DAY EIGHT
She came from the sea
Like a pearl forged from the deep.
Light melts an old snow.
Confronting the Past and Present
It’s almost as big as a house,” Joshua said excitedly, addressing the group. The nine survivors of Benevolence had gathered on the beach near the banyan tree to talk about his discovery. For the first time since they’d been on the island, he looked people in the eye and tried to truly lead. Though he still didn’t feel as comfortable in this position as he once had, he didn’t have to force himself to speak either. “And it’s got more fresh water than we’ll ever need,” he added.
“How do you know the little monkeys won’t find it?” Roger asked, though he realized it must be well hidden, since he hadn’t discovered it.
“If the Japs come,” Joshua answered, “they’ll land in the harbor. Their base will be right where we’re standing. They’re not going to waste much manpower on the other parts of the island. And the cave is almost impossible to notice from the sea. Even from the beach it’s awfully tough to spot. And if we camouflage the entrance, no one will ever know it’s there.”
“What about food, Captain?” Jake asked. “Fishing this harbor is easier than shucking corn. It ain’t gonna be good to leave them fish.”
Joshua nodded. “You and Ratu can spend a few more days fishing here. Catch as much as you can. Dry the meat in the sun and we’ll bring it to the cave. That way we’ll have extra food in case . . . the fishing over there isn’t like shucking corn.” As if a teacher in the classroom, Joshua studied the faces before him, trying to discern where thoughts lay. Isabelle followed his every word. Annie was with him one moment and gone the next. “We should leave in a few days,” he continued. “That will give us enough time to collect food, erase any trace of our presence here, and row the lifeboat to the other side of the island.”
“Can I ride in the boat, my captain?” Ratu asked. “I can help you row.”
Smiling, Joshua replied, “Of course. You can lead us to the other shore.”
“And, sir, the dried fish and the other supplies, they’ll go in the boat?” Nathan wondered.
“Exactly. We’ll transport most everything in the boat. Much easier to get it to the cave that way than lugging it through the jungle.”
Jake put a fresh blade of grass in his mouth, savoring the faint taste of mint. “The goose sure honks high, don’t he, Captain?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Oh, that’s just something my daddy used to say. It means that everything’s rattling right.”
Joshua repeated the line and grinned. “Let’s make this simple,” he said. “Simple for everyone over the next few days. Jake and Ratu, kindly catch as many fish as you can and dry the meat. Cut it as thin as possible. Nathan, you’re in charge of getting the lifeboat ready. Our lovely nurses can erase our existence from this spot, erase it so well that the Japs will never know we were here.” Joshua turned to Roger. “Could you continue to scout the island? Two caves would be better than one. And, Akira, I’d like you to walk the beach, to look for things that washed ashore from Benevolence. If any new arrivals find items from our ship, they may wonder if survivors made it here too.”
Roger twisted his spear butt deeper into the sand, hating the way that the captain was once again in control. “You trust the Nip?”
“Obviously, I do.”
“But he’ll leave some sort of message. He’ll scratch a message on a rock and tell his fellow Japs all about your great cave.”
Joshua glanced at Akira, who was standing like everyone else, no longer favoring his wounded leg. “And risk getting himself hung by us?” Joshua asked. “Besides, he’s earned my trust. He’s earned it several times over. And so he’ll walk the beach.”
“If I had such a pretty wife, I wouldn’t be so quick to trust the monkey. He sure hasn’t earned my trust. He—”
Waving Roger to silence, Joshua said, “Someday, Lieutenant, when you’re in charge, you can give the orders. Understand?”
Roger spat and walked back toward the banyan tree. Though frustrated by Roger’s increasing and almost intolerable insubordination, Joshua’s spirits were buoyed enough by the discovery of the cave that he quickly turned back to the group. “Please, if anyone has ideas about the cave, let me know. Let’s talk them through.”
“Are there bugs?” Scarlet asked. “I’ve had my fill of bugs already.”
Joshua held up his arms. “See? Not a single new bite. So you won’t have to worry about any more bugs.”
“Then let’s get to that cave,” she replied melodramatically.
As several people laughed and the group dispersed, Joshua stepped toward Isabelle, wanting her to be the first to see his discovery.
THE JUNGLE, AS ALWAYS, met them with complete indifference. Carrying the machete, Joshua walked ahead of Isabelle. Though he’d have liked to clear a path for the others to follow, he was afraid that the Japanese would stumble upon such a trail and be led directly to the cave. And so he memorized the way, noting the number of streams that needed to be crossed as well as a variety of landmarks. He’d later explain the route to everyone and ensure that each could find the cave on her or his own.
At first, Isabelle hadn’t wanted to make the long walk, but upon seeing the look in her husband’s eyes, which hinted of a newfound self-respect, she agreed to come. She’d never experienced the jungle, and now, as she eyed the foreign trees and birds, she felt like an explorer. Isabelle had studied Darwin in school, and imagined that an expedition of his might have been similar to what she experienced now. Though aware that she lacked the necessary patience to study animals and plants, she’d have enjoyed organizing and overseeing such an expedition. And Annie could certainly have drawn the wildlife and mused over the strange creatures that abounded within the jungle.
Moving through a maze of flowering sandalwood trees, she asked, “Do you like it here?”
Joshua pointed out a bright-green snake and made certain that she passed well clear of it. “I’m not sure. I think I like parts of it. But sometimes I feel like . . . like I’m being watched.”
“Is that why you carry the machete?”
“Probably.” He held her hand as they moved down a ravine, toward a thin stream. “Is this too much for you?” he asked, concerned when she grunted slightly.
“Don’t be silly.”
“We can go back if—”
“I want to see the cave, Joshua. I’d like to know where I’ll be spending the next bit of my life.”
“Speaking of that, did I tell you about the bathtub? And the fresh linen? And the piles of books and chocolates?”
She grinned, hitting him on the shoulder. “Don’t tease a pregnant woman about chocolate.”
The canopy above them parted and rays of sunlight angled down to strike moss and ferns. “It can be beautiful here, don’t you think?”
Isabelle nodded, pleased to have heard him once again say something in jest. “We could honeymoon here,” she said, taking mental notes of the landmarks they passed. “In fact, I think Annie and Akira just might.”
“You’ve noticed too?”
“How couldn’t I? I don’t know how or why it happened, but she seems to be drawn to him.”
“And he to her. That’s one of the reasons I trust him.” Joshua switched his grip on the machete, his hand slick with sweat. “If Americans land here, I’ll make sure he’s treated well. He deserves to be.”
“Yes, he does. But I still worry for her. What about Ted? Her life back home?”
“Oh, Ted’s not so wonderful. I think Annie, of all people, would be better off without him.”
Isabelle sighed. “He really doesn’t get her, does he? Even though he tries.”
“No.”
“But what future could there possibly be with a Japanese soldier? For goodness’ sake, he’d probably be locked up in one of those awful camps.”
Joshua paused before a steep climb, handing her a canteen. An immense hermit crab scurried toward her, and he edged it away with his foot. The creature patiently dragged its weather-beaten shell over a branch and headed down the hill. “Can I tell you something?” he said, wanting to be honest with her, to open up to her as she’d asked him to. “Something serious? Something not altogether pleasant?”
“You can tell me anything you want, Joshua. You know that.”
“You might not like all of it. But it’s been on my mind and I want to—”
“I can handle it, whatever it is,” she interrupted, trying to sound convincing.
Joshua took back the canteen from her and attached it to his belt. He licked his swollen lip, unsure of exactly what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. “I didn’t think . . . I never expected to truly return from Benevolence.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, to be honest . . . perhaps too honest . . . I didn’t think I’d ever get back to who I was.” He glanced at the canopy above, briefly avoiding her eyes. “Getting back to that person seemed impossible. Even . . . even with you beside me it seemed impossible.”
An enormous fly landed on her arm, but she made no move to sweep it away. “Even with me beside you?”
“But I was wrong, Izzy,” he said, his fingers reaching out to touch her cheek. “So very wrong.”
“How?”
“A part of me . . . will always be on that ship. A part of me won’t return.”
“I know.”
“But there’s another part of me that will always be with you.”
“The bigger part?”
“Yes, the bigger part.”
“Then why do you suddenly look so lost?”
He absently batted the fly from her arm. “Because . . . even as happy as I am to become a father, I worry.”
“About what?”
“About how much of me is left.”
“There’s plenty of you left.”
“But you understand me, Isabelle. You know that a part of me is gone and you’re strong enough not to suffer for it. And you have your own life. But what about our daughter? Or son? What if I can’t be the father I want to be because I’m . . . I’m not whole? Won’t our child suffer? Won’t he recognize that I have less to offer than I should?”
Isabelle saw the sadness and concern in his eyes, and she squeezed his arm. “But, Joshua, you can still teach him about what it means to be good. To be noble. To laugh. That part of you . . . the part that I still know and see, can teach those things and a lot more.”
“But I’m a failure. And how can a teacher be a failure?”
“You think teachers don’t make mistakes? How can you learn if you’ve never made mistakes?”
He glanced at a leaf that dropped from the canopy above. “I just . . . I just want to be a good father, and sometimes I wonder if I’ll be able.”
“Will you love our child?”
“Of course.”
“Then our child will be lucky. How could he not be lucky to have your love?”
“You think?”
“I don’t think any of us are perfect. I probably won’t be as . . . entertaining a mother as, say, Annie might. She’ll teach her children to finger paint, to stomp in puddles, to chase pirates. I don’t do those sorts of things. Those fun things. But I like to think I’ll still be a good mother.”
“You’ll be a wonderful mother.”
“Well, I feel the same about you. And if a year from now you’re having a tough day, then go spend the day by yourself. You won’t always need to offer our child every bit of your heart and soul. No one can do that.”
Joshua pulled her closer to him, hugging her. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such a . . . handful. I just don’t want to shortchange our little one. And I worry about that.”
“And I love you for worrying. But don’t. You’re not one to shortchange anything, Josh. If you were, I wouldn’t have married you.” She smiled, adding, “Believe me, the life of a navy wife isn’t that grand.”
He studied her face, thinking that the years had passed too quickly. “How am I so lucky to have you?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You made a wise choice.”
“I did. I really did.” He pressed his lips against hers and then took her hand. “I have something to show you.”
“Something other than bugs and birds?”
“Trust me.”
Joshua led her through what remained of the jungle. As they neared the eastern beach, they heard the restless surf. Upon reaching the rocky beach, Isabelle was surprised at what a different world existed on this side of the island. Gone was the peaceful enchantment that seemed to hang over the harbor. Instead, waves hurled themselves upon rocks and spray erupted skyward.
Continuing to hold her hand, Joshua led her past tide pools and boulders. Once, when they moved too close to the sea, a wave struck nearby, drenching them in its froth. As they walked, crabs and lizards scurried out of their way. Tiny fish darted about in transitory pools that were destined to forever change and forever remain the same.
“Do you see it?” he asked, when they reached the break in the cliffs.
Isabelle studied the rock and foliage before her. After a few seconds, she replied, “I wouldn’t have.”
“Let me show you.”
They hurried into the cave, and she marveled at its size, the softness of the sand, the freshness of the water. The cave reminded her of an old cathedral. Muted light reached almost every part of it. Echoes abounded. An almost intoxicating coolness prevailed. Though the air was damp, the dampness wasn’t nearly as insufferable as the heat outside.
“How wonderful,” she said, not believing their good fortune, and excited to finally get the chance to organize a proper camp. “What a magnificent—”
Joshua gently lifted her chin, kissing her, savoring the fullness of her lips. “I’m glad you like it,” he whispered.
“Is that, Captain Collins, why you brought me here? To seduce me?”
“It’s been far too long since I’ve seduced you.”
She kissed him leisurely, her hands sliding beneath his shirt to trace the contours of his shoulders. His lips moved to her neck. She arched her head backward to expose more of her flesh, and he eagerly exploited this invitation. As he savored the softness of her throat, he slowly unbuttoned her shirt. When each button was unmoored, he spread her shirt farther apart and kissed the flesh that had been hidden. He kissed her collarbone, her freckles, the small mole near the middle of her chest. He kissed all of her, delighting in the unfamiliar taste of salt on her skin. Her breasts seemed slightly larger than normal, and he explored this new element of her with his lips.
When Joshua finished removing her shirt, he laid it on the sand. He took off his own clothes and added them to the bed he fashioned. He carefully helped her to this bed, and she sighed at the soft sand beneath her. When she was naked, he traced the slopes of her with his fingers. “You’re changing,” he said reflectively, in wonder at the transition within her.
“Is it . . . is it a good change?”
“It’s a beautiful change, Izzy.”
He kissed her lips, her eyes, her forehead. His mouth moved to her belly, and as he kissed it she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered of her love for him.
ON THE OTHER SIDE of the island, Annie and Akira sat under a palm tree and watched the breeze pull clouds across the sky. Akira had told her that he thought the clouds looked like giant white whales. Annie had said they could have been waves breaking upon a distant shore. The two castaways had been speaking of how poets looked at everyday images through eyes that didn’t take such things for granted. Eyes that tended to see the world as if it were being observed for the first or last time.
“I think poets examine things as children do,” Akira said softly. “And sometimes the way you do.”
Annie moved her toes into and out of the sand. “How so?”
“Because children see more than most adults, yes? Sometime, watch a child looking curiously at . . . something very ordinary. I believe that child is not seeing what you and I see, but something else. And that is how poets . . . interpret their surroundings.”
“And me?”
“You ask questions like a child. And you seek experiences like a poet.”
“So, I’m a child poet?”
He smiled. “You said this, not me. But, yes, that is an excellent term for you.”
She playfully kicked him in the calf. “Well, I’ll just have to think of one for you.”
Akira was about to respond when he noticed several fins in the harbor. “Sharks,” he said, pointing toward the water.
Standing up, Annie replied, “No, not sharks. Dolphins. Like the ones I saw the other day.”
As Annie and Akira watched, the fins came closer to shore. There must have been at least six dolphins, each of which seemed to want to lead the group. Suddenly, one of the dolphins leapt high, slicing through the air and then the water.
“Let’s get closer,” Annie said, hurrying forward.
Though the dolphins were several hundred feet from shore, each dorsal fin was visible when the creatures rose into the world above. The dolphins appeared to be playing—almost as if they were a group of children enjoying a game of tag. Circling, twisting, and speeding through the sea, they frolicked in the gentle waves, often leaping far from the water.
Akira touched Annie’s elbow. “You should swim to them, yes?”
“What do you mean?”
“You should swim out there and get close to them. What a fine memory that would be.”
“I can’t do that.”
“May I ask why not?”
She stepped from him. “Look how far out they are. That water’s deep. And the last time I was in deep water, I almost died. And I don’t want to go out there. It’s too deep and there could be sharks and I don’t even think I could see the bottom.”
Akira turned to her, noting that her face suddenly seemed flushed. “May I . . . may I take your hand and tell you something?”
“I don’t want to go out there.”
“May I, Annie? May I, please?”
She sighed. “What?”
Akira reached for her hand, cradling it in his own. “The dolphins are having fun, yes?”
“It looks that way.”
“Do you think they would be having such fun if sharks were nearby?”
“I’m not an expert on dolphins, Akira. I have no idea.”
He paused, as if not expecting such a response. After a dolphin leapt, he said, “I know that bad things have happened to you. Terrible things. But I think now . . . I think that right now you are like a caged bird. And even when the door to your cage is opened, you do not fly free. You are drawn to the dolphins yet you do not fly free.”
Annie’s face tightened. “You’re judging me.”
“So sorry, but no, I am not. I only see something beautiful that I want to watch set free. If my words are not right, then please accept my apology. I will not repeat them.”
She started to speak but stopped, seeing that he had lowered his head as if suddenly ashamed of advising her, of causing her pain. “I’m not angry at you, Akira,” she said, wondering if he was right, if she really was like a caged bird. “It’s just that I’m afraid of that water.”
“Then please do not swim. We will sit here and observe.”
Annie nodded, noticing in her peripheral vision that Jake and Ratu were also standing on the shore, presumably watching the dolphins. Earlier in the day, when Jake had been talking at length with Joshua, Annie had seen Ratu crying by the sea. She’d started to walk over to him, but upon seeing her advance, he’d stood up and run down the beach. Annie could only guess at the source of his pain, and for much of the morning had wondered how she could bring a smile to his face. She’d longed to do just that—to make him laugh and forget about whatever ailed him.
An idea dawning within her, Annie turned to Akira. “Thank you,” she said simply. She then started walking toward Ratu. Walking quickly. Soon she was running. She hurried with a sudden desperation, a desperation born of fear that the dolphins would leave, or worse, that her anxiety would again overcome her and she’d change her mind. When she finally reached Ratu, she took his hand. “Will . . . will you . . . will you please swim with me?” she asked, winded.
“With the dolphins, Miss Annie?”
“With the dolphins. With me.”
“Brilliant,” he said, removing his shirt with a sudden exuberance.
Annie turned to Jake. “Would you mind, Jake, closing your eyes for a moment?”
Jake withdrew a blade of grass from his mouth. “Happily done, miss,” he replied, turning toward the jungle, pleased that she was taking Ratu for such a swim.
Annie stripped to her undergarments. She took Ratu’s hand. “Will you lead me?”
“I’ll bloody well try,” he said excitedly, pulling her into the harbor.
The water was warm against her calves, her thighs, her belly. Soon she was swimming. At first she put her head above the water and tried to see the bottom. At first she felt a fear of the unknown. But then, something somehow changed. Her arms and legs seemed surprisingly strong. Her ears filled with Ratu’s laughter. And the sea didn’t seem to pull her under, but to caress and carry her.
“They aren’t leaving!” Ratu shouted. “I tell you, Miss Annie, they aren’t bloody leaving!”
Annie glanced toward the deeper water and saw that the dolphins didn’t seem concerned by the approaching swimmers. The creatures continued their playful antics—circling one another and leaping above the turquoise water. Annie was now close enough to realize that several of the dolphins were much larger than their companions.
When Annie and Ratu were about thirty feet from the dolphins, the creatures stopped leaping from the sea and started to slowly circle their visitors. The dolphins stayed close together, the pod they formed reminding Annie of the military convoys she’d seen from the deck of Benevolence. However, within no more than a minute, the pod loosened. The dolphins circled closer. Soon Annie and Ratu could see bright eyes and old scars. Soon they could hear the creatures calling to each other through a chaotic mixture of whistles, clicks, and chirps. Annie thought that the whistles sounded similar to what she often heard in the jungle as birds screeched at each other.
The dolphins swam at the surface or near it. One of the larger creatures dove almost directly beneath the humans. Bubbles from its blowhole drifted into them, and the sensation of the bubbles bumping along his leg caused Ratu to laugh.
To Annie’s surprise and delight, the dolphins continued to draw closer. Two of them were much smaller, and she wondered how old the babies were. The biggest dolphins seemed to be the most inquisitive and vocal. These animals, with their gray backs and white bellies, swam an arm’s length away from Annie and Ratu.
“Let’s look at them underwater!” Ratu suddenly said.
“Won’t the salt sting our eyes?”
“So? A little stinging salt won’t hurt you. Not a bloody bit, Miss Annie.”
Annie laughed, took a deep breath, and dropped underwater. She opened her eyes. They immediately hurt, but she resisted the urge to close them. A dolphin was quite close to her, and she watched in wonder as it swam directly toward her. She reached out slowly, and though it didn’t touch her, it swam beside her. Annie marveled at the beauty of the creature, as well as its grace and permanent smile. She’d listened to dying soldiers speak of angels, and of how such apparitions moved upon the air. To her, the dolphins were angels of sorts, for their grace was something that she’d never before beheld. The dolphins moved with an almost divine loveliness, floating through the water as if each had been doing so for thousands of years.
Annie surfaced, rubbed her aching eyes, and returned to the world below. The dolphins were very close now, circling Annie and Ratu in a manner suggesting that the animals were highly interested in their visitors. Annie was surprised to see Ratu dive deep and pretend to be a dolphin, arching his back and gliding through the water. A dolphin darted toward him, then stopped to float upward as he did. Annie instinctively clapped. Repeating Ratu’s idea, she mimicked the movements of the sleek creatures, kicking downward with her legs together and her arms at her side. Two dolphins swam toward her, and she smiled as they bumped into each other, almost as if competing for her attention.
For the next few minutes, Annie was in awe of the scene before her. A marvelous intimacy seemed to exist between her and the dolphins. She felt as though they were honoring her, letting her into their world and asking for nothing in return. Watching the dolphins so unabashedly play, she resolved to not worry as much about the future. Akira was right. She’d been caged for far too long. Despite trying to step from her cage by volunteering for the war effort, she hadn’t stepped far enough. And though she was still bound by her darkest fears and these binds were almost impossible to sever, she was going to try to break free.
At that moment, with the dolphins gliding about her, Annie realized that the sea could be dark and cold and unforgiving but could also be full of light and warmth and hope. And was life any different? Yes, she had almost died three times—once as a girl and twice as a woman. And those scars would never truly leave her. But a scar shows that a wound has mostly healed, and if something has mostly healed, why did she need to live in fear of it? Why shouldn’t she venture into the jungle near camp, the water of the harbor, or her true feelings for Akira?
When the dolphins finally headed toward much deeper water, Annie and Ratu surfaced. Rubbing their bloodshot eyes, they laughed and spoke excitedly about what they’d seen. Ratu was convinced that he’d made friends with the largest one. “I tell you, Miss Annie,” he said, “that big boy smiled at me many times. He opened his mouth and smiled at me.”
“How do you know it was a he?”
“Because the other dolphins were all younger girls. Trust me, Miss Annie. I have five little sisters and I know how sisters can drive a brother crazy. My mate, Ratu Junior, was just trying to escape his sisters. That’s why he fancied swimming with me.”
Laughing, Annie splashed water into Ratu’s face. “Did you ever think that Ratu Junior could have been a big sister with a lot of little brothers? Maybe she was trying to escape them!”
“You didn’t see Ratu Junior, Miss Annie. You were too busy swimming with Spotted Sally.”
“Spotted Sally? Did you name them all?”
“Of course. How can someone be your mate if you don’t know his name? There was Ratu Junior; Spotted Sally; Blue-nose Beauty; Smiley; and the twins, Teeny and Tiny.”
“Did you tell them your name?”
“Don’t be silly, Miss Annie. I can’t bloody well talk underwater. And I can’t talk to dolphins. But I’m sure they came up with their own name for me.”
Annie splashed him again and he laughed. He sprayed water her way, and before she knew it, he swam to her, pushed on her shoulders with his outstretched arms, and sent her underwater.
After Annie surfaced and had her revenge, she turned toward the shore, noticed the distant figure of Akira, and waved happily to him. He waved back, and feeling warm and invigorated, she asked Ratu if he’d like to swim deeper into the water and try to rediscover his newfound friends.
NEARLY ATOP A BANYAN tree on the far side of the beach, Roger peered through the airman’s binoculars. When he saw Annie wave at Akira, he cursed and then spat in disgust. “That little bitch,” he whispered, shaking his aching head in bewilderment. “She likes the goddamn Nip.”
Though Roger was an agent of the Japanese, he despised them as much as he did everyone else. They simply paid him enough that he was able to set his hate aside and deal with the task at hand. If the Americans were as generous, he’d gladly kill Japanese.
The image of Annie waving to Akira reminded Roger of his elementary school days in Tokyo. He’d been allowed to attend a private school on the condition that he spend an hour each day speaking English with some of the teachers. At first, the new school had been fascinating. Like everyone else, he wore a uniform, so none of his classmates ever saw his worn and patched clothes. However, he’d been much taller than everyone else, had an early onset case of acne, and could barely understand Japanese. Consequently, the uniform hadn’t mattered as much as he’d hoped. Under the navy blue fabric he’d still been a gaijin—a foreigner. And his odd ways and insecure manner had made him easy to ridicule.
Once, when Roger wasn’t aware that he was being spied on by other boys, he’d waved to a girl he thought was curious about him. Instead of waving back, the girl had put her head down and run until she disappeared. The boys who’d been watching burst from their hiding place and laughed until Roger was forced to rush off as well. In the following days, the story of his wave permeated the school. The girl was so embarrassed that she never spoke to him again. The episode had increased Roger’s anxiety, worsening his case of acne. Soon many of his classmates began to call him Mount Fuji because of the large pimples that dominated his forehead and chin.
Roger had lived with such taunts and smirks until he’d bested the boy in the kendo match. After that match, after realizing that through his strength he’d find salvation, Roger began to stalk and assault his tormentors. He’d faced them when they were alone, when his greater size and determination allowed him to overwhelm them. Knowing their shame would be so great that they’d never reveal him, he hurt them badly, bloodying them until they begged him to stop, until they happily handed him the coins in their pockets. After anyone who taunted him turned up at school with a black eye or a swollen lip, Roger was rarely ridiculed.
Once four boys had banded together to attack Roger and had managed to knock him unconscious with their kendo swords. Roger told no one about his attackers, but as soon as his strength returned, he hunted them down individually. After beating them into submission, he’d taken off their sandals and broken each of their big toes. The boys limped for the rest of the year and no one bothered him again.
Now, as Annie waded through the water, Roger focused his binoculars on her small figure. A rust-colored ant bit his knuckle, and cursing the island’s insects, he smashed the ant against a branch. He put the binoculars again to his eyes and saw that Annie was only wearing undergarments. Quickly he became aroused. He clenched the binoculars hard, refocusing them constantly in order to maintain the best possible view of her. He swore silently as he remembered how she’d slapped him. The memory invaded him like an illness. No woman had ever slapped him, and no attack had ever felt so personal. She’d assaulted and humiliated him, and he’d do the same and much more to her.
Roger watched her put on her shirt and shorts. She hugged Ratu and then moved toward Akira, who walked in her direction, his limp barely noticeable. When they finally met she embraced him briefly. Roger wondered if the Jap was aware of her breasts against him. They were small breasts, Roger reflected, but still he must sense them. Did the monkey want to rip off her shirt and squeeze them tight?
Hating the two of them, Roger counted the days until he could feel her. Once the Japs landed, he’d lead them to the cave and then have his fill of her. He imagined breaking her toes, as he’d done to those boys so long ago. That way, she’d be unable to run from him. Or he could slap her repeatedly until she begged him to forgive her. Or he could do both.
Roger shifted his thoughts to Akira. He swore to himself that the Nip would suffer and that he’d see Annie suffer. How best to do that? he wondered. How can I ensure that he and his bitch share their misery?
As Roger descended the banyan tree, he debated such questions, ultimately not deciding upon anything until long after dusk had fallen. At that point, though he craved a cigarette and his head felt as if someone had driven a railroad spike into it, he clucked his tongue excitedly and went to sleep.