The weather was calm, much to Jon's relief. He could see clearly across the ocean to the line of the distant horizon, broken only by a few islands that seemed to sprout out of the water. The leaves of the coconut trees that lined the beach barely swayed in the almost imperceptible breeze and the sky was a bright blue with a few seagulls flying across it. The occasional call of the birds could be heard in harmony with the rhythmic sound of the waves gently lapping the sandy beach.
In other circumstances, Jon would have enjoyed relaxing and swimming in these turquoise waters. He could imagine himself hanging from a hammock between two coconut trees and sipping a glass of ice cold tropical fruit juice as he listened to the soothing sound of the waves. He wanted to close his eyes that very moment and lie on the sand as he listened to the sea that beckoned like a welcoming innkeeper, inviting wearied travelers to rest.
The sound of laughter caught Jon's attention and he turned his gaze to the dock. He saw three people, two men and a woman, conversing noisily and laughing as if at some joke. The man telling the story was standing up and had his back towards Jon. He was moving his arms animatedly as he told what seemed to be a funny story to his sitting companions. A red bandana decorated with white ethnic designs was wrapped around the storyteller's head while on his right wrist were a number of black rubber bracelets that moved with his gestures.
The man in the audience was sitting down across the storyteller. He wore a faded blue shirt that was riddled with holes and the sleeves cut off while a pair of dark sunglasses sat high on his forehead. He was laughing loudly at the storyteller's story and was clapping his hand against his thigh. The woman sitting beside him wore a sarong with colorful floral designs and was giggling at the same joke. The string of white pearls hanging around her neck blended with the vibrant colors of her sarong. On her hair was a wooden comb decorated with mother-of-pearl. The three people seemed oblivious to Jon's approach.
Jorge took out the luggage from the car and followed Jon. Upon reaching the dock, Jorge deposited the luggage in the shaded area not far from the three people Jon observed earlier. "We're an hour early," Jorge said, looking at his watch. "The boat that will take you to Orsica has not arrived yet."
"Jorge!" cried the storyteller as he walked towards the newcomers. "Who do you have there?" looking at Jon as if he were some specimen in an anthropology museum.
"Hey, Gringo! This is Jon, my client." Jorge then turned to Jon. "This is Gringo, my old buddy." Jon and Gringo shook hands. Gringo then proceeded to introduce his wife and his brother who also shook Jon's hand.
Everyone then conversed in the local language of which Jon could only catch a few words. When Jorge said 'Orsica' and 'Dante', Gringo's wife suddenly looked at Jon, her eyes showing deep concern. Gringo's brother, on the other hand, looked away at the sea and the gathering clouds on the horizon.
There was a sudden change in the tone of their voices and Gringo's voice lowered as he shared glances with his wife and his brother. The rising intonation in Gringo's statement signified it to be a question and Jon observed that Gringo asked it after being prodded by his wife.
Jorge took out his phone and tapped the screen. He waited silently as he made the call, his eyes scanning the horizon and the gathering clouds. Hearing a 'no network coverage' recording, he turned to Jon and spoke.
"The phone signal here is very weak and I can't make a call. The captain of the boat is not replying to any of my messages either. It's possible that he's already on his way here, but we can't be sure." Jorge paused. "Gringo said it's quite perilous to go near Orsica as it gets late in the afternoon. If you are planning on getting there today, you should go now. There is a storm brewing and with the high tide coming in, it will be even more dangerous to go out to sea as it gets late." Jorge pointed at the dark clouds in the horizon as he talked to Jon. Then, Jorge turned to Gringo who was talking to his wife.
After exchanging a few words with the couple, Jorge told Jon what they talked about. "They were asking if you can still be persuaded not to go to Orsica," said Jorge. Jon saw Gringo's wife nod at him.
Jon paused for a moment and said, "If there's still any chance that I can get to the island today, I think I will have to do my best to get there. Besides, it looks like it's a long way to any accommodations where I can stay for the night." Jon was definitely concerned, but it would not do to change his schedule without informing his client first.
Taking out his own phone, Jon tried calling Dante, but like Jorge, he was also outside network coverage. It was Gringo's wife who spoke to Jorge and Gringo nodded in agreement.
"Jon, they are proposing something," said Jorge. Jon gave up trying to contact his client and faced Jorge. "If you want, they are willing to give you a ride on their boat. They are on their way to another island, but they could pass by Orsica."
Jon looked apprehensive so Jorge continued. "I've known these people for a long time, Jon. You can trust them. They're far more experienced in navigating these waters than anyone I know. In any case, I will contact Mr. Dante once I get a signal."
Jon was apprehensive at joining Gringo, but Jorge seemed comfortable with his friend. Besides, getting on the boat with Gringo seemed the best option against waiting for a boat that may not come or navigating through treacherous waters during a storm.
After agreeing to the proposal, Jon thanked Jorge and bid him goodbye. He then got in the boat with Gringo and his small crew.
Gringo started the boat's motor as Jon took his place on one of the seats in the middle of the boat. Gringo's wife looked at Jon and tried conversing with him, but they were not able to talk a lot because of the language barrier. Jon, however, got the impression that Gringo's wife was trying to dissuade him to go to Orsica, possibly because of the same belief that it was dangerous to go there, especially on this day.
When everyone in the boat seemed to have settled to their routine, Gringo and his brother navigating the boat and Gringo's wife also busy with her own tasks, Jon simply sat and passed the time looking at islets and rock formations. The rocks formed grotesque figures that could easily find their place in a surrealist landscape. Between Salvador Dali and nature, nature definitely wins, thought Jon.
They passed more islets, each one having its own character - one rock formation looked like a sailboat and another looked like a cathedral with towers that jut out against the sky. Jon was starting to enjoy the scenery when he noticed that the wind had started to pick up and the waters getting choppy. Gringo left the navigation to his brother and went to Jon.
"The wind. It is getting stronger." Gringo said, not quite fluent in Jon's language. "We go to nearer island to be safe," he added. Gringo then motioned to his brother who steered the boat sharply to the right.
They had not gone far when coming from behind one of the islets, a white yacht appeared and quickly approached them from the left. It was the only thing that was new and glistening that Jon saw since coming from the airport.
The yacht blew its horn and proceeded to the side of Gringo's boat. In stylized gold letters, the name of the yacht was painted on its side – The Golden Cowrie. One of the crew then shouted to Gringo who then told Jon that it was the boat from Orsica coming to fetch him.
Gringo and his brother helped with Jon's luggage. Before Jon transferred to the yacht, he thanked Gringo and his crew for their help. Gringo merely nodded and smiled. Gringo's wife, however, held on to Jon's wrist as if to make one last attempt to stop him from getting aboard the yacht. Jon gently removed her hand and smiled at her. She finally yielded and bowed her head when she saw that there was nothing that could change Jon's mind.
Aboard the yacht, Jon made himself comfortable as he was handed a glass of iced tea and a plate of biscuits. He was quite happy to be on a bigger boat just as the weather seemed to be getting worse. He thanked the yacht's crew for their hospitality. They all seemed friendly, but somehow, even with their wide smiles, they lacked the warmth that he felt when he was with Gringo and his small crew.
In a while, the yacht's captain went to see Jon and shook his hand. He was a tall man with long limbs and a tight grip. "Welcome aboard the Cowrie. I am Captain Salazar. It's a good thing that we were able to track you after you left the dock," he said. His face was dark and his gaze intense.
"How far are we from Orsica? The weather seemed to be turning for the worse," said Jon.
"Not too long now. Don't worry about the weather. Mr. Dante told me to take care of you. My crew and I will do our best to make your trip comfortable." At this the captain smiled, revealing his white teeth that looked sharp, even menacing, probably if seen in the dark.
Jon looked out to the sea and the ominous clouds that portend the worsening weather. As he looked downwards, he was taken aback at seeing two dorsal fins jutting out of the water. A little farther on, there were two or three more.
For some reason, sharks seemed to gather around the Golden Cowrie.
The sharks continued to encircle the boat as it made its way through the tiny islets that seemed to sprout from the sea. The formations became more fantastic and grotesque as they moved southerly. The sun had moved closer to the horizon and the occasional flock of birds that flew overhead were already flying home.Jon decided to go to the deck to catch some air and watch the islets as the boat cruised along. The sharks had increased in number since he last saw them a few minutes ago with Captain Salazar. He felt agitated as he remembered the many stories and myths that revolved around these creatures. The closest encounter he had had with sharks before was when he went to an Aquatic Adventure theme park with Lisa a year ago. Before that, his knowledge of sharks were mostly from the movies he watched.Lisa had always been the expert on these things, Jon thought, as he tried to recall their previous conversations about the ocean predators.Shark attacks are fierce
Jon stayed inside his cabin for the rest of the journey. He felt claustrophobic and without anything of interest to look at, felt every movement of the boat. He could not take his mind off the image of the body being dragged across the deck and the trail of smeared blood. The crew did not seem at all disturbed by what they were doing, as if it was just some cargo that needed to be transferred somewhere. As for Captain Salazar, he seemed not in the least affected that one of his crew had died, but furious that Jon witnessed the body being pulled across the deck. Jon thought about the poor crew member who fell overboard and wondered if he or she was one of those who served him not too long ago. He inadvertently began recalling the faces of the crew whom he met when a question surfaced in his mind. How were they able to recover the body from the sharks? That one, Jon can answer: Perhaps they have tools on board, maybe a net or hooks, whatever they use for fishing. Then, another question c
"I am glad to hear you say that. As you can see, I have amassed considerable wealth over the years and I am also aware how easily these can be taken away from me. That would have been the case had I not discovered the duplicity of someone I placed my trust to." Dante heaved a sigh, his eyes appeared to be searching the far wall."I don't know what more reassurance I can give you, Sir, but I'm sure you have heard of our firm's reputation and our promise to all our clients," said Jon, remembering the marketing materials he was required to read at the start of his employment. "We have been in the business for more than a century and we have grown with our partners over the years. In fact-""It is not your firm that I'm worried about." Dante cut Jon mid-speech. "I have had transactions with your firm many years ago. What I am looking for is someone whom I could trust with my work, someone who would see it through whatever happens."Dante seemed composed as he faced
The way that Dante brushed off the death of one of the people under his employ like some mundane occurrence troubled Jon. He too nearly lost his life to the sharks if not for the quickness of Captain Salazar. Or is Dante intentionally evading discussion of the incident? Could he be hiding something?Questions flooded Jon's head, but he decided not to talk about the incident any further with his client. Dante seemed to be no different from the captain of the Golden Cowrie as to his apathy and coldness towards people under his employ. If not for the difference in physical appearance and state of health, Jon would have thought of Dante and the captain as the same person.Dante seemed more alive than when Jon saw him at the entrance hall earlier. His movements were faster, his speech clearer, and his face, though still pale, seemed more relaxed and youthful. Perhaps, there was some truth when he likened himself to nocturnal creatures who become fully awake at night as they
Jon looked at the painting and was immediately transfixed by the glowing eyes of a dark creature that appeared to be coming out of an abyss. The red eyes seemed to glow even brighter the more Jon looked at them and he felt paralyzed under the creature's hypnotic stare. He felt as if he were floating and being led through a tunnel of concentric circles of smoky grays and coal black, down a spiraling path into what chasm the creature seemed to have come from. Jon felt himself falling into that unknown world which seemed devoid of light and color as screams of agony filled his ears.Jon blinked and suddenly found himself back in the library looking at the strange picture. He felt his feet touching the floor and heard the soft hum of the library's air conditioning. Still looking at the painting, he gazed at the creature again and recognized the combined features of the bat and snake.Dante watched with a self-satisfied air as Jon stood transfixed in front of the painting.
Jon was taken aback by the strange vision, but he was able to quickly shut his windows and draw the curtains before sitting down on his bed. He was motionless for a few minutes, his brain trying to process what he just saw. Several minutes had elapsed before he ventured another look outside, but the mansion's walls were dark and he realized that the library lights had been turned off. He could still see the manicured lawns because of the few lights that were scattered across the grounds, but there was little else that he could discern outside.When the moon came clear of the clouds, he saw the shadows casted by the nearby trees on the walls. A light breeze blew and moved the shadows, creating dark figures that in Jon's imagination could easily become howling wolves and flying bats... and giant lizards climbing down walls. Why not? Jon thought. There may also be fireflies around that created the illusion of glowing eyes. Why were they glowing red, like embers? His imagination,
Jon felt a wave of panic as he looked at the wide expanse of the island and realized how difficult it would be to get back to the mainland should he choose. The first hurdle would be how to get to the shoreline. The mansion was built on the edge of a precipice with its back to an almost vertical wall of the mountain. He knew that to get to the shore, he would need to use the cable car which could only be operated by one of Dante’s staff. Without the cable car, he would have to manage climbing down the steep incline and then hike through a forest, probably without any path to guide him to the beach. Then, he would have to make it to the water before anyone realized that he was missing.Upon reaching the beach, Jon would still need a boat if he were to cross the sea to the nearest inhabited island. From his vantage point, Jon could see the edge of the island where its rocky shores met the sea. He could see the dock where the Golden Cowrie was moored the day before, but the yacht was nowh
Jon stopped eating and listened to the maid's story. He drank the water she poured him and wiped his lips with the tablecloth.The maid continued. "According to my mother who also heard it from her grandmother, the island used to be uninhabited because of the lack of good soil to farm. However, the presence of fresh water made it known to the fishermen who would sometimes replenish their water supply by coming here. She said there are caves not far from the dock where the fishermen used to stay during bad weather as well as a network of springs and waterfalls that were probably the same sources where the fishermen get their water from."The maid stopped speaking and looked at the door which remained closed."Go on." Jon glanced at the closed door and then urged the maid to continue. "Tell me how Dante came to be in possession of this island.""My grandmother told me that a dinghy was washed ashore here many years ago carrying a man who turned out to be Dante's ancestor. No one knew whe