| “Exposure” A short story based on the WB Series, “Tarzan” By Kythera *** This story contains characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and is creation of Warner Brothers and the property of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Trust. I have created it strictly for my personnel amusement and the amusement of others on www.travisfimmelforum.com Summary: Jane is in college but wants to be an investigative reporter. She is taking a journalism major. Her older sister Nikki is a cop so Jane gets involved her cases, just like her favorite detective, Nancy Drew. Lately Jane is particularly interested in the Clayton case – missing family of a corporate giant, murder mystery, and the looming presence of Richard Clayton – all the makings of a good investigative article. *** Chapter 12 -- Remembrance “Who are you looking for?” Tarzan asked. “A family that disappeared many years ago. There were three of them. A man, his wife, and their six year old son who were lost a long time ago. Do you know anything about them?” Tarzan shook his head. “Tarzan, is there anyone we can ask who might remember?” “I could ask my mother.” “Your mother is alive? Where is she? By all means, let us ask her. It’s very important.” “Very well. If it is very important to you. Come, climb on my back.” “We’re going now? Where are you taking me?” Paul asked in a nervous voice. “Now is better. Not far.” Was the terse reply. Paul again experienced the thrill of flying through the trees but this time he could see ahead. Tarzan expertly selected vines that were strong enough to hold two and made swift progress to his destination. He dropped down at least 50 feet but landed softly without a jolt. Paul was amazed. He had never had a friend like this! They had landed in a small clearing surrounded by tall trees. Paul could tell there was movement in those trees and on the ground. Large, dark shapes came in and out of the shadows, and the vocalization of grunts indicated that apes were all around. Tarzan could sense that Paul was afraid but had put on a firm face. He admired this; it showed that Paul was brave. Tarzan admired bravery. Paul was going to be a good friend. Tarzan left Paul’s side to go to one of the creatures and spoke with it in guttural sounds and grunts. It followed him to where Paul was standing. ‘Oh boy,’ thought Paul. ‘Now what do I do? Courage.’ As if in answer to his unspoken question, Tarzan introduced Paul to his mother, Kala! “Paul, this is Kala, my Mother,” introduced Tarzan. Paul nodded in Kale’s direction but kept her between him and Tarzan. Kala circled around Paul, sniffed him, and came back to Tarzan’s side. She gave Tarzan a questioning look. “Who is this?” she asked in the language of the apes. “My friend,” replied Tarzan. “I sent Numa the lion away from him. He is teaching me to speak the language of the Tarmangani.” “Ump. What good is that?” “I know now that there are others like me. I want to be able to talk with them.” His mind shifted briefly again to the beautiful she he wanted to be able to talk to. Paul had watched this exchange and decided it was time to see if Tarzan’s ‘mother” could provide any information. He coughed to get Tarzan’s attention. “Tarzan, I don’t think this ape could possibly be your natural mother. Can you ask her about your birth?’ Tarzan translated Paul’s question as best he could into Ape. Kala furrowed her brows together and studied the question for a long time (for an ape). She finally remembered that she had not given birth to Tarzan. “I found you in the jungle near the wood shelter. It was after the death of a strange, big bird. My balu was killed and I was sad about my loss. You were crying and alone. I comforted you and loved you the instant I hugged you. You have been my son since then.” Tarzan frowned. This was the first time that Kala had provided this information. He translated everything to Paul. Tarzan admitted some of it was new to him. “What does she know about three people, male, female, and child?” Kala said she found the male and female dead. Kerchak the tribal king had killed them in a fit of lunacy. She had prevented the murder of the child. “What happened to the child?” Kala shrugged and turned to look for worms. It had been a long interview by ape standards. Turing back, she said. “your father was a white ape.” And disappeared into the forest. Tarzan translated everything to Paul and was confused by what his mother had told him. He knew from her that his father was a white ape but never had she said that was not his natural mother. Now he had a puzzle to deal with. Paul sensed Tarzan’s confusion and said, “Why don’t we return to the cabin? May be we can find something there that can help clear this up.” Tarzan agreed and took him back. Paul tried again to send a message to base camp but only got static. He decided to go into the cave and see if any of the old equipment could be rigged to work. All hardware was over 20 years old but, with his skill, he might be able to get part of it going. He noticed that there were many old diskettes (5-1/4 inch format). They may contain data. He had to try to get the old PC going because he didn’t think he could find anyone who could convert 5-1/4 inch diskettes to 3-1/2 size. He even found an old KayPro luggable PC. ‘This place is a graveyard of old data processing hardware and primitive communication equipment,” he said to himself. He tried all night and into the next morning but nothing worked. He decided that the old generator may need to recharge for 24 hours to get enough juice to be able to run at least the PC. He told Tarzan that the square box had to eat for 24 hours. “What will you feed it?” asked a perplexed Tarzan. He didn’t see any value in it. “It needs to hum the way it is doing so that the sun can give it food,” replied Paul, putting it in terms that Tarzan might understand. Tarzan’s grunt meant that he had understood although he still thought this effort was silly. Chapter 13 – How to be human Tarzan, in the meantime, had reached a decision of his own. It was time for Paul to tell him about the blond goddess. He would ask him about her. He asked about Paul’s traveling companions. Paul named and described each one. Tarzan then asked “Who is the girl with the golden hair?” “Oh, that’s Jane Porter. She is taking notes to write a report.” “She is very beautiful.” “Yes. I suppose she is,” said Paul, suddenly realizing that Jane really WAS beautiful. “I have feelings for her. I want her. What do humans do when they want to mate with a female? An Ape male fights other males for the female, he wins, the male and female then pair off, and mate. Do humans do the same?” Paul took in a breath and started to explain, “It’s not like that with people. Animals mate to make more animals. Humans do the same too but we also make love for pleasure. We call it sex. Human man and woman meet, like each other, go out to get to know each other better. We call that a date. They can go on several dates with different partners. If they really like one partner, they pair off and there is a courtship period. We do not pair off forever until we “love” each other and there is a bond between us. “ “What is “courtship”? What is “love”? “Well, courtship is where a man and a woman decide to spend more time together and do not look for other partners. They begin to show their affection for each other. They give each other gifts, continue to date, and begin to know each other much better. They may even make love.” “As for Love, Tarzan, my friend, mankind has asked ‘what is love’ for many, many eons and the answer is different for each couple.” “Does love hurt?” “Sometimes. But in a good way. There is also burning and yearning feelings too. It is not a simple emotion. It is more complex for women than men too. Women really are hard to understand. Men have been trying since there were men and women on Earth but they still are a mystery.” “I have a warm pain in here,” he pointed to his heart. “It goes away a little when I do not see her and returns when I do. But she is always in my thoughts.” “Yes. You have it bad – the love bug,” laughed Paul. “Love bug? Is it a sickness.” “Not like any you’ve ever known. It is a sickness of the emotions and of the heart. But it’s not fatal. Tarzan, this is your first love. It is sometimes called “puppy love” because you are inexperienced in these matters when you get it.” Tarzan thought for a moment and answered, “It may be my first love but it is my last one too. I do not want another mate than Jane.” “Remember, Tarzan, that in our society, it’s the woman who chooses the mate. I hope once you loose your roughness and become more civilized you will be court Jane. But you will also have to prepare yourself for rejection. Do you understand this?” said Paul. ”Yes. But I always win,” replied Tarzan with a smile. Having come to the end of this topic for the moment, Tarzan changed the subject. “Tomorrow I will take you back. I want to speak with the Jane Porter now that I have learned to so do.” ‘I am glad you are taking me back but you must be careful. There are men armed with rifles that can kill you.” “Yes, the thunder sticks. I have seen how they deliver Death. Why would they kill me?” “You are a stranger and an enemy.” That’s the closest way he could explain it to Tarzan. “I am not afraid. I have been inside your camp many times.” “Did you bring that flower to Jane?” “Yes. I was in the tree above her when she placed it on the table. She seemed pleased.” “She was. Now this is the first step toward getting to know her,” offered Paul to continue Tarzan’s train of thought and his education in courtship. “Why are women a mystery?” he asked picking up the thread of Paul’s previous statement. “You’ll see. You already are starting to get some idea. Women are wonderful, beautiful creatures but they also will make you suffer. It’s in their nature. They are hunters and they are at their best when searching for a husband. The thing is they are also the bait! You’d better watch yourself, Tarzan. You’re asking to be domesticated!” And Paul laughed. Tarzan thought seriously about what Paul had just said and did not make a reply. He was a hunter. So, now Jane was also a hunter. He was the prey! He was beginning to realize that he had a lot to learn about women! But he thought it would be fun! Before they left in the morning, Paul turned the PC on and found that the diskettes did indeed have data on them. One diskette contained a diary. Just as he was beginning to read it, the generator died. He gathered all of the diskettes and put them in his backpack. He was now determined to find some way to read them. It was a challenge for him. Tarzan brought breakfast and, after they ate, he again had Paul grasp him and Paul was treated to another tree-swinging ride back to base camp. Chapter 14 – Back at the ranch Nikki sat at her PC looking with concern at what was on the screen. Jane had sent her a disturbing group of emails that made her wonder if her little sister was in too deep. A crocodile almost ate her, a strange jungle man rescued her, some hints of evidence, Richard Clayton’s behavior towards her – Nikki was very worried. She hoped her sister would stay out of trouble. Without showing alarm, she emailed her back with some advice she hoped would keep Jane safe. Nikki decided to use Richard’s absence to try to get information about Clayton’s connection with the murder and the John Clayton family’s disappearance. She thought she might make an ally of Kathleen Clayton. She made an appointment with her and left for it. She didn’t want to be late as Kathleen had a reputation for punctuality. “Detective Porter, please, come in.” Nikki was greeted warmly by Kathleen. “I understand you wish to discuss a police matter with me?” “Yes, Ms. Clayton. I am working on a murder case that appears to have a connection with your brother Richard. If I may, I’d like to ask you some questions about that.” “Well, I doubt if I can provide you with anything but go ahead and ask your questions,” said Kathleen, mildly interested. Were you aware that your brother John left a Will?” Nikki asked. “I would have assumed so. A person in our financial and social position always has a Will. We are almost born with one. It gets updated as we age.” “This one may have been a more recent Will than you knew about. Do you know who James Blake was?” “Yes, an attorney in the company who’s very loyal to John. Did you say “was”? “Yes, I did. He was found murdered, mafia-style, a month ago. He had come to see my captain to tell him about the Will and some evidence he had that directly linked your brother Richard as having arranged for the disappearance of your brother John and his family. He was murdered before he could bring his documents in. Kathleen looked surprised and shocked. “My brother Richard may be many things but a murderer? I find that hard to believe. Poor Jim Blake. I always found him to be an honest man. But I am very disturbed by what you’ve told me and offended. Since you do not have any hard evidence, I don’t see why we should continue with this interview.” She started to rise to end it. “Please, Ms. Clayton. I meant no offense but Richard was seen leaving the scene of Blake’s murder. I have to investigate every lead no matter how insensitive it may seem to you,” exclaimed Nikki. Kathleen sat down again and thought, “Richard, have you done now!” “What does all this have to do with me?” she asked Nikki. “Well, I know that you and your brother are not close. I was hoping that you could help me. I need to have access to the office which you share with him so I can go through his files.” said Nikki. “Why don’t you just get a court order?” Kathleen was no dummy. “The Federal agents are going to do that. They will seize everything because of the national security issues concerning the biological warfare chemicals.” “Biological warfare chemicals!?” exclaimed an astonished Kathleen. “I‘m sorry I seemed to have started in the middle instead of the beginning. My department has assigned me to find Blake’s killer and evidence that there is a link between that murder and your brother John’s disappearance with his family. It was not an accident. Richard may have hired people to make it look like an accident. He may have left an electronic trail. I need to have access to his computer files before the Feds take everything. “It seems a bit unorthodox to me. What about the biological warfare chemical?” asked Kathleen. “We have information that your brother John was working as a CIA operative. He was recruited to do a one-time job for them. His cover was that he and his family were going on a safari to visit Greystoke Industries holdings. The CIA wanted him to gather as much information as he could about a secret facility that is developing new biological warfare chemicals. It’s in or near the area he was visiting. It’s important to find this facility and destroy it. If we can bring the people involved in this affair to justice, they might implicate Richard They will most likely not want to go to prison (and even death) without bringing down all of the participants in this plot.” Kathleen was warming up to Nikki’s request. ‘So, Richard was tinkering in biological warfare,’ She thought. “How low! Where and when did he go wrong? He wasn’t a bad brother until John’s disappearance. Ok, Ms. Detective-Hotshot, you look in his “regular” files, I’ll check his archived, secured files myself. If anyone is going to bring him down, it’s going to be ME!’ “Detective Porter, Nikki is it?” she said in a smooth, friendly tone. “You are correct that Richard and I are enemies. We are locked in a corporate battle to win control of Greystoke Industries. It certainly would be to my advantage if he were involved in everything you described. It would save me from a lengthy legal battle. I’ll help you on the condition that no one else knows what we are doing. I’ll provide you with Richard’s access codes in a few minutes. I have to get them myself. I too will not let anyone in this organization know what we are doing.” Nikki was thrilled. “I agree. We two will be the only ones to know about this. I don’t think I’ll need to see his paper files now. The Feds can take them. I’ll be working with an agent anyway so I’ll have the ability to read them. My main focus is to find out why Richard was at the murder scene.” Kathleen excused herself, went to a private vault, and retrieved the necessary passwords that would allow Nikki to access Richard’s files. She also set into motion her own scan of his more secret, archived records. “Thank you so much, Ms. Clayton. I’ll keep you informed if there are any findings.” And with that, Nikki left Kathleen’s office. Nikki eagerly returned to her office and started accessing the Greystoke website and Richard’s files. She knew it would not be easy. He would not leave an obvious record around but she also knew that Richard was arrogant and might just think he had risen above the Law. She scanned document after document by oldest date to the present but didn’t find anything until she came across a more recent email from an associate in Africa. Bingo! This man was writing about “the farm”, the “new type of farm equipment” was ready to be “manufactured”, and that all was in readiness for a “demonstration” for prospective “buyers”. Now she had a name and an email address to start her investigation! Nikolas Rokkoff – why was that name familiar? She’d check InterPol as well as FBI and Homeland Security sites to see if his name popped up. At least now, she was on to something --which promised not to be another dead-end Once she got the information about Rokkoff and found that he still was in Africa, she’d warn Jane about him so she could avoid him at all costs. Chapter 15 – Rescue Tarzan deposited Paul near base camp. He sniffed the air to get Jane’s scent. She had gone towards a swampy area well beyond the usual grid they had been studying. He didn’t wait to say good-bye to Paul but swung away to find her. It’s a good thing too. Jane had not realized that the ground beneath her was so soft and spongy. When she took a step, she sank in the muck up to her waist. She was alone, having left Richard on a pretext of searching for her binoculars. She had called out for help but only got the echo of her voice back. The jungle was like a thick wall. She tried to remember everything she knew about quicksand. It was not much. Instinctively, she knew not to flail around too much as she sunk more quickly that way. She tried to ooze herself slowly to the shoreline and made good progress to the end. But when she reached her goal, however, the bank was too steep. She tried to grasp some grasses but they were not stable. She ended up pulling them out by their roots. This was not good. She was still calling out for help when she noticed a
rope dangling from a branch above her. She took this lifeline in her hands
and was pulled up into the tree. She looked closely at this Adonis with one sweep of her eyes. He was tall, muscular without being a body-builder, and exceedingly handsome. His skin was bronzed by the sun and glistened in its rays. He was muscular but without being bulky. He was naked except for a g-string that barely covered his manhood. A gold pendant encrusted with diamonds hung from his neck. Below his washboard abs, a home-made sheath that held a hunting knife hung from a cord around his toned waste. His hair was black, straight, and long in back but cut in front so it would not fall in his way and obscures his vision. He had the demeanor of a hunter and the self-assured stance of a king. He came closer and put his hand on her chin, holding her face up to him. He was very curious about her and showed it. Not in a lewd way but in an honest display of interest and desire. He inhaled to remember her scent. She froze. She did not feel fear. She instinctively knew that he would not harm her. They stood like this for a few seconds. Her mouth dropped open. She had never see such a man before! She’d better not stare too much longer or she’d be lost in those eyes. She needed to break the awkward silence. “Hello,” she stammered. My name is Jane, Jane Porter ” she ended meekly. “Hello. My name is Tarzan.” He said in a strong, deep voice. “Thank you for saving me. I don’t know what I would have done if you had not come along just when you did,” Jane said nervously. Tarzan was continuing to stare at her with both curiosity and longing as she spoke. His look denied that she was a mess. He was adoring her. “Are you hurt?” he asked with concern in his voice. “No, just embarrassed,” she said laughingly. “And I am dirty too. I need to go somewhere to wash off.” “Come. I know just the place.” He said. And with that, he picked her up, told her to hold onto his neck, and grabbed a vine. As he swung out, he realized how nice it felt to hold this creature in his arms! She seemed to melt into his body. She, on the other hand, was frozen with fright. She made a small shriek as he moved from vine to vine and tree to tree above the jungle floor which was over 100 feet below them! She had to close her eyes. Yet his body felt so good to her and she was safe and secure in those strong arms. She became aware that they were falling but when they landed she barely felt it. They landed so softly. She could open her eyes now. He, then, on a whim, dropped her unceremonially into the little stream! Jane shrieked as she fell into the water. She broke the water, safely and was able to float there. “That was not nice!” she exclaimed to a grinning Tarzan above her. But she giggled too. The small pond was surrounded by ferns with a low waterfall. She breathed in the fragrant scents coming from the floral near her and couldn’t wait to bathe. She took off her dirty clothes and stripped down to her bra and panty. She didn’t feel embarrassed because she had worn bikis that were more revealing. She washed the mud from her clothes, wrung them out, and placed them on nearby rocks to dry. Now she could enjoy her bath. She intended to remove her underwear when she noticed that Tarzan was watching her intently from a nearby tree. “Hey, give a lady some privacy. I want to bathe alone,” she called to Tarzan. He moved away slightly. She bathed in privacy and comfort and then replaced her underwear. In the meantime, Tarzan who had moved to another branch that had more foliage, was going trying to figure out what “humans” do in this kind of situation. He thought, ‘Paul said humans “date” first. I never asked him to explain this. Is this a date? He decided that he did not have enough information so he’d try to find out in his own. With this in mind, he dove into the water to join Jane. She saw him dive and swam away, making it a race to the opposite shore. He took up the chase and quickly outdistanced her with his more powerful strokes. They both laughed at this. They then swam together side by side with Tarzan keeping his strokes in rhythm to Jane’s. They took pleasure in this closeness and swam back and forth together several times. After a while, they had had enough and decided to go ashore. Tarzan made it first and offered his arm pulling Jane out of the water. He brought her up and close to him so that they were almost embracing. Jane looked into the handsome, winning face that was worshiping her with his eyes and again felt the first blush of love. She never had felt this way before with any of her boyfriends. She was overwhelmed by her emotions. It was too much too soon. She moved back slightly to avoid being so close to him. This relationship was moving too fast, too soon. She needed to find out all she could about this wonderful creature before she became too involved with him. She knew once committed there was no turning back. “Tarzan, let’s sit down under that tree and talk,” she suggested sweetly. “I would like that. Paul taught me to speak. I want to speak with you. I know how read and write too,” he said earnestly. “Paul taught you to speak! Why couldn’t you speak if you could read and write?” “I taught myself from books in my cabin. But there was no one to speak with.” “How did you live, how did you get here, Tarzan?” “Kala raised me and protected me. She taught me the ways of the jungle, how to survive, how to hunt. She told me my father was a white ape. I do not know how I got here. I always thought Kala had given birth to me but now I am not so sure.” “Kala? Who is Kala?” she asked. “My mother. She is an ape.” “Ape? I do not think that is possible. You do not know who your people are?” “No.” was the brief answer. There was a moment of silence, then getting back to his own need, he asked, “Is this a date?” “A what? Date? Well, no, not exactly. You see, a date is between two people who know each other, decide to see more of each other, and go someplace special. Until now, we have not really met.” “But we have just met and are together now. So, is not this a date?” he insisted. “No, we are together by accident – I needed help, you came to help me.” “Oh I see. When can we date? I want to see more of you.” He persisted. “Well, it is not that simple. I need to get to know you. You can visit me at base camp. I could show you all the new equipment we are using. My companions can teach you how to use some of them. You could learn a lot.” He neither indicated yes or no to this but seemed to absorb the information. “Who is the older man, the leader, of your group?” he changed the subject again. “His name is Richard Clayton. He rescued me from a crocodile.” “Yes, I know. I was there too.” “You were? Oh! Why didn’t you resc..…? I mean why didn’t you come into the camp to meet us?” she ended lamely. To herself, she said, ‘why couldn’t YOU have been the one to rescue me?’ “There are no friends in the jungle,” he said simply to indicate that he didn’t really accept or trust his own kind yet. “I’d like to go back to camp now,” she said as she noticed that it was getting later in the day. “It is too far to take you back now. I will take you to my cabin. Tomorrow I will take you back. Come.” Tarzan always put his thoughts into action and before Jane knew it she was being carried again through the trees again. She was not as shocked as the first time but still clung to this agile man with all her strength. She liked the feeling too and tried to settle into him but kept tensing up when she looked around her. He noticed her tension and whispered tenderly, “I will never drop you.” Chapter 16 – Loss Richard had not approached Jane since the croc incident but had her always on his mind. He could not change over-night but would try to make every attempt to become the man she seemed to indicate she preferred. ‘Yes, she was a good judge of character. She wanted a man who didn’t carry any “baggage” with him. Well, I’ll become that man. Just for her sake.’ He now wanted her badly so he could start a family, a dynasty! That was his new goal which he would pursue with all his strength, power, and ability. She had awaked something that had been dead in him – the need for love. He went to her yurk to find her. He wanted to be close to her but was not yet ready to reveal himself entirely. He would go slow with this romance. She was very young so he didn’t want her to become frightened of an older man being her suitor. “Oh Hi! Mr. Clayton,” said Nancy. “Hello Nancy. Where is Jane? I want to get our team going this morning.” “Well, I don’t know. She left earlier to explore Grid #4 and hasn’t returned yet.” “That’s not like her to leave without letting me know,” he said. Nancy started getting concerned because of the tone in his voice. He left the yurk and called for Nash. “Have the men start searching Grid #4 immediately. Jane Porter has not reported back to camp.” “Right away, sir,” said Nash as he called the armed men together. “You heard him. Go look for Ms. Porter in Grid #4. NOW!” They left on their mission with Richard following. The other students gathered around and decided to do their own search in the other grids in case she had moved to another area. They left Nancy at base camp to be able to inform Richard and his troops. Richard and his men found Jane’s tracks leading out of the actual grid area and into the swamp. They came to the edge of the swamp and looked to see if there was any indication that she had been there. One of the men found a visor and a scarf floating on the surface of a secluded area within the swamp. He retrieved them and brought them to Richard. Richard looked at them for a long time. Then, he asked to be taken to the exact spot where they were found. He stood there, looking for evidence that Jane may have passed by this spot and not actually tried to cross it. “We’ve found footprints that show she entered here,” said Nash, pointing to a specific indentation in the mud. Richard’s entire body had stiffened. ‘This can’t be happening to me! Now that I have found one person for whom I am willing to change!’ he thought. “Nash,” he asked in a cold voice. “How long does it take for a body float up to the surface?” “At least one day, sir”, replied Nash. “Can the swamp be dredged?” “I suppose with the right equipment,” “Order it!” With that Richard left as he wanted to be on his own. It took several days for the special equipment to be helicoptered in but despite their best efforts, no “body” was found and no other tracks were discovered. Richard may have lost his first true love even before the romance had a chance to start. He was inconsolable. Chapter 17 – New Love In the meantime, the object of Richard’s love and agony was having a wonderful time with her new found love. Tarzan and Jane arrived at the cabin by late afternoon. Tarzan left her to explore it and discover the cave beyond while he went in search of food. He told her where he was going and touched her cheek very tenderly before taking off into the trees. She was not afraid to be left alone now. Jane was getting mixed emotions. She was feeling the first pangs of love but was it a love she wanted? Her heart was singing. But her mind was asking those annoying, practical questions. …. ‘Stop it Jane,’ she said to herself. ‘You know he loves you. But his love is so strong that it frightens you. You have to figure out a way to cool him down! Get him to slow down. Now, that’s going to be a major challenge!’ and she laughed. Her exploration of the cabin only served to peek her curiosity about him and the missing Clayton family. She walked into the cave and found all of the antiquated equipment. She started a methodical search and found an album on a shelf in the cave where it could easily be overlooked. She flipped open the pages to find photographs of a family of three—father, mother, and toddler son. They seemed happy. The cabin was in the background so these photos were taken here. ‘Now that’s a start,’ she thought. She heard a noise from within the cabin that caught her by surprise. Tarzan had returned with lots of fruit that would comprise their meal. “Oh, you startled me. I guess I was concentrating on this album.” “What is concentrating?” he asked as his spoken vocabulary was still limited. “It means paying complete attention on one thing to the point of blocking everything else out,” she answered. He seemed satisfied with that answer and had a twinkle in his eyes. “We should eat now,” he announced. They went outside and sat on a rock to eat together. Tarzan prepared some of the fruit with his hunting knife. They ate in silence but stole glances at each other until Jane started giggling at they way they were being coy with each other. Tarzan joined her in laughter which was a rarity in the jungle. After they had finished, she pointed to the pendent around his neck. “Where did you get that?” she asked. “I found it in the cabin.” Was his response and he took it off she could examine it. The diamonds were stunning. Jane tooled the pendent in her hand and then noticed that it had a clasp on one side. She pushed in on it and it sprung open in her hand. ‘Oh, it’s a locket,’ she said to herself. The inside of the locket contained a miniature photo of the same family as in the album. “Look, Tarzan, this photo is the same as the one in this photo album.” She said as she offered the album to him along with the locket. “The man is the photo looks a lot like you,” she continued. “Do you know why?” “No,” was his reply but he showed more interest now that she had made the connection between the two. He seemed unable or unwilling to let go of the fact that he belonged to the jungle. “Tarzan, this may be your family,” She offered. “We need to find more things that might help us.” “Why? It does not matter to me. I know all I need to know. I have YOU and that is enough.” He stepped closer and looked into her eyes. She looked back and found herself sinking into “that” feeling under his intensity. She swallowed hard and said, “Tarzan is does matter. It is important that you find out who your family is and where they are now. They may be searching for you too. You have to learn about your past to make you a complete person.” “I am complete with you,” he said simply. “No, you do not want to understand but I need you to. Leave me out of this for a moment. You told me that you wanted to find your own kind--humans. Part of that search is to find your own people, your family. It is your duty to do this.” “If it pleases you, I will do this search. How do I begin it?” She sighed, at least he was willing to start searching. He sure was single-minded! But she’d use this to her advantage. “Well, let’s start by looking at everything here that might show who you are. Papers, official documents, any writings, more photographs, anything. It’s like a treasure hunt,” she said. “Hunt?” That was a key word that caught his attention. “I hunt. I am the best hunter in the jungle. Let us start now.” With that, he went inside the cabin and started … Jane followed with a grin on her face. This man was sure different from any other she had known. He acted on his first thought or impulse which up to now had served him well. But in civilization, he could get himself into a lot of trouble. By mid-afternoon, they had made quite of pile of things that promised to have some clues as to Tarzan’s parentage. Jane reminded him that he had promised to return her to base camp. He looked at her with a touch of sadness in his eyes. “Stay here with me. I will hunt for you. I will protect you. Stay,” he pleaded. “I can’t, Tarzan, I have a life in my world. I do not fit into your world. I have other things I want to do -- school to attend, then a job as a reporter. But I want YOU to come with me to my world so I can help you find your family. “I will follow you even though to will be hard to leave the jungle. But I need to be with you, always,” he said softly. In the meantime, he removed the locket from his neck and placed it around Jane’s. She was surprised and wanted to remove it but he wouldn’t let her. He held her hands in one of his hands and with the other caressed her face. “Now we are dating and courting because I have given you a gift!” he announced with such pride that Jane had to giggle and accept his gift. She was pleased that he had given it to her but didn’t want him misinterpreting her acceptance. “I accept this as a token of your friendship. It does not mean we are courting, yet, Tarzan,” she explained. He was satisfied that she had accepted his love-token for whatever reason. Courting and love would come later. Now they prepared to return to base camp. She had written landmarks into her PDA so that the expedition could come to find this cabin. Of course, Tarzan would be right there to lead them back if he wanted to. But she couldn’t count on him to do this as he was unpredictable. As she was putting things into her backpack, she became aware that a large creature had come up next to her and was looking her over, sniffing her. She didn’t move. She wondered why Tarzan hadn’t come to protect her. “Ta-Tar-Tarzan!” was all she could shriek. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was frightened. “This is my mother Kala, Jane,” he answered reassuringly. “Do not be afraid.” She turned to face the she-ape and tried to look friendly. She knew from her nature readings that she should not show a toothy smile. Kala seemed to be speaking to her but she couldn’t understand any of her vocalizations. “What is she say?” she asked Tarzan. “She says you are too skinny to bare babies,” he laughed and added, “But she likes you” “Oh, that’s very nice.” Now Kala was lifting Jane’s hair and sniffing all around her. Jane put her hand out and stroked her arm. Kala liked that and gave her a soft look. Jane looked into those brown eyes and saw compassion and love in them. ‘What a kind creature this is. No wonder Tarzan had such empathy with others. She had taught him this. She adopted a child from another world and gave him all of her love.’ Kala brought her arm around Jane and gathered in towards her chest. Jane didn’t resist. She felt loved and accepted. But Tarzan became impatient with this female bonding and grunted something to her. Kala released Jane and wandered off. “You sent her away. Why?” asked Jane a little disappointed. “We need to start for your camp,” he replied. So they started their journey with the help of a friendly
elephant who carried them and their packages. Jane was at first timid
but was getting used to Tarzan’s friends and family. She liked sitting
astride the elephant so very close to Tarzan who held her. Had he asked
her in that moment, she would have stayed with him. She would have given
up everything. But the moment passed without the question being asked
and their destinies were in another direction. Tarzan liked the close contact with this golden girl. He decided to rest so that he could make the journey back to base camp as long as possible. He lowered Jane to the ground and took their packages off of the pachyderm. It went off to feed. Tarzan led Jane to a little glen. He put his arms around her and drew her near to him. She was overwhelmed by a fire inside her. She wanted this man! She could not wait any longer. She placed her arms around his neck and drew him towards her. He looked surprised, hesitated a moment, then understood and lowered his head towards her. She pulled him straight to her waiting lips. He instantly knew what to do and kissed her passionately, deeply until they were both lost each other’s in their passion. Still kissing her with small wet kisses, he led her down onto the grasses. They started exploring each other’s body. He was partly on top of her. Her hands drifted down his neck, then his broad chest, down his tight abs and below his waist. She kissed him where her hands had explored. She pulled his buttocks into her body and felt him hardening. He could only whisper her name softly. He explored her body too. He kissed her neck and moved down to her chest and cleavage. He moved his hands over her tight tank top to feel her breasts through her bra. He cupped each one in his hand very gently. This was a new organ that needed some further exploration. Her nipples were hardening. He wanted to remove these obstacles—clothing-- to feel her naked body. She was in sweet ecstasy, moaning, falling, falling... Suddenly there was a movement in the ferns which were giving the lovers privacy. Tarzan became instantly alert. He turned and was ready for a fight. The ferns parted and Tublat came roaring towards them! His stance made it clear that he was challenging Tarzan for Jane. He made an attempt to grab her and kidnap her away. But Tarzan was lightening fast in preventing him by hitting him so hard that he fell away. Tarzan rose more quickly than Jane ever expected a man could (under the circumstances) and stood in readiness for his opponent to charge. He roared back his own challenge and moved towards Tublat but also in such a way as to lead him away from Jane. Jane had never heard a human voice emit such sounds! She was still panting from their love making and took her awhile to recover. He, however, was all savage! His face was contorted in a wild grimace. His vocalizations were equal to his opponent. He met the ape’s charge with a charge of his own. They were like two bulls colliding together. Tarzan knew enough to avoid getting to close to this monster as he would never survive a close battle. He hit Tublat a passing blow as he stepped aside to let him swing at empty air. That blow would have killed a man but Tublat was an ape. They spared several times. Then Tarzan saw his opportunity to slip behind Tublat and gave him a tremendous blow. Then, grabbing the ape’s arms in a half-nelson, he pressed the ape’s neck down towards its chest. Down, down Tublat’s neck went until there was a loud crack and the ape shuddered and became lifeless. It had happened so quickly that Jane could not believe it! She was gasping for breath. Tarzan then placed his foot on the body of his dead opponent and gave voice to the victory cry of the apes as he beat his great chest. Jane was both enthralled at the victory over this monster ape and repulsed by the savage who had emerged from what had been her lover. ‘Who is this person? What kind of creature was he? Had she just made love to this uncouth savage?’ This was a side of him she never expected and made her afraid. He turned and looked at her. His eyes which had become two dark steel-grey beams during the fight were now soft with concern. “Did he hurt you, Jane?” he asked in a normal voice. “No,” she said weakly. “Jane, why are you looking at me like that?” “You -- I never expected that you could be so – so, Oh! God! What have I opened myself to,” she ended in a stammer and started to cry and would have run away if she could have. Tarzan did not know how to respond. He sensed that she was not pleased with him but he did not know why. He had fought as Kala had taught him to do. But to Jane, this was wrong. He tried to touch her, to comfort her, but she waved him away while she tried to get control of her emotions. He sensed that she was afraid of him, and it almost broke his heart. Somehow was losing her. She gained control of herself. “Take me back to the camp, please,” she said in a steady but cool voice. “Yes. We are almost there but I wanted to spend more time with you, Jane. “Now! I want to go home,” she said emphatically like a child. “Very well,” he said quietly. “Jane, let me explain. The jungle is a wild and savage place. In order to survive, creatures have to be as wild and strong as their enemies. I sense you are now ashamed and afraid of me. Why? I defended you. I fought for you.” It took Jane awhile to compose herself to answer him. He waited patiently. I-I apologize for my reaction, Tarzan,” she said simply. “I am not ashamed of what you did. I am grateful and proud. That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen -- to kill an adult ape with no weapons but you own hands. But I have never seen such violence in you or any other human. You became a different person to me. I just did not expect what I saw in you.” “That is how I fight. And that is how I hunt. I love you, Jane. I will fight any one to protect you.” “We will be joining the others soon. I need time to think through how we can be together. I want us to be friends first—not lovers. My world has rules that we live by and you will need to learn what they are so that you can live there.” “If that is what you want me to do, I’ll learn these rule and I’ll become the person you want me to be. But Jane, I am wild and a part of me will always be wild. I cannot change that. It is who I am. I can only learn to control it.” She looked into his eyes. He was promising to make so many sacrifices for love of her. Did she have the right to ask him to? She was nineteen; she had goals. How did this man fit into her life? She didn’t know. “Thank you for promising me that you will try. That is all I can expect. I just do not want us to move too fast in being together. Do you understand?” “Yes,” he said tightly. “I am an ape and you do not want to be with an ape.” “No, that’s not fair. I-I am confused. I need time to sort out all of my feelings. Will you wait for me to do this?” “Yes. I will wait. Do you know how long will it take – this sort-out-my-feelings? “ he asked. “No, I do not know. I only know I need Time but I still feel very strongly for you.” There was nothing more either of them could say. In silence and sadness, they gathered the packages containing Tarzan’s possessions, and resumed their journey to the base camp. Chapter 19 – EMPTY Jane was happy to be returning to base camp and eventually her home while Tarzan was sad that their journey together was ending and shy about meeting all the people there. She sensed that Tarzan understood her feelings about the two of them. He told her he would wait for her. She had plans to bring him to Los Angeles to meet his other relative, Kathleen. He could get lessons so that he could function in civilization. Paul had been a great friend and given him an excellent start. He had even tried to teach Tarzan how to use utensils but Tarzan always dropped them down and ate with his hands. He would learn once in Los Angeles. They passed some deep foliage and came to a clearing where the camp was. It was empty! Everything was gone! They had left assuming she was dead! Jane broke down and cried. How could they have left her? Why had they not continued with their project? “What am I going to do now?” she cried. “They have left. I have no means of getting home. I want to go home! I don’t even know where I am?” And she sat down on a rock and cried her heart out. Tarzan couldn’t stand seeing her so upset. He tried to comfort her in the only way he knew. He took her in his arms and put her head on his broad chest. Her entire body shook with the depth of her emotions. He had never felt such sadness except when a death occurred. Well, they were not dead. Tarzan would make Jane happy again. “It will be all right, Jane,” he said softly. “I will take you back to your people.” Jane stopped crying a little, looked up at his face, “You will? How?” she asked. “I will hunt for them,” he said simply. This gave Jane new hope. She even stopped crying and broke into a small smile. “Can you do that?” she asked doubtfully. “Yes. It cannot be different from hunting any other animal.” “Oh, let’s start right away. I don’t like it here,” she said with animation. Tarzan was glad she had stopped crying so took her hand and led her towards the scent of M-A-N. THE STORY CONTINUES WITH “EXPOSURE TO CIVILIZATION” |