He was saying: "We are going to do a little bit of diving tomorrow. Would you like to see it?" "Diving?"
"Yes... it's at sunrise tomorrow. We have some oyster beds on the south of the island. Occasionally we find a few really fine pearls. Not enough really to make an industry of it. So ... we just amuse ourselves and hope that one day we shall come up with a pearl of great price."
"I should like to see it. Who does the diving?" "We have divers. They have to be rather skilled. I have been down on occasions but I don't make a practice of it. It is quite exciting... sorting out the haul. We get all kinds... Quite a number of baroque—lovely colour but irregular; then we get blisters which are hollow and knobbly ones which we call coq de perle. Imagine the
joy when we find a perfect pearl. The right colour, the right texture and the right shape."
"Have you ever found one?"
"Once. It was in my father's time. That was a real gem. I've never rivalled that. But there have been some that were rather fine."
"I had always thought of this as a sugar island. I'd never thought of pearls."
"Ah, there is a great deal you have to learn about us. So would you like to see us at work?"
"I should love that."
"Can you rise early enough? The boats will be a little way out where the beds are. They will start at sunrise."
"I shall be there."
"At sunrise," he repeated.
The next morning I rose early and went round to the south side of the island. I saw the men on the shore. I knew several of them because I had seen them on the plantation.
I said: "Is Mr. Harrington here?"
One of the men—Jacob—nodded out to the boat which was rocking gently to and fro in the water.
"Mr. Harrington's going down today," he said.
"What?... Diving himself?"
"Oh yes, he'll dive."
I stood there watching. I could see several figures in the boat. One was taller than the others so I presumed that to be Milton.
"How long do they stay down there?" I asked.
"Not long, Missie Lady. Couldn't stay long. Can't breathe for long. One minute about all time."
One of the men said: "Gemel he stayed six minutes once."
"Gemel very great diver. He stayed too long once though. Tried to break the record."
"What happened to him?"
"Can't live long down there, Missie Lady, not without air."
"You mean he died?"
"Diving dangerous work. That why they get money for it... lots of money."
"But Mr. Harrington has gone down."
"Master... he can do anything ... better than anyone else."
"What is that noise I hear?"
"That's the shark charmers."
"Sharks! There are sharks in these waters?"
"Sometimes they come close. But they won't come while the shark charmer's there."
I felt a twinge of anxiety. I had no faith that those mournful ditties would deter the sharks.
I said: "Has any man ever been taken by a shark?"
"Oh yes... there have been."
"Then where was the shark charmer? What was he doing at the time?"
"There always be accidents, Missie Lady."
"How do they go down?"
"You see the man at the side of the boat? He's working with one of the divers. They work in pairs... one goes down and the other watches the cord that's tied to the diver."
"It seems very hazardous to me."
I was suddenly afraid as I stood there watching. He had gone down because I was here. He had wanted to prove again his ability to do everything better than anyone else. I thought angrily: I suppose he thinks he is going to return with his pearl of great price!
Pictures forced themselves into my mind. I imagined a monster shark appearing. I pictured the rope which was attached to him breaking. I saw him in my mind's eye down there gasping for breath.
"Let him be safe," I prayed. "Let him come back ..."
I knew then how much he mattered to me. I just wanted him to be safe. Nothing else seemed to matter in that moment. I was arguing with myself. I have to go away. I have to go back to England and I shall marry Raymond, good, kind Raymond. But please God, let him be safe.
I might have known he would be all right.
I stood there rather angrily as the boat came in. He sprang out and ran to me. He was glowing with health.
"You came then?" he said.
"I expected to find you on the shore not at the bottom of the sea."
"It was exhilarating," he said.
"Did you find the fine pearl?"
"Probably. They have to be sorted out. You look a little distraught."
"I've been talking to the men about diving. It's dangerous."
"There is an element of danger in most enterprises."
"And particularly so in this."
"Perhaps it is rather specially hazardous. So you are rather pleased to see me back on dry land?"
"Of course I am."
He took my hand and pressed it. "Don't worry. I'll always turn up. I'll always be there."
There was triumph in his grin. I had betrayed myself.
ECHOES FROM THE PAST
It was two days later. I had breakfasted and had taken my favourite seat on the terrace overlooking the waterfront. I seemed to have made a habit of sitting there at this time of day. Later I would go to Felicity's room and see how she was.
The scene never failed to interest me. It was constantly changing, never the same.
As I sat there a man came along. I had seen him on the previous day and guessed he was a visitor to the hotel. He was obviously English and as he passed my chair he said: "Good morning. ,, "Good morning," I replied.
He hesitated. "May I sit here?"
"Please do."
He took the chair close to mine.
"I have seen you around," he said. "Are you enjoying your stay here?"
"Oh yes, very much."
"The noise those people make down there! They don't seem to be able to do anything without shouting and laughing."
"Yes. It's amusing to watch."
"You come from England, do you?"
"Yes."
"I'm from Australia."
"Not so very far away."
"No. It's very convenient really."
There was silence for a few moments.
Then he said: "I have heard that you have been asking about a Mr. Philip Mallory."
I was alert. "Why yes," I said eagerly. "Did you know him' , "
"I can't say I knew him. I called in here... it must have been about two years ago. I spoke to him then ... just as I am speaking to you now."
"He was my brother," I said.
"Really!"
"Yes. I am Annalice Mallory. Did you ever hear anything about my brother?"
"Hear anything about him? No. I just spoke to him on one or two occasions. Then I went home. I did come back some months later and oddly enough I mentioned him and was told that he had gone away."
"Nobody seems to know where."
"I had one or two conversations with him. He told me something about an island he was going to visit."
"Yes... yes... that was so."
"He seemed to set great store on finding it. Apparently he had made some attempt to and had been disappointed."
I was feeling more and more excited. This man was telling me more than anyone so far.
I said: "We never heard what happened to my brother. We waited and waited for news of him but we heard nothing."
"That must have been terrible for you."
"If only I could find out what happened to him. If only I could find this island..."
"These seas have been well charted. It shouldn't be difficult."
"It seems this island is not where we thought it was."
"Have you come here to look for the island?"