It had been a fortnight since they'd left Southampton. Denzel sat on a bollard in the forecastle, looking out towards the open sea as the steamer cut across the waves. Somewhere on the horizon ahead was the African continent, waiting for him and his friends. He'd always wondered what his ancestral homeland looked like; not that he had ever considered Africa his homeland. New York City was his home. He loved it there. And he loved his job of working closely with animals. The real reason he was glad to join this expedition was because of some new neighbors that had moved into his neighborhood in Queens three months ago. They were from the south. At first, he was glad to meet them at his church. But this family retained a deeply rooted prejudice towards blacks, having lost a son to the Yankees during the Civil War. He realized it was to be expected, but he wasn't the type of person to hold grudges…too often. Feelings had been very cold when he left. He just hoped while he was gone the rest of the congregation would be warmer and more welcoming and that this new family might eventually change their minds.

Putting this out of his mind for now, he scanned the seas for the tenth time hoping to sight land. Josh, who had just come up from having mess, walked up to the taller man and leaned against the railing. "How long have you been out here?"

Denzel shrugged, "An hour, I guess."

"What's it like? Africa, I mean. Do you know?" Josh asked, looking out at sea. Denzel shook his head.

"I've never been there. My family first came to America over a century ago, when my great-grandparents were brought in by slave traders," he said, turning his back to the water, "I've read a lot about it in the articles published by Livingstone and Sir Morton Stanley," he added with a chuckle, "There are open savannas and dense jungles with wide deserts in-between… It's very diverse; probably because it's so vast. Africa is twice as big as the entire United States."

"No kiddin'," said Josh. "I could tell by just looking at it on a map."

"It'll be different from the map," Denzel laughed, "Not much has been documented yet of the natives that live deep in the interior, or of their cultures… Hopefully, I will get some notes to get a comprehensive essay written on these Pride Landers before the return voyage."

"You'll do that in good time," said Josh, "I'm just curious as to what the animals are gonna be like. I mean, back in Colorado, I could handle myself just fine. Hell, it ain't called the 'Wild West' for nothin'. But this is Africa, which, Burton says, is even wilder. I don't know if I'm ready for such a place."

"Likewise," said Denzel, "I've seen plenty of killer beasts in captivity, but to see them in their natural habitat will be something else."

"I've dealt with cougars, coyotes, anacondas, bison, bears, caimans, alligators, jaguars, just about anything that can kill you if provoked. Now I'm gonna have to deal with lions and leopards and rhinos and crocodiles and hippos, the ones that kill a man on principle. Hoo boy, if this trip is not a God-sent gift, then nothing cuts it!"

Denzel laughed at Josh's lust for adventure, "You'll get plenty of chances. As long as you don't tick them off just for the hell of it, of course." He stretched some and asked, "Speaking of being reckless, have you seen Chen?"

Josh raised an eyebrow, "No, not recently. Why?"

Denzel laughed, "I've been watching him for the past couple of weeks and I swear, sometimes, I think he's going to fall off the ship!"

"With that little stunt he pulled off yesterday, I highly doubt that."

Denzel smirked at the memory of Chen swinging down from the yardarm and landing on the bridge roof, scaring the helmsman inside half to death, "One of these days, the captain is going to forget we represent the Crown and have him flogged, to cure his thirst for acrobatics… Sometimes he reminds me of a monkey. Ha! A gibbon."

Suddenly, the hoarse voice of the lookout rang out from the crow's nest, "Land Ho!" At that moment, almost as if out of nowhere, Chen appeared beside them.

"We have arrived!" he said, regaining his composure, but not losing his smile.

Josh's eyes widened. "Where?"

"Over there, off the starboard bow!" Chen said, hurrying over to the railing for a better look. Denzel and Josh followed after him. Sure enough, the continent which housed some of the wildest places on Earth, loomed into view. Africa was just a barren shoreline to them at first. A few patches of palm trees and ferns popped out of the sand on the shore, only a few meters inland. The typical flora of Egypt. Somewhere beyond, a few thousand miles inland, they knew, the desert terrain ended and the savannah began. In the distance, the Arabian mosques of the ancient port of Alexandria could be seen against the rising sun.

It was unlike anything the Americans had ever seen before. Even Chen had to admit this place differed greatly from the wilderness of Tibet and the Gobi Desert where he had lived much of his life. Their taste of Africa was small, and at first glance, off-putting. And they were still only on the threshold of their journey, which would soon involve no more luxurious traveling. Little did they realize that they'd get to know it far more than they ever imagined.

The port of Alexandria, although significantly smaller and less industrial than England, was at least much cleaner and more welcoming than Southampton. Because it was too shallow for the heavy steamer to dock at the pier, the Leonardo instead dropped anchor a few yards offshore. While the crew unloaded their supplies into rowboats, Josh, Denzel, and Chen were ferried ashore with the rest of the passengers in straw canoes rowed by Arab fishermen. Their horses, which had spent the whole voyage in their pen down in the hold, were lowered into the water by crane and floated ashore on barrel floats.

"Well, this is it." Denzel said, "If you want to go back, start swimming. It's a long way home."

A representative of the British colonial office, Lord Davidson, escorted by armed soldiers, met them at customs. Davidson, a crisp Englishman in his late forties with a pale face and a toothbrush mustache was a close friend and old war companion of Burton's when they had served as officers in India. Now an ambassador, he handled all the British diplomatic channels with neighboring states in Egypt with the assistance of the British Army.

"Welcome to Alexandria, gentlemen," he greeted them in all British formality, "I trust you had a pleasant voyage? I should jolly well hope so because Charles has got a pretty big job for you."

Leading them away from all the Arab, Greek, French, and native African merchants having their goods inspected, he took them to their hotel, where they'd be spending the night under Army guard, to keep them safe from any prying eyes. Davidson unfolded a map of the Tanganyika region and spread it open across the table.

"Our intel is scanty, but we think the Pride Lands are somewhere around here, in the heart of these uncharted desert regions," he said, studying a large blank area marked on the map. For all the mapmaker knew, that area was nothing more than flat, empty desert. "According to accounts by the precious few people who've crossed through that region - and lived to talk about it, of course - the natives out there have this tale of this strange, bountiful land ruled by this great king, who lives in a great stone palace, and whose people prey to some great lion deities, the Great Kings or something. At first, we thought it was just foolish folklore, until they mentioned vast savannahs chock-full of animal herds, all under the control of their king. If they have so much livestock and an organized religion, then they must have some sort of civilization."

While getting their equipment in order, Davidson informed them of their itinerary. "Your boat to Sudan leaves in the morning; from there, you'll be taken to Nairobi by train, all expenses paid of course, which will be your last outpost of civilization. From there, your horses will be waiting to carry you straight into the heart of the uncharted Tanganyika wilderness. Straight down the rabbit hole, gentlemen."

Josh had initially taken a liking to Lord Davidson for making all the necessary preparations for them. But then he saw the size of their arsenal, which was enough to fill a train wagon.

"What the hell is all this?" Josh asked, staring at the small mountain of baggage the hotel porters had brought into the room. Among them were a couple of tell-tale crates filled with brand-new hunting rifles.

"Just some necessary precautions, Mr. Cody," Lord Davidson answered, "If you should encounter any dangerous wildlife out there. You know, lions, leopards, jackals, and the like? "

"Didn't Burton give us plenty of guns for this expedition already?" asked Denzel, somewhat disgusted. "This is enough for an army!"

"Lord Davidson," said Chen, "There has been some sort of mistake. We are to study African wildlife, not kill it. We are not trophy hunters."

"Nevertheless, there is still danger, not to mention the African savages…" argued Lord Davidson, but Josh cut him off.

"If we are to make peace with these Pride Landers, then I don't think bringing all these guns or calling them savages would help our cause, now would it? Besides, how are we supposed to carry all this all that way?"

"No cause for concern, Mr. Cody," Davidson informed him, "I've taken the liberty of hiring a dozen native laborers to carry your baggage all the way. A half-sovereign per man covers three months' worth of wages in this country. Where would we be without cheap labor these days?"

At this, Josh became very upset. Native laborers on starvation wages? More like slaves, he thought. He rounded on Davidson. "Excuse me? Lord Davidson, I did not fight to end slavery just to become a slave owner myself!"

Lord Davidson was taken aback by Josh's words. "They're not slaves, they're hired workers, doing their duty towards Her Majesty's government. Half a sovereign is more than what they would otherwise earn in a year. Also, I have assigned a dozen men of the 5th battalion and their captain to escort you, for protection."

"One rifle, two pockets of ammunition, and no more. We'll only take what we need for hunting food, that's all. And we don't need an army escort to babysit us."

Lord Davidson raised an eyebrow at Josh. "What about the two guns you have strapped to your belt then? Don't you think those might hinder your 'mission of peace', or are you cowboys just accustomed to carrying revolvers around with you?"

Feeling insulted, Josh closed his eyes and took a deep breath, so he wouldn't do anything to Lord Davidson that he might regret later. "I know when to draw the line between peaceful negotiation and gunfighting, and I'll have you know that I have full confidence in Mr. Baker's knowledge of animals to keep us out of any danger. But thank you all the same, Lord Davidson."

But apparently, Davidson was not the type to be snubbed. "I'm warning you, Mr. Cody, those parts are filled with wild beasts and savage cannibals that fear nothing but guns. And as for-"

"I strongly recommend you don't say anythin' else, Your Lordship," Josh interrupted, realizing where this was going, "Or I just might have to teach you some better manners."

After a moment of silence, Lord Davidson cleared his throat. "Forgive me, Mr. Cody, if I have offended you or your…companions," he added, looking down the end of his hooked nose at Denzel and Chen, "But how do you suggest carting all your equipment out there if you're not going to hire any laborers?"

Chen stepped in. "Simple," he said, "We just cut down on our equipment, according to our specifications, and limit the load to the absolute maximum that three men and their horses can carry."

Josh couldn't help but smile at Chen's ingenuity. "There, you see?" he said to Davidson. "We can work it all out just fine."

Although much against his better judgment, Lord Davidson finally agreed to their terms and left to finish the last-minute preparations for their passage up the Nile, to the European trading post in the town of Khartoum in Sudan.

Discarding all the non-essentials, including a fancy hot-water bath facility, excess tents for private quarters, keeping only one for the three of them, the camping furniture, gramophone, a chef's kitchen, the photography kit, among other pieces of heavy junk, they took a revised inventory of their equipment. Aside from their shotguns and ammo, they carried a navigator's kit, mountaineering gear, several scientific instruments which Chen and Denzel needed for their observations, blankets, canteens, a medical kit, and canned rations, enough to last them for a month. Josh figured they'd find plenty of wild game out in the savannah, so they needn't overload themselves with too many heavy cans of corned beef and jam. By midnight, they were ready.

"We still have a long way to go, my friends," said Chen, "But the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" Josh muttered to himself.