The Treasure in the Monkey's Fist

(continued)

By Rik Hunik

Zayn walked out of the cave, breathed a huge sigh of relief, and started picking his way down the jumble of rocks and boulders. He had gone barely a hundred feet when he froze. Across the valley someone had just appeared around the corner of the trail. Even at this distance Zayn recognized the blue cloak Thamar favored. He was alone.

Zayn chuckled. Of course Thamar would not trust anyone else with his secret goal. Apparently, he had found the location as easily as Zayn had, but he was slower in getting to it, probably delayed by caravan business. He must have spent a cold night on the trail.

Zayn hid behind some rocks to watch Thamar's progress. The morning sun was in
Thamar's eyes, so there was little chance he would spot Zayn, who was hiding on the shaded side of the mountain. By the time Thamar started up the slope of tumbled rocks and boulders at the foot of the Monkey's Fist, Zayn had the beginning of a plan. Staying behind cover, he made his way back to the cave and hid just outside the invisible barrier.

Before too long he heard Thamar's labored breathing, and then a loud gasp as he climbed high enough to see the gold. The large rocks Zayn hid behind offered only moderate concealment, but Thamar was transfixed by the heap of gold. Somebody, trapped long ago, had decided not to be the only sucker and had piled gold in the most visible place as a lure. Zayn could attest to its effectiveness.

One of Zayn's associates, an older boy and a far bolder thief, had once demonstrated to him how to knock out a man without killing him. Stealing, after all, was only stealing, but murder was serious. How could you give back a person's life?

Zayn held a smooth, fist-sized stone in his hand. When Thamar walked by Zayn stood up behind him and conked him on the back of his head. Thamar dropped like a sack of onions.

Zayn quickly stripped Thamar and concealed his clothes and belongings, then dragged him into to cave and dressed him in some of the better garments there. He dressed himself in his own clothes and hid all the other clothing he could see. Then he sat down in the dark by the skeletons and waited for Thamar to wake up.

Thamar's confusion about how he got inside was quickly dispelled at the sight of the vast array of riches. Zayn found it amusing to watch Thamar go through essentially the same process of exploration he himself had, but Thamar did not touch any of the treasure. Zayn stayed back, invisible to Thamar's dazzled eyes.

When Thamar discovered that he could not leave Zayn stood up and said. "These are the people who came before us." He indicated the skeletons with a wave of his hand.

Thamar staggered back a step, one hand over his heart. "Zayn, you little bugger, how in all the hells did you get in here?"

"It's a long story, but the real question is how to get out."