“If your God allows me to live,” Toki said in a harsh whisper, “I promise I will no longer kill Christians.”
Calvert and Toki stared at one another.
“Do you repent?” Calvert asked.
“I repent,” Toki said. He looked at the Fijian men. “Forgive me for all I have done to your village and your people. Please … forgive me.”
Then Toki closed his eyes again
16
Good-byes
Nettleton pressed the healing leaves against Toki’s wound. “This will help his pain,” Nettleton said. “He be needin’ to board the ship. His wound needs stichin’ up.”
The soldiers lifted Toki and carried him to a ramp. It lead from the shore to the boat. A sailor must have put it there when the boat landed, she thought.
Nettleton came to Patrick and Beth. “I can’t stay,” he said. “I must return to the ship. Ye will have to fend for yerselves for now.”
“That’s a funny thing to tell a prisoner,” Patrick said.
Nettleton smiled. “Not a prisoner,” he said. He reached out his hand. “A friend ye be to me.”
Patrick shook his hand.
“This be yers,” Nettleton said. He held the knife out to Patrick. “It be much appreciated.”
Patrick pushed his hand away. “The knife is yours to keep,” he said. “You’ll need it when you are promoted to ship’s surgeon.”
“Thank ye kindly,” Nettleton said. He then gave a slight salute to Beth. “All the best to ye, miss.”
Nettleton limped off to the boat ramp.
Calvert had been talking to the group of Fijians. He now walked over to Patrick and Beth. The three of them watched people board the rescue boat.
“Will Captain Home allow Toki on the ship?” Beth asked Calvert. “He said he’d never allow a cannibal on board.”
“I believe Toki is no longer a cannibal,” Calvert said. “Captain Home would not refuse to help him now.”
Dunn called to the missionary, “Mr. Calvert, you should return with us. You’ll have to explain everything to the captain.”
Calvert held up his hand. “I think you’re right,” he said. He turned to Beth and Patrick. “The Christian Fijians will watch over you until I return to help bring peace.”
Before Beth could say anything, she heard a familiar humming sound. She looked toward the forest. At the edge sat the Imagination Station.
She nudged Patrick. He had seen it too.
“We’re in good hands,” Beth said. She gave Calvert a hug. “Thank you for everything.”
Calvert gave her a fond look. It was a final good-bye, and he seemed to know it. He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.
“You’ll do great things if you let our great God work through you,” Calvert said. “Never be afraid to go where He leads.”
“Yes, sir,” she said.
Calvert shook Patrick’s hand. “Take care of her,” he said. He turned and hurried to the boat ramp.
The Fijians had wandered to the burned huts. Beth thought they were looking for valuables that escaped the fire.
Now that the cousins had privacy, Beth smiled at Patrick. “I leave you alone and you nearly get eaten by a shark … and a cannibal,” she said.
A smile crossed his lips. “It’s a good thing you came to rescue me,” he said.
“Don’t you forget it,” she said. She suddenly hugged him.
Patrick blushed and endured the hug for a few seconds. Then he stepped away.
Patrick glanced at the Imagination Station. He said, “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Beth nodded.
They climbed into the Imagination Station. The door slid closed.
Patrick pushed the red button.
17
The Workshop
The door to the Imagination Station slid open. Beth climbed out of the machine first. Patrick followed.
Whit was sitting at his workbench. “So you decided to have an Imagination Station adventure,” he said, arms folded.
“Yes!” Patrick said. His voice was full of excitement. “We got to meet a man with a peg leg and a cannibal and—”
Beth nudged Patrick hard. “I don’t think that’s what he meant,” she said.
Patrick looked unsure. Then he seemed to remember. “Oh. Uh. That’s right,” he said. “We should have asked permission first. I’m sorry.”
Whit stood and walked to the Imagination Station. He tipped his head and seemed to relax. “Just so it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “I’d hate to have to put a lock on the machine.” He patted the side of the Imagination Station.
“It won’t happen again,” Patrick said.
“I’m sorry, too,” Beth added.
Whit gave them a reassuring smile. “So you met the missionary James Calvert,” he said. “What did you think of him?”
“He was amazing,” Beth said. “I’ve never known anyone like him—except maybe you.”
Whit chuckled. He said, “Not many people cared about telling the cannibal tribes about Jesus. But Calvert and other missionaries gave their lives to do it. There were tens of thousands of Fijian Christians when Calvert left Fiji. And the cannibalism had stopped.”
“That’s what was so great,” Beth said. “Toki had done a lot of evil things. But Mr. Calvert kept reaching out to him.”
“That’s what Jesus calls us to do,” Whit said. “We’re supposed to pray for our enemies and give freely to others. Even people we don’t like.”
Patrick hung his head. He said, “Oh. I get it now.”
“Get what?” Whit asked.
“I was in a really bad mood when I came to Whit’s End,” Patrick said. “I was feeling sorry for myself. I didn’t want to give up my soccer game for grandma’s party. I was even mean to Beth. But she didn’t hold a grudge. She came to save me on the island.”
“That sounds like a good summary,” Whit said gently.
Patrick gave Beth an embarrassed look. “I’m sorry,” he said.
Whit said, “I’m proud of both of you.”
The cousins looked at him, surprised.
“You both acted bravely even though you didn’t have to,” Whit said.
Beth smiled. Patrick looked down and shuffled his feet.
Whit rubbed his hands together after a few seconds of silence. “I believe the line of customers is gone upstairs. How about some ice cream?” he asked.
“I’d love some,” Beth said.
“Me, too,” Patrick said.
“Good,” Whit said. He turned and walked up the stairs to the main floor.
Patrick and Beth stayed in the workshop.
“Beth,” he said, “I would enjoy it a lot more if you went to Grandma’s party with me.”
“Of course I’ll go,” Beth said. “Last time we were apart, you got into trouble.”
The two of them laughed together. Then they went up the stairs for ice cream.
Secret Word Puzzle
Fill in the eight clues. Then you’ll know the secret word and the name of Captain Home’s ship.
1 The cannibals ride in these wood boats:
(page 14)
2 Patrick is scared of this sea creature:
(page 64)
3 The missionary’s last name:
(page 26)
4 White canvas hanging on a ship’s mast:
(page 9)
5 The name of the cannibals’ islands:
(page 45)
6 Another name for a South Pacific storm:
(page 47)
7 Beth used this to look at the island:
(page 14)
8 Things that can open a lock:
(page 39)
Each answer has a letter in a box. Write those letters, in order, in the boxes below. The answer is the secret word:
Go to TheImaginationStation.com Find the cover of this book. Click on “Secret Word.” Type in the correct answer, and you’ll receive a prize.
Questions about
&n
bsp; Battle for Cannibal Island
Q: Did the Fijian cannibals really eat people?
A: Sadly, yes. Cannibals killed their enemies and others for religious sacrifice. The missionaries helped stop this terrible practice by teaching the Fijians Bible lessons.
Q: Did James Calvert have a family?
A: Yes, a big one! He married a woman named Mary, and they had several children. When each child turned about eight years old, he or she was sent to England to go to school.
For more info on James Calvert and Fiji, visit TheImaginationStation.com.
AUTHOR WAYNE THOMAS BATSON divides his time between family, teaching, and writing. He also likes to read, golf, play video games, travel to the beach, play electric guitar, and create 3D artwork.
AUTHOR MARIANNE HERING is the former editor of Focus on the Family Clubhouse® magazine. She has written more than a dozen children’s books. She likes to read out loud in bed to her fluffy gray-and-white cat, Koshka.
ILLUSTRATOR DAVID HOHN draws and paints books, posters, and projects of all kinds. He works from his studio in Portland, Oregon.
Battle for Cannibal Island Page 5