Jahl lives with his people, the Hamica, in the jungles of a nameless world. They live at one with nature. It’s a simple existence, centred around family and community. One day all this is snatched away when Jahl is captured by slavers. But he’s a proud man from a proud people, and he never shows his fright or anxiety, despite what he feels inside. They take him through the jungle, through swampland and farmland, to a town that has seen many like him come before. In a strange, wooden building in the middle of the town square, Jahl is put into a harness, naked and spread-eagle for all who have gathered there to see. It’s humiliating and degrading, especially when the bidding starts. For the first time, Jahl is truly frightened. Who will purchase him? And for what purpose?

Goodbye to the Jungle

“It’s a group of fighting men. They sail on boats on the sea, defending the city and the lands surrounding it.”


“Well, a city is like a town, only much, much bigger. Thousands of people live there. They have tall buildings, two and three storeys high, and monuments and fountains. The streets are always full of people, and full of sounds and smells.”


“It’s hard to imagine so many people and all those buildings. Where I come from, there are no more than eighteen houses, built in the trees. We climb great ladders to get to them, and at night, we pull the ladders up so we are safe when we sleep.”


“It’s just that eighteen isn’t very many, that’s all. I thought your village would be larger.”


Chapter 19