THE NIGHT OF THE VOLCANO
By Andamogirl
WWW
PART TWO
Later
Manua moved toward James West holding a wooden bowl containing a green, greasy ointment and observed the white man laid on a mattress.
He didn't know where to start, as the white man's skin was burned all over its surface. But his feet and hands were swollen, angry red and blistered.
He chose to spread his herbal concoction there.
Feeling something on his ultra-sensitive skin, Jim regained consciousness and screamed as a terrible pain surged through him.
He felt his breath quicken. He couldn't breathe! He was burning. He was going to die, he thought in full panic, gripping at the mattress and breathing harshly.
In a flash Manua placed a soothing hand on his 'patient's face and he said, "You're safe! Breathe Mr. West, breathe."
Unable to open his eyes, Jim's breath hitched in his tight chest and he started to pant as he blindly pushed back the person who was 'torturing him'. G'way! Don't touch me, just don't - don't touch me!," he groaned, his throat dry and sore.
He raised his hand up to his face, slowly, groaning in pain and then he lowered it before touching it. There was a bandage covering his eyes.
He panicked, exhaling sharply and inhaling shakily, "B-blind? I'm blind?" He asked Manua whose voice he had recognized.
Manua continued what he was doing, coating Jim's hands and feet with his special ointment for burns. "No, you're not blind, but your eyelids are swollen and there are a few red splotches on them and the skin is very sensitive here. You will have to keep the bandage on until you heal. I'm going to bandage your hands and feet too. The burns are more severe there than elsewhere, but you won't have scars."
Reassured Jim swallowed thickly. "Okay," he mouthed. He felt nothing but pain.
Everything hurt, ached.
The Healer nodded, "I know, it hurts, I'm sorry, but I need to do what I'm doing. This ointment I'm covering you with will ease the pain and help you heal. I did the same thing to your friend and he's sleeping. Like you, he was burned, but he's out of danger, also like you." He glanced at the older white man who was laid on a nearby mattress. He also had his eyes, hands and feet bandaged.
But even asleep he was whimpering and trembling in pain – and crying.
Gritting his teeth to fight the pain, his own eyes watering, Jim said, "Thank you," his voice a hoarse whisper, and a wave of dizziness passed through him.
The ointment was stinking. He grimaced.
Manua left the room and returned quickly with a wooden bowl full of water. "You need to drink, you are dehydrated," he said holding Jim's head up as he tipped the glass to his mouth. "Take small sips, slowly. You will have more water later, I don't want you to make yourself sick."
Grateful, Jim complied, swallowing small mouthfuls of fresh water, feeling the wonderful sensation as the liquid cooled his throat.
He stopped drinking the wonderfully cold water when his stomach muscles cramped.
Then, immobile and quiet, except for the occasional pained hiss and twitching, he felt the old Samoan spreading his ointment everywhere, and calmed down.
A tear broke free and began to wind its way down his stubbled cheek.
His breathing slowed and clutching at his roiling stomach, he drifted off to sleep lulled by the sound from the seemingly unending rain beating steadily against the nearby forest foliage.
WWW
The next evening
Blinking slowly, tiredly, Jim lay awake on his mattress, staring at his best friend, in the semi-darkness of the guest house.
His vision was still blurred but he could distinguish the silhouette of his best friend, dimly lit by the faint glow of the dying fires burning in stone braziers of the falema'I.
His best friend was still sleeping soundly, his bearded face relaxed in dream-less slumber, his matted locks plastered to his forehead, his breath evening out, his mouth hanging open - and there were dark smudges under his eyes telltales of his exhaustion.
Watching Artemus's chest rise and fall with each breath, he realized they had escaped death again, and realized too that he often forgot that Artie was much older than him and thus less resilient than him, even though he was in excellent physical condition, he thought.
Feeling sluggish, he raised his arms slowly and watched his hands, flexing his fingers. The bandages were gone, but his skin was still coated with Manua's smelly ointment.
He wondered how long he had been unconscious.
He observed his fingers. The blisters were gone without a trace, and they were less swollen but he couldn't tell if they were less red.
But his body wasn't covered with the ointment anymore and he whispered, "That lovely woman gave me another sponge bath… she gave one to you too, Artie."
Artie blinked awake, groaned like a bear woken up from hibernation and croaked, "Tryin' to sleep here," then he yawned and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He froze realizing that his hand was wrapped in loose fabric strips with some kind of smelly ointment underneath. He sniffed at it and he scrunched up his whole face. "It stinks…Wha… that horrible stuff?" He added huskily.
Jim smiled. "Manua used an ointment of his, which stinks as you noticed, and covered our bodies with it. Then he bandaged our hands and feet. You still have bandages but mine are already gone." He noticed that his partner's feet were swathed in cloth strips too. His burns must have been more severe than his. They would take longer to heal, and he hoped he wouldn't have scars. "I don't know if you noticed, but we're not dead. I'm going to end up believing that we're lucky."
Looking at Jim with bloodshot eyes, Artie furrowed his brow and rasped, "M' not sure abou' not bein' dead, because I can't feel anythin'… I'm all numb. Wha… hpened?"
Moving into a sitting position, limbs heavy, Jim noticed that his feet weren't bandaged anymore and replied, "Tanu pulled us out of that pit of hell before we died."
Lowering his limp hand to his side Artemus said, "I have a fragile skin, I've probably been burned more seriously than you... I hope I don't get burn scars, I have such beautiful hands..." And tears of stress rolled down his cheeks, vanishing into his beard.
Smiling reassuringly, Jim said. "I don't think so. And you have beautiful ointment-slicked feet too, don't forget that," and he chuckled in order to relax his partner.
Smiling, but not feeling less worried, Artie rasped, "I suppose this ointment has strong analgesic properties too, that's why I can't feel any pain and are all numb."
Jim nodded. "Yes, me too."
Closing his eyes, exhausted, weary to his bones, Artemus murmured, "Well, it's not just Indian ointments that stink and have these properties, it would seem... in any case I approve the use of this awful ointment." He re-opened his eyes and asked, "Did you see Tanu, Jim?" before closing them again.
Shaking his head, Jim said, "No. But I'm going to tell him that we're willing to help him, and I don't know how. But I'm sure he'll tell us soon."
Opening his eyes, Artie frowned and asked, "Sponge bath?"
WWW
Later
Tanu, the future Tui Manuʻa, looked down at the two agents of the US Secret Service sleeping on the same mattress back to back.
He noticed their bodies were still slightly red and Artemus hands and feet were still swollen and dotted with red splotches.
He winced in sympathy as it looked rather painful.
He smiled broadly proud of himself. For fear of returning to the pit and being burned again, they would now obey him.
Holding a terracotta bowl of water, Artemus said, "Yes, it is painful." He glared at the Samoan man and then took a sip. He was still pretty much dehydrated, he thought. Then using his free hand he wiped the sweat from his brow. The air was hot, clammy and suffocating.
Tanu smiled. "But you're not dead, but a few more minutes in the black pit and you'd be dead both of you... I saved your lives.
Jim sent a black look at Tanu then he looked at Artie, his brow furrowed in concern. "Careful, you'll make yourself sick if you drink too fast, Artie."
Still very thirsty, Artie took another sip of water, then several more enjoying the feeling of the cool liquid going down the length of his still burning throat. Then he replied, "After putting our lives in danger. Saving us doesn't count, ya know." And he moved aside a lock plastered to his forehead.
Playing nonchalantly with his necklace made with emeralds, Tanu said, "Then you will now know not to upset me... and you will work for me."
Crossing his arms over his chest with reluctance, Jim asked, "I don't know how, Sire. We are strangers here, we don't know the islands, the language, the people, and…"
He was suddenly interrupted by warning calls and screams of pain and everyone looked to the side, to see houses burning.
People ran in all directions, completely panicked.
They were panicked because of the fires that destroyed their houses but also because of the warriors armed with clubs, axes and knives who killed all those who were in their way, screaming in Samoan language, "Tanu, you're going to die!"
Paling, Tanu said, "You have to protect me! Taua sent his warriors here to kill me!" and he hid behind Jim, trembling with fear.
Standing, Artie said, "We can let him be killed, Jim." He swayed on unsteady legs for a few seconds and as his best friend grabbed his elbow, he added, "I'm alright." Looking at Tanu who watched in horror as the village burnt and the villagers were slaughtered, he continued, "Even after what he did to us. President Grant signed a treaty of alliance with him, and not with Taua, who rejected it."
Jim nodded. "You're right, Artie. Let's get out of here before it's too late." Grabbing Tanu's arm he said, "Is there another access to this village?"
White as a ghost Tanu pointed towards the forest with a shaking hand. "There is a path that leads to the volcano. It will have to be climbed to get to the other side and then cross the forest again to reach the fishing village of Taeao."
Artie nodded. "Does Taua and his warriors know that path too?"
The future king shook his head. "No, only the villagers know it, but he'll torture them to find out where we went, and they'll talk to save their lives... And he'll kill them!"
Heading toward the rear of the house, Jim ordered, "Show us the way!" and Tanu ran in the direction of the deep forest.
Upset, Jim sighed. "He promised us a special hunt, just for us on our future visit here, I didn't think we'd the ones being hunted."
WWW
Three hours later, drenched in sweat thanks to the sweltering tropical climate, the three men stopped by a narrow river snaking among rounded rocks and gigantic foliage.
Placing his hands on his knees, out of breath, Tanu asked between two pants, "Are you thinking they are following us?"
Looking around them, the two agents listened for suspicious noises, such as telltale cracks and snaps of branches and flocks of frightened birds flying away... But nothing. Nothing with the exception of the usual hum of hordes of insects and wildlife calls.
Artie glanced at the thick brush which was spreading all around them in order to spot the path they were following through the dense forest, "It's very likely. After what you told us, they're probably after us, but we're far ahead of them," he responded. But the path had vanished. "The path is gone. Which way do we have to go now?" he asked. He ran a hand through his hair curled even more with perspiration trying to air it out to cool down. "I hope you know where we are going."
Tanu pointed at the river. "We have to follow the river upstream to a waterfall then it will be necessary to climb along the volcano to its summit, it is the easiest way."
Jim nodded, beads rolling down his face and stinging his eyes. "I'm sure we don't have the same definition of easiest way."
Then the three men re-started their 'hike' through the dense forest, Tanu leading the way onward, swatting the tangle of branches and leaves out of their way, pushing past the vines hanging off the nearest trees, sometimes sliding on slippery rocky mossy outcrops.
But the increasing humidity made them feel groggy and automatically they slowed down, surrounded by tropical foliage in every direction.
They stepped over fallen and decaying tree trunks and over massive roots which crept across the forest floor and moved away from the huge giant bugs crawling on the mossy ground. It was very slippery, and more than once they lost their footing.
WWW
The three men reached the secluded waterfall about a couple of hours later. It was high and majestic and surrounded by smaller ones.
The water was splashing against the boulders underneath and then cascading into a large, natural pool lined with tree-ferns and large round and smooth rocks, covered with spongy moss and small blue flowers.
Jim, Artie and Tanu knelt down by the pool and then plunged their hands into the refreshing water, cupping it to quench their thirst, drinking eagerly.
Then Jim proposed, "Let's take a break. We're exhausted."
The two Americans took their only cloth off – the place was perfect to cool off for a bit - and dove headfirst into the pool - lit by beams of sunlight that managed to cut through the canopy, caressing the slight breeze that came from the water and forming mini rainbows here and there - swimming in clear, emerald, water which was feeling pleasantly cool on their skin.
They swam back and forth through the running water then made their way upstream to the main cascade. They stood under the falling water for a moment, washing off the dirt and sweat from their hair and skin. And it felt good.
Sitting at the base of a massive tree with large leaves, Tanu looked around him anxiously, scanned the dense forest around him, flinching at the slightest noise. "We should leave now!" He yelled over the noise of the rushing water. "Before it's too late!" He added.
Eventually the two men swam back to the middle of the pool, side by side.
Floating on his back in the middle of the sparkling water, naked, relaxing, Artemus replied, "After hours trudging through the forest, we all need a break, so shut up!" and he closed his eyes, listening to the chirping of birds and calls of other animals which surrounded them.
Offended Tanu glared at the older man. "I'm a king, be more respectful!" He snapped angrily. A mosquito flew onto his arm and he smacked it away.
Sending back a black look to the Samoan man, Artie replied dryly, "Or what? You're going to steam cook us again? You're far from the black pit. You're not a king yet, and I have no respect for people who torture their guests – and should be in prison!" Then he swam toward a moss-covered flat rock located on the other side of the pool of fresh water and he lay down on it, on his stomach. He closed his eyes again and started to relax again, the sun spotting his tanned skin. Lulled by the sound of rushing water and the songs of exotic birds he drifted off to sleep.
Tanu whined. "They're on their way here! We can't stay here much longer! I don't want to be killed! You need to protect me!"
Jim slicked back his soaked hair and said, "We'll leave in a few minutes, and if you're not happy, you can always go ahead. We will join you later..."
Tanu shook his head. "No, I'm staying here with you," and scowling, he crossed his arms over his chest, watching the rain fall.
Smiling pleased to see that Tanu was sulking, Jim dived to the bottom of the pool, showing his bare butt to the tree crowns.
WWW
Much later
The sun was quickly setting on the horizon.
The three men followed the narrow, rough terrain of the pathway hugging the Lata Mountain and managed to reach the summit of the volcano, and, bone-tired they collapsed on the ledge.
Panting harshly from the exertion, sweat trickling into his eyes and blurring his vision, Artie rasped, "I'm not going any further," and he lay down there, the jagged edges of the rocky ground digging into his back, his muscles and spine instantly protesting sharply.
But he didn't care. "Everything hurts, even my hair. Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Standing cautiously on the edge of a cliff side of black solidified lava overlooking miles of lush rain forest, Jim took in his surroundings and then said, "It's going to be dark soon, they're going to stop for the night too. We'll leave at dawn."
He furrowed his brow, a bad feeling gnawing at him. Something bad was going to happen but didn't know what and when.
Not reassured, Tanu scanned the vast expanse of tree tops searching for signs of their pursuers, in vain. He nodded his agreement. "Alright," was all he said.
He wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his hand. The volcano was still active the air was hot and stuffy and suffocating.
He sat next to Artemus and, his elbows resting on his knees, he closed his eyes. He too was exhausted and was sore. He grimaced when he heard his stomach grumble. "I'm hungry," he said.
Jim joined Artemus and Tanu and asked the latter, "I suppose that we can find some edible things on our way to the other side of the island?"
Feeling his body going numb, Artie yawned and then whispered, "I dream of eating a lemon soufflé…" And he licked his parched lips.
Suddenly there was another grumble, deeper, louder and the ground shifted without warning and started to shake.
Panicked birds and flying foxes (bats) left the crowns all around them, flying away from danger.
The three men froze in alarm, with their hearts in their throats, catching their balance on the rock wall to steady themselves.
Standing in a hurry, Artie could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing up on end. "It's an earthquake," he said adrenaline taking over his grogginess, and he pulled Tanu upright. "Let's get out of here before we plummet to our death from the side of the volcano."
But it was already too late for that. Violent tremors hit the ground and the side of the volcano started to crumble with a deafening noise.
Paling, watching shards of rock fracturing around them Jim said, "Let's move!" feeling shivers running along his spine.
There was a deafening boom and an explosion rocked the area.
Clouds of Volcanic gas, high-pressure steam, huge red and orange flames and smoke suddenly began to erupt from the crevices that opened up around them.
Gusts of hot scorching toxic air hit the three men in relentless and deadly waves.
Scared, sweat dripping from his forehead.,Tanu said, "We're all going to die!" His voice cracking as the ground shook and quaked beneath the three men's feet with more violence.
They ducked their heads and scattered as branches, leaves, dirt and rocks from the cliff face which was falling to pieces above them began to tumble down on them.
Suddenly there was a formidable tremor and the three men were knocked off their feet, onto their backs. It felt like the ground was being kicked out from under them.
Head-over-heels they tumbled down what was left of the pathway, crying out in pure, unadulterated terror. "No, no, nooo!" at the top of their lungs.
Jim, Artie and Tanu toppled over the ledge, arms wind-milling frantically, all of them thinking, 'I'm dead' and went down the rocky incline head first.
Both Jim and Artemus landed some twenty feet below, hard, on a group of bushes which slowed down their fall, but didn't stop it and they skidded down the ravine.
They frantically grabbed for protruding slippery roots and rocks, anything that could stop their descent, but the ground was shaking too much for that.
Tanu tumbled down the steep slope – violently hitting boulders - on his way down, to the foot of the cliff. His disarticulated body impacted against the trunk of a large tree with a dull thud, head first.
He died instantly.
The last thing Jim felt was a sharp pain to the back of his head and in his right shoulder as his body connected with a boulder which stopped his slide along the side of the volcano.
Then the world went dark.
Dazed and disoriented, his blood booming in his ears, Artemus curled into a ball and instinctively covered his head with his arms in a protective position. Dirt, branches, pieces of wood and sharp lava rocks were scattered across his lower body, pinning him down.
Raising a weak hand he managed to clear his face of the mud covering it and then uncurled and going limp, passed out.
There was a loud roar, the ground continued to quake, the trees shuddered and the landslide stopped a few minutes later with a tremendous cloud of thick dust filling the acrid air.
The Lata Mountain grumbled again, released new volcanic gases, new jets of steam and new flames but the volcano didn't erupt.
Everything faded into an eerie silence.
Night fell on Ta'ū island and the sky filled with stars.
WWW
Much later
Blinking his eyes open, Jim first realized that he was alive.
He could see daylight through the evergreen canopy of leaves, hear the wind rustling through the leaves, the cacophony of wildlife around him and he could feel the tepid rain wetting his face.
He grinned in huge relief, his heart hammering with overwhelming joy in his chest while listening to the sound of birds flying above the tops of the trees.
The sudden pain his right shoulder startled him and he cried out. He curled in on himself against flares of pain coming from his skull too - throbbing like it was going to explode at anytime. He put a hand to the back of his head and it came away wet with blood.
Head wound and dislocated shoulder, no life-threatening injuries, he thought, relieved. He frowned. But what had happened?
His teeth gritted, he noticed then that he was moving through the dense forest toward him and that a second man was walking in front of him. He was holding something…
He propped himself on his elbows but a searing pain in his right shoulder forced him to lie down and he didn't move anymore.
The Samoan man was holding the ends of a makeshift stretcher.
He glanced up to the other native standing behind him who was holding the rear part of the stretcher made with big branches and asked past clenched teeth, "What happened?"
But the Samoan didn't respond.
He frowned, trying to remember why he was hurt. Why he was in the jungle. The last thing he remembered was the mud bath he shared with Artie...
Suddenly very worried, he asked, "Where's Artemus? Where is he?"
But no one answered him.
He gathered his meager energy and propped himself on his elbows with the intention of seeing where his best friend was, but that simple gesture was a bad idea. Vertigo and his headache created nausea and he emptied the contents of his stomach to one side, on the ground.
He dry heaved for several minutes more before the nausea eased off and, he closed his eyes and rolled limply onto his back. "Concussion", he whispered.
Then, lulled by the buzz of ambient noise of the rainforest around him, more than exhausted, he drifted off to sleep…
WWW
At night
Jim woke up to find he was lying on his back on a mattress, under Manua's house, head positioned to the side. It was dark and the large and only room was lit by fires burning outside in braziers.
He turned his head to the other side and saw the old man, leaning over Artie – who was immobile, moaning, barely conscious and covered with dried mud, except on his face which was matted with blood.
He was frightened at the sight of so much blood. "Artie…" He rasped.
Looking at Jim, Manua said, "He's lucky to be alive and you are too. I'm determining what's broken or not." And he continued to probe Artemus's body.
He pressed on his ribs, to the right side and Artie suddenly howled in pain, curling up in a protective position despite his body's painful protests.
The healer nodded. "He has a few broken ribs," he said.
Blinking rapidly against the darkness coming, Jim slurred, "What… happened?" Then he closed his eyes too tired to keep them open any longer.
Manua responded, "Taua's warriors were killed by Paou the leader of Tanu's men. Then he went looking for you. He followed you to the foot of the volcano and brought you back here after the earth shakes. Tanu is dead, his skull smashed."
Jim frowned in confusion. "What?" he croaked, propping himself on his elbows with a grunt. Pain instantly exploded in his head and then he passed out.
WWW
Later
Jim woke up at sunset, the sun coloring the house in bright orange, with a massive headache and a sharp pain in his right shoulder.
He grunted in pain and tightened his jaw.
He slowly turned his head - hammered with a slow pulsing throb - to the left side, wincing, hearing a soft snoring and saw his best friend laid at his side, cleaned from mud and blood.
Artie's prone naked body was covered in bruises and cuts. A gash was across his forehead and he noticed it had been neatly stitched.
He touched the back of his own head and found it bandaged. He discovered too that his right arm and shoulder had been splinted with branches, immobilizing them and they rested in a woven sling made from bark fiber.
He reached out, touched Artie's arm and whispered, "Artemus!"
No reaction.
He shook his partner's arm, "Artemus!" he repeated and Artie forced one eye open and responded with a whine of protest. "Wake up! We need to talk."
Artie's eyes fluttered open and the older man stirred. He rasped, "Let me die…" but he was interrupted by a spate of coughing and cried out in pain. "In peace…" He finished, placing a trembling hand to his burning chest tightened with bands of fabric. "Hard… to breathe. S' like torture," he added and then tried to catch his breath without jostling the stabbing ache in his broken ribs with each pant.
Brow furrowed in concern Jim said, "You're not going to die, Artie, at least not now, and I will never let you die by the way. Who would make me something to eat? Would do the cleaning and laundry? And the washing up?" He paused and added, "I'm glad you're okay. Mostly."
Artie chuckled softly and immediately regretted it, grunting in pain. Every move no matter how light they were was very painful.
Jim continued, "Manua briefly told me what happened but not all the details…"
Looking at Jim – noticing his bruised face – Artie said, "You were there…"
Raising his hand to the back of his head, where it hurt, Jim hissed and then replied, "I hit my head and the last thing I remember is our mud bath. Plus I have a concussion… and the mother of all headaches. But I'm not nauseous now."
His brow furrowing in worry, Artemus said, "You have a partial temporary amnesia, following your concussion, Jim. Your memory will come back whole, later, but I don't know when." He groaned as his whole body was sore and aching. "We escaped death once again… but Tanu wasn't as lucky as us. Manua told me he died of a skull fracture." He sighed and it hurt. "Ow!... I suppose that his brother will take his place on the throne… and tear up the treaty with the United States. Our mission is over, Jim."
Jim nodded. "And it wasn't a success," he said. He paused, listening to the various sounds of the local fauna and asked Artie, "Could you tell me what happened after the mud bath, in detail?"
Snores.
WWW
It was raining. The sky was heavy and gray.
Prince Taua, covered in dark tattoos, sitting on his throne looked down at the two envoys of the US Government each framed between two warriors.
He was sitting on the edge of the fale tele, sheltered from the downpour and the white men were kneeling outside, bound at the wrists and ankles. Jim and Artie were completely soaked, rainwater cascading over them, slicking their hair to their face.
The warrior that was standing behind them, forced them to lower their heads, pressing on them, to keep their eyes on the ground in respect.
Leaning forward, the future king said, "You helped my brother Tanu to flee. But Lata Mountain showed her anger and Tanu was killed. He was killed because he didn't deserve to live. The gods have decided so. He hurt you, almost killed you, to signal you to leave the islands, it was a warning. Come back - you invaders - and you will die next time."
Both Jim and Artie sighed in immense relief. After being tied up and dragged before Taua by his warriors, they had believed their final hour arrived.
Lifting his hand Taua gave an order to the 'guards' and the two warriors used their knives to cut the two white men's bindings. "Look at me," he commanded.
The two agents of the US Secret Service obeyed.
Prince Taua continued, "I'm going to banish you from Manuʻa Islands. If you come back here, you'll be killed immediately." He paused, looking at all the villagers and his own men gathered around the fale tele so that all may attend his authority and mercy and then, he added, "You will wait for your ship on the beach where you disembarked. Warriors will watch over you."
Bowing his head, Artemus said, "Thank you," and asked, "Can we stand, Sire?"
Prince Taua raised his hand. "You may stand and leave."
Still weak and sore the two men stood groaning with stiff muscles and popping bones and then staggered backwards while looking at Taua, head bowed in respect - even if he didn't deserve any - for fear of seeing him change his mind
Then two warriors escorted them out of the village.
WWW
More than two weeks later
Close to midday
Sitting with his legs outstretched on his mat of intertwined palms (Artie's doing), under a bent palm tree, and protected by its shade from the sun's implacable heat, Jim turned toward his best friend. Artemus was laid on his back, on a second makeshift mat, on the other side of the small fire.
He asked, "When is the USS Lincoln expected to arrive?"
Looking up at Jim, a bit irritated, Artie rolled his eyes and replied, "For the nth time, tomorrow morning, Jim." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't wait for this exile to end, either."
The younger man nodded, "It's been more than two weeks since Taua confined us to this beach. Fortunately he gave us a canoe, a paddle, a harpoon, a knife, a machete – with which I was able to build our 'house', among other things." He glanced at the shelter located next to a group of the shrubs between the beach and the rainforest made with large branches and leaves of palm trees and ferns, intertwined with vines. He smiled proud of himself. It looked like a 'tropical tepee'. He added, "And two flint stones to make fire."
Propping himself on his elbows, in a bitter tone, Artie said, "Hmm… right. Just what's necessary for us to survive. He's been very generous with us."
Brushing white sand from his tanned legs, Jim glanced at each end of the beach seeing the silhouettes of a dozen warriors standing among the black rocks. "And he confined us here. We've been prisoners here for more than two weeks."
Stifling a yawn, Artie nodded. "We'll be gone by tomorrow, Jim." He smiled. "I've been in worse prisons than this isolation - in pairs."
Looking falsely surprised and outraged Jim frowned and said, "What? You in prison? Does your mother know about this?"
Eyes twinkling with amusement, Artie replied, "Yes she does, and by the way you've shared my cell several times. I see you still have memory lapses due to your concussion."
Jim smiled. "I do remember, however, that we both escaped each time, and every time with your fabulous gadgets. My favorite is the cigar with thermite charge – and my memory is fine." He paused and then added; "I'd like you to work on a machine when you have some free time, which would allow someone to disappear from one place and reappear in another place a few seconds later. We could have used it to get home faster... I am looking forward to leaving this island but I am less enthusiastic about spending another three months at sea. But you're going to enjoy it, I'm not."
Artie dug his toes into the white sand and pushed himself upright. "It would be a great invention, making all transport systems obsolete... we would not have to wait three months to get home, but three seconds... Unfortunately I'm only a brilliant gadgeteer, and not a miracle worker. Maybe one day such a machine will exist, who knows?" he said. He stretched like a cat looking out at the sea, squinting at the reflection of the sun over that small part of the South Pacific Ocean. "It's time to fish for our lunchtime meal." He grabbed the harpoon leaning against the trunk of the coconut tree and winked at Jim. "What do you want to eat, Jim? Fish or fish? I let you choose."
Sending his best friend a black look, Jim responded, "I swear that if you make me eat fish when we get back on the Wanderer, you'll regret it."
Heading toward the canoe which he had settled on warm, wet sand, Artie said, "Fish is excellent for your health! Okay. No fish for you, then I'm going to try to get some shells for you."
Frowning in worry, Jim said, "You're going to have to dive for it, there are sharks in the coral reefs, and it's very dangerous, no, just bring fish. I choose fish."
Smiling, Artie replied, "Yes mom, and it's an excellent choice," and then he waded into the turquoise water, pulling the canoe behind him. When the water was up his thighs, he braced himself on the edge and lifted himself in. Then he grabbed the paddle he had left inside. "See ya later Jim!" He said and he headed toward a cresting wave.
Jim stood and scrubbed his fingers through damp, curling hair. "Try to catch boneless fish, it's easier to eat!" And he heard Artie burst into laughter.
He picked up the machete sitting in the sand at his side next to a pile of driftwood and dead leaves for the fire. They needed coconuts to drink out of.
Then he'd prepare the local 'oven' to cook the fish, first heat pebbles in the fire, then dig a hole in the sand and find large leaves… Then Artie would wrap up the fish in a bundle, bury it in the hole layered with the burning rocks, put some on top of the fish wrapped in the leaf and the heated pebbles would bake the fish. it was a change from the traditional fish skewers, he thought.
He grimaced in disgust. "Fish…" Watching Artie moving away from the beach, the canoe rocking gently on the surf, he shouted to cover the crash of the waves, "And no more coconuts! Ever! I hate coconuts! I'm sick of coconuts!"
But Artemus didn't hear him this time.
The end