Andy prepared himself, pulling his hands back and making two fists. At least, that’s what he did in his head. In actuality, he ran and hid behind Holland and Rix.

“I can’t believe I let Heliant talk me into letting you come on this expedition,” said Roth.

“Settle down,” Holland said, getting to his feet. “No need for anybody to throw any punches.”

Roth shook out his shoulders. “You know what, you’re right.” He glanced around at the others. “Tell ya what, this ‘fraud’ is going to shoot a killer scene right now. Show ya how it’s done.” He gazed around, then spotted what he was looking for hanging from a branch of the mahogany tree.

“Diego,” Roth said, smiling big, “would it be okay if I borrow your sweet little girl there for a second?”

Sweet little girl? Andy thought with a laugh. Hadn’t he overheard Roth call her a “flea-infested rug”?

Diego shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s a great idea—”

“A thousand dollars,” Roth said. “I’ll give you a thousand dollars to hold your little sloth for thirty seconds.”

Andy willed the small Bolivian to say no, but a thousand dollars to him was probably two months’ wages.

Diego agreed, but not before saying, “You be nice to her.”

Roth nodded at Sean and Darnell. “What are you guys doing? Get up!”

Sean and Darnell traded glances, then pushed up from the ground. Sean hefted the camera onto his shoulder, and Darnell pointed the boom mike in Roth’s direction.

Roth walked over to where Camila was dangling from the branch of the tree, and with a beaming smile, he said, “Are you just going to hang out in that tree all day?”

Even from fifteen feet away, Andy could see Camila regard the human with wariness.

Roth reached out his arm and began to unfurl Camila’s claws from around the branch. “That’s it,” he said, “come to Papa.”

Reluctantly, the sloth moved one arm to Roth’s shoulder and then another.

Andy gritted his teeth.

Once Camila was holding onto his neck, Roth turned toward the camera and said, “Camila here is a brown-throated sloth. The brown-throated sloth is indigenous to Central and South America.”

What, he was Steve Irwin now?

“Camila is a year old, and she is being rehabilitated and will someday return to the wild to live with wild sloths. Isn’t that right?” Roth reached out a finger and tickled Camila’s face.

What annoyed Andy most was that it truly was going to make a great scene. You couldn’t take your eyes off the dashing expedition leader and the amazingly cute sloth.

There was a high-pitched squeak, and then Roth brought his hand to his face. “She spit on me!”

Diego rushed forward and pulled the still squeaking Camila off Roth.

“Oh, this is disgusting!” Roth shouted, wiping away at his face.