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<<<25 July 2057, 07:54—Predator and Prey >>>

About the best thing I can say right now is that we haven't lost anyone yet. Quite a few close calls, though. I think our coddled academics are finally catching on to the fact that the only thing that stands between their fragile bodies and oblivion is the expertise of the guardians they've hired, so perhaps it will behoove them to attempt to avoid angering said guardians. I hope so. It will certainly make our job significantly easier.

We made it to the bank of the river, but it was there that we had our first close call. Joe had managed to shoot the basilisk, which then fell into the water and--at least this was the hope--out of our lives forever. This, however, was not to be. As we reached the bank and began pulling to boats up on shore, the wounded basilisk came up out of the water and grabbed Dr. Fukuhara, attempting to pull him under with its 100+-kilo weight. We managed to deal with the basilisk and get the good doctor back on shore, where he proceeded to hack up several litres of disgusting water and not provide too much trouble at the moment. al-Mansour was another matter. Apparently taking leave of what remained of his sanity, he pulled a gun and held it on 'Wraith. I, who had already taken about as much as I cared to from this lot, proceeded to levitate the doctor several meters upward and do my best to disturb his aim. Ocelot ordered him to drop the gun, which he did, cursing us all (especially me--ironically, he first told me he would hunt down my children and kill them; when informed that I didn't have any children, he told me he would wait until I did, then hunt them down and kill them. Not the most stable of travelling companions, our hobgoblin.)

Not content to allow everyone else to be insane without getting into the act, Bischo chose that moment to draw his rifle and aim it at al-Mansour, preparing to shoot the doctor for his transgression. Ocelot (who is much faster than our guide) pulled his own gun and "persuaded" Bischo to drop his. I don't think Mr. Bischo is the most popular member of our party at the moment. Truthfully, I don't think anyone is.

We sorted ourselves out according to who could stand to be around whom, and set out on our course into the jungle. Saw numerous harmless creatures including a very large snake (which 'Wraith shot--I think he had some need of his own for part of it) and an ocelot (our Ocelot was enchanted by seeing a live example of his namesake), and one potentially harmful creature-- a feathered serpent, from which we hid ourselves until it decided to move on. After that it was more trekking through thick vegetation in high humidity. No one was in the best of moods.

Fortunately, though, Dr. al-Mansour's navigational abilities had not been affected by the temporary departure of his sanity, so in due time we actually arrived at the spot where we had been headed. There, right where it was supposed to be, was the kiwi plant.

As the scientists prepared to begin their work, several large and very fast forms dropped out of the trees. I recognised them as black annises, a form of awakened baboon that is highly deadly due not only to its speed and strength, but also to its magical ability to invoke despair in its victims. One managed to club al-Mansour over the head as we fought the others; our remaining scientists took off in two different panicked directions. I suppose I can't blame them, given what they saw. We made short work of the annises (and of the squadron of military patrolmen who attacked us immediately there after) and once more Bischo saved himself (barely) from getting shot when he tried to run away in fear. The others gathered our wayward scientists and Bischo while I healed al-Mansour. Then, after busying ourselves clearing the area of annis and military corpses, we finally set about examining the kiwis.

Apparently their first brush with real death (Fukuhara's with the basilisk and al-Mansour's with the annis) had convinced our crew of academics that their lives were very fragile and it was probably not a good idea to annoy those charged with protecting them. They were downright civil to us and even allowed us to participate in preparing the kiwi sections for examination. 'Wraith and I both took a fruit for ourselves (I don't know what 'Wraith wants his for; I plan to take mine back to the University for further study). At this point we are preparing to move away from the site in anticipation of heading back toward civilization.

I am not even allowing myself to hope that things will go well from here on.

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