Part 6-
Marguerite grabbed a sack and tossed a small gun in it. She gave it to Chloe and they went down the elevator. Roxton, Malone, Veronica and George were already down at the trunk of the tree house. They were going to find her balloon today. It took half a day's walk to get to the open field where Roxton had found her a week before. They walked for another half-hour before finding the deflated, red balloon lying on the ground in a big mess of trees. Chloe ran to a big wicker chest and began to pull clothes out. She draped a long maroon silk dress across her front.
"Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?" She asked Marguerite.
"Silk." Veronica said as she ran her fingers across the fabric.
"Yes, I have my own flock of silk worms in Japan." Chloe said and waved the dress around. Marguerite looked at her funnily. "Well, it's not just mine, our family owns it." Marguerite picked up a picture out of the trunk. Leonardo, Jelasia and Chloe stood in a photo room very stiffly. Marguerite went bug eyed.
"You're Chloe Aberdeen. Leonardo Aberdeen's daughter!"
"Yes I said that before."
"But you didn't mention your father. He's a genius!"
"Well yes. I suppose you could call him that. That's why we were on this God forsaken balloon. He was on his way to an island in the Atlantic for an experiment about bacteria or something like that."
"Do you think your father's journals might still be around?" Challenger asked and picked up a few ripped pieces of paper.
"No, all of my father's things were tossed overboard in attempt to be able to control the ship."
"But yours were salvaged?" Malone asked as he grabbed a blue bag with flowers embroidered on it.
"Well, yes. What if we had made it to that island; I can't wear the same thing for two weeks."
"This is for two weeks?" Veronica knocked some dirt off another bag. "It looks like two months."
"Well, I had dinners and tennis, and parties and there's just daywear."
"Is this yours?" Veronica asked. She picked up a big white and blue hat, covered in dirt. There were footprints on it that looked reptilian. Realization dawned over Chloe's face and her mind went back to the last thing she remembered before coming to the lost world. Her mother's death. She took the hat from Veronica and ran her hands across the brim. She felt her way down the navy blue ribbons that tied underneath her mother's neck. There was hint of make up on the inside part of the ribbons and the inside of the hat. Malone walked over to her and pulled it out of her hand genially. He placed it in a bag and zipped it up. She smiled at him with a nod. They continued to take things. Challenger seemed very interested in the box of books that after looking through ended up having one of Dr. Aberdeen's journals in it. They started home with everyone carrying a bag or two. They were telling Chloe about all the adventures and people they'd encountered. George was explaining to Chloe about the time they'd been captured by Hagens. Suddenly an arrow shot past them and its blade skidded right across Chloe's chest.
"HAGENS!" She screamed she laid her hand across her scratch. The arrows continued to fly. Veronica covered Chloe with her arms and ran with her to the tree house. Arrows flew by their heads at lightning speed. Chloe looked behind her and saw a tall man with his bow drawn. He had body paint all over him. They ran until they got to the elevator. Chloe heard war calls and screaming as they ran inside. She ran to the side of the balcony and saw the blood dripping slightly from her chest onto the ground below them. The savages were running into the electric fence one by one. Chloe heard a big clunk and turned around. Roxton and Challenger were standing by the elevator with bags at their sides.
"We had to leave the trunk we'll go back once they leave." John said and motioned to the open balcony.
"Who were they?" Marguerite asked.
"I traveled that area with Malone a few weeks ago; it's a group of cannibals, if I'm not mistaken." Challenger said as he carried some of Chloe's bags to her palette on the floor.
"When are you mistaken, Professor?" Veronica joked. "That's a pretty nasty cut there."
"Who, me? Oh, yes it is, isn't it?" Chloe looked down at her cut. There was a trail of blood going down the top of her dress. Marguerite dipped a small towel in a bucket of water and walked over to Chloe.
"You can wipe it with this; the cut should heal soon. We could clean it up a bit and there's some leaves that make the scar go away."
"No, I think I'll keep my first battle wound." Chloe said and soaked up all the blood that was still wet, and rubbed out the dried.
"It won't be your last." Marguerite smiled at Chloe and poured herself a glass of water.
"Veronica, thank you very much for saving me."
"I didn't save you. I hardly did anything." Veronica sat down with Marguerite.
"Thank you all. For helping me get all my stuff, for taking me in and for saving me just now."
"Well, we couldn't leave you to the dinosaurs and harsh environment out there." Marguerite said and poured Chloe her own drink. She took it and put the rag down.
"I know that if I were in your case I wouldn't take in a stranger without proof she wasn't after my life. I would let her rot."
"Charming thought, dear." Marguerite said with an uneasy laugh. "I guess we differ in that area." Malone stood on the balcony, leaned against the railings. Chloe smiled and walked over to him. Challenger walked past absolutely engrossed in a journal written by Leonardo.
"What do you see out there, Chloe?" Ned asked, his gaze still focused on the skyline.
"I'm not sure what I see yet, Mr. Malone." She leaned against the railing and stretched out her back. The body of one savage was twisting relentlessly as he grabbed a wire on the fence, trying to help himself up. "All I know is it's going to be hard for me to adjust."
"I don't blame you." He smiled at her. "You run very fast, Chloe."
"You would too if you lived in high society for nineteen years and then you see an arrow flying past your neck." Chloe rubbed her wet chest. The cut had stopped bleeding entirely.
"Well, it's getting dark." He said and pointed to the sky where the sun was going down. "I think Marguerite might try to make dinner tonight. A word for the weak of stomach, don't eat it." He smiled and walked to Veronica. Veronica and Malone stood next to each other for a second just looking at Chloe.
"You helped save her life Veronica."
"I did not. I just guided her to the tree house."
"She wouldn't have gotten back unless you'd helped her. She'd be in a pot right now with some carrots and boiling water." Malone laughed and Veronica rolled her eyes. "You still don't trust her." Veronica opened her mouth to answer but stopped when Marguerite ran out with another arrow note. She read it aloud, everybody huddled around her.
"Those were from me, my dear." Marguerite looked up at John. "Do you think he means the savages?"
"I doubt it." Veronica said. She'd moved to the tabled. Her fingers were delicately touching a petal on a bright pink flower. There was a bouquet of flowers in a green glass vase. Marguerite dropped her jaw and walked over to the table.
"He's been in the tree house."
Marguerite grabbed a sack and tossed a small gun in it. She gave it to Chloe and they went down the elevator. Roxton, Malone, Veronica and George were already down at the trunk of the tree house. They were going to find her balloon today. It took half a day's walk to get to the open field where Roxton had found her a week before. They walked for another half-hour before finding the deflated, red balloon lying on the ground in a big mess of trees. Chloe ran to a big wicker chest and began to pull clothes out. She draped a long maroon silk dress across her front.
"Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?" She asked Marguerite.
"Silk." Veronica said as she ran her fingers across the fabric.
"Yes, I have my own flock of silk worms in Japan." Chloe said and waved the dress around. Marguerite looked at her funnily. "Well, it's not just mine, our family owns it." Marguerite picked up a picture out of the trunk. Leonardo, Jelasia and Chloe stood in a photo room very stiffly. Marguerite went bug eyed.
"You're Chloe Aberdeen. Leonardo Aberdeen's daughter!"
"Yes I said that before."
"But you didn't mention your father. He's a genius!"
"Well yes. I suppose you could call him that. That's why we were on this God forsaken balloon. He was on his way to an island in the Atlantic for an experiment about bacteria or something like that."
"Do you think your father's journals might still be around?" Challenger asked and picked up a few ripped pieces of paper.
"No, all of my father's things were tossed overboard in attempt to be able to control the ship."
"But yours were salvaged?" Malone asked as he grabbed a blue bag with flowers embroidered on it.
"Well, yes. What if we had made it to that island; I can't wear the same thing for two weeks."
"This is for two weeks?" Veronica knocked some dirt off another bag. "It looks like two months."
"Well, I had dinners and tennis, and parties and there's just daywear."
"Is this yours?" Veronica asked. She picked up a big white and blue hat, covered in dirt. There were footprints on it that looked reptilian. Realization dawned over Chloe's face and her mind went back to the last thing she remembered before coming to the lost world. Her mother's death. She took the hat from Veronica and ran her hands across the brim. She felt her way down the navy blue ribbons that tied underneath her mother's neck. There was hint of make up on the inside part of the ribbons and the inside of the hat. Malone walked over to her and pulled it out of her hand genially. He placed it in a bag and zipped it up. She smiled at him with a nod. They continued to take things. Challenger seemed very interested in the box of books that after looking through ended up having one of Dr. Aberdeen's journals in it. They started home with everyone carrying a bag or two. They were telling Chloe about all the adventures and people they'd encountered. George was explaining to Chloe about the time they'd been captured by Hagens. Suddenly an arrow shot past them and its blade skidded right across Chloe's chest.
"HAGENS!" She screamed she laid her hand across her scratch. The arrows continued to fly. Veronica covered Chloe with her arms and ran with her to the tree house. Arrows flew by their heads at lightning speed. Chloe looked behind her and saw a tall man with his bow drawn. He had body paint all over him. They ran until they got to the elevator. Chloe heard war calls and screaming as they ran inside. She ran to the side of the balcony and saw the blood dripping slightly from her chest onto the ground below them. The savages were running into the electric fence one by one. Chloe heard a big clunk and turned around. Roxton and Challenger were standing by the elevator with bags at their sides.
"We had to leave the trunk we'll go back once they leave." John said and motioned to the open balcony.
"Who were they?" Marguerite asked.
"I traveled that area with Malone a few weeks ago; it's a group of cannibals, if I'm not mistaken." Challenger said as he carried some of Chloe's bags to her palette on the floor.
"When are you mistaken, Professor?" Veronica joked. "That's a pretty nasty cut there."
"Who, me? Oh, yes it is, isn't it?" Chloe looked down at her cut. There was a trail of blood going down the top of her dress. Marguerite dipped a small towel in a bucket of water and walked over to Chloe.
"You can wipe it with this; the cut should heal soon. We could clean it up a bit and there's some leaves that make the scar go away."
"No, I think I'll keep my first battle wound." Chloe said and soaked up all the blood that was still wet, and rubbed out the dried.
"It won't be your last." Marguerite smiled at Chloe and poured herself a glass of water.
"Veronica, thank you very much for saving me."
"I didn't save you. I hardly did anything." Veronica sat down with Marguerite.
"Thank you all. For helping me get all my stuff, for taking me in and for saving me just now."
"Well, we couldn't leave you to the dinosaurs and harsh environment out there." Marguerite said and poured Chloe her own drink. She took it and put the rag down.
"I know that if I were in your case I wouldn't take in a stranger without proof she wasn't after my life. I would let her rot."
"Charming thought, dear." Marguerite said with an uneasy laugh. "I guess we differ in that area." Malone stood on the balcony, leaned against the railings. Chloe smiled and walked over to him. Challenger walked past absolutely engrossed in a journal written by Leonardo.
"What do you see out there, Chloe?" Ned asked, his gaze still focused on the skyline.
"I'm not sure what I see yet, Mr. Malone." She leaned against the railing and stretched out her back. The body of one savage was twisting relentlessly as he grabbed a wire on the fence, trying to help himself up. "All I know is it's going to be hard for me to adjust."
"I don't blame you." He smiled at her. "You run very fast, Chloe."
"You would too if you lived in high society for nineteen years and then you see an arrow flying past your neck." Chloe rubbed her wet chest. The cut had stopped bleeding entirely.
"Well, it's getting dark." He said and pointed to the sky where the sun was going down. "I think Marguerite might try to make dinner tonight. A word for the weak of stomach, don't eat it." He smiled and walked to Veronica. Veronica and Malone stood next to each other for a second just looking at Chloe.
"You helped save her life Veronica."
"I did not. I just guided her to the tree house."
"She wouldn't have gotten back unless you'd helped her. She'd be in a pot right now with some carrots and boiling water." Malone laughed and Veronica rolled her eyes. "You still don't trust her." Veronica opened her mouth to answer but stopped when Marguerite ran out with another arrow note. She read it aloud, everybody huddled around her.
"Those were from me, my dear." Marguerite looked up at John. "Do you think he means the savages?"
"I doubt it." Veronica said. She'd moved to the tabled. Her fingers were delicately touching a petal on a bright pink flower. There was a bouquet of flowers in a green glass vase. Marguerite dropped her jaw and walked over to the table.
"He's been in the tree house."