§ § § -- June 8, 1985
There was quite a crowd standing in the main room of the Komainens' bungalow: five vacationers who had been strolling along the beach, Kekipi, Roarke, Jaakko and Tellervo Komainen, and Leslie. Teppo lay unconscious on the sofa. At the moment, Kekipi had the floor and was taking advantage of it by trying to lay the blame on Leslie for everything that had happened in those few minutes on the beach. "She simply stood there and let that madman try to beat me to death, Mr. Roarke. How can you justify such a thing?"
"She 'simply stood there'?" Roarke echoed skeptically. "Tell me, Kekipi, if six of you together failed to stop the young man, then how do you expect Leslie to be able to control him all by herself?"
"She must have some control over him," Kekipi argued insistently. "He never touched her."
This stilled everyone, and as one the entire group turned to stare at Leslie, who blinked and began to turn red. "Did he harm you at all, Leslie?" Roarke asked.
Her blush deepened and she shook her head, almost as if she wished he had. "N-no," she admitted.
"It's true, Mr. Roarke," one of the vacationers spoke up. "When we backed out of that devil's reach, he turned toward her, but then he just fell over, and he's been like that ever since."
"Does she have some kind of protection?" asked another person.
Someone else ventured, "Maybe they're in cahoots…you know, working together."
"You're a fool if you believe that," Tellervo Komainen retorted angrily. "That girl's trying to help my son." She appealed to Roarke. "Mr. Roarke, please, if you don't mind…"
Roarke nodded with understanding. "Thank you all," he said to the other guests. "Your assistance is very much appreciated. That will be all. And as for you, Kekipi, I believe you still have several tasks to attend to. I suggest you do so, and then return to the main house when you've finished. I need to discuss something with you."
"Very well, Mr. Roarke," Kekipi agreed and departed with the others, leaving Roarke, Leslie and the Komainens standing around the sofa where Teppo lay. Only then did Mrs. Komainen give way to threatening tears as she stared down at her son.
"I dreaded something like this happening in public," she said shakily. "Mr. Roarke, Jaakko and I would give anything – anything – to see Teppo freed from that evil god. We should have never let him out of that straitjacket. It was too much of a risk."
Roarke studied her for a long moment. "Mrs. Komainen, I must ask you to refrain from using the straitjacket." He saw her head snap up and anticipated her protest. "I realize you believe there is a danger, but it simply isn't feasible to keep him in it day and night. It could be construed as a cruelty to Teppo, and in the end it's merely a stopgap solution."
"And what will happen the next time Lempo takes hold of him and another attack occurs?" she demanded. "I can't abide the thought of him harming someone else. This time it was your assistant; next time it could be other guests. No, Mr. Roarke, I'm his mother, and I feel it's safer for everyone if he is put back in the straitjacket."
"Oh, Mrs. Komainen, please don't," Leslie begged softly, her voice thickening with emotion. "Please. I think if it weren't for Kekipi's interference, nothing would ever have happened at all. Teppo was perfectly normal the whole time we were together, till Kekipi showed up."
Teppo's mother stared at her, suddenly uncertain. "I don't understand anything about this."
Roarke smiled a little. "I confess that I don't understand either, Mrs. Komainen, but it's clear that Leslie is willing to take her chances. It seems that she is the only person who is safe from Teppo's transformation into Lempo." He paused for a moment, as if thinking, then drew himself up straight and laid a hand on Leslie's shoulder. "For the moment, let him rest. When he awakens naturally, bring him to the main house for dinner as previously arranged."
"And if Lempo is still in control?" Mrs. Komainen persisted.
"Call the main house," Leslie interjected quickly, "and I'll come over." The adults exchanged glances at this, but they all agreed.
§ § § § § § § § § § § § § §
No call came – only the Komainens themselves, bringing with them a subdued Teppo. He wasn't wearing the straitjacket, but he appeared to be in the same catatonic condition in which he had initially arrived on the island. Roarke and Leslie were waiting on the front steps to meet them, and Roarke motioned their guests ahead of them to the table, which was set for five. Mariki stood nearby with a large covered tray.
"Where's your assistant?" Mrs. Komainen asked.
Roarke cleared his throat. "She…was called away suddenly. Please, do sit down." Leslie, who had not been there when Roarke had his talk with Kekipi, shot her adoptive father a curious glance, but didn't bother to ask. There was time for that later. Everyone took seats; Leslie saw that Teppo's father had to place the unresponsive young man into a chair before taking his own seat, and felt an abrupt queasiness. She knew Roarke saw her face turn several shades paler, but he didn't mention it. Mariki set the covered tray on the table, turned to a serving cart and began to place dishes on the table with quiet efficiency. Roarke thanked her when she finished, and she nodded at him and left in silence.
No one touched the food for the moment, however. Roarke studied Teppo, who was seated between his parents, his eyes fixed and unfocused and his face devoid of expression, and glanced back and forth between the elder Komainens. "Did he awaken in that state?" Roarke asked.
"Yes," Mr. Komainen replied, casting his son a sorrow-filled look. "Nothing we do brings him out of it. Perhaps Lempo is not there, but we see that Teppo is not there as well."
"Oh, Teppo is there, but…" Roarke paused for a moment, thinking back. "You will recall that this morning, he said that when Lempo takes control, it's as if Teppo is trapped in a locked room. I believe that's the state he is in now."
"But I don't see why," Mrs. Komainen said, frowning in bewilderment. "This never happened before. When Lempo retreated, Teppo was always aware immediately afterward. Now he's merely like a large doll. We have to make his every move for him, and he responds to nothing."
For a moment Roarke was silent, regarding Teppo without really seeing him. The others watched as his dark eyes narrowed. "Lempo is cognizant of the fact that you have brought Teppo to Fantasy Island," he murmured finally, almost too low for them to hear. "He may not always choose to remain in control, but he has the power to keep Teppo's consciousness from returning whenever he himself relinquishes command of your son's body. I suspect this is Lempo's way of trying to show me that he has the upper hand."
"Does he have the upper hand, then?" Mrs. Komainen asked.
Roarke snapped back to reality with a gentle start and smiled at her. "Why don't we simply put the problem aside and enjoy our meal?" he offered. "As for Teppo…" He got up, came around to Teppo's chair and placed a hand on either side of the younger man's head as he had done before, concentrating carefully. Teppo came back to life just the way he had the first time this had happened, and sat blinking and looking around him. Roarke returned to his own chair, sparing a glance at Leslie, whose wide-eyed gaze was cemented on Teppo.
"Teppo?" Mr. Komainen caught his son's attention and asked a question in Finnish; Teppo replied in the same tongue. To Leslie's ears, the language flowed with copious vowel sounds, as of smoothly running water. She listened with interest and more than a little hope in her eyes.
Mrs. Komainen took her turn, speaking quickly in Finnish to Teppo, who chuckled, nodding, and gave her a reassuring reply. Then Teppo took in their hosts and smiled. "I'm glad you brought me back to myself, Mr. Roarke," he remarked, "because I'm incredibly hungry and all this food smells wonderful."
Everyone laughed and began to serve themselves from assorted dishes. Only Leslie seemed subdued, casting furtive glances in Teppo's direction but never lingering, as if afraid he would catch her doing it. Roarke watched the young people for a few minutes; it turned out that Teppo, too, was sneaking quick looks at Leslie. As he watched, their gazes inevitably collided, and they both blushed and paid inordinate attention to their plates after that. Roarke smiled and continued his conversation with Teppo's parents.
They were nearly finished, with only the older adults having spoken throughout the bulk of the meal, when Mariki appeared from the kitchen with another serving cart. "Would anyone care for dessert?" she inquired.
Teppo's parents and Roarke declined, but Teppo said with a sheepish grin, "Actually, I'm still kind of hungry, and that sounds terrific. It looks as if you have quite a few choices on that cart."
"Six different ones," Mariki replied, beaming at him. "And you, Miss Leslie?"
She couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend a little extra time with Teppo. "I'll have a slice of cheesecake if you have any," she said, a little shyly.
"I do indeed," Mariki told her. "Pineapple cheesecake, made fresh this afternoon."
Teppo's eyes widened with interest. "Sounds good! Make it two."
Roarke chuckled. "In that case, Mr. and Mrs. Komainen, why don't we repair to my office and let the young people enjoy their dessert." He rose from his chair. "Thank you, Mariki. I believe you outdid yourself this time."
"Yes, it was an excellent meal," Mrs. Komainen offered warmly. Her husband nodded agreement, and Mariki beamed again.
Once the others had left and Mariki had placed plates of cheesecake in front of Teppo and Leslie and taken her own leave, there was a self-conscious silence on the porch while each one stared at the dessert without moving. Then Leslie, unable to stand it any longer, looked up and asked hesitantly, "Are you all right?"
"Sure, I'm fine." Teppo openly stared back at her, his mouth open as if to say something else, and she waited; finally he demanded, "What did I do back on that beach?" She blanched and he saw it. "Tell me the truth, Leslie, and don't leave anything out."
She swallowed thickly, then sighed and told him what had transpired. Teppo listened intently. When she finished, he leaned forward and said, "Did I hurt you at all?"
"No, you never once laid a finger on me," she said. "I was the only one you didn't try to harm." She swallowed again, trying to flatten the lump that wanted to rise in her throat.
Teppo sagged back in profound relief. "Thank God," he said. "If I had…" All at once he erupted out of his chair and bounded around the table to Leslie's, pulling her out of it. "All the way through dinner I kept looking for any sign of an injury on you. I couldn't find any, but I had no way of knowing for sure. I'm so glad I didn't do anything to you." He lifted one of her arms, checking it, then the other; and she started to laugh.
"I told you, you never touched me," she reminded him. "No bruises, no black eyes, not even so much as a paper cut. Honest."
He stopped and studied her then, his face settling into a more serious mien, although he still wore a faint smile. "You seem to be the one person Lempo won't touch," he observed quietly, cupping her chin and cheek in one hand. "I don't know why, but…" Just for a moment he seemed to be searching her face; then he stepped in closer to her, tipped her head up and softly kissed her.
Every inch of Leslie's skin tingled so much at his touch and his kiss that she felt full of electricity; her heart promptly doubled its speed, and her head began to spin. She closed her eyes to steady herself and found herself holding onto his arms for dear life, her entire world reduced to the feel of his lips on hers. Teppo lingered there for a long moment, then drew back and stared at her. She stared back, dazed and full of wonder. It had been her very first kiss.
A smile started to bloom on Teppo's face. "You look a little stunned," he teased gently.
She was, but there was only one thought running through her mind. "Do it again, please?"
"That's an easy request to answer," he said, and this time drew her into his arms and kissed her fully. She responded in kind; her mind might be empty of all thought, but her heart was full to overflowing.