Page 24 of In Darkness and Dank

To Kittisak’s surprise, something chirped back.

Several other birds began to sing, squawking and cheeping away, and Shu flawlessly called back to all of them. Some other creature whooped and howled, maybe a monkey, and Shu howled a perfect imitation in reply.

“You really are a parrot!” Kittisak laughed.

“Parrot?” Shu cocked his head.

“Big colorful bird.” Kittisak did his best to make a parrot sound, although it may have sounded more like a seagull’s death rattle. “They can talk. They repeat stuff like you do. They do the echo echo.”

Shu grunted.

“It’s amazing.” Kittisak took a moment to admire Shu’s body in the sunlight, watching how the black glittered like diamonds and the blue almost seemed to glow. “You’re amazing.”

Shu smiled, and he bowed his head to bump his brow against Kittisak’s. “Kitty amazing. Kitty is beautiful.”

Kittisak’s cheeks flushed from the unexpected compliment. He was starting not to even mind the nickname so much now. “Th-thank you.” He gulped. “So, uh, you just brought me up here to show off your cool echo skills, huh?”

“Show off?” Shu made a face.

“Yup. That’s you. Shu the show off.” Kittisak grinned.

“Prrrp.” Shu snorted and shook his head. “Mida? Kitty hungry?”

“God, yes. Very hungry. Much mida, please.”

Shu was happy to show Kittisak the giant droopy plants from which the dragon fruit grew, the tall trees that bore the big pacay beans that tasted like ice cream, and a hidden cove where the bees made their honey. Kittisak’s embarrassment about being naked was outweighed by his hunger, and he didn’t mind so much now. Shu didn’t seem to care, too busy showing Kittisak all the wonders of his lovely lagoon home.

Kittisak noticed that the dirt in the cove where the bees were was dark and stinky, and he recognized the smell immediately as the stuff Shu had slathered on him. The walls of the cove were smooth as if water washed through here from the hills above and left the mud behind as it drained off into the lagoon.

“This is the miracle mud?” Kittisak pointed to his chest. “This is what saved me?”

“Huh.” Shu nodded. “Heal. Very strong.”

Kittisak couldn’t begin to hazard a guess as to what was in the mud, but he was thankful for it—rank stench and all.

After feasting on fresh fruit and honey, Shu took Kittisak over to see the waterfall. The water gushed straight into a large pool, the bottom of which was so deep that it was nearly black, and a few little showers cascaded over onto a large flat ledge polished flat by the water’s path. Some thick branches had been carried over by the falls and landed on the ledge, blocking what would be a perfect perch.

Kittisak was getting tired from swimming, and his arms were too heavy to move the branches and hoist himself up there.

Within a blink, the branches were pushed aside, and he yelped in surprise as Shu grabbed his hips and stuck him there like he was putting something away on a pantry shelf. “Uh, thanks.”

Shu smiled and climbed up to sit beside him.

From here, Kittisak could see the whole lagoon and the dense rainforest reaching all the way to the horizon. It was a breathtaking view, truly paradise, and he shyly tilted his head over to rest on Shu’s shoulder.

Shu purred.

Kittisak suspected that this may be the very lagoon Browning and Hutte were searching for. Blackwater could be clear if the conditions were right, like here in a glassy lagoon, and high acidity would explain the sharp taste of the water and why there weren’t any bugs, as their eggs wouldn’t survive so they wouldn’t lay any here.

He had no idea if Browning’s elusive bacteria would be found here, and he was struck by a pang of guilt when he remembered what had happened with the grave.

“Shu,” Kittisak said. “I need to apologize to you.”

“Apologize?” Shu repeated carefully.

“Yes. I need to say I’m sorry.” Kittisak lifted his head so he could look at Shu. “I’m here with my professor. His name is Browning. Skinny white man. Maybe you saw him with me? Big glasses?” He made circles with his fingers and put them over his eyes.

Shu shrugged.

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