by Alex Archer
“I think you’re right.”
Annja took a deep breath and felt her legs go wobbly. “Whoa.”
Hans caught her arm. “Easy, Annja. We need to get you inside. You can’t stay out here in this blazing sunlight. It isn’t good for your condition.”
He guided her up the ramp toward the main path and then steered her into the doctor’s office.
A dark-skinned Filipino rushed over as soon as he heard them enter. “What happened?”
Annja winced as her head throbbed. “Hit my head on a part of the boat.”
Hans took over and told the doctor what had happened. The man introduced himself as Dr. Tiko. He grabbed a pen-light and peered into Annja’s eyes for a few seconds. Annja winced as the light pierced her brain. “Damn.”
Dr. Tiko stepped back. “A mild concussion, I think. Not too serious, although right now she probably doesn’t feel all that well,” he said to Hans. He glanced at Annja. “Do you, Miss Creed?”
“No, I don’t feel very well at all.”
Dr. Tiko gestured for Hans to help him and they got Annja up onto one of the beds in the facility. Dr. Tiko covered her with the sheet and then checked Annja’s blood pressure and pulse. “You need to rest. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on you.”
“I don’t want to rest,” Annja said. “I just need a few minutes to get myself back together.”
But Hans put a firm hand on her shoulder and kept her from getting up. “Annja, I will have to insist that you stay here and let Dr. Tiko take care of you.”
“Last I checked, we’re not on your boat anymore.”
“No, we’re not.”
“Then I don’t have to do what you say,” Annja said.
Hans shrugged. “That’s true. I would prefer it if you stayed here, though. After all, it would be a shame to see any lasting harm come to you.”
Annja sighed. “Well, okay, since you put it like that.”
Hans looked at Dr. Tiko. “You’ll stay here with her?”
“As long as it takes to make sure she’s okay.”
“All right, then.” Hans looked at Annja. “I’ll come back later to check on you, if that’s acceptable to you.”
“It’s acceptable.”
Hans smiled. “Good.”
“You’re going back out there, aren’t you?”
Hans nodded. “We didn’t get a chance to complete our dive when we ran into you.”
“Thank you for bringing me back here and not listening to me being stubborn.”
Hans smiled again. “My pleasure. Now rest, Annja. I will see you later. And then we can talk further.”
Annja watched him go and, in another minute, she felt the blackness swallow her up whole.
4
Annja awoke several hours later, feeling only a dull throb where once her head had thundered. Dr. Tiko sat quietly at his desk, typing onto a computer and only noticed Annja was awake when she moved and the sheet fell away.
Annja was still in her bathing suit and felt dry, sun baked and in desperate need of a shower. Dr. Tiko came over with a glass of water.
“How are you feeling?”
“Much better.”
He eyed her. “Really?”
Annja smiled. “Why is it that no one seems to believe what I tell them around here?”
Dr. Tiko shrugged. “I don’t know, Miss Creed. It could be because you made a rather silly mistake earlier that could have easily killed you.”
Annja held up her hand. “All right, I admitted my mistake. I don’t need to be treated like a teenager.” She took a sip of the water Dr. Tiko offered and marveled at how much easier it went down now.
“That’s good stuff.”
Dr. Tiko nodded. “Well, I’m pleased to see you’re feeling better. I’ve watched you while you were asleep and took your vitals at varying points throughout. I suspect you’ll have a bit of a headache for a while, but nothing too serious.”
“So I can go?”
He smiled. “I suspect you’d like to get changed. Maybe have a bite to eat?”
Annja hadn’t thought about food, but Dr. Tiko’s suggestion made her stomach rumble and she nodded with a grin. “Now that you mention it, I’m famished.”
Dr. Tiko stepped back. “All right, I can discharge you. But if your headache worsens, I want you to promise that you’ll come right back here and see me. If I’m not here, just call the main desk and they’ll page me. I live here at the resort, so it’s no trouble whatsoever.”
“Thank you.”
Annja stepped down, momentarily concerned that she might still feel wobbly, but her legs felt much stronger now. She stepped out of the doctor’s office and saw that evening had settled in. Out on the sea, the sun was already gone, leaving behind only a blaze of reds and pinks as sunset turned into an inky darkness.
Annja walked the smooth paved path back to her cabana and stepped inside. She’d left the window open and a strong breeze blew in, chilling her.
First order of business, she thought, a hot shower.
It felt wonderful ditching the bathing suit and even better feeling the water sweep away the dried salt crystals that had clung to her skin. She’d gotten a bit of sun, but nothing like a burn, which would have made the day all the more painful.
As she conditioned her hair, she took a moment to luxuriate in the scent of the lavender and rose petals, feeling a renewed sense of hunger.
At last, she stepped out of the shower, wrapped herself in a towel and walked out of the bathroom.
Under her door, someone had slipped a piece of paper. Annja squatted down, not trusting her head to suddenly bend over. She picked it up.
“Please join us for dinner. Hans.”
Annja smiled. There was only one place to get a meal at Club Noah and that was at the main administration building at the curve of the U that laid out the resort. The building, while not large, housed offices and various amenities. As well, it led to the large pavilion where the meals were served for resort guests. A massive thatched roof kept the pavilion sheltered, but it was open on three sides, inviting the ocean breezes to give diners the feeling of being almost one with nature.
She stepped into a white tropical gauzy cotton dress after applying just a hint of makeup. Annja never went overboard, but she figured a little bit tonight couldn’t hurt. She wanted everyone to realize she was fine and healthy. And there was the fact that Hans was rather a handsome man. No sense showing up looking like she’d just suffered a concussion.
Ten minutes later, she stepped out of her cabana and locked the door, sliding the key into her clutch. She walked down the path toward the pavilion. Night at Club Noah was as magical a time as any. The torches lighting the pathway cast long flickering shadows and the sea breezes kept the mosquitoes at bay.
She passed a set of stairs carved into the side of the mountain that towered over the resort. At the top, on one side was a tribute to the Virgin Mary and on the other was an open-air bar where resort guests could grab a late-night cocktail. Unfortunately, as Annja had discovered, the mosquitoes loved to hang out there and the resort staff didn’t seem to have any idea how to keep them away.
Annja passed several resort workers who said hello to her and asked how she was feeling. Club Noah was small enough that every staff member knew who was staying at the resort at any given time. Annja loved the personalized sense of care that she found here. A friend of hers had recommended this place and she could see why he had.
As she approached the pavilion, Annja could hear the sounds of diners and the clink of glasses and silverware. She stepped into the pavilion and looked around.
“Annja.”
She turned and found herself looking at Hans, who had swapped his diving gear for a lightweight shirt and linen pants. He wore sandals and looked like he’d only recently shaved. She could smell the brace of aftershave on him and found she quite liked it.
“Hi.”
“You’re feeling better?”
Annja touched the sid
e of her head. “A little bit of a headache, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
Hans smiled. “I’d say there appears to be very little that you cannot handle. I’m quite impressed with you.”
“Thank you.” Annja glanced around and saw the buffet table laid out with a suckling pig the Filipinos called lechón. On other platters were a wide array of fresh seafood, noodles, fresh carved beef and chicken and much more.
Hans noticed her staring and smiled. “I take it your appetite has returned?”
“In spades,” Annja said.
“Allow me to help you,” Hans said. He escorted her to the buffet table and handed her a plate, then got one for himself. “Are you familiar with the lechón?”
Annja nodded. “I’ve had it once before.”
Hans grinned. “Then you may as well have never had it before. They do an amazing pig roast here. Look at the way the skin simply falls away from the moist meat. It’s incredible.”
Annja pointed. “You’d better put that on my plate, then, or I may dive in right here.”
He laughed and heaped a serving on her plate before helping himself to some.
When they’d finished at the buffet table, Hans nodded toward a longer table where four men sat around it eating. “Please join us.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”
“And who else would you eat with?”
She smiled. “Well, I haven’t really met anyone else here yet.”
“Exactly. So it’s settled, then.”
Annja smiled, but found herself warming up to Hans despite his somewhat overbearing attitude. She guessed he might be somewhat protective of her since he’d rescued her earlier. May as well go along with it for now, she reasoned. If it got to be too much later, she could educate him on how she could take care of herself.
Hans led her to the table and Annja noticed there were two unoccupied chairs. Hans put his plate down by one and then held Annja’s chair out so she could sit down.
She glanced at him as she did so. “You are aware that chivalry is an endangered species, right?”
“Endangered, perhaps, but not yet extinct.”
Annja looked across the table and saw the faces of the other men who had been on the boat earlier. “Nice to see you all again.”
They smiled and asked if she was feeling better. But one man, older than anyone else, remained silent until at last Hans cleared his throat.
“Annja, I would very much like to introduce you to the head of our little group here, Joachim Spier.”
Annja leveled her gaze on the older man, who regarded her with warm blue eyes and a thin smile. “Herr Spier.”
He stood and held out his hand. Annja shook it and found it was surprisingly strong. “It is my sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance, Annja Creed. When Hans told me about you earlier, I could scarcely believe our luck.”
Annja glanced at Hans. “Luck?”
Spier smiled broadly as he sat down. “Imagine, the great Annja Creed—famed archaeologist and pursuer of history’s monsters. What would the chances be of us both being at this glorious resort at the same time?”
Annja smiled. “Apparently better than either of us would have dared to think.”
“Indeed,” Spier said, nodding. “Indeed.” He leaned back. “But please, do not let me interrupt you. Hans has told me of your tremendous ordeals of earlier today and you must certainly be hungry. When you have dined some, then perhaps we can all discuss…things.”
Annja didn’t need any more coaxing and took advantage of Spier’s pause to enjoy the food before her. As Hans had suggested, the lechón was even more delicious than she remembered it being. The crispy pigskin concealed a delightfully moist meat underneath, buffered by an almost gelatinous thin layer of fat that made each mouthful even better than the last.
She helped herself to a lot of water and then grudgingly accepted a small glass of white wine when Hans offered. “Not too much, I don’t want to have to pay another visit to Dr. Tiko tonight.”
That brought a round of laughter from the table and Annja found herself enjoying the company of the German men more and more. They all talked animatedly in heavily accented English about diving in the area. Annja appreciated the fact that they refrained from switching back to German—mostly, she assumed, for her benefit.
Finally, she set her silverware down and lifted her glass of wine to her lips. The cold liquid tasted incredible and she leaned forward. “Thank you for giving me some time, Herr Spier. I was pretty hungry.”
Spier nodded. “I can see that. It’s a good sign given your earlier state, I should think. Nothing like a hearty appetite to set one on the road back to full strength.” He lifted his glass and nodded in Annja’s direction. “To your health.”
“Cheers.”
The men all laughed and toasted one another and then drank again. When Annja set her glass back down, she felt Hans eyeing her. She turned and smiled at him.
Spier spoke up. “Perhaps now that we have all dined, we might speak of other things than just the wonderful nature of the meals they serve here, eh?”
“Absolutely,” Annja said.
“What brings you to Club Noah?” Spier asked.
Annja shrugged. “A much-needed rest. I’m burned out. I’ve been crisscrossing the world for years and haven’t taken nearly enough time for myself lately. My workload in New York was getting to be too much, so I decided on a whim to simply drop everything and come here.”
Spier nodded. “You are a woman of action.”
“Some have said that, yes.”
“Excellent. I respect that immensely. And if it were only based on your reputation and from what I have observed watching that television show that you are on, I would have surmised much the same.”
“Thank you.”
Spier waved his hand. “It is not worthless praise, by any means. And there is never shame in being proud of your accomplishments, of which you have a great many.”
“Well, I’m pleased you think so.”
“I know so,” Spier said. “You’ve done much for the world of archaeology and history. You ought to be commended for the service you’ve given to mankind.”
“I’m hardly worthy of that,” Annja said. Too much praise made her uncomfortable.
Spier noted her discomfort and smiled. “Suffice it to say that we are extremely happy to have you in our presence here, Annja. Very happy indeed.”
“And what brings you all to the Philippines?” Annja asked. “Just a vacation, perhaps?”
Spier lowered his voice and shook his head. “We have come here for a much more grand purpose than mere relaxation.”
“Really?”
He drew closer to Annja. She could see the depth of his eyes and found herself almost hypnotized by them as he drew her into his conspiratorial attitude. “We seek a treasure rumored to be in this very area.”
Annja perked up. “Treasure?”
“They call it the Pearl of Palawan.”
5
A balmy ocean breeze blew across the pavilion as Spier regarded Annja. “Have you ever heard of the Pearl of Palawan?”
Annja shook her head, listening to the crashing waves on the beach. “I have not. But to be honest with you, I’m not very interested in treasure. From what I’ve experienced, things of such value have a way of destroying people.”
Spier smiled. “But imagine what good this could do if it were recovered. We could educate people about the origins of it.”
Annja frowned. “And just what are its origins?”
Spier ordered himself a glass of peppermint schnapps and waited until it arrived. He sipped it once and then leaned back in his chair. Clearly, Annja thought, he was a captivating storyteller used to commanding attention.
“Years and years ago,” Spier began, “the Pearl of Palawan—a solid black pearl of such opulence and size that it made men weep in desire to possess it—first appeared in the annals of Filipino history.”
&nbs
p; “I’m not as familiar with this country’s history as perhaps I should be,” Annja said. “But I know some.”
“So you know of the Moros.”
Annja winced, remembering her last trip to the Philippines. “I know a little bit about them.”
“They were the first to document the pearl. But legend has it that it has existed for even longer than the period of greatness of the Moros empire. According to several documents I have unearthed, the pearl dates back many thousands of years, back to a time when fact and fiction were often entwined with each other.”
“And what do the legends say?” Annja asked.
“They say that those who possess the pearl have at their disposal an object that can grant the owner incredible vitality and power.”
“Is that so?”
“Indeed.”
Annja leaned forward as Spier helped himself to more schnapps. “Pardon me for saying so, Herr Spier, but you seem to already possess a great deal of vitality. And I’m fairly adept at knowing when I’m in the presence of a powerful person. You fit that bill easily.”
Spier smiled. “Thank you, my dear. I appreciate the sentiment, but I assure you the pearl’s powers would dwarf my own.”
Annja leaned back. “Do you know where the pearl is supposed to come from?”
Spier chuckled. “I must confess I’m a bit reluctant to tell you. I sense that you view the legend of the pearl with a bit more skepticism than I expected.”
“Forgive me if I am being rude,” Annja said. “It’s just that over the years I’ve found a lot of supposedly powerful legends have turned out to be nothing but fantasy, usually perpetrated by someone seeking to manipulate events for their own well-being.”
Spier said nothing for a moment but then looked at her. “But tell me something. You’ve probably found that just as many things live up to their legends…don’t they?”
Annja smiled. “Well, you’ve got me there. I have indeed.”
Spier nodded. “And that’s why you should keep an open mind about this, as well.”
“Tell me more.”
“I have heard,” Spier said, “that the pearl was reportedly created by an ancient civilization long since lost to the earth. These people inhabited a wide swath of land in the Pacific that was subsequently destroyed by volcanoes and earthquakes. They brought the pearl into being for the express purpose of using its power to rule their kingdom.”