The Finger of God: The Screaming Demon

By Malcolm Batley

The Screaming Demon is the sequel to the Beginning. The book follows Malcolm, when he makes his way toward the castle, looking for revenge. He must come to terms with his self and the fact that he is now a witch doctor. He wakes up, only to discover he is not alone.

The Rat jumped onto Malcolm Batleys lap, making him jump, and this time he had peed himself. The Rat was very small, but his legs and arms were long! He was all covered in long brown hair, so they called him the Little Rat.

The Rat gives Malcolm some good advice. Then he tells Malcolm what he must do, but will he do what Rat asked?

You save Little Rat! Click . . . You kick man from village in ribs, so I get away from him . . . Then so I give magic to you! Man from village . . . He try steals my magic from me, but now villages think I run with a Screaming Demon, so now they leave me alone! Click! Villages think you are Screaming Demon . . . they now leave you alone, and keep out of your way but, one or two will try stealing magic from you!

Rat gave me the bad news. Now I would have to take him to his grave to his grave. I would not be burying him. I would be taking him to the top of Mount Cameroon, where I had to drop him into the volcano, dead or alive. I told him no at first. Thats when he told me about the castle, which I was looking for. Rat, whom I called Little Man and the man, who I became good friends with. How could I throw him to his death? Little man was a good persuader. If I took him to his resting place, he would show me how to kill the serpent and where I could find him. Then he would teach me how to survive and what I could eat. So I said I would take him. He said he was dying anyway. I was in for a long and hard walk, which would take me right back to where it all began, and then an even longer march, toward the castle, where I would fine my own demon, along with the serpent, which I had to defeat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: May 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504942171

Malcolm Batley

My name is Malcolm Ward. I was born in 1958, in Workington. I was only four when we moved to York. I didn’t learn to write until I left school. I have dyslexia, which hinders me, and especially when I’m writing. I could not write without spell-check and without some help from my publisher. I have always wanted to write a book and now I can. I once read that there is a book in everybody, so I started to write. It was slow and frustrating at first, but I didn’t let my bad spelling stop me. I was surprised when someone told me how many spelling mistakes I had made, and the word’s that I had spelled wrong. Like put and not but. Now there are only a few words spelled incorrectly. Now I love to write all the time. I hope you like reading my books and you don’t find too many mistakes.

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AuthorHouse™ UK

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© 2015 Malcolm Batley. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  04/01/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4216-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-4217-1 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Little Man

The Road to Douala

Bioko Island

The Premonition

A Lie Is Always a Lie

Rat

Kribi

The Finger of God

Von Keitel’s Nightmares

The Hunter

The Serpent Cometh a Devil

The Finger of God

About the Book

Little Man

I woke up with the biggest headache of all time. As soon as I opened my eyes they would only slam shut. Then I would pass out for what seemed like hours at a time. At one point I felt something or somebody running up and down my body. Something would suddenly start hitting me all over, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. One minute I would feel cold, and then I would turn hot. Cold and suddenly hot all the time. I would feel my body had been wiped down with something wet which smelled like it belonged on a farm. Then I would suddenly be rolled over, and my back would be wiped down with something wet, but that could have been me. My eyes wouldn’t open, so I couldn’t see who it was or where I was. At first I thought I was in the hospital, but that feeling soon wore off, as there was nothing wrong with my nose.

Some icy cold water would run into my mouth. Then some soft food would be rammed into my mouth. There would be sudden pain all over my body. Stabbing pain at first, but it would feel like burning pain. Rubbing, pulling, and biting, as if I was being eaten alive. I would dream about animals that were running straight toward me. Then to my absolute horror, the animals would suddenly jump straight up at me, only to disappear right inside my chest.

Now I knew I wasn’t in the hospital, but I still couldn’t see where I was. Time after time this would happen to me, until one day I found that I could open my eyes and I felt no more pain. I just lay there for some time before I tried moving. Then I heard something moving toward my left, so I just listened until they came closer to me.

Where am I? I demanded to know, but I don’t think the words came out right just yet.

I waited until my eyes had adjusted to the darkness this time. I could see more clearly now. I saw that it was a little light inside there, but it felt damp. I also heard a clicking sound, which started irritating me.

Click, click.

The sound came through the darkness, and it was getting louder.

I know you’re there.… I can still hear you. I tried shouting. It sounded much clearer this time, so I shouted once more, but there wasn’t any reply.

Click.

The clicking sounded like some animal had learnt to speak, or was trying to, anyway. I knew that I wasn’t alone anymore, where ever that was? There was someone or something clicking inside here, but I wasn’t frightened anymore. Somehow I knew that this little thing wouldn’t harm me, but I would get this strange feeling that I already knew what was making the sound. The more I thought about the strange clicking sound, the more I remembered hearing it somewhere before.

Where am I? I screamed. Hello … I can hear you moving about.

It was still too dark in there, so I couldn’t see much, and it was cold. My bed was made of grass, and the stink in there was starting to get right up my nose. The walls were made of rock. I felt something running over my feet, so I tried to take a look at them. It looked like I was naked at first, so I had to look back down. I was naked, so I tried to sit up.

I thought there were some animals inside with me, and they were getting ready to finish me off. I tried to move out of their way. I only went and banged my head on the roof, with sitting up too fast, so I waited until I could see all around me. There was some light shining in at the bottom. I realized I was inside a cave.

Yes … I’m inside a cave, but why? I screamed.

I thought somebody had pulled me inside the cave, and we must have escaped, but who could have saved me? I remembered seeing Mark and Tim’s dead bodies lying inside the Land Rover. Mark had taken two bullets in the chest, so I knew he was dead. Tim had taken a bullet in the head, and one in the chest, so Tim was dead. That just left Anton, but I remembered seeing Anton getting gunned down. I knew it wasn’t the Barker brothers. I had seen their dead bodies. That just left Peter. I had seen Peter inside the Land Rover, with blood on his head, but I couldn’t remember seeing him running into the long grass.

I started imagining that my own father had come to save me, just like he had in the past, but I knew there could be only one person who could save me. I started shouting after her, but there wasn’t any reply, just the echo inside the cave.

Sandra, it’s me. Come over here and help me up. Did you drag me inside here? I screamed, time after time. After what seemed like hours, there was a sudden reply, which frightened the crap out of me.

No. It’s me that’s does that … Click, click.

Sandra! I shouted into the darkness.

Sandra no here. Click.

No, Sandra, I said to whoever was hiding in the dark, who I still couldn’t see, but could hear getting closer to me.

Sandra no … Click, click.

I tried looking around for any little movement, but it was still too dark, but I kept hearing that constant clicking sound.

Click.

If you click one more bloody time, I’ll pull your fucking head off.

Me no clicks. He’s going to pulls my head off. Click. Click. Me’s likes to see you try? said whoever was hiding in the dark.

Click.

Come here, you little shit! I shouted, but I fell back down and banged my head once more.

My head … Where am I, and who are you? I asked him while I rubbed my sore head.

Then something suddenly jumped through the darkness which frightened the shit out of me once more. To my absolute horror, the thing landed right next to me. Whatever it was jumped right on top of me. I looked over my naked body to see who or what it was, but it was all covered with hair.

No! I tried screaming, but I just covered my mouth in time. I never felt so frightened in all my life. No. It can’t be. But now there were more of them, just walking inside the cave. They just sat there watching me, still at the front of the cave. I started feeling a little calmer; especially now I could make out what they were. Then I remembered that baboons can kill you.

There are bloody baboons inside my cave, and there’s that thing that clicks all the bloody time. I said to myself, with my hand over my mouth.

I stayed there for hours, just lying there as still as I could. I had just seen how big their teeth were. But they weren’t attacking me. I didn’t know why. I thought I’d tell them to go away just to see what they would do; but I thought I was going mad, and seeing things. I just realized that baboons can’t talk.

Get out of here! I shouted at them, but not until I had smelt them.

I didn’t think shouting at the baboons would work, but I was happy they were all leaving. It worked, I whispered. I sat up a little slower this time, and just watched the baboons leaving. I was even more surprised when the last baboon stopped and shook his fist in the air at me. I was just thinking about going down there, and filling the cave entrance up with something, when somebody suddenly spoke, which not only made me jump—I almost pissed myself.

That’s not nice things you saying. They only drinks waters, and then come sees you. Click, came the voice.

Who are you? Why am I here? And will you stop that bloody clicking?

I am Petit Rat. Some call me Voyeurs. I finds you again, but you wasn’t with your woman this time.

Woman? My woman … I had to stop and think. Do you mean Sandra? I asked whoever or whatever it was.

Then it suddenly hit me. They were all dead except me. The Land Rover and all those bullets … Mark dead. Tim dead. But what of the twins and the boss? Dad! I shouted, but I didn’t know why.

Peter had blood all over his head. But how long ago was that now? Then I remembered about the twins. Both their bodies were shot full of holes the last time I’d seen them.

How long have I been here?

Click. You have been with me for four days now.

Are all my friends dead? Too late to save them now … time I was out of here … whoever you are.

They call me Petit Rat. I think he smiled at me, but it was hard to tell inside the cave. Me here … Did you remember who you are? Click.

He didn’t look very big, and I couldn’t wait to see what he looked like out in the sunlight.

Malcolm … I am Malcolm Batley. I told him.

Good. Now you nows who you are, and I nows who I am.

So why do they call you Petit Rat? Did your mother not like you?

It’s because I so littles, see.

The rat suddenly jumped onto my lap, making me jump, and this time I peed myself. The rat was small, but his legs and arms were long. He was covered in long brown hair, so they called him Little Rat.

Rat said he was once the village witch doctor. He was thrown out, and was banished into the forest—his punishment for falling in love with the chief’s daughter at the time, but that wasn’t allowed. Not while he was the witch doctor.

Little Rat then told me that before it’s his time to die, he has to pass his magic on to someone, before any witch doctors kill him, and take the magic for them. Rat said he’d given his magic to me.

Me! I screamed.

You, yes. I no gives to them. Not after what they do to me. Click.

But I don’t want it. I don’t believe in magic, I screamed at him, but I didn’t know why.

The little rat man jumped from me. He just stood there and frowned, looking back my way.

Rat said, I gave it to you when I bites you. Click.

You bit me? When did you do that? Have you just done it? I screamed at him.

I bite you the last time we meet. Click. You were hiding from me, but monkey tell me where you are hiding. A vulture tells me that you were dying, so I gives magic to you. Yes, magic saves you from dying. Yes. Click.

Yes. But why me and not somebody else from your own tribe?

You save Little Rat. Click. You kick man from village in ribs, so I get away from him. Then I gives magic to you. Man from village, he try steals my magic from me, but now villages think I run with a screaming demon, so now they leave me alone. Click. Villages think you screaming demon. They now leave you alone, and keep out of your way, but one or two will try stealing magic from you.

I told him that they could have the magic, but not if they have to kill me first. We both went quiet for a little while. I had to think back to what happened to me the last time I was here. But the more I thought about it, the more it all started to come back to me.

Was that you who led us to the river?

"Yes. I led you to river. Then I leave you fish and you eat. You both looked like you needed to eat, so I get fish for you. I led you away from bad men too.

Bad men think you dead now, but I know you not dead. I only hit you on head little bit. Then I gets baboons to bring you in here. No bad men find you inside here. I frighten them away when they come looking for you. I send big bull elephant. Big bull elephant frighten them all once I made elephant mad. They all run and don’t come back. I think he was smiling. But I know why you come back to. You want to kill all bad men inside castle, but not just yet. Click.

Why not yet, and how come you can speak good English. What’s with all the clicking?

Villagers beat me badly when I was little, so missionary man takes me in. It was him that learns me, and I no click all the time. I had my jaw broken. That why I click.

So Little Man, when do we go? And did you have to hit me so damn hard? There’s a big lump on the back of my head.

I stopped rubbing the lump, and tried to listen to him.

After you take me to Fako, so I can rest there. Click. I not hit you. That were baboon. He dropped you on head. I just put you to sleep while you gets wells.

Can we set off now? Then we can go to the castle.

No. It not time yet. You hit serpent on tail. Now bad man all over, and they will find you. Bad men knew you were coming, so all bad men come here now, and catch you inside trap, he said as he jumped off, and then back onto me. In two weeks all bad men will be inside castle, and then you catch them all. Click. If you catch head of serpent, then no more will come. Click.

I’ll catch them all this time, Little Rat. And how come you know so much about the bad men inside the castle? And why in two weeks?

You do tells me in your sleeps. That will be when all bad men come and stay for one week, as always.

The party wasn’t until then, so it was a trap? I said as I slapped my leg. I knew there was something wrong.

Trap, yes. Click. Will you take me to Fako? If you do, the Mountains of Greatness will gives you more magic. Then you will be able to face the serpent’s head. Then you kill him. And his bad magic, you take.

He was so light I could hardly feel him standing on top of me.

OK. You win. Just tell me where it is.

Little Rat was strong for someone so little. I told him that I was still naked, but he still dragged me outside so I could see where we were going. That’s when I saw my naked body. I think I was in shock.

What have they done to me? Just look at my body! I screamed at him.

My body was all cut up. I was now scarred all over, from my head to my feet. There were little marks all over me, from my head to my toes. Some were little lines, and some were little scrolls but, most of them were little drawings of animals. It looked like I’d been tattooed from head to toe with a knife.

I had to stop myself from screaming, I just picked up Little Rat by his head.

I felt the pain all over my body by then.

Would there be something wrong, Malcolm? Click. Click.

Wrong? You don’t call this wrong? Just look at me. I screamed at him.

Look at what? You may have some little scars on you, but so do I. Click.

Scars, scars. Just look at me! I lowered him down and pointed to my legs and my chest.

But by this time they’d all gone. There I was, jumping up and down, shouting my head off, and he was only as tall as my knee. But he didn’t look too well. He now looked like he was coming down with the flu. There wasn’t even a single mark on his body now. All those marks had all gone, and there I was screaming my head off at him. But Little Rat didn’t look too good at all. It looked like he was going to faint now that I could see him in the daylight.

I knelt down beside him, and for the first time I saw him in the daylight. He did look a bit like a rat on two long legs. His body was a light green. His head was just like a small child’s, but odd looking, as if it had been shrunk. His little chest was going up and down very fast.

Are you OK, Little Man? I lay down next to him. You don’t look too good.

Old in me now. I’m getting near my time. When sun goes and then is back. We must take me to Fako. Click.

Yes. This Fako … where is Fako?

There, where you see the top that is all white.

I looked over to where he was pointing with his little finger, which was longer than one of my own. I had to put my hand over my eyes, just to shade them from the sun. Only then could I see where he meant, but I couldn’t believe that I could barely see the top from here.

But–but that’s fucking miles away. It will take me weeks just to walk there and back. Look, it’s all uphill, and through jungle, man. I had to sit back down. My head was starting to spin.

You call me ‘man.’ Click. You only one that has. Mal makes promises to me? I must go there, Mal, but me weak now. Getting near time. So you will take me there? Yes. He lowered his head a little.

Don’t cry. We’ll get there somehow.

Then we have time, but next sun we must go.

Why is time so important? I knelt next to him. We still have two weeks, I told him.

I gives all my magic you, Mal. Now I only have one week to get there. Click. Food. We must eat now. Click.

Yes. Let’s just eat, shall we? But if I’m to take you there, what shall I cover myself up with? I can’t take you there while I’m still naked, I asked him as I realized I still had my hand covering myself.

I puts all your clothes inside cave, silly. Click, click.

It looked like Little Man had cleaned all my clothes for me, so I quickly dressed. It felt a little funny at first, having to wear clothes. Somehow it felt like I shouldn’t need them anymore, but the sensation soon wore off once I’d had them on for an hour or two. Little Man handed me a round ball of what he called food. I don’t know how that passed for food. It looked and tasted like fat with bits of grass mixed in with it. Well, I gave it a little taste at first, but to my surprise, it just tasted like one of my mother’s dumplings, which she always put too much fat in anyway.

The next day we were up at first light, and soon on our way. I hadn’t slept much that night. My new friend was up half the night, keeping me awake. He kept calling something out in his sleep. He wasn’t speaking English, so I didn’t understand a word he was saying. When I asked him about it in the morning, he told me that the mountain was calling for him and me. So we were on our way.

I had to carry all that we needed on my back. If I were to give him something to carry, it would still end up on my back. That’s where he spent most of the time, but it was quicker that way. We made good time on the first day, but after that he spent all the time on my back. I would set the pace in the morning and was able to keep the same pace all through the day.

One day we came across some lions. They were shading underneath a tree. Most of them were sleeping while the younger lions played in the sun. Little Rat told me to just keep going and they would leave us alone. Well, we got nearer and nearer to them. I felt a shiver running through my body, especially when the male lion looked up. I panicked and started running a little faster.

That was mistake I would not be repeating. All the lions suddenly jumped up and started to chase after us. I ran as fast as I could, but it wasn’t fast enough, so I ran for the nearest tree.

Just say, ‘Run like a lion.’ Then you will reach that tree … if that is where you’re running to. But why are you running there? Lions not eat you, said Little Man.

"Run like a lion. Are you raving mad? I want to run faster than any fucking lion." I spat and ran a little faster.

I thought I was going to reach the tree, but when I looked over my left shoulder, one of the female lions had just overtaken me. We had no chance of outrunning the lions, and I wasn’t going to let them catch me. I was getting closer to the tree, and if the female lion was going stop me reaching the tree she would have to turn toward me first. But if she did turn before I could climb into the tree, then the lion could have pulled me from the tree. She would only jump with her claws outstretched, and would drag me down. I would have been killed before I hit the ground. That’s assuming I could climb that high.

The tree looked over sixty feet tall and there were no branches for at least twenty feet up, so there wasn’t any chance of me climbing up the tree in the first place. So I blamed the rat.

No, Rat, I’ll never climb up there. Look how high those branches are.

Just say, ‘climb like a monkey,’ and you can make it, Mal, said Rat.

What do you mean, climb like a bloody monkey? Do you see how high that tree is?

This reminded me of when I did the high jump while at school. The highest jump I ever made was less than one meter high back then. I was that small.

Well this time I was a lot taller, so I ran at that tree like a madman possessed. There was something in the back of Rat’s mind telling me that I could make this jump. But there was also something telling me that I couldn’t or that I would hurt myself. I tried to forget the humiliation which I had taken at school. But all the laughing and all the humiliation came back as I ran toward that tree.

Hey, Shorty! Why don’t you just run underneath the bar? That way you wouldn’t have to put the crossbar back on top. But just then I heard a whisper encouraging me on. Well, I jumped up that tree as high as I could and wrapped both my arms around the trunk. I climbed and climbed all the way up. I was standing on the bottom branch just as the lion reached the tree. I heard the lion’s claws scraping as she slipped down the tree trunk.

I was so overwhelmed at what I’d just achieved that I almost fell back down. I was watching the lions as they chased after each other. I hadn’t heard or seen Little Rat, as he soundlessly climbed, and jumped onto the next branch.

Rat clicked loudly. He said, Click. You see. Click. You haves it now. You just say and then you do. Click, said Rat.

I almost fell from the tree once more. I was halfway up the tree and out of breath. If I hadn’t done that jump and climb myself. I would have never believed it was possible, but who would believe me if I told them? So I looked at Rat.

How the hell did I do that, Rat? I asked, but only when I could breathe once more.

You have its now, Mal, said Rat.

Are you OK, Rat? I think we’ll be safe up here for an hour or two. I need a rest.

Up here? We go down now. We will stay down there now, Mal. But before we climb down, Mals makes promise for me?

Rat held onto my arm with his little hand. His fingers reached all the way round my arm—they were that long.

Yes, Rat. And what will that be? You want me to carry you on my back for the rest of the way?

Mal, you said yes. If I die before we reach the mountain, you must still takes me to the top … where white on top. Only then can I stay with my father. And then you go.

I patted Rat’s hand and said, I’ll take you there, Little Man, but how the bloody hell do we get down?

I slowly looked back down at the ground. I tried looking for a safer way down, but my head suddenly started going dizzy. I was at least twenty feet off the ground when I stopped climbing down. I held onto the tree trunk as tightly as I could, not daring to look down.

How do I climb down, Rat? There’s no more branches. There was a short silence. Then I said, I once jumped through a bedroom window, Rat. But that bloody window wasn’t this high.

I took a quick look at Rat while I was waiting for an answer, but I only found Rat looking back at me. With an expression that indicated that I said something funny.

Just like a monkey. Silly, said Rat, with a little laugh.

I hadn’t taken any notice of Rat. Instead I slowly started climbing down the tree trunk. By the time I reached the ground, with my bottom first. So now my hands and legs were all cut and bruised. All Rat could do was click, and shake his head, as if I’d done something wrong.

I rubbed and picked the bits of tree bark from off me, and squeezed those that were in me. I decided I would take a rest for a little while, now that the lions had gone. So I took no notice of Rat while I sat down for a little food and some badly needed water, but I noticed that Little Rat didn’t look too well. So I put Rat into one of the bags and set off walking to the white-capped mountain.

I had been heading to the mountain for five days and five nights. I would run as far as I could. Then I would walk until I felt strong enough to run. The closer we came to the mountain, the stronger I became, while Little Rat became weaker and weaker all the time.

I ran with striped hyenas and with black rhinoceros. I even played and ran with some ostriches on the way. When I stopped on the way, Little Rat would tell me all about the animals, every time they came across one which I never seen before.

Little Rat would take me right up to the animals, even if they were dangerous. Then we would run around with them. But most of the time the animals would run around me until I said hello or goodbye to them. This interaction with the wild animals surprised me every time we came across them. Rat had become the teacher. He would teach me all the time, but I was still unaware that I’d been taught by Rat.

I never been this close to wild animals, not in all my life, and I wasn’t frightened of them. I became skilled at finding the right things to eat, and how to cook them. I’d learned how to track the animals, and how to bring them down, but I found killing them the hardest part. Most of what I caught I would release. I would only take what we needed to survive.

Little Rat would slowly walk right up to a fresh lion kill when he felt stronger. He would quickly help himself to a slice of their meat straight from the lion’s kill. The lions would just sit there and watch him. Little Rat showed me how to walk up to the lion’s kill. Rat showed me now to help myself, when we next came across a fresh lion kill. Rat told me that the male lion would let him take what we needed first, but only if I told the male lion that. I only wanted the one slice and would repay them by letting them live.

OK, I told Rat but only when I’d seen him doing this first, and how easy it had been.

I knew I was a lot bigger than Rat, so I said I would, but only if Rat was there with me, and yes. I was shitting myself. The next day, we came across some lions which were running down a big male giraffe. All the female lions were chasing after the giraffe, but they still couldn’t bring the giraffe down.

At one point I saw one of the lions flying through the air while another one had just managed to move out of the way, before she was kicked to a slow and painful death. Little Rat and I were so close to all the action at one point, we could see all the lions’ claw marks on the giraffe, but only a little blood. One of the female lions managed to jump right onto the giraffe’s back, but she was soon thrown off.

It was then left up to the big male lion to bring the giraffe down. He jumped straight onto the giraffe’s back while two of the females kept the giraffe backing away from them.

I watched with ore as the big male lion tore into the giraffe’s back, then into the giraffe’s neck. I wasn’t too sure whether the lion was thrown off or he just fell off. To my surprise, the male lion just followed the giraffe at a slow and leisurely pace, while all the female lions ran after the giraffe but never attacked it. So I thought the giraffe would get away from the loins now, but Little Rat told him to wait, so that’s what I did, though I couldn’t think why at the time. The giraffe just gave up about one hounded yards away. It just stopped and fell straight onto the ground in a cloud of dust and kicking feet.

Only then did the females attack the giraffe while it was trying to get back up. One of the female lions took hold of the neck, cutting off the giraffe’s air supply. I was watching the giraffe kicking its legs, but within just a few seconds, the legs slowly stopped kicking. The giraffe was now dead. But the female lions just walked away from their kill, so I was going to take a slice of meat. But once more, Little Rat told him to wait, so I did. The male lion slowly walked up to the kill, and started feeding first, while all the females just watched.

It’s too late now, Little Man. I remarked, hoping I could just crawl away and hide.

Then go now, replied Rat straight away.

With sweat running from all my sweat glands and into my boots, so I slowly started walking toward the female lions. I stopped just over ten feet away from them and told the lions that I only needed one slice of meat. The big male lion roared first, but just once, so I thanked him. It was all I could think of at the time. I slowly made my way up to the dead giraffe. To my surprise, the big male lion turned the other way when I neared him, so I helped myself to just one big, juicy slice of meat. The female lions all started roaring at me while I was cutting away the meat. I was now frightened, yet I was feeling realized at the same time.

The lions hadn’t moved my way, but they did start walking around me—not too close, but close enough to make me tremble. I looked over my shoulder for Rat but to my horror, Rat was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t believe I’d fallen for it, so I slowly backed away from the lions, just taking one small step at a time. The male lion turned his head around, so he could watch my leaving. He gave a loud roar, so all the females roared at the same time, which frightened the shit out of me.

So I took look around in all directions and as fast as I could, so I could watch that the lions didn’t block my way. By now I was soaked with sweat. I even tasted the sweat as it ran down my face and into my mouth. I only had time to see the big male lion standing up, and then I was off. I ran so fast and for so long that I had to go back and look for Rat. But he was nowhere to be seen.

So I shouted for Rat, but not until I was far enough away from the lions’ kill. I nearly shit myself when Rat abruptly popped his little head up from out of my rucksack, which I still had on my back.

Good. Now’s we makes fire. Then we eats’ it before flys shits all over it. said Rat, once he was out of the rucksack, which hadn’t taken him long, not now there was food.

Rat slowly pulled himself up and said, You see, Mal. You have its now.

Rat tried to convince me that I had the magic now, but I wouldn’t listen to him, and I wasn’t interested in Rat’s magic. This only made Rat more determined. He’d been teaching his magic to me all this time, but at the time, I was still unaware. He shook his head at me, and looked the other way, but he was grinning.

I wasn’t too pleased with Rat—not after I’d almost been killed by the lions. I looked straight at Rat’s little baby face. I told Rat that I would feed him to the lions if he ever tried doing that again. But Rat just laughed, or tried to, while I filled myself with some badly needed water. The thought of been eaten alive was all I could think about—and filling my belly with the giraffe steak.

Rat quickly ran down my body, making a sudden grab for the meat, but he was just a little too slow. Now I would make Rat eat the meat cooked. It hadn’t taken long to cook once I had the fire going.

I found a flat piece of black rock. The rock resembled one of my mother’s frying pans, so I used the rock to cook the meat on. I placed the rock over the fire, leaving Rat dribbling down his chin while the meat cooked. I turned it over, leaving Rat waiting, but Rat ate only half of what I’d given him, so we left the rest until later.

On the way, Little Rat told me all about the land we were walking through—what we could eat from underneath the ground, and what we couldn’t eat. Rat showed me some small animals I’d never seen before or even heard of. He even showed me some small mammals, which Rat said he was fond of. The striped mouse and the wood mouse were just two of Rat’s favourites to eat. I liked the Hartwig’s soft-furred mouse, but not to eat.

I liked playing with the mice. I would sit down and watch the mice running all over me, but I was still unaware that, Rat was still teaching me the magic. He used the magic words, but I wasn’t listening. The more powerful the magic, the more you had to use the right words, or the magic wouldn’t work. I was still unaware of the magic’s full potential, and of what Rat was up to, especially while I slept.

One day Rat and I came across some gorillas, who were feeding on the ground. I started running away, until Little Rat told me that the gorillas were more frightened of me. Judging by the exasperation on all their faces, Rat was right. The gorillas were in a playful mood. The only frightening time was when Rat showed me how to introduce myself to the gorillas. Then Rat used the magic words, simple words, but I was still unaware that he was now using them.

Rat pulled on my arm. Then Rat said, You say: ‘Just like a gorilla.’

So I thought I would give it a go, just to shut Rat up. I looked at Rat and said the magic words, but I was still unaware of what was happening around me, mainly because I wouldn’t believe in Rat’s magic. Once I said the magic words without laughing. I was able to play with the gorillas all that evening.

The next day we played catch with a group of chimpanzees who wouldn’t let me pass until we played with them. Little Rat had to tell them that I would be back one day, so they let them pass. The next day would be the same, but this time it was the drill monkeys, who were living on the next hillside. I was a little too tired at first, so the monkeys let me rest that evening, but not for long. So once I said the magic words, and in the right order, but I somehow, I was still unaware of what was happening around me. But Rat seemed happy with my progress, even if I was still unaware and didn’t look at my reflection in the water.

I was happy while we were walking, but I was saddened when we reached the start of the dead land, as Rat had called it. I could see what Rat meant once we were walking over the dead land. The trees had all been felled to make way for farmlands, but now the soil was so dry and dead that no crops would grow.

Four days into the dead land, we walked to a big rock, which was sticking out from the ground. Rat asked if I would climb up the rock and stand on top, where I could look all around the dead land, and for as far as I could see. The rock was about two meters high, so I easily climbed on top. From the top, I asked Rat why we were up here. Rat asked if I would take a look all around the dead land first, which I did. Then Rat told me about the rock, and why we were standing up there.

When Rat was just a little boy, all you could see from the rock was forest, and all the animals, which you could find inhabiting the forest.

Rat said, Malcolm, when I was just a small boy, I ran away from sacred rock. I was supposed to stand at the top for, the witch doctor’s blessing, but I was scared of rock, and witch doctor. I did not like heights when just small boy, Mal. Witch doctor used sacred rock for blessing and sacrifice. Witch doctor used magic on Little Man, Mal. He said I will remain little boy. So you now see me, Little Rat.

Rat wiped the tears from his eyes, and then he jumped into my rucksack, but he was still sobbing.

I stood at the top of that rock that day and looked all around. All I could see was the dead land, with just one or two trees scattered around. I could barely see the forest in the far distance. Rat stuck his head up through the top of the rucksack. Then Rat told me that the dead land would never grow back, not unless somebody replanted the trees, and I think he was right. The rock felt magical while I was standing there. I don’t recall how long I was standing there for, but it was getting late when, Rat said we should move on. In one week we had been through savannah, forest, forested plateau, and swamp. We avoided all the farms and the little villages on the way. Little Rat said it would be better for me that way. He didn’t want anybody seeing us.

Rat told me that I would only have to fight them, especially if we ran into them on the way. But now we were standing at the mountain’s base. I looked up at the top and realized we were standing next to a volcano. I was standing on an old lava flow, which started to look more and more recent, the more I looked at it.

Little Rat, look! There it is! Your Mount Cameroon. We’re here!

Yes. Now you must take me to Fako. The highest peak of them all. Click. We must go that way. Click.

With all his strength, Rat slowly lifted his little arm up, and then he pointed to the very top, but the top was covered with mist.

You want me to walk all the fucking way up there? Are you mad? It’s a bloody volcano, and its smoking, man.

Little Rat started whimpering. Once he’d seen the look on my face, he started whimpering a little louder, so I could hear him.

Mal makes promise to me. You do it well. Click.

Will you be OK?

I think so, sobbed Rat.

Rat stopped talking and sobbing. Then he suddenly looked up at the same time that I did. We heard something moving in front of us.

Hide me quickly. Someone’s coming this way, he whispered.

Yes. I smell them now, I whispered to him.

So I quickly hid Rat inside my rucksack, and just in time. When I looked up, some people were on their way down the mountainside. I already smelt the perfume on one of the young women, so I didn’t hide, but I was unaware of my senses at the time. I waited until I could see them.

It was a just a hiking party on their way down. One of the women told me, in her American accent, that I should go back down.

The weather’s closing in. It looks like there’s going to be a bad storm, so we’re on our way down. I think you should do the same. You don’t want to get caught in any storm, especially on top of that mountain. The wind will blow you down the quickest way.

The last American slowed down as he neared me. He told me that they were practicing for the Cameroon Race of Hope. He looked older than the rest of the Americans, and he was much taller. I thought he looked like military, and I was right. They soon came running down, and all passed me and then out of sight. So I gently pulled my rucksack in front of me.

Did you hear that, Rat? She said, storms moving in over the mountain. We’ll be left in the open once we clear the trees.

Yes. Rat said, coughing. They will try stopping us now that am so weak, and before you become stronger. Click. We must go now. Click.

So I gently slung the rucksack over my shoulder. I made sure that Rat was OK. Then I set off running through the forest while Rat stayed inside my rucksack. It was uphill all the way from now on, and it was getting steeper all the time. I had been running flat out that day. We were halfway there by nightfall. I soon realized that I was getting stronger and stronger the closer we came to the top of the mountain.

The muscles all over my body had grown bigger and bigger with each passing day. What was left of my clothes looked like they were going to split wide open and then fall off me. I had already pulled the arms off my shirt, and torn the legs off my trousers, so they now looked like shorts. I used the parts from his clothes for