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were questions.
    “Was your son with you?”
    “Yes”
    “And did he too see such a sight?”
    “No, he was on the ground, and the bird made no sound as it fell from the sky.
    “How do you know your eyes didn’t trick you or you weren't dreaming?”
    Guardara's comment took Teman-e by surprise, as he expected wise counsel and advice. Instead, there was skepticism in the chief’s voice. In other matters, Guardara would not have failed to summon spirits to guide him. Teman-e failed to understand his indifference and continued his plea.
    “This has great meaning . We need to understand. What I told you is true, I swear by our ancestors! We must go to where this creature landed and see what message it has for us.”
    Guardara resented being told to do anything by anyone. He cautioned Teman-e strongly.
    “Speak of this to no one! I will call the elders and tell them what you have said. We will decide what to do. Go to your woman and await my word.”
    He closed his eyes in a gesture of dismissal , signaling the conversation was over.
    Teman-e should have sensed Guardara’s reaction. Nevertheless, he was disappointed and immediately suspected the real reason behind the decision; resentment against whatever might compromise his position as shaman or the great power he held over the elders and tribesmen. Arguing was useless. Teman-e had to put the event behind him or suffer the considerable wrath of the tribal leader. He rose, bowed respectfully and returned to Naru who saw the distress etched on his face. He wanted to think, but at the same time, valued her opinion and comforting ways. He told her the story, describing it in great detail. She listened attentively, then asked simply:
    “Are you sure?”
    “I have never been so sure of anything in my life. As sure as I am that, somewhere in the jungle tonight, I will hear the scream of a jaguar.”
    “Then take rest in your hammock, do as you must.”
    Naru always made good sense. Her advice was meant to allay whatever disturbed her husband, yet she could have no idea of the tragic events that were now put into motion. Later, she served him food that he picked at absent-mindedly. When he finished, he said nothing further and went to his hammock. That night, he tossed uncomfortably and heard the jaguar scream louder than he could ever remember. He would leave before the sun rose.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Remote jungle, the Amazonas
     
    Connery took a while to recover his senses. Water swirled around his head. Shallow enough that it didn’t interfere with his breathing. He was held by something weighty. He struggled, but whatever it was prevented him from moving. He tried focusing his thoughts. What had happened to bring him there? Why couldn’t he move? His mind was blank. Nothing clicked. It was all a dream, or had he died? If he did, this couldn’t be heaven- he was too afraid. Something else had paralyzed him; put him in this place. He cast his eyes downward, his brain registering a familiar item he had seen hundreds of times before. But what was it? He concentrated his thinking, almost willed the words to mind. In a millisecond it came to him, and with startling clarity, from nothingness to enlightenment. His seat buckle! Instantly, he recalled in vivid detail, the entire day's events. The mysterious object that held him secure was the seat of an airliner.
    T he air was thick, the smell of decay hovered, and mosquitoes tormented unrelentingly. He felt morbidly isolated, abandoned from anything human. He moved his eyes right, left, then above to where stately kapoks formed a canopy more than a hundred feet high, blocking the sun’s rays except for a few splashes of dappled light. The echoed cries of toucans and tropical parrots, chatter from monkeys, were the only sounds that broke an eerie silence. They seemed tranquil in comparison to city sounds, the constant honking of horns echoing off canyon walls.
    Sensitivity in his limbs