The Crocodile slithers forward and reluctantly rips a piece out of Songweza's leg. It swallows with obscene jerks of its head, its white gullet undulating with the weight of flesh. S'bu moans in horror
I look away. Shadows are peeling off the walls, congealing in the water. The howling reaches a new pitch, underscored by a dull click-clack, as if of teeth. Huron looks uneasy. All zoos do with the Undertow coming. Even the Marabou has retreated against the white-painted rock closest to the stairs. Huron uses the knife to slice open his left palm and then drags it through the bloodied tangle of animals on the butcher's block. The howling gets louder
Marabou prompts him, like a priest at a wedding ceremony. Huron repeats the words after her, dully. His hands are shaking. "I offer this boy in my place. Let him not be animalled. Let him take mine. Bound by flesh, bound by blood." He lunges forward and slices across the Crocodile's snout with the knife, as it tears at Songweza again. It yanks its head away in fury and hisses at him with open jaws
"Now you," Odi screams at S'bu. "Say: I take this animal."
"I don't underst–"
"Say it! f**ing say it!"
"Please." S'bu starts to cry
"Do you hear that sound? Do you know what that is?" Odi yells. "That's the f**ing Undertow, my boy. Now say it, or it's going to swallow you up and drag you down to hell."
"I take this…" S'bu stutters
"Animal!" "Animal!"
"Animal. I take this animal." He looks to Odi for approval. Odi looks to the Marabou
"Did it work?" Odi screams. "Did it f**ing work?"
The Marabou shakes her head. She doesn't know
"It better have f**ing worked!"
S'bu is rocking backwards and forwards, staring at his sister, his arms hugged around his body. His chest heaves with sobs
The darkness seethes and boils, like a slick of oil. It separates to flow around S'bu. He waves his hand at it feebly, trying to ward it off. The Undertow rises like a wave, tendrils reaching towards him, as if tasting his skin. I shudder at the memory
"Song?" S'bu says, his voice trembling
The Crocodile suddenly bursts forward, its belly rasping over the concrete, snapping its jaws at the Undertow, sweeping its tail through the thick black. The darkness turns to steam instantly, as if it was only ever mirage. S'bu screams as the reptile lunges for him. But it's only moving to lean its ma**ive head against his leg in something like affection. Horrified, he tries to shove it away. The same way I did with Sloth, until I realised he was the only thing between me and the rising dark. Of course, Sloth didn't have my sibling's blood on his teeth
"This isn't how the game goes," S'bu sobs, bewildered, standing stiff and frozen with the Crocodile nuzzling his leg
"He's yours now, kid. Congratulations," says Huron. "I'd say enjoy feeding the f**er, but you won't live that long."