The Beach (18 page)

The walking pace Sal set was slow. Sometimes she paused to look at flowers or to pull a weed from the path. Sometimes she stopped for no apparent reason, aimlessly drawing dust circles with her toes.
'Richard,' she began, 'I want to tell you how pleased we all are that you found our secret beach.'
'Thanks, Sal,' I replied, already understanding that this conversation had a point beyond a casual chat.
'Can I be blunt, Richard? When you three arrived, we were all a little worried. Perhaps you can understand why...'
'Of course.'
'But you all fitted in so
well
. You really entered into the spirit of what we have here, better than we could have hoped... You mustn't think we didn't appreciate you doing the Rice Run, Richard, and catching that lovely shark.'
'Oh, well.' I tried to look modest. 'The shark was a fluke.'
'Garbage, Richard. The shark gave everyone something to feel good about, and morale does get low during rainstorms. I still feel a little guilty about the way I spoke to you that miserable wet morning, but sometimes I need to be... pushy. I don't consider myself to be the leader here, but...'
'We all understand that.'
'Thank you, Richard.'
'And you are the leader really, Sal.'
'Oh, maybe in some ways I am. Reluctantly.' She laughed. 'People come to me with their problems and I try to sort them out... Keaty, for example. I know you and Keaty are close, so I presume you know about his problem.'
'He wants to leave the garden detail.'
'That's right. Such a headache. It isn't easy moving people around. Someone has to provide the space before he can move, and the fishing detail is already full... He wants the fishing detail, you know.'
'Uh-huh.'
'For months now I've been telling him it isn't possible. You see, he was about to start fishing when your little group arrived... He was terribly disappointed, Richard, but he took it very well. Others might have... I don't know... held it against you.'
'Sure. Three people turning up out of the blue, taking his job.'
'Exactly, Richard. I was so grateful to him, and so pleased when you became friends... I was only sorry I couldn't do anything to improve his situation...' A weed caught Sal's eye and she pulled it out, tutting at its stubborn grip on the dirt. 'But my hands were tied without a vacancy in the fishing detail. And now I've realized that one isn't going to appear unless I make it...'
I gulped. 'Uh, no one wants to move, I suppose. What about one of the Swedes?'
'One of the Swedes?' Sal chuckled. 'You couldn't break up their trio without a gun, and even then you'd have a job. No, they're together to the death. The three blond musketeers.'
'Moshe?'
'Mmm... I don't think I'd want him to move. He's rather good with those Yugoslavian girls.'
'Who then?' I asked, and obviously failed to keep a note of anxiousness out of my voice.
'Yes, Richard. I'm sorry, but it has to be you. I don't have a choice.'
I groaned. 'Oh no, Sal. Please, I really don't want to move. I love the fishing detail, and I'm good at it.'
'I
know
you are, Richard. I
know
. But do try to see it from my position. Keaty needs to move out of the garden, I can't separate Étienne and Françoise, Gregorio has been fishing for two years, the Yugoslavians...' Sal shook her head. 'Well, I shouldn't really tell you this, Richard, but they haven't the wit to do anything else. Jean can't bear them and they could never cope with carpentry. I regret bringing them here at all. I'm a pushover for refugees... Truly, Richard, if I had a choice
'Yeah,' I muttered.
'...And it isn't like I'm going to put you on the garden detail.'
I paused. 'You aren't?'
'God, no. I don't think I'd be able to do that after the things Keaty must have been telling you.'
A terrible thought crossed my mind. Given a choice between the garden detail and working with Bugs in carpentry, I'd have taken Jean's iron discipline any time.
'Well,' I began to say, not bothering to disguise my nervousness. 'He hasn't said that much...'
'I'm sure he's said plenty, Richard. No need to be diplomatic.'
'No, Sal, honestly...'
She waved her hand. 'It doesn't matter anyway. You won't be working on the garden detail...'
I closed my eyes, waiting for my sentence.
'...You'll be working with Jed.'
I opened my eyes again
. 'Jed?
'
'Yes. He wants a partner on his excursions, and he suggested you.'
'Wow,' I said, genuinely. It had never occurred to me that Jed might want someone with him. Although we'd become friendly, he still struck me as a loner.
'I know, he never seemed the team type,' Sal continued, apparently reading my mind. 'I was just as surprised. You must have made a good impression on the Rice Run.'
'...But what does Jed need help with? Doesn't he just... steal grass?'
'He does that, yes, but other things besides. He'll explain.'
'...I see.'
Sal beamed. 'Richard, I'm so glad we've sorted it all out. I've been worried about telling you this for days... Now then, all that remains is to find Keaty. Would you like to give him the good news or shall I?'

When we reached the garden, Jean told us that Keaty had already started out back to the camp, so I jogged off to catch him up and Sal stayed behind, explaining to Jean that he'd have to make do with one less worker.
I found Keaty a few hundred metres down the track, and when I told him the news he was very sympathetic, despite the fact that it was good news for him.
'I feel shit about this, Rich,' he said after I'd finished explaining. 'I didn't mean for Sal to take you off fishing, I swear.'
I nodded. 'My guess is it has more to do with Jed than you. You've been asking to leave the garden detail since I got here, and it's only now that something's happened.'
'Maybe... You're pissed off, right?'
'...Well...'
'I'm sorry.'
'No, it isn't your fault. It's just bad... luck. Or something. But not your fault.'
'Well, I hope not, Rich... And I'm sorry anyway...'
We walked in silence for a few moments, then Keaty said, 'Do you know why Jed's suddenly decided he needs help?'
'I don't even know what he needs help with. We still don't know what he does up there.'
'At least now we'll find out.'
'I will, you mean. If I were to tell you what goes on I'd have to kill you straight after.'
Keaty smiled. 'You know what? I bet you're secretly pleased about all this. I bet you're looking forward to prowling around up there.'
I shrugged. 'Ask not what your beach can do for you.'
'That's the spirit.'
'Yeah...' I paused. '...I suppose if I've got to leave the fishing detail then I'd rather I was working with Jed than anyone else.'
'Uh-huh. I wouldn't wish the garden detail on you.'
'And the other option was carpentry. For a moment I thought that's what Sal was suggesting and I nearly had a fucking heart attack. I got this sudden flash of working with Bugs all day, so when Sal said it was with Jed... I don't know... I almost had to feel relieved.'
'If you say so, Rich.'
'I think I do.'
We turned a corner on the path and saw the longhouse through the trees. There were figures around the kitchen hut, so I guessed the other fishers were back with their catch. I couldn't see any of my detail. They probably weren't back from the corals yet.
Just as we were about to enter the clearing, someone behind us called our names. We both turned round and saw Jesse jogging along the track with a bag of vegetables from the garden.
'Hey, man,' he said to Keaty, as he reached us. 'Hear you're leaving the Jar Dan.' It took me a couple of seconds to translate his Kiwi accent to
jardin.
'Yep. I'm moved to the fishing.'
'I heard, you lucky bastard.' Jesse looked at me. 'Not you though, mate. You must be pissed off, losing that cushy number. You'll be sweating with us now.'
'I'm not going to the garden.'
Jesse grinned. 'Carpentry! With Jesus!'
'No. Jed.'
'Jed?'
'Uh-huh.'
'Blow me. What's all that about? Not enough weed to go round?'
'Maybe. I'll find out soon, anyway.'
'Yeah... You will.' He nodded thoughtfully, then he patted Keaty on the back. 'You'll be sorted, anyhow. Get to watch Françoise swimming all day. I could do with a bit of that.'
Keaty shot me a quick glance, which puzzled me, and said, 'Watch it, Jesse. You don't want Cassie to hear you.'
Jesse laughed. 'Too right. Skin me alive.' He winked at no one in particular, then looked into the clearing. 'So. Looks like the cooks have got food on the way. Better get the veg down there.'
'Sure,' said Keaty, and Jesse jogged off. Keaty watched him go, then turned to me. 'He's the one person I'll really miss out of the garden detail.'
'Seems like a decent guy.'
'He is. You'd like him and Cassie a lot. Especially as they aren't exactly Bugs' biggest fans.'
'Oh?'
'I used to bitch about Jean being a tough boss, but Bugs... he drives Cassie nuts.'
'I'd picked up on that before.'
'...I guess you'll miss working with your detail too.'
'Mmm.' I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Probably too deeply and too slowly, because I noticed Keaty giving me another curious glance. 'I'm sure I will.'

It was a long walk from where I entered the clearing to where Étienne, Françoise and Gregorio stood talking. I had plenty of time to think about how much the change of work detail would affect my life on the beach. Mainly I thought in rapid slide-show images, different shots of the four of us chatting and having fun: diving off our favourite fishing boulder, taking bets on who would catch the biggest fish, swimming for spears that had missed their mark or found their mark, or re-enacting throws that were comically bad. The image I lingered on the longest was, unsurprisingly, of Françoise. Françoise as an Amazon, frozen, with a spear poised above her head, concentrating fiercely on the shapes beneath the water. Even now it's a picture I can clearly recall.
It seemed to me, as I got nearer, that they must have heard the news. They paused in their conversation and all turned, watching me with quiet and serious expressions. But it was simply that they'd read the look on my face. That and my posture, and the speed I was walking. If someone walks unhurriedly towards you, head bowed, you have to know that something's up.
There was a strange moment when I reached them. They remained silent, waiting for me to speak, but I felt like I'd already been isolated from their group. It reminded me of the first morning after my fever, discovering that Étienne and Françoise had made themselves a part of the new world while I had been asleep. When no words came I frowned and put a hand on the back of my neck, then shrugged helplessly.
'What is it, Richard?' said Étienne apprehensively. 'There is something the matter?'
I nodded.
'What? Tell us.'
'...I'm off the fishing detail.'
'Off?'
'Moving to another detail. Sal... She just told me.'
Françoise gasped. 'But why? How can she do that?'
'Something to do with Jed. He needs a work partner. Keaty's going to replace me.'
Gregorio shook his head. 'But wait, Richard. You do not want to move, yes?'
'I like the fishing detail...'
'Then OK. You will stay. I will find Sal and talk to her now.' Then he marched off towards the longhouse.
'Gregorio will stop this,' said Étienne a few moments later. 'Do not worry, Richard. You will not have to move.'
'You will not have to move,' Françoise echoed. 'We are a good team, Richard. Of course you will stay with us.'
I nodded, pleased by my friends' display of solidarity, but at the same time I was entirely unconvinced. I knew that Sal's decision would be final, and as if to force the point home, the sound of her low voice began to drift across the clearing, telling Gregorio that this could be the only way.
Although I was feeling sorry for myself, unsure of the sudden way in which things had developed, as the day went on I felt more sorry for Keaty. After Gregorio's failure to change Sal's mind, the four of us spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in a circle, getting stoned and bitching about the way things had turned out. Keaty, however, sat by the entrance of his tent. He was apparently engrossed in his Gameboy, but he looked miserable. I think he felt responsible for everything, and it must have been depressing to feel that his new workmates were so unhappy with the circumstances of his arrival. Eventually, Keaty's obvious discomfort became intolerable. Sensing that the onus was on me, I called over to him and suggested he join us. He sheepishly put down his Nintendo and came over, immediately launching into an apology for the situation he felt he'd caused. All of us protested at once, but it did nothing to cheer him up. He also told us that he'd spoken to Sal himself, insisting that he didn't mind remaining on the garden detail, to no effect. This, at least, provided a topic of discussion that didn't make Keaty's discomfort any more acute, because it raised the underlying reason for the job switch.
'Perhaps,' Françoise said, 'there is something happening on the island. Something to do with the drug farmers.'
Keaty muttered his agreement, but Gregorio looked doubtful. 'So maybe the Thais are putting new fields on this side of the island. It would be a problem, but why would Jed need a partner? If he had ten or fifty partners, he could not stop them. There is no difference.'
'Is there ever any talking with the Thais?' Étienne asked.
Gregorio shook his head. 'Daffy spoke to them when they first came, but he is the only one. He said they knew we were here already, and they were not interested in us if we did not move from the lagoon. Since then, nothing.'
'Maybe they've got pissed off with Jed nicking grass,' I suggested.
'Yes, but it is the same thing. If they are angry or not angry, what difference if Jed has a partner?'
'So what else could it be?'
Gregorio looked down at his hands, then back at me. 'I do not know, Richard... I really do not know.'
We continued chatting until late evening, but only going round in circles. Without Jed or Sal there was no way our questions could be answered, but Jed was still absent by the time we went to bed, and no one felt like talking to Sal.
It took me over two hours to get to sleep that night, and the thoughts that kept me awake were as unusual as the rest of the day had been. For the first time since arriving on the beach, I started thinking about home. Almost, in fact, wishing I could return. Not to leave the beach permanently - just to contact a few important people and let them know I was still alive and OK. My family particularly, and a few of my friends. I suppose it may have had as much to do with my earlier conversation with Françoise as with the subsequent unsettling events. The thought of parents had hovered in the back of my mind, reluctant to fall under the beach's amnesiac spell.