"So the cause of all those storms…?"
"I guess we'll never know." Lara's eyes were distant — whether a result of pain killers and antibiotics, or because of the psychological effects of her time on Yamatai, even her friends could not tell. "My belief is," her voice was also more certain than it had been a week ago, "Himiko's spirit was still tied to the island. Unable to leave or communicate, it produced those storms."
"Weel, those things up in th' monastery sure went all crazy when you torched the corpse. They tore the hell out o' them scavvy bastids. Near put it to us, too."
"Well, that's one good thing that came of this," Roth grinned. "Finally taught you to keep your head down, you crazy bastard." The Oni had rampaged through the stronghold and out to the shantytown, killing everything that moved. Fortunately they didn't seem all that sharp eyed; once they'd figured out the way the wind was blowing, both the older men had managed to work their way down the mountain without getting spotted.
Lara winced. "Poor Solarii. Mathias got one thing right with them; they were loyal to each other. They just couldn't stand back when their brothers were being slaughtered. So they all got killed instead."
"They had it coming." Grim was adamant on that.
"With all the scavenging they'd been doing, you'd think they would have a boat or two working by this time." Reyes had been uncharacteristically quiet since their return.
"They'd internalized that they would never leave the island," Lara explained. "The storms wouldn't permit them. You remember what happened to the rescue plane! Anyhow, I'm glad you were able to get that PT boat working."
"And Roth and I were able to hold off the stragglers long enough for you to get it in the water," Grim butted in.
Alex started laughing then. "And a good thing you are so clever with salvage yourself, Lara Croft!" he laughed. "Do you know, before you got to the beach, Reyes was about to send me to the Endurance for a screwdriver? I can't imagine how that might have turned out."
"Hey, I admit that was a mistake," Reyes still had the sharp tones when she wanted them. "But I'd never seen anyone improvise a box end wrench out of rabbit bones and crow feathers before."
"The one thing I'm sorry I missed was your return to the beach, Sam." Lara turned to her best friend then. "I heard it was pretty spectacular."
Sam's eyes grew distant. "I guess grandmother was right. We really were descended from Himiko. That's the only reason I can think of is why the Stormguard didn't kill me along with Mathias."
"I heard the big Oni stomped him into paste." Lara was uncomfortably happy with the image.
"I couldn't talk to them, of course. Our family didn't speak Japanese at home, and I never really learned it. Except for a couple of words. I kept saying 'Yamatai, Yamatai.' That's when they stopped shooting at you, Lara."
"Pity the floor collapsed then."
"You never did explain how you got back to the beach, Lara."
"Long story. Some other time." Lara shuddered at a memory of rushing water filled with spiky bits, and a really badly designed parachute. "Sam, I think I just got it. Your accent — you weren't saying 'Yamatai' to them. I think they thought you were saying 'yamatte.'"
"Which is?"
"Stop!" Lara almost smiled then. "I think I know more Japanese than you do, Sam."
"Hey, I knew a couple other words! When a group of the stormguard under that big guy came around to protect me from Mathias's thugs, the only thing I could think of telling them was to take me out of there. And I remembered the word 'umi' from when we used to go to the beach at Carmel."
They were already dying by then. If that was the word. Their purpose over, the spirit that had kept them alive for thousands of years was gone. There was a nobility to the beast-like warriors as they formed an armored phalanx around her and escorted her down to the beach and the others.
The bowmen had fallen first, expiring without a gasp; simply stopping in their march, and slowly crumpling into a heap that looked as if it had been dead for centuries. At last only the big Oni had remained. He faced her, unwilling or unable to drop to his knees in the deeper bow of submission to a feudal lord. Because Samantha was of course merely the last remaining blood of Himiko on the island; his true mistress was gone. He froze, slowly, becoming a sort of statue until the slightest puff of wind toppled him to land full-length in a clatter of archaic armor.
"One day an expedition will return here and figure out what all happened. And round up any surviving cultists — the mainland will have a long list of charges for them, if they don't shoot them all like dogs. But it won't be us." Roth was adamant on that point. "We're not going back there."
"No," Lara said. Her eyes were distant again. "There's too much else to explore. I've been looking at my dad's old diary. I think…if he was still alive, I'd want to apologize to him."
"You needn't apologize for anything, girl." Roth said sharply. "You did good there. You did real good."
There was a long moment of silence then, each still trying to come to grips with their memories and experience on the island.
"So why did you set fire to Himiko's corpse, anyway?" Sam broke the silence.
"I think it was just instinct."
"Lara didn't tell you, Sam, but the first thing she did that terrible night when we all got captured…is set fire to herself!"
"Alex!" Lara protested.
"Lara!" Sam's voice was full of concern.
"Um.." Lara quickly regrouped. "Long story. Another long story. Anyhow…I think I must have just gotten into the habit!"