Chapter 7: A Great Threat

Summary:

Richard and Camille now seem to be more focused on the transformation of the hut. Which is logical because the renovation is already well underway. They even make some special plans for their future home. The Loa, in the wake of what appears to be a minor accident, reminds them of what they are here for and gives them an important warning.

Chapter Text

It's so hot! It's the one thing Richard knows he will always find hard to accept about the island of Saint Marie.

He and Camille are talking to the contractor about the renovations being carried out on the lizard shack. Richard has decided to call it that as, thanks to the strange and magical animal, the poor workmen are working small miracles to keep the tree in place.

His girlfriend joins him after gossiping a bit about the improvements to their future home.

"Richard, the kitchen is three times bigger! We're going to have a dining room and even three perfectly distinct bedrooms! We'll have total privacy!"

Richard raises an eyebrow.

"In the three bedrooms? When I check it out I'll believe it and I promise we'll 'premiere' them together, one night in each room." Seeing the impish grin Camille gives him, he clears his throat and continues, "It's this awful heat. But I'm not changing my mind, I think it's an excellent idea to open each room in this way. Very rewarding."

"I'm not asking you to change your mind, your ideas are always excellent, cherie."

Richard clears his throat again and continues.

"What's the bathroom like and... will we have air conditioning?"

Camille sighs.

"Of course we will, my love. That's the first thing I asked. They couldn't put it in the old house - but they've demolished the whole thing, except for the tree, of course! I think the workmen suspect you and I have a fetish with the tree in the bedroom."

Richard laughs. He used to think it was too hot here. And it still is, but he could no longer live with the terrible coldness and loneliness of his former life.

"In a way, they're not wrong. Alex, Mr. Rivera, the contractor, told me the work is getting closer to completion. He reckons we'll be able to move back in a month. Do you have any idea how much money this has cost us?"

Camille grabs his arm and says:

"We'd better not think about it. At least the Commissioner has assured us that he will put the ownership in our name. It will be ours, Richard. With the sale of your flat in Croydon and what I had saved, we can say we have a home of our own."

Richard squeezes her hand and thinks there is still one thing missing. But he will think about it another time. Now they have to go back to the station.

And there Catherine is waiting for them with the Inspector's parents. Alice and Arthur are being reassured by the always kind Fidel. Dwayne has gone out on the motorbike to find out what has made Mr. and Mrs. Poole so nervous.

"Alice, what's happened?" it's Camille who tries to talk to Mrs. Poole.

"Oh, my dear! What a fright we've had."

Richard is already talking to his father. Mr. Poole does less fretting.

"You know that for some time now your mother and I have been going on some of the thousands of excursions that are organized on the island. It turns out that there was an explosion very close to where our group was. And really, son, it was quite an blast."

"But you… are you all right? Has anyone in your group been hurt?" asks Richard.

"Oh, we're all fine. Just a big scare. When we went to Catherine to see if she could give us something to reassure us, she forced us to come here to report it. I would assume that someone in the group would have told the police by now, but apparently they didn't. Fidel and Dwayne didn't have any information. They had no idea."

Catherine decides to enter the conversation, she, as a bar owner, always has valuable information which, she is sure, is not the first time it has been of great help in previous investigations and she also wants to be helpful.

"Camille, there's talk in the bar that the explosion happened at Daniel Morgan's camp... I don't know what really happened. Those people are looking for Le Clerc's buried treasure..."

Camille quickly warns Richard with a glance. Richard is already flashing one of his sly smiles. Camille has tried to explain to him what the legend of the pirate Le Clerc means for the island's economy, but he thinks the science and history is much more exciting than the legends.

Well, perhaps not as exciting as Camille herself.

In any case, Richard clears his throat and says to Catherine.

"Most likely they've had a stupid accident. I don't think these people have much experience with explosives. Dwayne will brief us as soon as he gets back to the station. What I don't understand is why they're looking for Le Clerc's treasure with explosives - isn't there a treasure map? I seem to remember that they sell them for a dollar at the museum."

Catherine and Camille look at him with narrowed eyes.

Richard decides to drop the subject for now. After all, isn't Voodoo all about staring eyes?

When Dwayne calls to assure them that no one is dead and that Daniel Morgan has a broken wrist but is basically fine, Richard thinks there is no need for both his parents and Catherine to remain at the station. He and his officers will take care of the paperwork that those affected will need for insurance purposes.

Dwayne reports to the Inspector that he has already warned Morgan's group (great! another descendant of the pirates?, Richard thinks, amused) of the dangers of explosives.

Everything seems to be back to normal. And it's already ten to five in the afternoon and Fidel asks Richard if he can leave now. Little Rosie is causing a lot of trouble and he doesn't want to leave Juliette alone with the child for too long.

"What kind of trouble can a little girl of a few months old be, Fidel?" Asks Richard.

Camille rolls her eyes. Kids that age can monopolize all your time. And even more so if they're twins ...She still remembers "her" dream children.

"I'd like Juliette to have some time to relax. I'll take care of the child and she can rest". Fidel explains to her.

Camille adores Fidel, after working at the station for so many hours, he is still eager to return home to take care of his daughter personally.

When she looks at Richard, she doesn't know what to think. What kind of father will he be?

"Of course. Send her our regards." Says Richard.

"Fidel, tell Juliette I'll drop by one of these days to visit her and that little beauty. Rosie must look more beautiful every day!" Tells Camille with a warm smile.

"Oh, yes, she's the prettiest little girl on the island."

Richard smiles. There are times when objectivity is superfluous.

It's so strange! By day they can see how their new shack is growing, at least the physical walls. But at night, they find themselves back in the same little house as always, with no clothes scattered everywhere (which horrifies Richard) and no boxes hindering free movement around the house. Its still a dream, literally in this case, and a relief.

Richard and Camille are cuddled up in each other's arms.

Until Camille asks:

"What were you trying to do with the television earlier, Richard? When we came here we were warned that we'd have to fix the antenna to be able to see anything. And I remind you that you said you didn't care, since between the renovation and work we wouldn't have much time to watch anything."

Richard sighs and replies by kissing her both temples.

"I read in the paper that there was going to be a special episode of 'The Antiques Roadshow' with Fiona Bruce near my hometown and I had a bout of nostalgia. It doesn't matter in the slightest."

They are silent until Camille asks.

"Is she pretty?"

Richard looks at her quizzically.

"Who?"

"Fiona Bruce!"

"Well, I've never particularly noticed. I couldn't tell you."

Camille pulls from Richard's embrace, steps away then turns and shook an accusing finger at him.

"The day a man, even your type, doesn't notice whether a woman is pretty or not, the world ends!"

Richard laughs, walks over to her and hugs her tightly, though Camille resists.

"Do you know when the world is going to end? When you're not in my life. "

Camille hugs him excitedly.

"Ahem!"

They both look in the same direction. Not too startled, though. They're so at ease like this in each other's arms that they don't care about anything. Even the visit of a slightly insistent lizard / Loa who is thinking that he will always be amazed by that seed of immortality present in so many humans. Even if they are unaware of it.

The Loa is sure that Richard would be able to search for Camille beyond death and Camille would do the same for Richard. They, perhaps not too aware of it now, are bound together in a stronger and more resilient way than they realize.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think the island, our island, is in danger. Something is looming over it."

Richard, tired of so much vagueness, cuts loose on the poor Loa.

"Is it necessary to speak in metaphors? Can't you be more explicit? Some natural catastrophe? A meteorite is going to crash into us? A tsunami? Volcanic eruption? What?"

"Richard, calm down. Harry, what can you tell us?"

"At the moment, not much. That depends on how materialistic you are. Sometimes what is considered a blessing can also be considered the most worst of curses. And this looming curse is real, not a legend."

Richard glares at him. He and Camille look at each other and, regaining their ability to speak their minds, communicate their strongest suspicions.

"Richard, could this have anything to do with the explosion in the jungle?"

He nods. He doesn't believe in coincidences.

"I can hear your thoughts too. Think of the island and its people. You are here to care for them." with a warning look, not so much perhaps because of Richard and Camille, but more because of the seriousness of the threat.

Notes:

Evidently the changes in history, however small, mean bigger and bigger changes as each day goes by...