Chapter 12 Scene 8

Overnight there is a heavy rainstorm lasting four hours. Everyone in the shelters is well protected, but Phato, pinned on his back in the heavy crab trap in the darkness, has to lie there and take it. Once the storm is over he falls asleep quickly, and is sound asleep as day breaks.

The rest of the group eats fruit for breakfast and Tom announces, "We need to get started on building the bridge to Phatoland."

"I'll help," offers Machk. "We need lots of lumber, logs, and lianas."

"I'll chop down some dead trees to get the lumber."

"I can cut the lianas."

Olof doesn't want to be left out and says, "I'll collect logs that drifted on shore."

Quest 10: Collect twenty lumber, fifteen lianas, and ten logs.

When the three men go after their objectives, Sophia volunteers, "I can watch Phato."

Kuruka reminds her, "You must not interfere."

"Oh no, I promise I won't." Sophia is looking forward to watching Phato struggle to escape the crab trap and definitely does not want to help him.

"Good," replies Kuruka. "I will go hunt some snakes, they will be useful and we don't need them bothering us."

As Kuruka heads east toward where the snakes are, Sophia goes south the beach to watch Phato. It is about ten o'clock when he wakes up. He tries to sit up and fails, blinks, and then remembers where he is. He has to wriggle just to be able to move his arms. Once he has a little freedom of movement, he examines his prison and determines which rocks attached to ends of ropes have to be pulled through which openings in the net to untangle the crab trap. Just because he can see what to do doesn't make it happen right away; it almost always takes some time to maneuver his arms into position.

Sophia is captivated by the sight of the struggling native boy and could watch him all day. It still takes Phato a solid hour to get to a point where the crab trap is straightened out over his upper body, He has to rest for a few minutes, and then he carefully brings the part of the trap down his body and over his legs. He can't sit up any further, but his entire body above the waist is now free, glistening with sweat. He looks around, sees Sophia watching him, and ignores her. Taking another deep breath, he sets about freeing his legs. It is easier for him to see what he is doing but awkward at times when he has to move rocks by his feet. It takes almost another hour before he can scoot out entirely from the crab trap.

Sophia comes up to Phato and greets him, "Good morning" even though it is almost noon. "You must be hungry."

Phato replies, "Yes, but not too much because that was a big meal last night. Then I should help work on the bridge."

"We can get some fruit. Is fruit salad all right?"

"Yes, but one fruit salad won't be enough for me."

Quest 11: Prepare three fruit salads.

Sophia reluctantly splits up from Phato but quickly finds three bananas and three apples. Phato finds three kiwi in a different direction but after a few minutes they meet up again.

Quest 11 complete!

Phato eats two of the salads while Sophia eats one. Then Phato retrieves his bow and quiver which he had left near the dinner table, and announces, "I must help with the bridge."

"I can help, too," responds Sophia with a touch of annoyance

Phato remembers that Gilles' spirit told him to protect Sophia, and modifies his statement to "We should help with the bridge now."

This meets with Sophia's approval as she smiles, and they head to the northwest corner of the island to the palm tree which servers as one end of Phato's rope bridge. Machk arrives with fistfuls of lianas he has cut down, Olof comes with an armful of logs, and then Tom with the lumber he has obtained from cutting down a few dead trees.

Quest 10 complete!

Tom takes charge and will not make the mistake of underestimating Phato again. "We need to string these lianas across the water. Phato, you can take these four lianas, climb over like you usually do while I hold the other ends. Tie two of them to close trees high enough so waves won't hit them, and the other two as high as your head when you are standing on the first two. Then we will tie the lumber and logs to the lower ropes and make a nice rope bridge."

"We can stabilize it by tying the lower ropes to the upper ropes every few meters," adds Machk. He understands he shouldn't question Phato's ability to do his part of the task.

Phato is pleased with his task. He ties the four long lianas around his waist so he can use both hands to climb the palm tree, cross over on the high liana he has been using to cross the water gap between the two islands, then down the palm tree on Phatoland. He unties the lianas from around his waist and then ties them to the trees as Tom indicated.

One the long liana ropes are secure, Tom, Machk, and Olof fasten the logs and pieces of lumber to the bottom two ropes. It takes a few hours but they complete the task and now have a rope bridge to Phatoland.

Quest 9 complete!

Tom, Machk, and Olof are at the far end of the new rope bridge and take the few remaining steps to Phato's island. Sophia can't wait to cross, and Kuruka follows her, both acting as a protector and curious to see where her one-time tribemate has been living the past several months. John and Nicole are also anxious to visit the new island, and Amy is left with Braden. Upon reaching Phatoland, Sophia excitedly asks,

"Phato, are you going to give us a tour of Phatoland?"

"It sounds odd to call this 'Phatoland.' Do you call your island 'Sophialand'?"

Sophia laughs, and then says, "That actually sounds good. I gave you a tour of Sophialand, so now you can give a tour of Phatoland."

Phato can't argue that logic

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