2-1

Isabelle glanced over through the bar room. Lavinia's girls weren't working this morning except for Clare. The busiest time of the tavern in the morning seemed past some time ago. Clare waved her hand to Isabelle balancing a tray on the other hand. The young English woman's light coloured hair looked brighter when she went along the sunlit terrace. Her healthy suntan was matched with her yellowish long hair. The bar wasn't crowded. And there was no muscular big figure of Mauriri.

She had been almost sure he would be here. But he seemed to be following another schedule this morning. Isabelle knew that Mo often spent late mornings here, doing nothing after his breakfast with his family if he didn't have some daily employment.

"How's the trading business, Isabelle?" Lavinia's elegant dark hand placed a coffee in front of her. She didn't look at Isabelle directly, busying her hands setting bottles and glasses, but Isabelle knew the captain's former lover really wanted to know how the business was going -how the captain was doing.

He hadn't gotten any contracts for them except that troublesome church's cargo since Mauriri had left. Isabelle had had to steel herself for the task; keeping David from drinking and spending what little he had left after he'd lost so much for Jenny. And the finances, of course.

However at some point the tall captain stopped making bitter comments or showing a cynical expression toward his female partner, and he did run the Ratter at least for old contracts which they had still kept despite the incident with Jenny. Isabelle was desperate for those knowing almost of all the new bookings David and Mo had gotten had been cancelled soon after the incident had been found out.

She didn't know why David had suddenly got back his sense of business, at least starting to work hard without liquor, but whatever the reason she welcomed that.

The Rattler's loan and her own stable's were heavy on her slender shoulders. Back then, she had had no extra money. So she simply borrowed again using her stables as collateral. She had been engaged in a touch-and-go situation since then.

Pinon's excellent horses were a godsend. She would be able to breathe for a while when one of geldings was sold at the 'right price' after her good care. She already had her sights on a rich man who would possibly buy it. And she was sure the colts would double in price several months from now. She had time to wait for the right buyers, unlike Pinon who'd had no option except to sell them to the fastest buyer - her.

If they lost the old contracts, -Isabelle knew there was too much 'if' in her life. But she also knew she would just do what she could here and now as always. Life was like that, always up for grabs.

"Isabelle?"

She hadn't realized that she was lost in her thoughts until Clare nudged her.

Both women were looking at her.

"Um, ah, our business is okay. Better, now. David is a bit better now."

2-2

Against the clear blue sky, terns were flying; the sea breeze was still cool and comfortable in this late morning. A regular boat returned to Matavai Bay from her short early morning trip.

David Grief felt his heart was crushed when he saw the big Polynesian get off of the boat under the morning sunshine. Their eyes met for a brief moment. Mauriri passed by the tall captain without words.

He could see David's shock easily enough with only a glance. Unfortunately it didn't make him feel any better. He even felt slight guilty.

But why should I have such a sense of guilt? David deserves it!

It was only daily employment. But it didn't matter; Mauriri Lepau was crewing on another boat. And how he hated it. And the worst thing was Mauriri hated himself for it.

And his anger for David increased because of it.

2-3

Looking back on it, it was the failure that made Isabelle feel miserable, especially after she had been treated harshly by David. He had been extremely displeased when she had come to the Rattler with his breakfast which Lavinia made.

He had withdrawn into himself again like the beginning of their partnership. Isabelle had had no clue about his sudden change.

"We are not going to see Winston."

"What?"

"You hear me, we won't go to Winston."

"Why not? It's better to go earlier, and I can't say even today is early enough, David. We need to be sure that we can renew our contract. If you're thinking tomorrow is soon enough -"

"We won't go today, tomorrow or any other time. It's a waste of time."

"-David?"

"He won't renew. He'll never give that contract to us."

"What? What do you mean? David, you haven't told me something?"

"He's Old Harry's cousin."

"Who?"

"Harry Carter," David spat and turned to face her, "one of - 'her' victims, he was strangled. You know, Mo and I found him."

He hadn't said the name Jenny, Isabelle noticed. Isabelle had also heard that Carter was one of Jenny's victims; he had been strangled by Jenny's goons or herself. She was a cold-blooded murderer.

Even though he hadn't wanted to touch the incident, he should have told her earlier, her anger rose quickly, and back of her temper she also felt disappointment which she tried not to admit. He hadn't told her. Hadn't he admitted her as his partner, even if he hadn't said so? They had been almost good together for these past months. She had thought that they could trust each other as partners. Had she been soft to think that she could get his trust so soon? But they had been working together so hard and alone. And there had been some moments she could think they cared for each other.

Why hadn't he told her about Winston? Why was he suddenly harsh at her today?

But Isabelle had seen that pain in his eyes again; she often saw it since their partnership had started. How she wished to relieve that expression of his! Her disappointment was put aside soon as she saw his expression.

"We don't know Winston won't give us the contract yet, David. Besides I haven't heard that anyone got a contract with him recently. If he'd already found a new ship, I'd surely have heard it. We still have a chance."

"You," -David scorned, "haven't heard? And you had never heard about the cousin's feud before. Of course you haven't heard whether Winston's found a new ship or not."

He wasn't being fair to Isabelle. He knew it. Carter and Winston had been estranged for years because of small things. Nobody in Matavai could remember the reason now. In fact David, himself hadn't known about it until Mauriri had told him in some gossip. The cusin's fight had been before David had come to Matavai. New settlers didn't know that they had come to Tahiti together with hope and new brides, and even old settlers had forgotten how good they had been together.

"- David, we have to try. We can't afford to lose any more contracts, you know," Isabelle continued feeling her patience was nearly at an end.

"I said we won't!" With that he had turned back to his task avoiding looking at her.

"Dammit! You, yourself said just now that those two had a fight. I don't see why Winston won't keep the contract because of his cousin then. He'll have to pay extra money to find and hire another ship in such a short time. I'll go to see him with or without you!"

David left for his cabin ignoring her. Isabelle followed him still talking to him angrily.

"I don't care what you think about me, but I always pay attention to trading and ships. And I'm sure Winston hasn't gotten any other ship yet. I'll get the contract while you are rotting here."

No response.

"I can't believe you! You won't even try. Without negotiating you can't get any contracts. You can't get anything!" Isabelle shouted at the hatch where the captain disappeared.

How dare you! I'm always careful to keep track of other ship's schedules and concentrate on ships which have the possibility to be our competitors!

So at that, she had just left him and had come to the difficult negotiation by herself. The scar on Winston's chin was the only souvenir that he had not always been a gentle, friendly old man. But before Isabelle had even said hello, he had announced the cancellation of their contract with rude words. Both the fat old man and the slender young woman had known well the reason. His fury which had no place to go had attacked straight at Captain Grief's new partner.

"How on the earth could Grief get involved with that cold bitch! The idiot sold his soul for a pretty face," the old man had cried out in rage. "Beautiful package and evil inside, I bet you aren't any different from her!"

The gentle old man who had never insulted any women in his life in Tahiti had called Isabelle, 'Captain Grief's mistress'. Isabelle hadn't shot back immediately unlike her usual self, even when the angry old man had implied her guilty of the murder of her former French lover.

You old bastard! I could wring your wrinkled neck, but I need that damn contract. Look at these people. One misstep, and David's heroic reputation is ruined. How many times has David helped others? Only one misstep, then people start to call him a sinner, a loser!

She gritted her teeth. The old man had kept on insulting David. She had decided before coming to the negotiation, -it seemed not a negotiation but more like begging- that she wouldn't respond in anger if the old man insulted her. And she had been insulted badly.

The new trader's patience had been on the very edge. When she had been about to shoot back, she had seen someone beyond the door frame.

No, no, no, why does Mo have to be here, now?

Mauriri, David's former partner and his best friend had been just outside of the room while she had to beg to keep the contract.

"I'll come back later, Mr. Winston."

"No, I'll have nothing to do with you. Tell your man so."

She had gone out hearing the old man's parting insult at her back.

When she had passed him at the door, she hadn't been able to face Mauriri since she had just lost the contract which he and David had kept for many years.

The young slender woman had quickly left the office and ran away from Mauriri's sight.

She had known that Mauriri was working here and there, but not for Winston!

"You don't have time to worry about Mo. You lost the contract! It means you're going to have to cover that loan with your stables' income. Hell!" Her old bad habits had come back! In the beginning of their partnership, lack of conversation with her partner had caused a new habit, grumbling to herself. But when David had started to talk to her, it had gone away. -At least until today.

Now she had to tell David the result.

He had told her that Winston wouldn't give in. She had misjudged Winston's feelings. She had never seen Harry Carter and Winston together even once! She had thought they had a good chance if she told Winston that she could offer him cheaper rates. However the old man obviously wanted to pay extra for a new ship rather than rehire the Rattler. Isabelle knew that Winston's accusation about Jenny and herself -that they were the same was wrong.

But he is convinced of it she thought, if it was Mauriri who had gone to negotiate, would Winston have given in?

On the way to the beach, tiare blossomed and a shop which opened only once a week was open. She could have bought her favorite monoi; a coconut oil with wild flower like aromas for women's skin and hair. And she could buy that flavored monoi only at that shop. But Isabelle didn't pay much attention to them and sighed heavily wondering how she would tell this bad news to her sullen partner. When she came to the beach, she didn't jump in the dinghy but just sat there.

We lost a regular contract again. Is it only because of Jenny's incident or-.

She knew well that there were people who didn't want women in their business. Especially shipping and trading. Also she was a woman who had a past and all Matavai knew it. Would it be different if Mo was with David instead of her?

She had jumped in between the bank and the Rattler. But it seemed she had just delayed the final result –David was going to lose his ship.

Since she had gotten involved, she had made desperate efforts until today even though she hadn't showed it. But had she changed nothing at all?

"Dammit-."

The Rattler looked blurred through her tears.