers that draped over her
shoulder.

He and the seven Zanga warriors had traveled for two sweltering, fly infested days before anything even
remotely interesting made itself know. The creature was tall, much like a T-Rex, but unlike a typical
dinosaur. It was a carnivore, of that Roxton was certain but, oddly enough, appeared not interested in the
tender human flesh of the hunting party. If anything, the creature seemed afraid of them and eager to make
tracks to safety. Roxton didn't attempt to shoot the monster because there simply was no sport in hunting
an animal who was so pathetic. The Zanga concurred but all knew what was on each other's minds. Just
what could make a dinosaur, an obvious meat-eater, so frightened?

As they continued on Jarl, in passing, mentioned to Roxton that he and Assai were considering having
another child. A brother for their daughter, Maki. Then, with barely hidden curiosity, he asked when
Roxton and Marguerite planned to start their family.

Roxton recalled nearly laughing at the thought. Obviously it was Assai, for whatever reason, who was
curious and she asked her spouse to get some information. Roxton didn't really mind. He would like to
have children some day, there was no doubt about that, and even though Marguerite had made no attempt
to touch on the subject, he knew - in the back of both their minds - it was a pleasant consideration. Yet, he
reminded Jarl that he and Marguerite were not yet married and, in polite society, a man and woman -
particularly in the day and age in which they lived - generally waited until after matrimony to have children.

"Then why do you not marry?" Jarl asked.

"We will, I'm sure. One day when we're ready."

"We have a performer of marriages in the village. If I ask, as the son through marriage of our great tribal
chief, I am sure we can arrange a ceremony for you and Marguerite.'

"Thank you for the offer." Roxton said, wondering if a Zanga marriage license would hold up when they got
back to England. "I will take that under consideration."

As much as he loved Marguerite and as sure as Roxton was that they had a future together, he could not
help feeling the chill of slightly cold feet at the thought of immediate wedded bliss. Besides Marguerite,
even though they and she had come a long way since the Orobouros fiasco many months ago, still needed to
get past a few of her secrets, whatever they may be, before he and she made that huge leap into "happily
ever after".

"My prince!" a warrior had called.

Roxton and Jarl approached where he directed and there they saw a grisly sight. Dinosaur after rotted
dinosaur lay before them, dead. Roxton might have believed it was a graveyard of some kind if the
monsters weren't so hideously butchered.

"What could have done this?" Jarl asked.

"Something," Roxton hesitated, thinking deeply. "we don't want to be around. This is a fresh kill, Jarl. I
think it might be a good idea for us to pull back. Whatever did this could still be around."

"Watching us." The Zanga's best tracker came up beside Roxton. "I felt it a long way back but now I know
for sure that we are being followed."

"What type of animal is it?" Jarl asked.

"I'll show you." The tracker directed Roxton and Jarl over to an area just off the path they were following.
They saw three sets of prints ... human footprints.

"How can that be?" Jarl questioned, "How can a man do what we saw back there?"

They were assuming, of course, at the time, they were facing mortal beings. Yet, even then Roxton knew
there was something supernatural afoot. The frightened dinosaur they had encountered was terrified of
them because they so resembled the beings that had massacred its family.

"The next thing we knew," Roxton told Marguerite, "We were being attacked."

Calista, Annay and Finzure had caught them all by surprise and wiped out the unprepared and peaceful
Zangas with very little disruption. It made sense. If they could destroy the dinosaurs like they had, what
could seven mere mortal men do to them? Roxton recalled the rifle being pulled from his hands then a
numbing pain to the back of his head. He fell and was dazed but not so out of it he didn't hear poor Jarl,
normally a brave man, crying out in agony as he was overwhelmed. Roxton, in pain, turned his head and
watched as Annay fed from him then, without conscience, broke Jarl's neck.

"My darling, John Roxton!" Calista was on top of him, practically sitting on his chest, her lips red with
blood. "One day I knew ..." she whispered as her mouth at first came down to kiss him, smearing his own,
then she bared her teeth. With definite purpose, Calista ripped into his neck and shoulder.

Roxton recalled shouting, attempting to tear her off of him, wondering how it was Calista could still be alive.
But then his voice had grown hoarse and he could shriek no more. He thought he was dying until he felt
Calista's hand slip into his own. He had been pulled upright and Roxton could feel himself walking. He could
also hear Calista's voice urging him on ....

"Everyone but me died." he whispered, staring into the fire. "Calista brought me back here." Even now
Roxton felt melancholy when it came to Jarl. He doubted Assai would ever learn what had become of her
strong young husband -- just as Roxton's friends would never know what happened to he and Marguerite.

Turning slightly, Marguerite touched the skin where Calista had viciously bitten into Roxton. There was
barely a mark now and it had been less than a week since the carnage. "I suppose I owe Calista my
gratitude. If she hadn't been greedy, wanting you as her own, you might have ended up like the others.
Then where would I be?"

"Alone." Roxton murmured into her hair, kissing her head with a small, thoughtful smile. "But you would
have gone on without me."

"Probably," Marguerite agree, with a short nod. "but I would have died inside. Without you my life would
have gone back to what it was ... I don't think I could have tolerated it."

***

"Are you still my faithful servant?" Calista asked of Finzure as he stared down at her.

"Always."

"If I told you to do something without question, would you do it?"

"Yes. No questions." he spoke obediently.

"Good." Calista leaned back on her heels, glancing in the direction of the living area from where she stood
in the parlor, watching the silhouettes of the man and woman as they held one another. "I think Master
Roxton is missing his other friends. Perhaps it is time they learned what has become of him and his lady."

Finzure nodded, understanding.

'And won't they be surprised,' Calista thought with an evil smile, 'when an out of control Marguerite tries to
kill them.'

They might even have to do away with her, the fledgling that she is ...

"Poor Lord Roxton." Calista's smile deepened and her eyes burned a deep blue, "Someone will have to
comfort you ..."