Beside A Burning Sea Part 20

I'll have to make sure that the b.a.s.t.a.r.d captain leaves just before the storm strikes, he thought. But how can I do that? He'll read the weather and know that something is amiss. And the coward will want to play it safe.

His mind embracing and disregarding schemes, Roger continued down the hill, almost as excited as the day Edo told him that Benevolence Benevolence would be sunk. would be sunk.

BACK AT CAMP, JOSHUA stood on the beach and studied the sky. He hadn't spent much time in the waters of the South Pacific, and couldn't interpret the weather as well as he'd have liked. The air-cool, gray, and agitated-seemed to be telling him something.

"What is it?" Isabelle asked, watching her husband.

"I don't know. Probably nothing."

"Is a storm coming?"

He turned about in a circle, looking at the sky from all directions, trying to interpret it as he might Isabelle's face. "I think so," he replied. "But I'm not sure what kind of storm. We might just get really wet."

"Do you want me to tell everyone that we'll leave at first light tomorrow?"

Joshua looked about the camp, wis.h.i.+ng they could leave immediately, but knowing that the fish was still drying and that people were scattered and ill prepared. "You read my mind, as usual." She smiled and started to leave when he touched her shoulder. "Notice anything else?" he asked.

"Only that the destroyer left an hour or so ago."

"You don't miss much, do you?"

"Not when I can help it."

"I wonder why she left. So odd to come here for a few days and then leave. I should climb the hill and ask Scarlet some questions. She may have seen something we didn't."

"How about some company?"

"I'd love some. You can talk with the others later about our departure." Joshua glanced again at the spot where the destroyer had been lurking. He'd grown somewhat used to the sight of the s.h.i.+p, and with it gone the sea looked oddly barren. Wondering where she'd sailed, Joshua followed Isabelle into the trees. For the first time since he'd been on the island, he didn't feel as if the jungle was some kind of immense green oven he'd stepped into. The air was damp and cool. The birds and animals were silent and seemingly forlorn.

"It feels like a different place," Isabelle said, walking carefully so that she'd leave no sign of her pa.s.sing.

Joshua noted his wife's precise steps and smiled. "Two weeks ago you were the best nurse on Benevolence Benevolence. And now you're moving through the jungle as if you'd been born here."

"Benevolence had a lot of good nurses. We were very lucky in that department." had a lot of good nurses. We were very lucky in that department."

"But you were the best, Izzy. And everyone knew it. Why do you think all the doctors wanted you? Why couldn't you ever get a moment's peace?"

"I was happy to help," she said, knowing he was right but unwilling to admit as much.

"Still as stubborn as a mule," he said, half under his breath. Then he smiled. "Anyway, more important, how are you feeling?"

"Now you're my nurse?"

"No. Just a worried husband. Though you could probably use a nurse."

"Well, you needn't worry, Josh. I feel fine. A bit tired by the end of the afternoon, but that's to be expected."

"Maybe you should start taking naps."

"I've never napped. I wouldn't know how to-"

"Would you do that for me? Please?"

"But I'm getting plenty of sleep."

"Then just sit and rest." When she didn't respond, he thought of the past few days, of how Isabelle was often husking coconuts or was.h.i.+ng clothes or collecting drinking water. She was used to doing more work than anyone, and he wondered how he could possibly slow her down. "Please," he said, "for me, don't work so hard. I'll sleep better if you don't work so hard."

"Alright, Joshua," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I'll sleep more. I'll do it."

Deciding that he'd seek Annie's a.s.sistance on this front, he opted to let the matter rest. He swatted at a mosquito. The pest tumbled through the air, righted itself, and came at him again. "Why haven't we gotten malaria?" he asked, swinging a second time.

"Simple enough. The mosquitoes here don't seem to be infected."

"But what if they are?"

"Well, we've got plenty of quinine now that Dr. Burton's case has been found."

Joshua had seen more than enough malaria patients, including Annie, to understand the significance of having ample amounts of quinine. "That was a lucky break," he said. "Finding his kit, that is."

"What did you say to Akira anyway?"

Shaking his head, he replied, "I had a right to be angry. And he understood that."

A large bat hanging from the underside of a branch stretched its wings above them. Isabelle paused, leaned against the tree, and studied the bat. "Funny how they like to sleep upside down, isn't it?"

Joshua was tempted to ask her if she'd brought up the discovery of Dr. Burton's case because she thought he'd been too hard on Akira. But he quickly realized that Isabelle was direct enough that if she wanted to tell him that he'd mishandled the situation, she'd simply do so. Deciding that he was being too sensitive when it came to questions about his leaders.h.i.+p, he forced away memories of the morning's confrontation. He sensed that she wanted to enjoy their walk, and he sought to lift her spirits. "How do they go to the bathroom like that?" he asked, nodding toward the bat. "Don't they foul themselves?"

She smiled. "Only you'd think of that. For all your prayers, you can still be quite the deviant."

"G.o.d doesn't mind a little deviance," he replied, grinning. "If you know where to look, you'll find it in the good book. And I'd say it's a fair question. Bats are either flying or hanging upside down. So one way or another, there's a lot of bat urine in the air."

"Joshua!"

"And bat p.o.o.p, I should add."

"And I'm standing under it!" she said, quickly moving forward.

He hurried to catch her, taking her hand before she could walk too fast. Over the past few months they'd rarely held hands while walking, and, enjoying the link, he continued to slow their pace. He watched her as she confidently strode forward, and suddenly found himself surprised that such a talented, brilliant, and attractive woman would find him of interest. "How did I find you?" he asked.

She pointed out a thorn-filled bush for him to avoid. "I found you, Josh. It wasn't the other way around."

"You'll never let me forget that, will you?"

"Why would I?"

He smiled, recalling how she'd asked him to dance. That first night with her-a night of dancing and laughing and a good-night kiss-had been one of the most thrilling experiences of his life. "I'm glad," he said, "that I'm here with you now. Though no good will ever come of Benevolence Benevolence sinking, at least . . . at least it brought us closer together." sinking, at least . . . at least it brought us closer together."

Isabelle turned to him as they started to climb the hill that Scarlet was perched atop. "But why did we need to be brought together?" she asked somewhat abruptly. "How did we drift apart?"

He shrugged. "Too many responsibilities. We both had too many, and we took each other for granted."

"I don't want that to happen again."

"It won't."

"But how can you say that? Really, Joshua, how can you?"

"Because when this war's over, life will go back to normal. And it will be like this."

"Like you telling me about bat p.o.o.p?"

Nodding, he pretended to nervously glance above. "We'll have to move somewhere with lots of bats. Just so we'll feel at home."

"So this island is home now?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," he said, smiling. "But I feel closer to you now than . . . than I think I ever have."

"Why now? Because of our child?"

He helped her up a fairly steep section of the hill. "I don't know, exactly. But just being here with you. There's no one in the world I'd rather be here with."

"And?"

"You need more?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I'm a naval captain. Not a poet like your sister or her new friend."

"So try, naval captain. Try to tell me how you feel."

He slipped, letting go of her hand so as not to pull her down with him. Brus.h.i.+ng off his knees, he stood up. "Sometimes," he said, "when I look at my father and see him all shriveled up and in pain, lying in bed, I'm afraid of getting old."

"You are?"

"I think it's my biggest fear."

"Well, I think most people fear getting old. I wouldn't worry about worrying."

"I'm trying, Isabelle, to tell you how I feel."

"Oh," she said, smiling. "I wasn't sure where you were headed. By all means, please go on."

"Patience isn't your strong suit, you know."

"What can I say? I like to get to the end of the story as quickly as possible. Why waste time trying to figure everything out?"

He shook his head in pretend exasperation. "Well, despite your lack of patience, knowing that you'll be with me makes the fear subside. Because with you at my side, I don't feel alone. And if I end up like my father, prematurely old and run-down, I'll still have you. And I won't really need much more."

She took his hand. "I won't ever let you get run-down," she said, grinning. "I've too much invested in you."

He kissed her forehead. "Good."

"And do you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm glad I asked you to dance, my gallant naval captain."

"You are?"

"Yes," she replied. "And even though we were terrible dancers . . . the worst on the floor . . . it was still the best dance of my life."

"We've gotten better."

She started to slip, but he pulled her up. "You're right about Benevolence Benevolence ," she said. "No good will come of her sinking. But at least we've been brought back together." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead, just as he had hers. "At least I have you once again. And believe me, I'm not going to let you go." ," she said. "No good will come of her sinking. But at least we've been brought back together." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his forehead, just as he had hers. "At least I have you once again. And believe me, I'm not going to let you go."

They embraced briefly and began to climb again. Though the sun was still hidden and a breeze tugged at them, they each felt warm and were momentarily untroubled-a combination that both had rarely experienced for many months.

"HOW DO YOU find them so darn easily?" Jake asked, eyeing the beautiful sh.e.l.l that Ratu had discovered in a few inches of water.

"I just look, Big Jake," Ratu replied. "Do you have sand in your eyes? Can't you see?"

"Everything I find needs fixing."

"Well, you have to look for unbroken ones. I tell you, you don't have to be a b.l.o.o.d.y genius to know that."

Jake splashed a handful of water at Ratu. "Show me a genius, and I'll show you a fool."

"What?"

"And didn't that daddy of yours tell you to respect your elders?"

"Almost everyone is my elder, Big Jake. I don't want to respect some silly bloke who couldn't walk and talk at the same time just because he's older than me."

"As I said before, I reckon not everyone likes to talk as much as you. If everyone liked to talk as much as you, the-"

"World would be a b.l.o.o.d.y interesting place."

Jake smiled, sifting through the sand. Suddenly wondering how their catch was drying, he turned to look at their rack, which was full of thin slices of fish and shark. Though he was too far away to discern much, the slices were definitely darkening, and several flapped in the wind. "It's about time," he said.