Wealth of the Islands (13 page)

CHAPTER SIX

ANITA was still asleep when Helen tore herself out of bed and began to get ready for the day
’
s work ahead of her. It had been a wonderful evening. Peter had excelled himself by finding a number of local dishes for them to sample and approve. He had refused to serve turtle soup, but he had agreed to using their eggs. They had tasted stronger than any other egg Helen had ever had and were enclosed in leathery, rather brittle shells. A single turtle would lay many, many eggs in a season. The dangerous time for the turtle was when they hatched out and the minute turtles made their first dash for
the
sea. Then they were the prey of every passing bird and often of
the
islanders too who had a fancy for them. Miss Corrigan had told them all about them. There had been pineapples too, yams and asparagus, and quite a number of things Helen had been unable to put a name to. She had enjoyed them all, though, just as she had enjoyed the impromptu dance afterwards.

Gregory had danced with all three of them in turn. It might have been Helen
’
s fancy that he had been more formal with her than he had been with Anita, but it was certain that the only time he had really relaxed had been with Miss Corrigan. And how
the
old lady could dance! Why,
that
had put both the younger girls in the shade! Helen grinned at the memory. Seeing Miss Corrigan doing the Charleston or the Black Bottom had been a sight she wouldn
’
t forget in a long, long time!

The Polynesian waiter served her with fresh orange juice, eggs and bacon, and coffee, with a sleepy air
that told that he had been up late as well. Helen greeted him cheerfully and was pleased to note that his teeth were perfectly normal and had not been filed to suit any peculiar fashion.

“
How you getting on out there?
”
he asked her as she sat down at the table.

“
It will take time,
”
Helen told him.
“
It
’
s partly the angle of the ship. If we jolt her, she might fall off the ledge and be lost for ever, so we
’
re having to be rather careful. But we
’
ll get the gold, don
’
t you worry!
”

The waiter shrugged his ample shoulders.
“
I
’
m not worried,
”
he said gently.
“
I had my gold many years ago. When I was small I went up the trees, but now I work for the hotel instead. Everything American and convenient. Much better!
”

She joined in his laughter.
“
I should think it
’
s much safer!
”
she said.

“
Oh yes,
”
he agreed.
“
C
limbing the trees is a young man
’
s work
”
He went into the kitchens, leaving her to finish her breakfast alone. She did so as quickly as possible and then got up to go, gathering her things together so that she could hold them in one hand as she sauntered through the village towards the jetty.

T
here was silence on the
Sweet Promise
when she got there. She jumped on board and went below, to stow away her things. The saloon was in turmoil and the door that led into the first of the two small cabins firmly shut. Helen wondered whether she should try to sort out the papers that had been left all over the table. As far as she could see there was no kind of order to them, but it was unlike Gregory to leave chaos anywhere unless there was some purpose to it. She went up on deck once again and tried to find Na-Tinn and Maine-Tal, but there was no sign of either of them. At least, she thought, the thudding of her feet on the deck above his head ought to waken Gregory.

But when, a quarter of an hour later, there was still no sign of movement, Helen went down below again and hammered on the door that separated the cabins from the saloon.

“
Hey!
”
she called out.
“
Gregory! Are you there! Where is everyone
?”

There was no answer immediately, but then she heard Gregory
’
s voice saying,
“
Shan
’
t be a sec. Shove the coffee on, will you?
”

Helen did as she was told, sitting primly on the edge of a seat as she watched the dark liquid come to the boil. When Gregory appeared a minute later, she was surprised to see him still in his pyjamas.

“
What a night!
”
he grunted.

“
It was quite pleasant,
”
Helen agreed coldly.

“
You don
’
t know the half of it!
That
was just the beginning. Have you any idea what time I got to bed?
”

Helen shook her head, a glimmer of a smile in her eyes. He looked so different when he was in need of a shave and his hair was standing on end.

“
It couldn
’
t have been more than an hour ago!
”
he grumbled. He plonked a couple of mugs on the table and poured the coffee into them.
“
I suppose the men aren
’
t here yet either?
”
he yawned.

“
No,
”
Helen said.

He grinned at her.
“
You
’
re full of disapproval this morning,
”
he told her.

“
Wouldn
’
t you be?
”
she retorted sweetly.
“
Imagine how it would be if I overslept and wasn
’
t ready to leave when you were? What a fuss you
’
d make! And it would all be because I was a woman!
”

“
Very likely!
”
he said sourly.

“
Well then?
”
she challenged him.

“
Well, I spent most of the night on the
other side of the island,
”
he explained wearily.
“
A fisherman was
taken by a shark just outside the reef yesterday and
his relatives want to get the shark. It
’
s a matter of honour with them.
”

“
I know,
”
Helen said flatly.

He looked at her with renewed interest.
“
Ah yes,
”
he said thoughtfully,
“
your father had to with that, didn
’
t he?
”

Helen nodded.
“
It was a part of his work. What are they doing to get the shark
?”

“
It
’
s a family matter. The nearest male relative of the man taken has to get the shark. It
’
s as simple as that.
”
Gregory sighed.
“
His relatives all help him, of course.
”

Helen went white.
“
And Na-Tinn and Taine-Mal
—
?
”

“
Are close relations,
”
Gregory said flatly.

“
Ah,
”
said Helen,
“
so that
’
s what it has to do with you!
”

Gregory smiled ruefully.
“
I
’
m their blood brother,
”
he admitted.
“
So, you see, it has rather a lot to do with me.
”

“
What are you going to do?
”
Helen asked him simply.

Gregory ran his fingers through his tousled hair.
“
Have another go later on.
”
He laughed shortly.
“
They
’
re using me for bait. It
’
s a novel sensation, I must say!
”

Helen
’
s eyes widened.
“
As
bait
!
”
she repeated.
“
Surely not! What do you have to do?
”

“
Stand absolutely still!
”

“
Is that all?
”

“
It
’
s all I do,
”
he said ruefully.
“
Na-Tinn swims round with a harpoon that he made himself in one hand and Taine-Mal has a knife, I believe. I haven
’
t actually seen it!
”

Helen was more shaken then she liked to admit.
“
I suppose you have some shark repellent?
”
she
asked too casually to be convincing.

“
My dear girl, I
’
m the
bait
! The idea is that I should
attract
the monster, not repel him
!
”

Helen sighed, thinking back to the stories her father had told her of dealing with sharks all over the world.
“
Why don
’
t you use a cage?
”
she said suddenly.

“
You know,
”
he said thoughtfully,
“
that
’
s quite an idea. How about your cooking my breakfast while I get dressed and then we
’
ll
go across and see what can be done?
”

“
All right,
”
Helen agreed.

He disappeared into the cabin.
“
You get better all the time!
”
he shouted at her, through the almost closed door.

“
Thanks,
”
she said dryly.

He stuck his head round the door and grinned at her.
“
Now, now, there
’
s no need to get prickly. I wasn
’
t referring to your sex for once! I really mean it, Helen Hastings. Man or woman, I
’
m glad to have you on board!
”

Helen could feel herself blushing. A great wave of burning colour rose into her face and she turned away quickly before he could see it. What a fool he would think her! She was mad with herself, furious that she should be such a ninny! She was annoyed, too, that her hands shook ominously as she broke some eggs into a pan and scrambled them for his breakfast. It was something, though, that she had calmed down by the time he had finished dressing and she was sure that she looked quite normal when he slid into the seat opposite her and she piled the food on to his plate, watching carefully to see that she didn
’
t spill any of it.

“
If we had a cage,
”
she went on, just as if he had said nothing at all,
“
you could put me in it as bait and then there would be three of you to fight the shark.
”

His eyes met hers and she could feel herself blushing again.
“
I don
’
t think it would do,
”
he told her.
“
It
’
s a family matter.
”

Helen sat down, the saucepan still in her hand.
“
It
’
s not just an idle offer,
”
she said seriously.
“
If you can be a blood brother, I suppose there
’
s no reason why I shouldn
’
t be a blood sister, is there? The smell of blood will bring the shark quicker than anything else. My father always said that it was fatal to dive amongst sharks if you had so much as a scratch on you.
”

“
Look,
”
he said,
“
I hate to remind you of it, seeing that you are so tou
c
hy about it, but you are a woman. This is man
’
s work.
”

She held her head up high.
“
Who said?
”
she demanded.

“
I just said it!
”
he retorted.

She gave him such a hurt and bewildered look that his own expression softened.
“
You can
’
t bear to stay away from trouble, can you?
”

“
Something like that,
”
she admitted.
“
I
’
m not being stupid. I
’
ve heard my father on the subject many times, you know. I probably know better than you do all the dangers and what has to be done.
”

“
C
ould be,
”
he agreed readily enough.
“
It isn
’
t only that though to be considered. The whole thing is hallowed by tradition in the Islands. We can
’
t interfere with that!
”

“
Why not?
”
she pleaded.

“
Because it isn
’
t what we
’
re here for,
”
he insisted.