Chapter Five: "Be Content With His Eyes . . ."
Lara's entire body throbbed with a kind of nervous energy as she sneaked into the pool
area. She couldn't say why, but she was thrilled and impatient for some reason. Normally, she
avoided all alliances while on a mission, but this time it seemed so natural to be accompanied by
Indy that she felt foolish for having despised assistance on her earlier missions. Maybe her new
outlook came from the knowledge that for once her prospective partner was actually her equal
and not just some brainless thug like Larson or Tony. Whatever the reason, she was in wild
anticipation of the moment when their stakeout would begin.
Needless to say, the gate to the deck was securely fastened for the night, and Lara found it
necessary to climb the fence. Unfortunately, one of her holsters got caught on the gate and she
tumbled forward. Just before her skull hit the sidewalk, she felt a pair of strong arms grab her and
set her on her feet.
"I know that all the ladies fall for me but this is a bit much," whispered Indy as he steadied her.
Lara felt her cheeks crimson in embarrassment and hoped that it was too dark for him to notice.
"Thanks for the lift," she returned coyly as the two crouched in the bushes waiting for the thief.
They waited for only two hours, but to Lara, it seemed like eternity. She would start drifting off
to sleep and Indy would have to rouse her. She had never felt so foolish- or tired- in her life. It
was somehow comforting to know that someone was there to make sure nothing went wrong. For
once, she was the one looked out for instead of the one doing the looking. Of course, Lara would
never admit that it was nice to be cared for by anyone, least of all her rival. Even if he had agreed
with her plan, he was the one who had doubted her innocence before, and that was unforgivable.
Just the same though, he had such strong shoulders and such a nice way of pushing her hair out
of her face when the wind blew it there. And such a wonderful . . . Lara yawned loudly and was
about to nap again when she heard a sudden noise near the gate.
Indy, who was still wide awake, snapped to attention. The two spies held their breath as they
carefully scanned the deck. Several moments later, a shadowy figure came into view and headed
for the water. Lara trained her pistols on the prowler and walked toward him. "Taking a midnight
constitutional? How very intriguing; I was just about to do that myself."
The man froze in his tracks at the sound of Lara's sarcastic comment. Indy switched on his
electric torch and aimed it for the man's face. There, in the dim torchlight, stood a very
frightened and surprised-looking Jean-Yves.
Lara smirked at her comrade and holstered her guns. "Well, Monsieur Garner, it would appear
you have some explaining to do."
Jean was shaking like a lost child. "I'm sorry, Lara, but I had to do it," he faltered.
"Do what?" demanded Lara as she grasped Indy's arm to restrain him from attacking the
Frenchman. "Take the Eternity Stone? A likely story."
Jean's eyes widened in absolute terror at the sight of the enraged professor. "You must believe
me! The goddess, she wanted it this way; she told me that she wanted you to have a normal life."
"What goddess?" boomed Indiana, shaking off Lara's grip and lunging at Jean. "You mean my
mother, don't you? It's probably your fault she's dead, you bastard!
"Really, professor, such an educated man should find a better way of expressing himself,"
muttered Lara.
"You stay out of this!" Indy hissed at her. Turning to Jean, he yelled, "Well, speak up, you
coward! You killed her didn't you?"
Jean looked ready to burst into tears. "Mon dieu, Lara! You must make him understand that I
only did it because she wanted me to."
"What were you doing in the Everglades that she would be able to tell you what she wanted?"
Lara spat.
"I heard of an eternally youthful and gorgeous woman that had been spotted in the swamps at
intervals during the past seventy or so years, and I wanted to prove the rumors' accuracy," he
began nervously. Indy looked ready to tear his throat out.
"So this all comes down to sex again, does it?" said Lara in amusement.
"What do you mean 'again?'" queried Indiana mischievously. "And what, pray tell, is the matter
with sex?"
"Nothing when it's in its proper place," retorted Lara, "but must it be the reason for everything
idiotic that a man does?"
"Yes!" chorused the two men in unison as they gazed at that marvel of anatomy known as Lara
Croft.
"Oh, damn you both!" sputtered Lara in exasperation. "Can't we get back to the subject at
hand?"
"I'm not the one who changed it," Indy unnecessarily reminded her.
"What exactly did Mrs. Jones say to you, Jean?" Lara asked, ignoring Indiana's last comment.
Jean-Yves took in several deep breaths before replying, "After several hours in the jungle, I
found the Fount. Mrs. Jones saw me arrive and before I knew it she was saying, 'Do you see that
pedestal over there? Do me a favor and fetch me that stone.' I, being the ladies' man that I am,
naturally complied to her simple request and when I pulled out the artifact, I was amazed to
discover that the ground shook and the lovely lady collapsed to the ground. I fled to her side
immediately, but it was too late. 'Thank you for doing that for me,' she whispered in her dying
breath. 'I am growing too old to enjoy life any longer. My husband is dead, but more importantly,
my son would have been cursed to live the eternal life I have led if you hadn't just done that.
Now he has the choice to live forever and keep the Fount open, or to place the stone back and
regain his mortality. Please give this stone to Professor Henry Jones as soon as you can; he
should be around these jungles somewhere. Tell him I sent it. I trust he will make the proper
decision.' And then, she died."
Lara and Indiana were silent for a while to let the story sink in. Lara was the first to speak.
"When did all of this occur?"
"Last week, just before you arrived in Florida for the convention. That's why I arranged for you
to show your artifacts. I wanted to know your opinion of the matter before giving the artifact to
Professor Jones. I thought it foolish to risk its transportation, and the only way to get you down
here was to create an exhibition. I hid the object in the pool when I returned from the Everglades,
hoping it would be safe there until I could talk to you. When I saw you talking to Jones, I thought
that you would never listen to my side of the story, so I decided I would just keep the Stone
myself and not worry about it. But since you know . . ." Upon speaking these words, Jean
reached down into the crystal waters, opened a trap-door and began searching for the stone.
"I've already taken care of that," Indy announced as he pulled the glittering artifact from his
pocket. "Now why did you have to get Lara's opinion before handing the stone to me? You
didn't doubt my mother's words, did you?"
Jean had only to note the hateful gleam in Indiana's eyes before determining his answer. "That
wasn't it at all. I just supposed that you would never believe such a fantastic story and would
blame me for your mother's death and kill me. After all, who wouldn't think it's crazy that this
lady didn't want to live forever?"
Lara thought she noticed a flicker of sadness in Indy's eye, but the moment soon passed. "Eternal
life isn't all it's cracked up to be," he remarked dryly. "I, of all people, should know." Indiana
sighed deeply, looking up at the stars for some kind of sign. "Now which to choose."
Jean stared at him in wonderment. "So it's true! The Fountain really can retain youthfulness!
What a wonderful scientific discovery!"
Indy sighed again. "That's the whole trouble."
"What do you mean?" asked Jean in childish wonder.
"What he means is that if he doesn't put the stone back, he can be examined for scientific studies
and may be helpful in the battle against old age. And then, if someone else decided to return it,
they would know what it's like to be immortal, too, and could also be tested as long as he stays in
the garden. And of course there's the obvious benefits of eternal youthfulness and everlasting
life," quipped Lara.
"So where's the problem?" Jean-Yves reiterated.
"If I ever wanted to have any kind of life whatsoever with people I care about, I'd have to put the
stone back. And then, the Fount, stone, and my youthfulness would be gone and I'd have robbed
the world of a great study," finished the professor.
"That sounds a bit selfish to me," replied Jean. "*I'd* pick the first choice. I mean you are a
scientist above all, right?"
Indy looked deep in thought for a moment. "That's a very good question, Jean, a very good
question, and until I figure out the answer, this little beauty's staying right here." He stuffed the
jewel in his pocket once again and turned to Lara. "Come on, let's get inside. We can talk about
this tomorrow. I bet we're all tired and need a good night's sleep."
As if on cue, Lara let out a huge yawn. "That sounds like good idea, Jones."
The three of them carefully exited the pool area and retired to their rooms. Lara fell asleep almost
immediately after her head hit the pillow. The last think she saw before she lost consciousness
was the lonely confused look in Indy's eyes when he had talked of the important choice he must
make. The way his eyes had conveyed such feeling throughout the evening reminded her of a
poem she had read once:
"Be content, fair maiden,
Be content with his eyes."*
TBC . . .
*An excerpt from "His Eyes," a poem by Cassandra Elise, a fellow FanFic writer.
Lara's entire body throbbed with a kind of nervous energy as she sneaked into the pool
area. She couldn't say why, but she was thrilled and impatient for some reason. Normally, she
avoided all alliances while on a mission, but this time it seemed so natural to be accompanied by
Indy that she felt foolish for having despised assistance on her earlier missions. Maybe her new
outlook came from the knowledge that for once her prospective partner was actually her equal
and not just some brainless thug like Larson or Tony. Whatever the reason, she was in wild
anticipation of the moment when their stakeout would begin.
Needless to say, the gate to the deck was securely fastened for the night, and Lara found it
necessary to climb the fence. Unfortunately, one of her holsters got caught on the gate and she
tumbled forward. Just before her skull hit the sidewalk, she felt a pair of strong arms grab her and
set her on her feet.
"I know that all the ladies fall for me but this is a bit much," whispered Indy as he steadied her.
Lara felt her cheeks crimson in embarrassment and hoped that it was too dark for him to notice.
"Thanks for the lift," she returned coyly as the two crouched in the bushes waiting for the thief.
They waited for only two hours, but to Lara, it seemed like eternity. She would start drifting off
to sleep and Indy would have to rouse her. She had never felt so foolish- or tired- in her life. It
was somehow comforting to know that someone was there to make sure nothing went wrong. For
once, she was the one looked out for instead of the one doing the looking. Of course, Lara would
never admit that it was nice to be cared for by anyone, least of all her rival. Even if he had agreed
with her plan, he was the one who had doubted her innocence before, and that was unforgivable.
Just the same though, he had such strong shoulders and such a nice way of pushing her hair out
of her face when the wind blew it there. And such a wonderful . . . Lara yawned loudly and was
about to nap again when she heard a sudden noise near the gate.
Indy, who was still wide awake, snapped to attention. The two spies held their breath as they
carefully scanned the deck. Several moments later, a shadowy figure came into view and headed
for the water. Lara trained her pistols on the prowler and walked toward him. "Taking a midnight
constitutional? How very intriguing; I was just about to do that myself."
The man froze in his tracks at the sound of Lara's sarcastic comment. Indy switched on his
electric torch and aimed it for the man's face. There, in the dim torchlight, stood a very
frightened and surprised-looking Jean-Yves.
Lara smirked at her comrade and holstered her guns. "Well, Monsieur Garner, it would appear
you have some explaining to do."
Jean was shaking like a lost child. "I'm sorry, Lara, but I had to do it," he faltered.
"Do what?" demanded Lara as she grasped Indy's arm to restrain him from attacking the
Frenchman. "Take the Eternity Stone? A likely story."
Jean's eyes widened in absolute terror at the sight of the enraged professor. "You must believe
me! The goddess, she wanted it this way; she told me that she wanted you to have a normal life."
"What goddess?" boomed Indiana, shaking off Lara's grip and lunging at Jean. "You mean my
mother, don't you? It's probably your fault she's dead, you bastard!
"Really, professor, such an educated man should find a better way of expressing himself,"
muttered Lara.
"You stay out of this!" Indy hissed at her. Turning to Jean, he yelled, "Well, speak up, you
coward! You killed her didn't you?"
Jean looked ready to burst into tears. "Mon dieu, Lara! You must make him understand that I
only did it because she wanted me to."
"What were you doing in the Everglades that she would be able to tell you what she wanted?"
Lara spat.
"I heard of an eternally youthful and gorgeous woman that had been spotted in the swamps at
intervals during the past seventy or so years, and I wanted to prove the rumors' accuracy," he
began nervously. Indy looked ready to tear his throat out.
"So this all comes down to sex again, does it?" said Lara in amusement.
"What do you mean 'again?'" queried Indiana mischievously. "And what, pray tell, is the matter
with sex?"
"Nothing when it's in its proper place," retorted Lara, "but must it be the reason for everything
idiotic that a man does?"
"Yes!" chorused the two men in unison as they gazed at that marvel of anatomy known as Lara
Croft.
"Oh, damn you both!" sputtered Lara in exasperation. "Can't we get back to the subject at
hand?"
"I'm not the one who changed it," Indy unnecessarily reminded her.
"What exactly did Mrs. Jones say to you, Jean?" Lara asked, ignoring Indiana's last comment.
Jean-Yves took in several deep breaths before replying, "After several hours in the jungle, I
found the Fount. Mrs. Jones saw me arrive and before I knew it she was saying, 'Do you see that
pedestal over there? Do me a favor and fetch me that stone.' I, being the ladies' man that I am,
naturally complied to her simple request and when I pulled out the artifact, I was amazed to
discover that the ground shook and the lovely lady collapsed to the ground. I fled to her side
immediately, but it was too late. 'Thank you for doing that for me,' she whispered in her dying
breath. 'I am growing too old to enjoy life any longer. My husband is dead, but more importantly,
my son would have been cursed to live the eternal life I have led if you hadn't just done that.
Now he has the choice to live forever and keep the Fount open, or to place the stone back and
regain his mortality. Please give this stone to Professor Henry Jones as soon as you can; he
should be around these jungles somewhere. Tell him I sent it. I trust he will make the proper
decision.' And then, she died."
Lara and Indiana were silent for a while to let the story sink in. Lara was the first to speak.
"When did all of this occur?"
"Last week, just before you arrived in Florida for the convention. That's why I arranged for you
to show your artifacts. I wanted to know your opinion of the matter before giving the artifact to
Professor Jones. I thought it foolish to risk its transportation, and the only way to get you down
here was to create an exhibition. I hid the object in the pool when I returned from the Everglades,
hoping it would be safe there until I could talk to you. When I saw you talking to Jones, I thought
that you would never listen to my side of the story, so I decided I would just keep the Stone
myself and not worry about it. But since you know . . ." Upon speaking these words, Jean
reached down into the crystal waters, opened a trap-door and began searching for the stone.
"I've already taken care of that," Indy announced as he pulled the glittering artifact from his
pocket. "Now why did you have to get Lara's opinion before handing the stone to me? You
didn't doubt my mother's words, did you?"
Jean had only to note the hateful gleam in Indiana's eyes before determining his answer. "That
wasn't it at all. I just supposed that you would never believe such a fantastic story and would
blame me for your mother's death and kill me. After all, who wouldn't think it's crazy that this
lady didn't want to live forever?"
Lara thought she noticed a flicker of sadness in Indy's eye, but the moment soon passed. "Eternal
life isn't all it's cracked up to be," he remarked dryly. "I, of all people, should know." Indiana
sighed deeply, looking up at the stars for some kind of sign. "Now which to choose."
Jean stared at him in wonderment. "So it's true! The Fountain really can retain youthfulness!
What a wonderful scientific discovery!"
Indy sighed again. "That's the whole trouble."
"What do you mean?" asked Jean in childish wonder.
"What he means is that if he doesn't put the stone back, he can be examined for scientific studies
and may be helpful in the battle against old age. And then, if someone else decided to return it,
they would know what it's like to be immortal, too, and could also be tested as long as he stays in
the garden. And of course there's the obvious benefits of eternal youthfulness and everlasting
life," quipped Lara.
"So where's the problem?" Jean-Yves reiterated.
"If I ever wanted to have any kind of life whatsoever with people I care about, I'd have to put the
stone back. And then, the Fount, stone, and my youthfulness would be gone and I'd have robbed
the world of a great study," finished the professor.
"That sounds a bit selfish to me," replied Jean. "*I'd* pick the first choice. I mean you are a
scientist above all, right?"
Indy looked deep in thought for a moment. "That's a very good question, Jean, a very good
question, and until I figure out the answer, this little beauty's staying right here." He stuffed the
jewel in his pocket once again and turned to Lara. "Come on, let's get inside. We can talk about
this tomorrow. I bet we're all tired and need a good night's sleep."
As if on cue, Lara let out a huge yawn. "That sounds like good idea, Jones."
The three of them carefully exited the pool area and retired to their rooms. Lara fell asleep almost
immediately after her head hit the pillow. The last think she saw before she lost consciousness
was the lonely confused look in Indy's eyes when he had talked of the important choice he must
make. The way his eyes had conveyed such feeling throughout the evening reminded her of a
poem she had read once:
"Be content, fair maiden,
Be content with his eyes."*
TBC . . .
*An excerpt from "His Eyes," a poem by Cassandra Elise, a fellow FanFic writer.