Dark Price of Paradise

Need To Be Stong

A death of a child this way was supposed to be a secret. Secrets spread. Paul informed his family. Jill told her relatives. Their relatives told others on nearby farms. Farmers told townsmen and townsmen told fishermen. It wasn't long before even the outsiders learned of the rumors. Long before that happened the advisors learned of the incident.

Mike Hatta eventually heard of the incident from the fishermen he represented. Advisor was the nearest his title came when translated from the 'old language' to English. Or so he was told. Nobody he knew on the island of Waka Tifi spoke the 'old language' anymore. He called the other members of the council. Asking for a meeting.

Before he set a date for the meeting he wanted to consult the American scientists. Mike Hatta had been accepting bribes from the Americans since Vic Thrayer had come to the island and brought his criminal organization with him. Mike was supposed to tell the scientists what the council knew. He missed the coup that Teuila organized to get rid of Vic Thrayer. Mike hoped to make up for that by telling them about the murder of the baby by Teuila. Americans wouldn't understand the reasons for this. They would want Teuila charged for murder.

Mike couldn't just call the two scientists. He rode over to the clinic on his bike. If he called the operator could overhear what he told the scientists. It was also a party line. Anyone picking up the phone could overhear the conversation between him and the scientists. Every Advisor had a phone, most of the townsmen did too. Some of the farms. Mike couldn't take that chance so, he rode to the old clinic.

"I heard of this custom." Eddie had met Mike in the old meeting room. The sat in the old wooden chairs that had been left behind when the base was abandoned after the war. "It's not murder, more of a mercy killing."

"I thought you Americans didn't approve of that sort of thing." Mike said. Neither had the British. At that time the old King, Moaro had done the killings in secret.

"I don't. I just don't see what this has to do with us." Eddie had been treading on thin ice lately. When Vic Thrayer left the island he killed Adam Kresler in the clinic. He also left coded messages at his base of operations that mentioned Eddie and Tony as contacts. "Waka Tifi is only under the protection of the United States military, it is not under any actual authority of the United States military or it's government."

"We fly the American flag. We want your military to protect us. Shouldn't we answer to you when our customs come into conflict with your country's law?" Mike didn't become Advisor without making a persuasive argument.

"And it hasn't made a difference before. Why should it now?" Eddie said. "According to our contract with the Waka Tifi islanders we are allowed to use this island as a military outpost during time of war. We are allowed to test the island for radioactivity. We aren't allowed to interfere with the normal functioning of this island's government or authority."

This contract had been made to prevent this sort of attempt to displace the Waka Tifi government. Just as the British had ruled the island under similar conditions for a hundred and fifty years. Waka Tifi had never been a true colony of the British Empire. It had simply been used as a military outpost, harbor, and supply base. When the Americans came, they used the island for the same thing. Now, they had both left. Waka Tifi was independent for the first time in a hundred and fifty years. Teuila and the other council members intended to keep it that way at present.

"So, what do you plan to do?" Mike had hoped they would jump at a chance to get rid of Teuila as tribal leader. "Bring in another Victor Thrayer."

"Believe it or not Mike, we Americans learn from our mistakes." Eddie never approved of bringing in Vic Thrayer to begin with. "We'll see how this situation plays out. If you can finagle the council to replace Teuila, all the better. If not, we Americans had nothing to do with it."

Eddie did contact his CIA handler. Informing him of the possibility of the council replacing Teuila. This new CIA man wasn't like the old one. He listened, said nothing, and told Eddie to observe, but not interfere. Until he received orders to the contrary.

Teuila woke up drowsy. She sat up in bed. At some point someone had pulled off her dress. She didn't remember doing it. Teuila was covered with a bed sheet. The window was open. Afternoon noises from the town came through the open window. So did the waves hitting the surf. Bird song too.

Sitting up, Teuila felt dizzy. Slightly sick. Kane had brought her home. Teuila remembered that. Kane had given Teuila a pill. It must have knocked her out. As her memory kicked in Teuila remembered what she did. The action clearly played out in her mind. Teuila stumbled into the bathroom and threw up.

Sefina had been reading one of Teuila's old magazines when she heard Teuila begin to get sick in the bathroom. Sefina remembered the last time she was that sick, it was when she had radiation sickness. Sefina went to the bathroom to see that Teuila had at least made it to the toilet before throwing up what was left in her stomach. She looked at Sefina with large brown eyes that touched Sefina's heart.

"Come on, let's get you back to bed." Sefina helped her friend to her feet. "Kane said that you needed to stay in bed."

"I'm not really sick." Teuila protested. She wanted to explain to Sefina that it was the memory of what she did that made her sick, but held that inside. To make that explanation Teuila would have to relive it again.

"You're in bad shape all the same." Sefina maneuvered Teuila back into the bed room and to the bed. "If you want to change into something more comfortable, I can help."

Teuila was grateful as Sefina helped her out of her underwear and into a soft cotton nightgown. Very short, with no sleeves, because of the tropical weather. Once changed Teuila laid down and Sefina actually tucked her into her bed.

"I feel like a child." Teuila said. Her voice was listless. Teuila heard it. She just couldn't care at this time. "I shouldn't act like one. I need to get up, there are things to do."

Sefina heard a dim spark of anger in what Teuila said. Despite how soft and weak her voice sounded, there was that fire inside somewhere. Sefina felt that was a good thing.

"Let yourself be babied for a little bit." Sefina smiled at her friend. "It's okay to succumb to a little weakness now and then."

"Not for me, I need to set the example. I need to be strong for the others." Teuila knew this to be true, she just couldn't manage it. She didn't want to get up, to be strong, to set the example.

"Bullshit." Sefina's foul language made Teuila widen her eyes. "You lay there for your own good. Doctor's orders."

"Where did you learn that foul language." Teuila managed to scold her friend despite the fog her mind seem to be in. "You've been hanging around the Americans too much."

It wasn't long after that comment Teuila fell asleep again. Sefina quietly got up and went back to reading her book in the living room. She would check in on Teuila later.