Chapter 2 Scene 2

## Point of View of Pelubo:

Starting from the center of the north boundary of the Village, the native children head north along a path through the middle of the swamp. Following Keruka's instructions, the kids sporting loincloths of every color of the rainbow carry only bags in which to put rarities or if they are fortunate, the golden statues. Since they have to split up to cover the whole area, they decide to explore the swamp at 200-meter intervals. They all eat some fruit along the way. First Yadifo breaks off the group, then Gopumbi, Bukela, Otanve, and Rogula. At the far end Pelubo is left to explore the northernmost area.

Pelubo scouts the swampy forested area for a while, and then notices a bug crawling on the ground. He catches it, and puts it in his bag.

You found an Orange Stripey!

He keeps searching, and sees a lizard scurrying toward a tall tree. He catches it and adds it to his bag.

You found a Blue Toxxy!

Continuing on, Pelubo spots a shell.

You found a Purple Sea Thorn!

He puts the shell in his bag, and a minute later finds a butterfly fluttering near the tall tree. He manages to get his bag around it.

You found a Reddy!

After another couple minutes, Pelubo notices the ground has become quite squishy, but sees a bug crawling up the tall tree. Pelubo has to climb the tree to get it, and he does.

You found a Yellow Boar-Bug!

Pelubo has done very well in a short time. He then notices a lizard crawling out along a branch about five meters off the ground. He climbs up and out along the branch. When he looks down, he notices this branch extends over what looks a like a large quicksand patch, so he resolves to be very careful. The lizard crawls toward the end of the branch, and is trapped. Pelubo crawls after it. The branch creaks, but this may be the only chance to get this rarity. The branch is steady, so Pelubo crawls forward some more. He grabs the lizard and puts it in his bag, which he closes.

You found a Green Swirler!

However, at that moment the branch snaps behind Pelubo. He is able to cling onto the end of the branch as it doesn’t detach from the thicker part of the branch connected to the tree trunk, but rather hangs by a thread from the thicker part. Pelubo dangles at the end of the thin end, which is about a meter long and tears away a little bit more from the main part of the branch. Any movement is liable to break the branch completely. The boy in the purple loincloth looks down, and realizes that pretty soon he will be in the quicksand. His feet are nearly two meters above the center of the patch, which is at least ten meters in diameter. The patch is too wide to swing over, and besides the branch would snap completely if he tried.

Pelubo feels like an idiot, unable to avoid this fate. Either he will lose his grip or the branch will break. He does remember Keruka's instructions to remain calm. If he does fall and keeps still and doesn’t struggle, he shouldn’t sink past his loincloth. Wanting to go out fighting, he decides his best chance is to climb up the thin end of the branch, but as he pulls himself up, the branch does break.

SPLUUSSSHH!

Pelubo promptly sinks up to his chest in the quicksand. He bounces up a little, but settles back down chest deep. This is a lot deeper than he thought he would sink, but then he realizes it must be because he fell from a height and didn’t just walk in. More importantly he saves his bag of rarities. Tying it closed, he tosses it to the trunk of the tree he just fell from. There are airholes in the bag so the living rarities can breathe.

Pelubo sees a chance. He places the branch he was hanging from on the surface of the quicksand, and pushes himself up. He raises himself a centimeter before the thin branch breaks. Frustrated, he tries again, but the smaller pieces aren't enough to support him. He throws them away in disgust.

“Is anybody there?” he yells as loud as he can.

There is no answer. Pelubo is not surprised. He sighs, resigned to the fact that he will be stuck in the quicksand until somebody looks for and finds him.

Quest 34: Free Pelubo from the quicksand.

## Sequence

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