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Back Whirlwind Save as PDF
Chapters (95)
  1. Title Page
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. Also by DAVID KLASS
  95. Copyright Page

The women and children surround me. Some are smiling. Others look scared. They begin to touch me experimentally. They’re laughing and whispering. Someone gives me a hard pinch. Ouch. Eko, what should I do?

Go with it. They’re just curious.

I see that she’s also surrounded.

They hang on my arms and crawl between my legs. Before I know it they’ve toppled me, and I sink helplessly beneath the mass of a dozen men, women, and children, all pinching me and sniffing my hair and tugging at my ears.

One grinning little brat even bites my leg. I don’t think it’s cannibalism, just curiosity—he wants to know how I taste.

69

69

I try to get to a kneeling position, but there’s too much weight on me. It feels like half the tribe is sitting on my back.

Curious hands sweep over me. They tug my hair and my beard. They slip off my sandals. Slide off my shorts. Eko!

No harm done. They’re not big on clothing.

I manage to look up from my prone position and spot a kid running off with my shorts on his head like a safari hat. Another kid grabs them and soon it’s a big game of capture the shorts.

Meanwhile, an old woman has gotten hold of one of my sandals. She sniffs it and then discards it disgustedly into the underbrush, as if tossing away a ham sandwich that has gone stale.

Suddenly they all let me go and start to back off. I’m not sure what’s spooked them, but I’m glad to get back to my feet.

Eko is also standing. We’re both completely naked.

I feel a little exposed, I tell her.

Get used to it.

There are women and kids. It’s not … natural.

It’s totally natural. Try to look on the bright side. At least they didn’t eat you.

One of them took a bite. What’s happening now? Why did they just back off?

The shaman is coming.

An old man saunters up, wearing something strange on his head. It looks like a cross between a bad toupee and an extremely lifelike Halloween mask. As he gets closer, I see that it’s a jaguar skin, complete with the enormous cat’s head, which stares at me with lifeless eyes.

I feel myself shiver. Eko, what exactly is a shaman?

The spiritual authority of the tribe. They’ll do whatever he says, so try to stay on his good side.

I look back at him and smile.