Fire in the Ocean

by K. D. Keenan

  “I’m more grateful and touched than I can say that you’re here. Sometimes I think maybe I’m too much of a tree-hugger for you, and then you go and do something like this.” She kissed him deeply.

  “You spend too much time worrying about things. But it’s part of what makes you you, so I guess I’ll just have to put up with it.” He stood up, smiled down into her upturned face, and held out a hand to her. “Here we are on a beautiful island in Hawai‘i. We didn’t plan it this way, but let’s make the most of it. Let’s see what there is to see and enjoy ourselves. Maybe we can just hang out for a few days and let the dust settle. No one’s expecting me at work, and no one expects you, either. We can go play. How’s that sound?”

  Sierra took Clancy’s hand, stood up and smiled at him. “That sounds like a plan. I missed the chartered flight to Midway, so I guess we’re going to have a laid-back Hawai‘ian vacation after all,” she said. “Could you just kiss me another time or two before we leave?”

  “You bet,” said Clancy. “But first, I think you ought to call your boss. She’s the one who told me you were missing.”

  “Oh, poor Tammy!” Sierra took his phone and began to dial. After reassuring Tammy, Sierra told her, “So I’m staying on here for a few days, just to recuperate. I’m not sure when I’m coming back…”

  “We aren’t expecting you for another three weeks,” Tammy said. “Take as much time as you need?” It sounded like a question, but Sierra knew better.

  “I don’t know how long our hosts will be willing to put up with us,” Sierra replied. “I’ll let you know when to expect me. Wow, I’m looking forward to sleeping in a bed again!”

  “And all the coffee you can drink?” said Tammy, who knew her employee well.

  Sierra returned Clancy’s cell phone and looked at him under her lashes, smiling. He needed no further invitation and bent to kiss her. At the touch of his lips and the closeness of his body, Sierra felt a slow fire building inside and melted into his arms. Clancy’s breathing grew quicker, and Sierra felt his arms tighten around her. She had missed this. She had missed Clancy. She had missed…

  “Say!” said a squeaky voice somewhere near their trembling knees. “Where am I going to sleep?”

  • • •

  Sierra asked Auntie about sleeping arrangements for Fred. Auntie produced a laundry basket filled with soft towels, which Fred found highly satisfactory. She left Auntie clucking over Fred and helped Clancy get his things together. Jack’s house was only a few houses away, so they walked.

  Jack Kane effusively welcomed them to his home. “I can’t believe you made it,” Jack said to Sierra. “You look great—not like I would expect after nearly a week in the wilderness.”

  “We found food and water,” she explained. “If we hadn’t landed where we did, it would’ve been a different story.”

  “What did you eat?” Jack asked.

  “‘Opihi.” That was true, even if it wasn’t the whole truth.

  Jack looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “How did you know the Hawai‘ian name for limpets?”

  Sierra looked blank for a moment and said, “Sam—the boat owner—he told me.”

  “We’ll have to teach you some more Hawai‘ian while you’re here!” Jack said enthusiastically.

  “I’d like that.”

  Jack had two small bedrooms, each with a single bed, which he explained had been his daughters’ rooms until both girls had moved to O‘ahu. They came home occasionally, but he wasn’t expecting them anytime soon. Sierra noted the two little beds with some dismay, but said nothing.

  “Stay as long as you like,” he said. He glanced from Sierra to Clancy. They were holding hands and could hardly look away from one another.

  “If you wanted,” Jack said, peering out the window as he spoke, “you could move one of the beds into the other room. If you felt like it.” His suggestion was promptly accepted.

  Although it was only mid-afternoon, Sierra felt weariness settle into her bones. The last several days had taken their toll on her body and mind, and now that she was safe—and Chaco and Fred were safe—the fright and tension and physical exertion stole over her like dark fog. She yawned cavernously.

  “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take a nap,” she said. “A real nap.” She glanced at Clancy, who understood perfectly.

  Sierra went to their room and flopped onto one of the single beds, now positioned side by side. Covered with a worn cotton quilt, the bed was firm and comfortable. Lying down, she looked around at the little room. It had obviously once been the room of a teenaged girl. It was painted a cheery yellow, with white blinds. The walls were covered with posters of boy bands, mostly shirtless, and snapshots of teenagers, presumably the daughters’ friends. The trees outside shaded the window, making a dappled pattern of light and shade against the quilt, and a slight breeze made the patterns waver and shift. Sierra closed her eyes, and with visions of bright white sand and turquoise sea, of Kama paddling his outrigger through the waves, of Kapualei’s great, black body churning the water, of the Menehune marching by torchlight, of Chaco’s bruised face as he lay unconscious, she fell away from the world into a deep sleep.

  • • •

  The news that Sierra, Fred, and Chaco were safe had been a huge relief to their friends at home in California. Chaco’s abrupt transition from demigod to mortal had shocked them. The Three Weird Sisters (who knew perfectly well that Clancy referred to them as such behind their backs) had discussed Chaco’s plight and developed a possible solution. They knew it was a long shot, but worth attempting if there were a chance of restoring Chaco to his old and powerful self.

  “Where are you headed with that shovel?” asked Guy, watching Kaylee head out the door after dinner one night. Guy had been looking forward to some cuddle time in front of the TV.

  Kaylee turned and regarded her current lover with a mischievous smile. Her coffee-dark eyes sparkled. She gestured with a small folding shovel, the kind Boy Scouts take along on camping trips. “I plan to dig up some dirt.”

  He flashed her a sunny smile. “Maybe you’re going to do away with me and hide the evidence?”

  “Not today,” she returned, heading out the front door of her apartment. “I just have a little gardening project.”

  “At this time of night? You don’t have a garden. Shouldn’t you be cuddling up to me right now?”

  She grinned at him. “First things first.” Then she was gone.

  Chapter 14

  When Sierra awoke, it was early evening, and she felt refreshed. She went to the small bathroom next to her room and stared at her reflection with dismay. She had kept her long, dark hair braided, but bits of it splayed out at odd angles and the braid was coming undone. She went to ask Jack if he had a hairbrush she could borrow.

  “There might be a brush left in one of the girls’ bedrooms,” said Jack. “But your suitcase arrived while you were napping.”

  Sierra grabbed her suitcase with cries of joy and retreated to the bathroom. When she emerged fifteen minutes later, her hair was wet and shining, newly re-braided, and she was wearing shorts and a T-shirt from her baggage. Her skin was a darker shade than usual from her sunscreen-free sojourn in Kama’s little valley, and a delicate spray of freckles had come out across her nose and cheeks.

  Clancy kissed the tip of her freckled nose and said, “Auntie’s invited us over for dinner tonight. We’ll see you later, Jack,” he called.

  “If I’m in bed, the door will be unlocked.” Jack replied. “I never lock my door anyway.”

  Sierra and Clancy found Auntie in the kitchen and immediately volunteered to help make dinner. They were turned down because Chaco and Fred were already at work and the kitchen was crowded.

  When dinner was served, the conversation naturally centered on Sierra’s and Chaco’s recent adventures.

  “Because of Kanaloa, Chaco and I can speak Hawai‘ian,” said Sierra. “It came in handy talking with Kama.”

  Over a dessert of
macadamia nut ice cream, Auntie and Clancy asked many questions about the adventure in Kama’s valley.

  “Now that’s it’s all over,” Sierra said, enjoying her ice cream as if it were the first time she had ever encountered such a substance, “Clancy and I plan to stick around for a few days to relax before we go home.” Chaco said nothing and ate his ice cream quietly.

  After dinner, everyone drifted outside into Auntie’s pretty garden. Shadows had begun to lengthen but the light was still golden as the sun edged toward the horizon. In a large breadfruit tree nearby, a flock of mynah birds settled in for the night with a cacophony of squabbling and loud calls for order.

  Sierra broke a long and comfortable silence by saying, “If WestWind is bad for Moloka‘i, bad for the whales, and bad for the environment, maybe we should be doing something to help stop it.” Clancy turned his green eyes on Sierra and shrugged.

  “What, exactly?” he asked.

  “Maybe you can do something to help, Sierra,” said Auntie. All eyes turned to her. “You have mana. You said Kanaloa gifted you with even more power. I have some mana and my family’s ‘aumakua are powerful. If we combine our efforts, maybe we can stop it.”

  “If I can help, I will,” Sierra said. “But I’m not sure what I can do.”

  “Let’s talk it over tomorrow,” Auntie said comfortably. “There’s no rush, and you need to recuperate and have a little fun. Let’s leave it for now.” She levered herself out of her plastic chair. “I’m going in. I need to pick three numbers for a big competition coming up in a few months. My hula school will be participating.” She went inside, and soon the soft strains of hula music wafted through the screen door.

  The conversation turned to what they would do the next day. Sierra wanted to go snorkeling—an activity she had planned to do in Honolulu while she was waiting for the plane to Midway. Fred was all for it, but his participation was immediately and firmly vetoed on the basis of logistics. Keeping Fred a secret onboard a boat—that had been done before. Finding a snorkel mask to fit his small, distinctly non-human face was another issue. Trying to explain an apparently unoccupied snorkel and mask zipping around in the water was simply unthinkable. Chaco declined, saying he had enough of ocean swimming to last him the rest of…whatever. He and Fred would hang out at Auntie’s place and play cards or something. They both cheated, so it would be an equal contest.

  “I’ll call Sam right now,” said Clancy. “Maybe he has room on Polupolu tomorrow.” It turned out that Sam had a party going out first thing in the morning and had room for two more.

  “We need to be on the boat by six a.m.,” Clancy reported. “Sam provides the equipment.”

  After a bit, Sierra went in to see Auntie Keikilani in the living room. “What can I do for you?” asked Auntie, switching off the music.

  Sierra looked at the other woman’s lined face and kind eyes. “We’re all so grateful for the help, and you have been very generous to a bunch of strangers invading your private space.”

  Keikilani waved this away. “It’s been fascinating for me. I have known of these things my entire life—and experienced much that can’t be explained by science—but I’ve never encountered anything like this before.” She stood up and hugged Sierra warmly. “I’m glad you’re alive and well, my dear.” Then she cocked her head toward the kitchen. “Fred! You had your dinner already. You stay out of my pantry!”

  There was a scrambling sound, and then Fred appeared in the doorway. “Sorry, Auntie,” he said, waving one thin arm. “Goodnight!” He wandered off to his laundry basket, but not before Sierra had extracted a candy bar from behind his back and returned it to the pantry.

  Sierra thanked Auntie for the delicious meal and walked back outside to say goodnight to the others. It was now full dusk, and immense black moths were flying about, indistinguishable from bats. Clancy bent to kiss her. “I’m exhausted,” he said to her. “Let’s go back to Jack’s place.”

  Sierra looked at Chaco, a dark figure drooping in one of Auntie’s white plastic lawn chairs. “I’ll be along in a minute,” she said. “I want to talk to Chaco.”

  “Okay. Don’t be too long,” Clancy said, kissing her again. He walked away in the direction of Jack’s house.

  The yellow light from the windows limned Chaco’s handsome face with its high cheekbones and long planes. His shoulders slumped and his wide, sensual mouth drew down, as though he were in a small field of increased gravity that affected only him. Sierra put a hand on his shoulder.

  “You know you can fly home tomorrow, if that’s what you want,” she said. Chaco shrugged, and she could feel the lean muscles tense and roll beneath her hand.

  “It might not do any good,” he said dully. “I don’t know that getting home will help me.”

  “Well, wouldn’t it be better to find out than to mope around here all depressed?”

  That seemed to sting. “I’m not moping. I’m mortal. There’s a difference.”

  “You don’t see any of us other mortals getting all depressed about it, do you? If I were in your situation, I’d want to get home as fast as possible to try to get my powers back. My mana, as they say in Hawai‘ian.”

  “You have your powers,” said Chaco bitterly. “After meeting Kanaloa, you have even more mana than you did before. You aren’t tied to the land the way I am.”

  Sierra thought for a moment. “Yes, I guess you’re right. But I still don’t control those powers. Only in emergencies, it seems, and even then I don’t actually know what I’m doing. It’s scary.”

  “But you have them.”

  “Maybe you’ll get your powers back, along with your immortality. Why not find out?”

  Chaco remained in his seat, his face twisted, hands working against each other, mouth turned even further down. His hazel, no-longer-golden eyes turned up to hers, then closed, and a tear escaped under his long lashes and trickled down his cheek. He put his hands to his face, shoulders shaking. Sierra had never seen her usually cheerful friend so distressed.

  “Chaco! What…?”

  Chaco sobbed, then managed to gasp, “I’m afraid. I’m afraid to go home. It might not work! Then I won’t have any hope at all. I’ll be stranded here, in this time, in this age, a mortal. I will die. I’m afraid to die! I’m afraid to do anything now because I might die.”

  Sierra pulled him out of his chair and put her arms around him. She let him sob against her shoulder for a while. When his sobs subsided, she said gently, “You know, we’re all afraid to die. Humans are, anyway, because we all know there’s only one way out of here. It’s just part of being mortal.”

  “How can you stand it?” he muttered.

  “I think it’s just something you get used to,” she said. “When you’re a kid and you realize for the first time that you, yourself, will die someday—it’s kind of a shock. But you get used to the idea, and to be honest, most of us try not to think about it. You haven’t had time to get accustomed to it. It’s a new idea, and not a pleasant one. Give yourself some time. Or better yet—go home and see if you get your mana back.”

  “I’m not going back yet. I need to be here.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Chaco said, shrugging. “It’s just something I know. I’ll go back with you after this is all over.”

  “After what is all over?” she asked. “A few days of swimming and sunning and drinking tropical drinks? They must serve tropical drinks somewhere on Moloka‘i.”

  “I don’t know yet,” was all Chaco had to say, and Sierra didn’t think he was referring to tropical drinks.

  Chapter 15

  The next morning, Clancy and Sierra brought the two borrowed wetsuits to return to Polupolu. Clancy drove to the Kaunakakai Wharf, driving all the way to the end where there was parking. Polupolu rocked at her moorings under the bright lights of the wharf in the pre-dawn quiet. Sam greeted them cheerfully, handed them aboard, and gave Sierra a cup of coffee without asking.

  “Nice weather
today,” he said. “Should have good visibility.”

  There were a few others aboard the boat already—a couple of older women who looked fit despite their white hair, and a young man and woman who had the look of honeymooners, gazing soulfully into each other’s eyes, oblivious to everyone else. There was also a man on his own who seemed to have his own equipment, which he had stowed in a duffel bag by his side. He was good-looking in a lean and hungry way, Sierra thought, with silvering dark hair cut short, a rather long-nosed face, and sharp blue eyes. He greeted the newcomers with a restrained smile and nod.

  As Polupolu chugged away from the wharf, heading north, the scenery was as unfamiliar to Sierra as it was all-too-familiar to Clancy. He showed her where the ancient fishponds lay, like rocky nets cast from the shore. Sierra took it all in avidly, enjoying the fresh breeze and the colors of dawn as the sun rose. Spinner dolphins played around the boat for a while, and she saw several large sea turtles swimming near the surface.

  Sam stopped the boat and anchored after a half an hour. He gave his passengers a brief lecture about do’s and don’t’s and said they would be here for about an hour. Then he and Mike helped the passengers find and don wetsuits and clean their masks to prepare them for snorkeling. The one single man brought his own equipment and donned it with a practiced air. He was first off the boat, falling backward into the water from a platform lowered from the boat’s stern. He immediately began swimming toward the shore, which was a bit less than a mile away, going slowly and pausing from time to time, head down to watch whatever was beneath the surface. Sierra and Clancy followed.

  The water was delicious, only briefly cool as Sierra fell backward and away from the boat. She and Clancy moved along together. Sierra saw schools of yellow and white fish floating lazily through the coral beneath her, then several large, rainbow-colored fish snacking on the corals. She recognized these as parrotfish from her sojourn with Kama. Then there were so many fish, of so many brilliant hues that the sight overwhelmed her. She wanted to know what they were all called. From time to time, Clancy would tap her shoulder and point to something unusual.