This could work to their advantage.
Bane had cleaned the house before Kaia got up this morning, and she wished Jesse could see it now. From her view, she could see clear to Ni`ihau. The breeze had died down, and the sea rolled smoothly in to shore in mesmerizing waves of blue. The crutches had been more a hindrance than a help, and she’d left them in her house. Kaia hopped down the stone steps to her grandfather’s. Clinging to the iron rail, she made her way to the bottom. The pain in her ankle was much less than she’d expected. Though the joint was still purple, it was more stiff than painful.
A curl of smoke rose from her grandfather’s front yard. The aroma of another roasting pig floated to her nose, and her mouth watered. When was the last time she’d eaten? She thought back. Probably about this time yesterday. No wonder she was famished. Tutu kane would be more than happy to feed her.
Bane and Mano were raking the yard and putting out chairs for tonight’s lu’au. “Hi, guys. What are you doing off work this morning?” she asked Mano.
“I’m not. I just don’t have to report for duty until noon.” Propping the rake against the house, Mano put his hands on his hips. “What did you do this time?”
“Fell out of a tree.” Kaia’s gaze lingered on Mano’s face. She wondered if Nahele had called her brother and warned him what to expect. But no, she couldn’t believe her brother would have anything to do with something that might put her in danger.
“Figures. When will you learn to be more careful?” Bane scolded. He grabbed a chair and pushed it toward her. “Sit down.”
“I’m fine. It’s just stiff.” She wished she could confide in her older brother, but she didn’t dare. Not this time. Bane would go marching off to see Nahele in high indignation, and he might blame Mano as well. And anything she said to Mano might get back to Pele Hawai′i. If she wanted information from Mano, she needed to shut up and wait until they were alone.
Was there a flicker of guilt in Mano’s face? Maybe not, she decided. It could be fatigue. Dirt smeared one cheek and the side of his neck. Tutu kane had worked the guys hard today.
“How’s the training going?” Bane asked.
“Slow.”
“It would be a lot easier if you just used a food reward.”
Kaia shook her head. “Then it would be just training, not really her learning on her own volition. I don’t want there to be any doubt about her intelligence when the study is done. It’s harder and it takes longer, but it will be something worth working for.” If Curtis would only give her the chance to prove it.
“You think you’re going to get shut down?” Bane’s gaze lingered on her face.
She sighed. “Curtis is more interested in amusement parks than scientific research. So it’s a possibility. But he hasn’t cut me out yet.”
“You’ll get there.” He patted her shoulder.
She laid her hand over his then looked toward the cottage. “Where’s Tutu kane?”
“I’m right here.” Her grandfather stepped through the front door and came toward her with a welcoming smile on his face. His gaze went to her bandaged foot. “Klutzy as usual, I see.” He handed each of his grandsons a glass of soda.
“It was either fall or get eaten by a cane spider.” She shuddered at the thought. She’d had nightmares about that one.
Bane whistled. “No wonder you let go of the tree limb. But you never said what you were doing in the tree in the first place.”
“Climbing it, what else?” She poked Bane in the ribs.
“But why?” he persisted.
He was like Nani with her ball. The only way she’d get him to leave it alone would be to find him something else. “You have to report back to work in two weeks, don’t you?”
Bane grimaced. “Don’t remind me. I’ve been enjoying my leave.”
“Will you still be on the Big island?”
He nodded. “No sign of new orders.”
“How’s it going with your navy work?” her grandfather asked her.
“Okay. But I haven’t quite caught on to sleeping during the day yet.”
“How much longer do you have to do this?” Mano asked. “I hate that you’re helping them.” He took a swig of his soda.
“Get over it,” Bane said sharply. “I don’t know what’s happened to you, Mano. You didn’t use to be so militant. And you’re navy yourself.”
“Just until I can get out.” Mano took another swig.
Kaia watched the muscles move in his broad back. How could she get him alone to question him about Nahele?
Bane turned his gaze to her. “Did you see the paper this morning?”
“No. Something interesting in there for a change?”
He nodded and went to fetch it for her from the porch. “Look here,” he said, pointing to a front-page article.