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Chapter 12 c The fireflower (cont.) When at last they had descended Back down to the forest clearing Rosy sidled up to Lisa Yielded up the flowering branches Now they had secured the fire flowers, Now achieved the day's objective Back they climbed through upland forest Back to humid lowland jungle To the winding river valley Of the Antainambalana Following its long meanders Downstream as it slowed and broadened Now the shadows of the evening Fell upon the Island Kingdom Darkness rapidly descending, Lisa and her brother Matto Thought about the hours of travel In the dark that lay before them Lisa worried that their parents Might be anxious at their lateness Matto's thoughts were with Ipiki Was the little bat still breathing? Holding out against the sickness? Then their guide called out to stop them And he summoned them together To a narrow wooden jetty At the margin of the river Close to several wood-built houses Of a river trading station. Now upon the flowing water They could faintly see a lantern On a boat that headed upstream Slowly it approached the jetty And the lapping of the oarsmen Could be heard as it came nearer Straining hard against the current Finally the boat was tethered To a ground-sunk mooring pylon From the boat a light was glowing Round a cabin door amidships Voices called out from the cabin And their guide gave friendly answer So it thus became apparent That the boat had come to meet them Then the cabin door was opened Out walked Han, and then came Kwona! Quick the children ran to meet them Well relieved to see their parents Lisa saw that Han and Kwona We're disquieted by something As they walked into the cabin By the lamp they saw the healer Saw the frail and kindly woman Who had sent them on their journey Then upon a wooden table Both the children saw Ipiki Hanging from the sisal handle Of the wooden water bucket But they had to strain their hearing To discern Ipiki's breathing He was clearly getting weaker As the troubled mood attested Thus their parents and the healer Felt there was no time to squander So they turned at once to business Plucked the petals of the fireflower Placed them all into the bucket Just beneath the bat Ipiki Han already worked his fire-stone Soon the sparks inflamed the tinder And he carefully dropped the fire flake On the pile of orange blossoms
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