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They came out in another clearing, facing the temple, which was in a far more ruinous state than the ones Peter and his colleagues were working on, its steps crumbling away, the jungle growing in upon it closer and closer, creepers strangling the ornate pillars which decorated it, grass growing through the stone flags of the courtyard.
'What a mess!' Peter said reflectively.
'How old is it?' she asked him, staring at it with great interest and fascination.
'Looks older than the ones we're working on,' Peter shrugged. 'Perhaps third century.'
'As old as that?' she demanded.
He laughed. 'India is a very ancient country. Let's take a look inside.'
They walked u
p the steps and entered the temple. The sunlight died as they went inside and cool shadows thickened the air. The smell was nauseating.
'Something rather dead in here,' Peter said, grimacing. 'An animal has got in and died, presumably.'
'I'll wait for you by the door,' said Marie, feeling sickened by the smell.
Peter glanced at her. 'Are you all right?'
'Fine,' she said. 'I just prefer the open air.'
He laughed. 'I know what you mean. Look, I won't be long, then I'll guide you back to the others.'
'There's no hurry,' she said. 'It's quite pleasant here.'
Peter plunged further into the gloom, leaving her by the door, staring into the oppressive jungle. She saw a giant spider's web glistening with silvery mist drops stretched across from one pillar to the other. The carvings were so unfamiliar, so contorted and strange, that her eyes wearied of tracing them, trying to make sense of them. She knew nothing of the ancient legends that lay behind them, the mysteries and secrets of the religion that had caused this place to be built.
Suddenly she froze, her whole body shaken with horror. Facing her, between the creeper-straggled trees, stood a huge tiger, sleek, muscled, poised for movement, his tail lashing from side to side, the green eyes staring at her unwinkingly.
She was so frightened that she merely stared back, swallowing on a terror so great she felt sick.
She opened her mouth to scream for Peter, but no sound came. She felt her limbs turn to water.
The tiger's head slowly drew forward. She saw the great body tense for a spring, every muscle beneath his shining coat.
She remembered Jess describing a tiger who had visited the waterhole beneath the stilt house. This must be the same one. Jess had said he left pug marks so big that she had measured them with disbelief.
A sudden crash among the trees drew her attention from him. The tiger too turned to stare, distracted from her.
Someone was moving among the trees, and Marie realised that the newcomer might walk straight into the tiger. She screamed then, her throat relaxed from the grip of terror.
'Tiger! Don't come any further… there's a tiger here…' The words seemed to float mistily on the morning air. For a wild moment she wondered if she had actually said them, then she heard Peter racing towards her from the back of the temple, his feet stumbling on the stone floors. At the same time the unknown person began to run through the jungle, but incredibly towards her, not away into safety.
The creeper-hung trees swayed noisily, then a figure emerged, just a few feet from the tiger's crouched body. With incredulous dismay Marie recognised the tall, dark man in white shirt and casual beige slacks, his head cocked as he took in the scene confronting him.
The tiger flicked his tail with a lazy motion, turning his head to survey the new arrival on the scene, and Peter panted up beside Marie, flinging a protective arm around her.
'What's up?' he demanded. 'I heard you scream…' Then his eyes flashed down into the little clearing and he swore under his breath.
'God!' He fumbled at his belt and gave a groan of dismay. 'My pistol! I left it in the temple…'
As he turned to go and get it, she said quickly, 'I'll go. Try to distract the tiger. Keep it occupied. Make a lot of noise—try to frighten it away.'
She ran into the darkness, searching the gloom with eyes that at first could take nothing in, then she saw the scuffed trail of Peter's footsteps across the centuries of leaf mould which had fallen down through the open arches in the walls and made a carpet across part of the floor. She ran forward, following the trail of Peter's feet, until she came to a fallen block of masonry on which lay an open notebook, some pencils and the pistol. Light reflected back from the metal of the pistol as she picked it up and turned to run back.
She heard Peter shouting, stamping his feet. The tiger made a deep menacing sound in his throat, then gave an appalling roar of rage.
