Chapter 5 Scene 2

Tom and Yadifo find themselves in the passage leading east from the mountain chamber. This path also has twists and turns, and wanting to break the silence, Tom strikes up a conversation.

"So what do you do on this island?"

Yadifo responds, "I want to be a healer. I like planting and watching the plants grow, and seeing what makes people feel better.  Sometimes you can learn by watching what animals eat."

"I think you'll make a great doctor when you're older."

"So what do you do?"

"Me? I sell cars, uh, machines that you can drive fast and go long distances in.  Not very useful here."

They keep going, and Tom kicks something he doesn't see in the dim light.

"What was that?" asks Yadifo. She finds the shell that Tom kicked on the floor.

You found an Orange Sea Thorn!

"We still have to look out for these," she explains as she puts the rarity in her bag. Tom doesn't pay very much attention and is more concerned with getting out of the mountain passageway. "And these," says Yadifo as she picks up a yellow mushroom.

Soon after that they see daylight, but with it comes an unpleasant smell. They look through the opening.

"Where is this?" asks Tom.

"That's the Swampy Forest. That's how we got here."

"And that's how we have to go back?"

"It's not so bad. We just stay along the edge down there ... except this is farther north than where we went up the mountain.  It probably isn't any different; the water was never higher than this." Yadifo holds her hand at her neck, which is about as high as Tom's waist.

Tom isn't looking forward to this trek but figures if the little girl could do it he can't complain. His thoughts are interrupted when Yadifo shouts, "Look there!"

"Right here!" She takes a couple steps out, and touches a gold spot on the ground  "I think it's a statue!"

"Wow, you have good eyesight." Tom looks at the bump. "But this is hard ground. We can't dig it out with our hands."

"But I have the shovel."

"You do?" Tom hadn't noticed, as he was busy carrying food, a rope, and a bag of rarities.

"We all took a tool from a campsite on the mountain."

"Then let me dig it up."

"I can do it. We have to be careful not to damage it."

Yadifo is careful, so the sun sets as she finishes excavating the statue.

You found the Statue of Ubatall!

Tom congratulates Yadifo. "Good job! I never would have noticed it.  But now it's too late to go back to the Village."

"It was already too late. It will take many hours, and we shouldn't go through the Swamp at night."

"Then we better eat dinner and get some sleep. But let's get away from the exit where it doesn't smell so bad."

Yadifo is agreeable to that suggestion. After they eat some of their food they lie down on the cave floor to sleep.

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