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“Good question,” Slash said. “However, I welcome the opportunity to spend the day without having to deal with his oversized personality, especially since I have my own hands full with my personal trouble magnet. By the way, we’re traveling in the same boat today. That’s a new, nonnegotiable item between Gabriel and me.”

“What did you guys talk about all night?” I asked.

“Security. I gave him some advice and he took it. He also apologized for leaving you alone. He said it wouldn’t happen again.”

“I hope not. Did he give you a weapon?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Or maybe I’m not allowed to talk about it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Your secret. Did you know that Salvador lost his daughter to malaria when she was just three years old? He volunteered for the trials.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. We’re fortunate to have him on the team. He’s a first-rate guide.”

“He really is.”

We piled into the jeeps, three jeeps this time, and headed to the boats. As promised, Slash was in a boat with Gwen, Natelli and me, which suited me just fine. Vicente wisely kept his distance from Slash, but the overall mood of the team was significantly lighter without Martim.

Regardless, I was anxious the entire boat ride, not only because I hate riding in boats, but also because I kept expecting pirates to zoom out of hidden tributaries and start shooting at us. However, the trip was blessedly uneventful, and Gwen even managed to get Slash and me to pose for a couple of photos.

After we landed and unloaded, we started our hike to the village carrying our supplies. I felt significantly more secure given the extra security and the knowledge that Slash was probably armed. However, I was sweating so badly within five minutes, I had to tie the bandana around my forehead to keep the sweat from dripping into my eyes.

At some point during the hike, Gwen sidled up to me. I shifted the water I was carrying to another hand so I could swat a mosquito that was buzzing around my neck.

“Lexi, please don’t think I’m crazy, but I thought I saw something in the trees...actually, make that asomeone. It was a guy’s face, I think. He had tattoos on his cheeks, but when I squinted to get a better look, he was gone. So, I can’t tell if I’m imagining things or I really saw something.”

Her words reminded me of the impression of the native in the tree I’d had just before I jumped from the tree. In all the excitement, I’d completely forgotten about that.

“That’s interesting, Gwen, because I thought I saw the same thing when we got separated and I was in the rainforest alone. But then the face was gone and I figured I’d just imagined it.”

“That’s really weird,” she said, keeping her eyes glued to the trees.

“I wouldn’t be worried. If there are natives out there, they’re probably just curious about us.”

“I hope so.”

We finally reached the village and unloaded our equipment. Vicente and Natelli went over to talk to the village elder and the small group that ringed him. The villagers were dressed in a mix of clothes made from natural materials with a few brightly colored and well-worn T-shirts and an occasional pair of jeans. Children under five or six were naked. Everyone had bare feet and all the women were bare breasted. Most of the women wore loose skirts woven with some combination of leaves or grass. A few of the men wore loincloths. Interestingly, the man I suspected to be the village chief wore a pair of khaki shorts and a Nike Just Do It T-shirt.

A prolonged discussion between Vicente and the chief ensued. I suspected it was regarding our no-show yesterday. At some point, Vicente suddenly turned to me and pointed. Every villager in the place turned to look at me. Vicente wiggled his arm like a snake and mimicked jumping and falling over.

Oh, crap.They were talking about me and the rescue.

The villagers gasped, so Vicente hopped up and acted out the rest of the story in a dramatic retelling. The chief looked dubiously at me, but Salvador nodded vigorously, as if to provide verification.

To my surprise, the chief abruptly strode over to me. At five feet eleven, I was a good four inches taller, but I stood still as he examined my face and my hair, as if to uncover some hidden secret. Then he started firing off questions, which Vicente rapidly translated.

“I told him why we didn’t come yesterday, and explained how you saved the group by throwing the snake at one of the pirates, then jumping out of the tree to take out the other one. So, the chief would like to know if you’re a descendant of theAmazonas.”

“Who are theAmazonas?” I asked.

“TheAmazonasare a legendary tribe of women warriors who once lived and roamed the rainforest of South America,” he explained. “The existence of this matriarchal group was confirmed by several Spanish and Portuguese explorers who wrote about the incredible strength and courage of the women warriors. Do you know where the Amazon River got its name?”

I shook my head. “I don’t.”

“The Amazon was named by Spanish soldier Francisco de Orellana, the first European to explore the Amazon, in 1541. He named the river after repeatedly fighting battles with tribes of ferocious female warriors whom he likened to the Amazons of Greek mythology. The local tribes all have legends of remote tribes of fierce warrior women. They were so skilled in battle and strategy that it was said that just one of these women was worth ten men. He himself has never seen one, but given what he was told about our adventures yesterday and your rescue of the team, he wonders if you’re descended fromthem.”

I had no earthly idea what to say to that. Should I acknowledge the legend, but say I’d just been thinking on my feet? I didn’t want to say the wrong thing and then we’d all get sent home. Everyone was watching me, but I didn’t have a clue. Panicked, I looked to Slash for help, and he did what he does best—gracefully rescued me from conversation.

“While Lexi is not anAmazonas,” Slash said, “I have personally witnessed her perform remarkable and numerous feats of skill and bravery. She’s a true woman warrior.” He paused and then added, “However, you should be warned she’s deathly afraid of spiders.”