Esther went to her room shortly after dinner. "Get as much rest as you can," her boss had advised. While unpacking and getting ready for bed she tried to sort out the complicated situation they were facing but soon realized that she was too tired to think straight. Giving up, she sank into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. In her dreams she was standing with Kai Kapule on a moonlit beach. Suddenly a massive wave came rushing toward them. She tried to run, but was unable to move…
A tapping on her door woke her. "Wake up, girl. Time to get moving." Still half asleep, Esther slid out of bed and reached for her robe.
"Did anything happen last night?" she asked, opening the door. Angleton looked as immaculate as ever, shaved and fully dressed.
"I spent some more time talking to Kapule before Agent Violano called. He says there's no need for us to take shifts; he set up a geas field to inform him of any occult activity at the heiau." There was a grudging note of admiration in Angleton's voice. "He's competent, I'll give him that. Get dressed and come downstairs. Breakfast is ready."
Kai greeted her warmly and brought a plate of bacon and eggs which immediately improved Esther's mood. Angleton, having already finished, poured himself another cup of tea and launched into a lecture as Esther ate.
"The situation is more dangerous than I had anticipated. Most occult groups are nothing but idiot dabblers who don't know what they are dealing with; that is not the case here. Someone here knows enough to establish a summoning grid in the center of a necromantic locus, which magnifies their actions, creating a vortex of power. Agent Summers was wrong; whoever heads this cult is no amateur, though most of the followers probably are."
"Could they really be powerful enough to influence volcanic activity?" Esther was skeptical.
"It could be easier than you'd think. Remember we have two volcanoes here considered to be active, and Kilauea's last eruption was 18 years ago. We are ripe for another." Kapule's expression was worried.
"How do we find out who's leading it, and how do we get access to the heiau when the OPA has more or less warned us off?"
Angleton shrugged. "I'm open to ideas." He leaned back, eyeing his trainee. "Tell me your thoughts."
"We passed a college near the airport. Can you tell me about it?" She looked questioningly at Kai.
"Yes, it's part of the University of Hawaii."
"Do you know anyone who works there?"
"Two of my cousins are on staff. One is a member of the junior faculty, one is in the administrative office." Kai looked puzzled.
"I think we just found our starting point. Academics asking questions would be less suspicious than tourists."
Her boss nodded. "That should work very well. Miss Banks has an academic background, Mr. Kapule," he explained. "Now let me see. A little research seems indicated; I believe this will require a visit to the university library. Once we get there we split up. I will play the visiting professor and evaluate as many of the teaching staff as I can. Esther, feel free to wander around, let Mr. Kapule introduce you to his relatives, speak with whoever will speak to you. We will meet at one o'clock. If you run into any difficulty," Angleton tapped the silver ring on his right hand, "you know what to do."
Esther glanced at her matching ring and nodded. "Is there somewhere we should agree to meet?"
He raised an eyebrow at their host. "Somewhere we will not draw attention."
"I know a good place." Kapule smiled. "There is a marketplace near the college with a teahouse in the center, Bamboo Gardens. Both tourists and locals go there."
Having introduced himself to the librarian Angleton made his way to the anthropology section. His progress through the stacks, casual at first, suddenly ceased as he was confronted by an unmistakable sense of power. He stood still, suddenly alert:
There is a practitioner here…
Pretending to focus on a stack of anthropology publications, Angleton opened his inner eye and quickly located the source: a dark, ominous and intelligent presence at the back of the room. A gap between books gave him a glimpse of greying hair and a white suit.
Very well then. It's time to go fishing.
Selecting a book, Angleton drifted to a table nearby, opened his briefcase and settled to the business of reading and taking notes. He looped a geas around the librarian and gently guided her toward him; out of the corner of his eye he saw his target raise his head and glance around as if scenting his effort.
"Oh, Professor Davies, you should really meet Dr. Stager!" The librarian, looking slightly dazed, was now standing beside him. "He's one of our most distinguished professors. Dr. Stager, Professor Davies is visiting from England and he has come to study that heiau nearby. Haven't you, sir?"
Having decided to play his role to the hilt, Angleton coughed and polished his eyeglasses. "That is correct. I have a theory that it may be a way to track the summer and winter solstices, just as Stonehenge does. I'm very much looking forward to seeing it."
Stager glanced at the book Angleton had chosen, Death Traditions in Polynesia. "I've heard it might be a burial site as well."
"Indeed. Death is often a prominent factor in rituals. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Being a mathematician myself, I wouldn't really know." Stager gave a bland smile. "But I am indeed glad to meet you, sir. We don't get many English visitors. If you have the time, I would be happy to have a chat with you in my office rather than disturbing the other readers?"
Angleton gladly accepted the invitation and the two men left the library.
Kai, meanwhile, had escorted Esther to the university's administrative office. The clack of typewriters and smell of mimeograph ink surrounded her as she entered, bringing vivid memories of her student days. For a moment she allowed herself to relax, reliving the time when her biggest concern was completing her thesis; then opened her eyes to lush greenery, a soft trade wind just outside and a handsome man in a colorful cotton shirt leaning in the doorway looking at her curiously.
"I was just remembering when I was in school in London," she explained.
Kapule eyed her thoughtfully. "I have wondered. You don't seem entirely happy – do you enjoy the work that you do?"
Esther considered. "I enjoy the challenges. I wouldn't call this job fun, but I know what I do is important. And I much prefer what I do now to working as a secretary, which is what I was doing when Dr. Angleton offered to train me as an agent."
"Who exactly is he?" Kapule asked quietly. "He saw right through my glamor. Knew immediately who I was."
Esther shrugged. "He's been with our agency for years, since before the war. He's a very good agent, everyone respects him. But I know what you mean, everyone seems a little afraid of him." She was not, absolutely not, going to mention how Angleton's eyes sometimes glowed in combat or the way that feeders in the night cringed in fear when they saw him. She heard footsteps approaching and looked around to see a woman headed toward them, just as Kai greeted her.
"Aloha, Kala!" He turned to Esther. "My cousin, Kala Chen. This is Miss Esther Banks, from the University of Exeter. She and the professor she works with are staying with me and I thought you'd enjoy meeting her."
The woman's no-nonsense expression and glasses reminded Esther of every rising academic she'd ever met. "Hello." Turning back to her cousin, she inquired, "I was expecting you to be at the meeting on Saturday. Where have you been?"
"Working. I have a guesthouse to run, you know."
"I wish you would be more serious, Kai. There's more to life than running a guesthouse."
Kapule shrugged. "Fishing, surfing… I keep busy."
His cousin shook her head tightly and turned back to Esther. "We're trying to defend the islands and their culture. Tourism is destroying everything here. It's been getting worse ever since the war."
Esther was intrigued. "What do you think about the statehood movement?"
"Run by haoles." Kala sneered. "We need to retain the old Hawaiian traditions. Hawaii for Hawaiians…" her gaze was unfocused for a moment and Esther felt her ward tingle. "I was hoping Kai would work with us, but he's too busy with his tourists."
"My guests are not just tourists," Kai protested. "Academics, bird watchers… people who have a genuine interest in the islands. Like Miss Banks and her professor."
"Studied like a bug under a microscope? Desecrating our sacred sites? I'm surprised at you, Kai."
"Maha'oi,* Kala." It was the first time Esther had seen Kai frown. Trying to defuse the argument, she murmured, "I visited a heiau yesterday. The one about twenty minutes from here. It's a powerful place. Professor Davies and I had no intention of desecrating it." Then on a hunch, "I hear Hawaii may become a state soon. Do you think that would help your cause?"
This time her ward reacted more strongly as Kala's face went slack. "Hawaii for Hawaiians! We must keep the old traditions…" Kai stared at her worriedly for a few moments but before he could say anything Esther held a finger to her lips.
"Mr. Kapule, look at the time! Professor Davies will be waiting for us." She raised her eyebrows to emphasize her message.
"Of course," he stammered. "Kala, we must leave now."
Miss Chen blinked for a moment and seemed to collect herself. "What? Oh, more errands. There's another meeting tonight, Kai. I do wish you'd come. Miss Banks, if you'd care to come along you will have an excellent chance to see our local culture." Her smile was slightly malicious.
"I'd be pleased to," Esther replied coolly. "Mr. Kapule can bring me." Taking her companion's arm, she steered him away and down the hall.
"We need to find my boss and get out of here," she muttered to him.
"What's wrong with her?"
"She's under a geas. Tell me, is this typical behavior for her?"
"She's always been strongly supportive of Hawaiian culture, and she's always pushed everyone in the family to make the most of themselves. Education is everything to her. There's nothing wrong with that. But she doesn't really understand that life here is centered around enjoying yourself, appreciating nature, taking life day to day." Kapule sighed. "I never wanted to take her path and she's never understood that. It's hard enough just surviving when you're not completely…"
Human, Esther thought but did not say. "What does your family think about what she's doing?"
"They're proud of her, but my aunt keeps telling her she needs to get married and settle down." Kai chuckled as Esther responded to this with a groan. "Not for you?"
"No, not for me. I thought about it once."
Kai saw her expression change. "Your man was killed in the war?" he asked gently.
"No, he left me. I won't lie, it was very painful. But I finally realized that he did me a favor –" Esther broke off as she suddenly registered two men watching them from the window of an adjoining building. "How far to the marketplace?"
"Two blocks." Kapule nodded to the right.
"We're going to split up, Kai. I will meet you at the teahouse. Stay behind for just a minute before you follow me." With a pat on his arm she walked briskly away.
"Maha'oi" = "rude"