Chapter 328: Into the Forest (8)
Both the altar and the wooden cage stood in the very heart of the settlement.
To reach them, they would first have to cross the open clearing around the village and then make their way through a dense cluster of cone-shaped huts.
There was still more than an hour before sunset, yet the settlement was already bustling with activity. Natives whose bodies were painted crimson wandered everywhere—men and women, old and young alike. Scattered among the huts like beans strewn across the ground, they formed a living barrier protecting the altar.
Without the help of the fentanyl, forcing their way through so many obstacles and reaching the altar would be next to impossible.
There was good news, however.
Everly carefully observed several of the huts nearest the forest’s edge.
Judging by their size and shape, they weren’t suitable for cooking over an open fire. Around the huts, she found only scattered animal bones and human bones, with no signs of hearths or cooking pits.
That suggested the Caribs still followed a tradition dating back some six hundred years: after a hunt, all food was turned over to the tribe, where designated “cooks” prepared it. Once the meal was ready, it was distributed equally by the tribe’s respected elders.
As for where the tribe’s kitchen was…