Dead Wait (The Vault of Horror #23, Feb/March 1952)

The tropic night hung over the island like a wet blanket, hot and oppressive. From out across the black Pacific, a faint breeze stirred, moving lazily through the towering cocoanut palms. The plantation house lay silent beneath the starry night. Suddenly, two shots rang out.

BLLAAAAAAM! BLLAAAAAAAM!

'Red' Buckley stood over the prostrate body of his former boss, the plantation over, Emil Duval. A tiny wisp of smoke drifted upward from the black muzzle of the automatic that 'Red' held firmly in his hand, still pointed at the dead French planter.

RED: "That takes care of you, Duval! Now for the pearl."

Behind the read-headed murderer, a small coal-black native cringed in the shadows watching with wide eyes. Buckley stepped over Duval's body and moved to a small safe in the wall of the plantation house.

RED: "Now! Right, 10, left to 6, right again to 10..."

The door of the safe opened and 'Red' reached in.

RED: "Four years I've waited! Four years and now it's mine!"

'Red' held the velvet-black sphere up so that the light from the kerosene lamp danced over it's gleaming surface.

RED: "Finally, the Black Pearl is mine! Look at it, Kulu! There is no pearl in the whole world like this one!"

The cowering native stared at the pearl from his hiding place in the shadows. The whites of his eyes shone brightly, reflecting the glow of the flickering lamp.

RED: "What are you frightened of, Kulu? Duval is dead? Stop cringing like a frightened monkey! Come out of there. Here, look at it. My Black Pearl!"

The native shuffled forward; his eyes glued to the small black sphere that 'Red' held between his fingers. He studied it for a moment, then exclaimed...

KULU: "Come, Missah Buckley! We go now! Boat ready! We go! Hurry, hurry!"

RED: "Yeah, Kulu. Let's go. My business here is finished."

'Red' took a last look at the dead planter, spat and followed the native out the door. The two figures moved silently down the beach where a native outrigger canoe was pulled up to the white sand.

RED: "Got enough food and water, Kulu?"

KULU: "Yessa, missah! Got plenty."

Buckley climbed into the outrigger and Kulu shoved off into the oncoming surf.

RED: "Well, Kulu, in three days, we'll be in Banggai and I'll be catchin' that steamer, eh?"

KULU: "Three days! Yessa, Missah Buckley."

As the outrigger skimmed over there crests of the incoming breakers, 'Red' watched the flickering lights of the plantation house fade into the night. It has been four years that he had first seen the lights of the plantation shining through the mist.

DUVAL: "There she is, Mr. Buckley! That's my plantation."

RED: "Looks okay, Mr. Duval."

Red waited three months in Banggai for Duval to show up. He spent almost a year tracing the fabulous Black Pearl to this French planter.

RED: "You sure he'll be here? It's been almost three months."

SEA CAPTAIN: "I'm telling yah, Mr. Buckley. Duval comes down here from his island to buy provisions regularly. I don't understand why he ain't been here-Oh! Oh! There he comes now!"

Red approached the jovial-looking Frenchman and introduced himself.

DUVAL: Zo, Monsieur Buckley! And what can I do for you?"

RED: "I'd like a job, Mr. Buckley. I'll do anything."

Duval had been thrilled at having another white man on the island with him. He jumped at the chance.

RED: "Chess, Duval? Oh, yeah. I play a fair game."

DUVAL: "You're hired, monsieur!"

Duval's plantation was located on one of the many islands that made up the group known as the Soelas. The plantation itself was worked by natives of the surrounding islands.

DUVAL: "It ees good to have a white man on Matuah again."

RED: "It's good to be here, Duval."

Duval had been sick with some tropical disease. That was why he had been detained getting down to Banggai. And that was why he hired Red. The fever left him weak. Red could take over the physical work of running the plantation for him.

DUVAL: "You've got to be tough on these natives, monsieur. They are lazy."

RED: "Don't worry, Duval. I'll make 'em toe the line."

Duval and Buckley had become quite friendly in the year that followed. Finally, one night, Red worked the conversation around to precious gems.

RED: "Give me an emerald any time, Duval. That's really beauty."

DUVAL: "No, monsieur! You have not seen real beauty until you have seen a black pearl."

RED: "Black Pearl, Duval? You've seen one?"

DUVAL: "Oui, monsieur. I have seen one."

Buckley tried to pump Duval, but the old Frenchman clammed up. That was all he would say about the Black Pearl Red was sure he owned. Then one night...

RED: "Who's out there? Come out of those bushes of I'll shoot!"

KULU: "No shoot, missah!"

That had been Kulu. He had been hanging around Buckley's bungalow.

RED: "What were you doing out there?"

KULU: "Mean no harm, mishap! Wanna be houseboy, servant, anything to you, missah!"

Kulu pleaded with Red to let him stay. He wanted to be Red's servant. Red had finally given in.

RED: "Okay, Kulu. You can stay. But keep out of my hair, see?"

KULU: "Yahsah, missah! Yahsah!"

It was after two years of hard work that Red had finally worked himself into Duval's confidence. One night the old Frenchman gave out...

DUVAL: "You asked me once eef I ever saw a Black Pearl, monsieur? You remember?"

RED: "Yeah, Duval! I remember!"

DUVAL: "Well, monsieur. Not only have I seen one, I own one."

RED: "You do? Where? Let me see it!"

DUVAL: "Oh, no, monsieur. The pearl is worth a fortune. We are two men alone on thees island. It would be foolish for me to tell you where I keep it. Not that I don't trust you."

RED: "Oh, yeah! I don't blame you, Duval. I'd do the same thing. Forget it."

Another year had gone by before Red had finally found out.

DUVAL: "See that picture there on the wall, monsieur?"

RED: "Yeah?"

DUVAL: "Behind it is a safe. That is where I keep the Black Pearl!"

RED: "Gee, Duval! I'd really like to see it."

DUVAL: "No, monsieur. Temptation is great-"

RED: "Tell you what, Duval. You hold a gun on me all the while. Then I won't try anything."

Duval had fallen for it. He had gone to the safe, loaded gun in hand and taken out the Black Pearl.

RED: "It's beautiful, Duval! Looks like it's worth a fortune."

DUVAL: "At least a quarter of a million, monsieur."

But Red had gotten the information he wanted. He memorized the combination of the safe. Now, all that was left was to make arrangements for a getaway.

RED: "What would I do, Kulu, if I wanted to get away from this place and get to Banggai?"

KULU: "Take Missah Duval's motor launch, Missuh Buckley. Thas how he go alla time."

RED: "No, Kulu! I mean if I wanted to get to Bangui secretly without attracting attention."

KULU: "I could take you there in native canoe, missah! Trip long. Three days maybe."

Everything was set. Red waited for the annual steamer to come to Banggai. Then, four days before...

RED: "Get that outrigger, Kulu. We'll need it tonight."

KULU: "Yessah, missah."

And now it was over. Red had the Black Pearl and Kulu was paddling him toward Banggai. The lights of Duval's plantation were gone now.

RED: "Look at it, Kulu! There's no pearl in the world like this one. And I worked long, too. Four years to get it!"

Kulu remained silent. He stared out over the vast expanse of water as Red raved on.

RED: "I don't know what you hung around as long as you did, Kulu. I treated you pretty rough."

Kulu did not answer. Up ahead, dancing lights pin-pointed the gloom.

RED: "S'matter, Kulu? You sore at me? Don't worry. I'll pay you off in Banggai. I'll take good care of you. I'll..."

Faintly, but growing ever steadily louder, the throb of drums drifted across the tossing black expanse.

RED: "What's that, Kulu? Drums! Native drums! We're headed toward them! Kulu? Where are you taking me?"

The island loomed up before them. The fires lit up the beach, illuminating the gleaming, dancing figures. Buckley spun around. Kulu stood over him. The machete in his hand reflecting the fire light.

RED: "Kulu! My god! What are you going to do!"

KULU: "I wait long time too, Missah Buckley!"

The gleaming steel blade came down with lightening speed, severing 'Red' Buckley's head from his shoulders, cutting short his blood-curdling shriek.

RED: "YAAAAAA-!"

Thok!

The grinning natives gathered around Kulu as he held the head with the red hair high for all of them to see. And as they ogled at it, he bragged (in his native tongue)...

KULU: "Three years I wait and now, it is mine! There is no head in all the Soelas like this one!"