Lara Croft and the Curse of Tivak
Lara Croft Fiction by Robert Wheeler © March 1997

PROLOGUE
=========
	Lara stepped carefully amongst the piles of bones that littered the dark
and cramped tunnel. She held her lantern high as she worked her way towards what
she had deduced was the center of the complex.  In this, what she believed, and
what her research had shown, was the last resting place of King Tivak, an early
Inca king.  Who legend believed had prized gold and statues of his likeness
above all else, even his own life, and thus when he died all artefacts connected
to him were collected from all of the cities, towns, villages and hamlets under
his reign and buried with him.  
	Lara didn't want all that gold, her money would last her a long time,
but she wanted to discover the first gold ststue of King Tivak, that Tivak
himself had crafted, it was the only statue that had Tivak seated on a throne,
and it was the only one meant to e so scared that it had a terrible curse cast
upon it, but then Lara didn't believe in curses and other supersitions.  To find
it would get Lara respect from even the older explorers/archaelogists who frown
on her methods, and it could even, if she was lucky, make her own father
recognise her talents and skills.
	As she traveled further in she started to notice boot prints in the dust
and bone strewn floor, she quicken her pace.
	As she entered a wider tunnel, light from what she suspected was a
lantern flickered and show the still warm bodies of two dead pumas. The many
pistol shots had been right on target, the creatures probably didn't even get
close to their prey, Lara thought to herself.  Lara drew her pistols, clicked
off the each safety, and slowed walked towards the flickering light.
	She dived into the central chamber, coming out of her roll standing up
and  turning a 360 degree circle seeking out the other explorer, but there was
no sign of anyone else. A quick search discovered a tunnel in the back of the
chamber, that from the wind that blew down it led, eventually to the outside
jungle.  Lara walked towards the lantern, pistols still held high, just in case.
	The lantern was on the floor, next to a large gold pedestal, who's top was 
empty except for a single, fresh red rose.
	Lara looked at it, "Pierre Dupont !", she screamed, "You thieving bastard !".  
	As Lara thought back to her arrival, she remember the
man in the black leather jacket that seemed to be taking more than a passing
interest in her, but in her haste she hadn't worried.
	"Well Pierre, doesn't matter where you run or hide, that statue is
my discovery, and you're not going to take that statue to sell to some personal
collector, because I'm on your trail, and where ever it takes you it's 'gonna
take me.

ONE - Discusions
=============
	Sean was waiting at the small sea plane as she approached.
	He took off his sunglasses as she got closer.  He always did that Lara 
realised, must be some form of respect for her she thought, spending this much time 
with him lately, she had started to notice little things about him.
	"Well Lara, did you find what you was looking for?", he enquired.
	"No, not exactly", she replied, "I found Pierre Dupont".
	"Pierre, here?", Sean looked shocked
	"Yes, and what's more he got the statue, he must have followed my trail,  he's 
probabley been taking lessons from Remmy."
	"Remmy?", Sean looked more puzzled than ever.
	"Oh, that's my nickname for Gustaff Rembrant, a competitor, a very good  
competitor at that, last time we crossed swords, so to speak, was over the Talisman 
of Shaolin, remind me to tell you about it some day."
	"Don't worry", Sean smiled, "I will, you can count on it, shall we go?"
	"Yes, head back to the mansion, I have got to pick up some supplies and if I 
know Pierre there is only one place he can sell that statue.  You can land on the lake 
like last time, remember?"
	"How could I forget, we only just made it, damn lakes to small for this plane, 
but you know that I'll do it for you."
	"Do I?", Lara smiled broadly to herself as she got in the plane and sat next to 
Sean in the cockpit.

			*	*	*	*	*

	Many hours later and after a great deal of trouble and two aborted landings, 
Sean finally got the plane down on the lake and Lara was out and swimming almost 
before he touched it down.  ean follwed her as she quickly and gracefully swam to 
shore.  By the time Sean got to the front door of the large english mansion house, 
Lara already had two rucksacks of gear in the hall.
	"Watch out below!", shouted Lara as a large duffle bag crashed from the 
upstairs landing into the hall.
	Sean took the stairs three at a time and entered the left hand door directly 
opposite the music room.  Lara was sitting on her bed sorting out ammunition for her 
Pistols and shotgun.
	"Do you really think you need all of that?", he asked as she loaded ten cases 
of 9mm ammo into another dufflebag.
	"Well, you're met Pierre and you know what a friendly person he is, 
remember, he's the man that lets his twin silver 9mm pistols do the talking, before he 
robs your cooling corpse of all it's supplies."
	"Can't you let it go?", he pleaded.
	"No, I did all the research over a year to discover that statue and I'm not going 
to let a amateur sell it to the highest bidder, it belongs in a museum.", she retorted
	"Are you sure that's your real motive?", he asked, hesitantly
	"Sean, don't you trust me?", she looked him in the eyes, and he knew she was 
being serious.
	"Of course I do, you know that, you're saved my life many times especially 
when we tangled with that Beast creature, remember that one in that forest, all to do 
with all them Indian myths?", he replied, looking straight at Lara.
	"Yes, I remember, don't worry, trust me.  We will catch up to Pierre, I will 
pursuade him", said Lara as she stroked her pistols, "into giving me back the statue 
and we will come home.  So get a bag pack and I will meet you at the airport, get a 
little cargo plane, and pack some shorts we're going to Cairo."

© Robert Wheeler March 1997