فصل 42

chapter-42 A poor hand

The next morning, Ostin and I went down to breakfast together. Tanner, Jack, Zeus, Tessa, and Abigail were already there. Everyone looked tired.

“Good morning,” I said.

“Is it?” Tanner replied.

I ignored him.

“How was the park?” Zeus asked.

“Kangaroos and koalas,” I said. “What’s not to like?” “Did you know kangaroos can box?” Jack said. “I’d like to try boxing one. I hear they’re pretty good.” “It’s cruel,” Abigail said.

“Boxing is cruel,” Jack replied. “That’s the point.” “I didn’t know it had one,” Abigail said.

“Sounds like everyone’s having grouchy flakes for breakfast,” Ostin said.

“No one’s cheerful on death row,” Tanner said.

“I’m out of here,” I said.

Ostin and I walked over to the buffet tables. I got a stack of pancakes and some link sausage. While I was waiting for the chef to make me an omelet, Taylor walked up behind me.

“What’s up with the cheer squad?” she asked.

“You talked to them, huh? They could use a cheerleader. Know any?” “Not anymore. McKenna and I saved a table over there. Far away from the table of gloom.” “I’ll be right over,” I said.

By the time we finished eating, the rest of our group was in the restaurant, including Gervaso and Welch, who sat alone in a corner and spent more time talking than eating. I couldn’t hear them, but their facial expressions seemed especially tense. When Gervaso stood, we all got up to leave.

Hardly anyone spoke as we took our bags out to the shuttles and drove to the airport. The weather had cleared up, with just a few scattered clouds, not that you could tell. We had brought our own storm cloud. Only McKenna seemed cheerful. I don’t think she had rose-colored glasses; she just preferred being happy. I was grateful for that.

We boarded the plane at a quarter of twelve. Even Scott and Boyd, the pilots, seemed more sullen than usual, taking our luggage from us without the usual greetings. After we were airborne, Gervaso stood up at the front of the plane.

“Let me have your attention. We’ve had a few days of reprieve and anonymity. Those days are gone. From here on out we are on the battleground. My contact in Fiji informs me that the islands are crawling with Elgen, many of whom are not in uniform.

“Fiji is Tuvalu’s front porch, so the Elgen are making a point of knowing who is playing in their yard. They will want to know who you are and what you are doing there. So take no chances and stay invisible. That means no wandering off. No being alone. Talk to no one. Under no circumstances are you to speak, type, or write the word ‘Elgen.’ If someone asks you why you are there, you must assume they are informants.

“Our flight is four and a half hours. Tonight at dinner we will be meeting with my friend who will be sailing us into Tuvalu. He’s taking a great risk in transporting us, both to his job and his life. I do not want him endangered any more than he has to be. His name is J.D. and, as I said back at the ranch, he took a bullet for me. I’d do the same for him. Don’t make me.” He looked around the cabin. “All right, then. Captain Welch has asked to say a few words.” Welch stood. “It’s no surprise to any of you that I consider this a highly risky mission. I did not say suicide mission, but I do not suspect that we will all return. This is our Normandy beach. The Elgen do not expect us to make such a bold move. If they did, I would call it off immediately. I agree with Gervaso that it is our best chance to deal the Elgen a fatal blow.

“But make no mistake, this is like walking into a rattlesnake den with a machete. No matter how many snakes you kill, someone is still going to get bit.

“So you know, I will not be captured. For me—perhaps for all of us—being captured is the same as death, only one that Hatch can prolong and enjoy. So the only option for me is to fight to the death. I suggest you come to a similar conclusion. I hope it doesn’t come to that.” With that, he sat down, leaving us all in a state of despair.

“If that was our pregame inspirational speech,” Jack said, “I can wait for halftime.” * * *

The clouds inside the plane were thicker than those outside it. Then, in the midst of it all, Ostin turned encyclopedia on us again.

“Hey, it’s time for facts about Fiji. Did you know”—I don’t know why he asked that, as we never did—“Fiji has a population of almost a million people and is made up of 332 islands? About one-third of them are inhabited.

“The international date line runs through the Fiji island of Taveuni, so you can be in two days at the same time. Also, there’s a red-and-white flower in Taveuni that blooms nowhere else in the world.” “If I see it, I’ll pick it and you can wear it in your hair,” I said to Taylor.

“It’s probably protected,” Taylor said.

“Fijians used to be cannibals,” Ostin said. “People used to call the place the Cannibal Isles. The last guy they ate was a missionary named Thomas Baker. Natives said he was doing okay until he touched the chief on his head. That’s a big ‘don’t do’ in Fiji. So they ate him.” “The lesson I’m taking from this is don’t touch anyone on the head,” Taylor said.

“So you can eat people, but you can’t touch them on the head?” Jack said. “That’s messed up.” “Crazy messed up,” Tessa said. “So, Michael, they won’t arrest you if you pick that flower; they’ll eat you.” “They don’t eat people today,” Ostin said. “That was a long time ago. But they still sell cannibal forks.” “What’s a cannibal fork?”

“I think that’s pretty self-evident,” Tanner said. “It’s a fork for eating people.” “Can we not talk about eating people?” Abigail said. “It sounds like something Hatch would do.” “Don’t give him ideas,” Nichelle said.

“Hatch doesn’t need help coming up with evil ideas,” Tanner said. “He’s a freaking evil idea factory.” Ostin continued. “The cannibal fork, or as it’s called in Fijian, the ai cula ni bokola, was used during ritual feasts by those considered by the tribe too holy to touch food, such as their chiefs and priests.

“One of the Fijian tribal chief’s most important ceremonies was the eating of their tribe’s enemy. Since the chief couldn’t use their hands for this important ritual, they came up with a special fork. Forks became a way to show the chief’s power. The fancier the fork, the more important the owner.” “That’s some freaky kind of status symbol,” Tessa said.

“I’d like to see them try to eat me,” Zeus said. “I’d light them up like a Christmas tree.” “They wouldn’t eat you,” I said. “They’d worship you. You’d be the Fijian god of lightning.” “Were the people of Tuvalu cannibals?”

Tanner said, “We should ask Welch.”

“I know things about Tuvalu,” Ostin said.

“Of course you do,” Tanner said. “We should ask Welch.” Ostin ignored the slight and continued. “Did you know that Robert Louis Stevenson visited Niutao? That’s the island we’re going to. The one Hatch named Hades.” “Who’s Robert Lewison?” Tessa asked.

Ostin raised one eyebrow. “Oh, please. Really? What did they teach you at the academy?” “How to take over the world. Mostly.”

“I’m down with that,” Jack said.

“. . . Stevenson is only one of the greatest writers of all times. Ever heard of Treasure Island? Or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? Treasure Island alone has more than seventy-five movies, television shows, and stage productions.” “So what was he doing in Tuvalu?”

“He was visiting Australia when he decided to book a trading steamer called the Janet Nicoll. They anchored off Niutao for a while to take on copra.” “Who’s Copra?” Zeus asked.

“I know this one,” Tessa said. “He’s that movie director. He did that one Christmas movie where that guy rips off a bank, then meets an angel—” “It’s called It’s a Wonderful Life,” Taylor said. “And he didn’t rip off the bank. The stupid old guy lost the money, and it was stolen by the evil old dude in the wheelchair.” “Potter,” McKenna said.

“Yeah, that one,” Tessa said. “Except he wasn’t a potter; he was a banker.” “His name was Potter,” McKenna said.

“Oh, yeah.”

Ostin just looked at them like they’d lost their minds. “Copra is dried coconut meat. It’s where they get coconut oil.” “Like any normal human should know that,” Taylor said.

“I’m sticking with the movie director,” Tessa said.

For a moment Ostin was speechless. “Anyway, while they were picking up copra, Stevenson’s wife, Fanny, wrote about it. She published her story under the title The Cruise of the Janet Nichol.” “I like that,” Taylor said. “The Janet Nichol. Why do they name ships after women?” I shrugged. “I don’t know. Why do they name hurricanes after women?” “I know,” Ostin said. “It’s because . . .” McKenna and Taylor both looked at him.

“Uh . . . because they’re powerful.”

I grinned at him. “Good save, man. Good save.” “He’s getting good at this,” Taylor said.

“Stevenson said something I think is relevant to our situation,” Ostin said. “ ’Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.’ ” “We’ve got the poor hand part right,” Tanner said.

Ostin looked at him with an uncharacteristic dark glare. “He also said, ‘The world has no room for cowards.’” Tanner said nothing.