Chapter 1 Scene 7

Point of view of Nicole:
Nicole goes through the forest farther to the north. After searching for a while she comes across a native girl in a blue loincloth sitting in a net apparently made of vines. The net is suspended two meters off the ground.

Bukela: Eight years old. Twin of Gopumbi. Wants to be a hunter, and spends lots of time in the forest studying animals like Otanve.

“What happened to you?” asks Nicole.

"Who are you?" demands Bukela, not happy that she was discovered by a stranger instead of someone from her tribe.

"My name is Nicole. I was on a ship that wrecked near here.  The people I was with found Keruka, and she explained that all the children here were missing, and we had to find them."

Bukela is humiliated at having to speak while trapped in the net, but Nicole speaks nicely and Bukela doesn't have much choice. She gets to her feet to answer. “My name is Bukela. I was just walking along here yesterday when all of a sudden these vines surrounded me, formed a net, and pulled me up off the ground. I never saw or heard of anything like this. These vines are very tough, and must be liana. I couldn’t tear them or undo the knots or anything.” She bounces up and down some to show how strong the liana is.

Quest 19: Get Bukela out of the net.

Nicole reaches up, and can just grab the bottom of the net. It clearly is too strong to break with her bare hands.

“I can go back to the Village and ask Keruka for a knife.”

“You better ask for a machete. But can you get me something to eat? It rained last night so I was able to drink some water, There’s lots of fruit around here, and I like blueberries best. Try to find fruit that will fit through this net.”

Quest 20 : Find six blueberries, three bananas, and four grapes.

"Oh, sorry I didn't realize, you must be starving." Nicole looks around and finds all the fruit, and returns to Bukela, who kneels down in the net to get the fruit being passed through it. The vines are about five centimeters apart, so larger fruit wouldn't pass through without being cut.

Quest 20 complete!

Bukela feels much better about Nicole now. "Thank you Nicole. Now can you get the machete?  And don't be surprised if Keruka has some task for you.  I'll be fine now, I'm very tough."

"I can see that you are."

Nicole goes back to the Village and finds Keruka. Nicole explains,

"I found Bukela. She's trapped in a net of liana vines.  May I please have a machete to cut her loose?"

Keruka looks at Nicole with a face that does not betray any emotion. The news about Bukela is no surprise at this point.

"We have a machete, but your friend Tom has it now. One of our boys got tied to a tree by liana.  Now, one of our elders who has grown weak could use a fish stew.  Take this fishing pole, catch three fish, and get three lemons, two oranges, and two sesame.  Cook the ingredients to make the stew.  To use the fishing pole, wade into the water up to your knees, and cast the line.  Wait until a fish bites, then reel it in slowly.  Here are ten pieces of bait from the storehouse.  After that, you have to dig for bait with a shovel from the tool shed."

Quest 21: Make a Fish Stew.

Keruka hands Nicole the fishing pole.

You have acquired the use of the Fishing Pole!

You have won the Silver Toolmaster Trophy for acquiring the use of four tools!

A silver toolbox appears on the screen and then fades away.

Nicole finds the lemons, oranges, and sesame quickly in the Southwestern Forest. She then goes to the shore of the South Beach, and sees a pretty shell.

You found an Orange Plaidy!

Nicole puts the shell in the box of rarities, and then goes to fish. First she pulls the line before a fish bites. Then she gets a bite, but pulls the line in too quickly and the bait breaks off. Eventually she gets the hang of it, but catches some seaweed before catching three fish. She goes to the cooking pot and makes the stew.

Quest 21 complete!

You have mastered the Fish Stew recipe!

By the time the stew is done cooking Keruka has the machete, and gives it to Nicole. Nicole makes her way back to Bukela sitting in the net.

"Sorry it took so long, Bukela. I had to catch some fish."

"That's okay, I'm fine."

"How should we do this?"

"You can cut enough of the vines so that I can slip through the bottom."

Bukela stands up, grasps the upper sides of the net, and moves her feet to shoulder with so Nicole can cut the pieces of vine at the bottom of the net without cutting Bukela's feet. Nicole cuts enough vines to make a square twenty centimeters wide.

"That's enough," says Bukela. "Now stand back."

Nicole does, and Bukela carefully sits down and puts her legs through the opening in the bottom. She eases her way down, holding onto the sides of the net and climbing down hand over hand. It's a little tight at her hips, but she wiggles through until she is hanging by her hands from the bottom of the net. She holds on for a few seconds, looks down and measure the drop which is about half a meter, and then lets go, landing on her feet.

"Thank you, Nicole. Now let's get back and see what we can do."

Nicole doesn't realize how much she has overexerted herself, and on the way back collapses from exhaustion. Bukela can't wake her immediately.

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