Skylark was gliding the offshore winds, afraid to look back. If she did so she might see that Kawanatanga had noticed her and Te Arikinui Kotuku slipping away. He would guess what she intended to do and would send seashags, like avenging harpies, to stop her.
“No,” Kotuku answered. “We’ve got away undetected.”
Skylark followed the coastline, hoping to blend in with the landscape. Who knew what scouts Kawanatanga might have left on guard of the outer islands? Or maybe Kawanatanga felt so confident of victory that he had left the door wide open. Well, if he did, she intended to fly right through it.
“Are we not going straight to the islands?” Kotuku asked.
“No,” Skylark answered. “Not yet.”
The islands were like three jagged teeth jutting out of the glistening sea. Skylark recalled Arnie’s description of them. The closest island was the late Karuhiruhi’s pah, a jagged crown of tall crags and eyries fortified by military parapets and launching pads. The two outlying islands were nurseries, one low-lying with nests scattered over a high plateau, the other high with holes in cliffs for mollymawk chicks. Above and around them, Skylark could see female seabirds wheeling and circling in the bright sky. Now what had Arnie said?
By the way, Skylark, did I tell you there’s oil down there? The stuff is just oozing out of the ground.
Okay, so where was it?
Kotuku gave a slight grunt of distaste. She had guessed where their mission was heading. “Just follow your nose, Skylark dear,” she said. Already, the sharp acrid smell was permeating the air.
“Oh no,” one of young troopers said. “That place is evil. To fly over it is to lose consciousness and fall into the bubbling black mire beneath. Once you land in it, you are trapped there forever. Must we go there?”
“I want to create a diversion,” Skylark answered. “But to do it, I need some straw.”
“Straw?” Kotuku asked.
“The stuff you make your nests with.”
“Would abandoned ones do? There’s bound to be plenty of those on the beach.”
“Perfect,” Skylark said. She followed Kotuku down to the sand dunes. “Can you carry one in each claw?” she asked the troopers. “Okay? lets go.”
The mission took off again, heading for the place where the oil seeped and boiled above the ground. Skylark skirted the black sludge, but even from a safe distance the toxic fumes affected everyone as large bubbles of gas were expelled. Caught in one of them, Kotuku started coughing and vomiting.
Skylark saw a small outer pond where landing looked safe. She signalled the mission to go down. “Soak the nests in the oil,” she instructed. “Now, take them with you, fly a safe distance away and wait for me. I’ll be with you soon.”
“Why are you staying behind?” Kotuku asked.
“There’s something else I want to do before I join you,” Skylark said.
“Then I’ll stay with you,” Kotuku answered.
“No,” Skylark ordered. “I said go, and I mean go.”
Skylark’s head was reeling from the toxic fumes. “If I can set the oil alight,” she said to herself, “the smoke is sure to bring the seabirds back.” She tried to light a match. “But what if I catch fire myself, or don’t leave enough time to get away?” She tried again. Still no flame from the match. Worse, she felt herself being overcome by the fumes, becoming disoriented. She sank down on the sand, her head whirling. “I’ve got to do it,” she gasped. “I’ve —”
There was a whir of wings as Kotuku returned. “Why do you think you always need to do things by yourself?” she asked.
“Oh don’t get me started,” Skylark coughed. “Can you hold this box firmly for me?” She took a match in her beak and struck it against the box. Again the match failed to flare.
“Give it to me,” Kotuku said.
She took the match from Skylark’s beak and struck it against one of her claws.
Skylark was dumbfounded when it burst into flame.
“Now what do you want me to do?” Kotuku asked.
Skylark threw the match into the oil. There was a small plop as the surface of the oil ignited. A blue flame began to spread toward the main oilfield.
Quickly Kotuku and her troopers dragged Skylark away to safety. When she revived, the oilfield was ablaze.
“Oh, you naughty, naughty girl,” Kotuku said.
“Do it now, Kahu —”
“Okay,” Chieftain Kahu answered. Leaving Arnie at his high surveillance point, he led his three sons down to engage Kawanatanga and his personal guards. Kawanatanga laughed, contemptuous of Kahu’s vain attempts to lock on, claw against claw: “Is that the best you can do?”
Arnie’s heart was thudding fast. He was alarmed by the way Kawanatanga was slashing at Kahu. It would only be a matter of time before he inflicted a real blow — and it could be mortal. Before that could happen Kahu finally kicked in with the plan of action, clutched at his left wing, and twisted and fell away from Kawanatanga. Would he take the bait?
He did. With arrogant ease, Kawanatanga left the protective circle of his personal guards. Immediately, Arnie folded his wings and followed in free fall.
“Go go go,” Arnie cried under his breath to Kahu. Kawanatanga, more heavily built, was gaining on his prey. Ground zero was coming up at them. Kawanatanga was getting ready to strike. He made his move — and Arnie made his. He dived out of the sun, sounding his charge. “Kik-kik-kik-kik! Arnie’s small head was erect, his feathers tight and smooth against his body. His eyelids flickered fractionally. He was totally turned on by battle lust.
Kawanatanga was lucky. Startled, he saw the shadow settling above him, sheared off to the right and just managed to escape Arnie’s notched tooth. Arnie turned after him, passing Chieftain Kahu as he stabilised.
“Have fun,” Kahu said, as he beat his way back to the battle.
Only then did Kawanatanga realise the trap had sprung. But was he worried? No, he felt the thrill of destiny. “Ah, so I face my nemesis again,” he said to Arnie. “One on one?”
“You got it,” Arnie answered. “You’re from the future. So am I. There’s not enough room in this world for the two of us.”
“Then prepare to meet your Maker,” Kawanatanga said. He stretched out his neck and struck. Arnie’s raking claw came up, past the striking neck. With surprise, Kawanatanga caught the flash of sunlight and a glimpse of steel. He managed a quick avoiding flick. Even so, the tip of the penknife riffed through his skin. “That’s not fair,” Kawanatanga complained as he back-pedalled.
Airborne and intent on the kill, Arnie didn’t give a shit. “Use it or lose it, Kawanatanga,” he said. “Nothing’s fair in love and war. Time for you to go. Hasta la vista, baby.”
Kawanatanga dived for the sea. The gap between him and Arnie lengthened. Arnie expected him to level out but, instead, Kawanatanga crashed cleanly through the water — and Arnie had just enough strength to pull out of his dive.
“Damn, damn, damn,” Arnie swore. “I should have expected that.” Obviously, Kawanatanga was swimming underwater. He could be anywhere. If only Arnie could calculate the place where he would come up, he could be waiting for him. “Where are you, you seashag submarine?” Arnie called. Backwards and forwards he flew, trying to locate the wake caused by Kawanatanga’s propelling feet. He decided to break to his left.
Wrong choice. Far on the right, Kawanatanga re-surfaced. His powerful wings elevated his body out of the sea and, before Arnie could get a chance to head him off, Kawanatanga was flying towards an area honeycombed by coastal cliffs.
“Catch me if you can.”
Arnie gave a cry and wheeled after Kawanatanga. As he did so, he saw wisps of brown smoke on the horizon just above the offshore islands.