“I will, Mr. O’Conner,” he replied uncertainly, at a loss for words. “And thanks for lettin’ me have the time off,” he added, smiling as broadly as he could. On impulse, he suddenly reached up and clutched the dangling crystal. It felt so hot he nearly pulled his hand back. But then the sensation vanished and he decided he’d imagined it. “For luck,” he grinned at Mr. O’Conner, and winked, at last eliciting a tiny smile from the old man before leaping from the truck to the street. He waved to Mr. O’Conner before taking the front steps two at a time.
The white-haired ice cream seller watched his young assistant disappear into the house before pulling old Shannon away from the curb. He wished he could know the future, because he was worried. This trip could very well be the turning point he’d been anticipating. But which direction would things turn - for better or for worse? He could only hope.
PART TWO
DRAGONFEATS
CHAPTER 9
“Adventure in Paradise”
Marge’s brother, Uncle Joshua, a big, blustery man with a voice like a foghorn, drove the Murphys to the airport early the following morning (they had a 9 AM flight). Whilly had already departed, assuring a nervous Bradley Wallace that the plane would pass him up en route and he could follow it easily from there. The boy still had misgivings, and made the dragon promise not to go exploring the island until after they were reunited. Whilly agreed.
The weather was beautiful, sunny and warm under a cloudless sky. The perfection of nature coupled with the thrill of take-off lifted Bradley Wallace’s dipping spirits somewhat. He did wish he could be flying over on Whilly’s back, but somehow didn’t think he could explain to his parents how he managed to get there. As the plane rose high above the city, Bradley Wallace could sense the dragon’s presence, almost like the distant echo in a vast canyon. But even with the great distance between them, Whilly still gave him a warm feeling of security, and the boy pushed back his seat and tried to relax.
Unfortunately, he had been forced to sit beside Katie, and that happenstance didn’t excite him. At the moment, she was reading, and he decided to do the same. He dipped carefully into his Pan Am flight bag (making certain to keep the logo hidden, since they were flying United this time) and pulled out the latest (#19) “Dark Shadows” book, Barnabas, Quentin, and the Crystal Coffin. He glanced out the window at the sea of sun-drenched clouds below, opened the book, and began reading.
He awoke with a start, the book laying closed in his lap, a strange, troubled sensation tickling his mind.
He must have been dreaming, he realized, because it’d seemed like Whilly was right outside his plane window. Glancing out the small, dirty oval of glass, the boy sucked in a sharp, fearful breath. The dragon was there! The fool hovered playfully alongside the plane, sending silent, cheerful greetings to the petrified child. Was he crazy or what, the boy thought, frantically gesturing and mouthing the words “Go away” repeatedly.
Just wanted you to know I was all right, Whilly sent back before floating up out of sight.
Bradley Wallace heaved a sigh of relief and dropped back against his seat. He reached down for the book, which had slid to the floor when he saw Whilly, and suddenly froze. Turning his head slowly to his left, he discovered several passengers, including his parents across the aisle and Katie beside him, staring at him in a most peculiar fashion. He flushed immediately, acute embarrassment choking off even any possible lie he might have concocted to explain his unusual behavior. Ears flaming red, he smiled lamely and turned his attentions quickly to the pages of his book. But secretly, he was simmering at Whilly for humiliating him this way.
As the plane passed over Diamond Head on its “final descent into Honolulu International Airport” (as the Captain kept repeating), Bradley Wallace searched his mind for the dragon’s presence in the crater below. Whilly was so slaphappy these days the boy wouldn’t have been surprised to find him conducting a tour group or something. Sensing nothing in particular, Bradley Wallace obediently joined the other passengers in putting their “tray tables and seats to their full upright positions” and sat back to enjoy the landing.
The ride from the airport to the hotel via taxi was by now routine for the Murphys. Bradley Wallace’s favorite part was passing the old Dole Pineapple factory.
You could always smell the place before you could see it - a sickly sweet, molasses-like aroma which, at close quarters, was quite nauseating. But he loved its giant metal pineapple sitting placidly atop a huge tower. That pineapple was a visible landmark for miles around. It also marked the halfway point between the airport and the hotel.
The Halekulani was one of the three oldest hotels on Waikiki. The other two were the Royal Hawaiian next door, and the Moana down the street. The Halekulani consisted of numerous two-story cottages spread out over lushly gardened grounds accessed by twisting concrete pathways, along which golf carts driven by employees in brightly flowered aloha shirts often sped intent upon various and sundry hotel errands.
The paddle tennis court occupied the center of the hotel grounds, and several winding walkways led from there to the Snack Bar and the beach. The landmark cocktail area, called The House Without a Key (Bradley Wallace used to wonder how they locked it at night, until he found out the name wasn’t to be taken literally), overlooked the azure blue ocean and its terrace, overshadowed by the huge, twisted branches of the aged kiawe tree, provided a magnificent view of Diamond Head, which looked especially impressive at sunset.
As the taxi pulled up the circular driveway to the two-story, Polynesian style main building with its inviting, open-air lobby and twin palm trees standing guard on either side, Bradley Wallace spotted a small cluster of “regulars” armed with leis and big smiles, waving excitedly at the Murphy’s as the cab braked to a stop. Stepping from the car, the family was met with a shower of kisses and Aloha’s and the annual happy reunion commenced.
The Grogans were there, a retired couple and two of the nicest people Bradley Wallace had ever met (he often discussed books with Mrs. Grogan, also an avid reader).
Then there were the Murray’s, he a big hulk of a man with a booming, hearty laugh, and she a slight, rail-like woman, but both wild and crazy and prone to a few too many raymus fizzes at the House Without; Mrs. Clovar and her daughter, Lisa, a girl Bradley Wallace’s age who every year Mrs. Clovar forced to hang out with the boy(“Aren’t they cute together?” seemed to be her favorite expression).
Bradley Wallace actually didn’t dislike Lisa, but she seldom seemed to have much to say to him, and always acted as though she would have preferred to be elsewhere than in his company. This year he noticed for the first time that she actually seemed sort of pretty. She’d also gotten bigger in a couple of places. He averted his eyes quickly before anyone could notice him staring, and was suddenly gripped hard around the shoulder.
He turned to face a grinning Willie, the white-haired, dark-complexioned head porter, whose toothy grin of pleasure was genuine - he’d always liked the boy, and vice versa. But this year, the older man’s name seemed suddenly so much more significant.
The greetings completed, at least among these people, it was time to get the bags into their room, which was located a mere stone’s throw from the main building.
The interior of the Murphy’s room was delightfully cool thanks to a powerful air conditioner, a marked contrast to the 95 degrees outside. The windows were also shuttered to keep out the heat. The furnishings were white rattan with flowered cushions, the plush blue carpet was soft and spongy, and the entire room, while old, was clean and fresh. Marge was pleased. As always, an enormous basket of fresh fruit adorned the small, round table just to the side of the shuttered closets, compliments of the hotel, and the obviously diligent maid had scattered about several vases of antherium flowers.
Ordinarily, Bradley Wallace would have simply dropped his flight bag onto his bed and made a beeline for the beach, where he would greet Wendell, the burly, dark-skinned Hawaiian in charge of surfing, beach
equipment, lifeguarding, etc. Wendell always wore mirrored sunglasses and had a peculiar tendency to giggle when amused, and Bradley Wallace liked this big man immensely, often volunteering to help distribute mats and towels. He also enjoyed greeting the many familiar cocktail waitresses at the House Without, who always fawned over how much he’d grown since last year, and gave him free chunks of pineapple, which he loved. The Halekulani employees were terrific people, and Bradley Wallace loved them like family.
Today, however, the boy rushed through these usually enjoyable reunions with a mere perfunctorance, his mind too occupied with thoughts of Whilly’s safety. He needed to find a reasonably secluded spot where he could concentrate on communicating with the dragon undisturbed.
A short distance from Wendell’s station (which consisted of a small, enclosed stand made of wood) was a shaded, vine covered area with a few chairs overlooking the amazingly blue sea that provided a perfect, unblemished view of Diamond Head. It also happened to be empty when Bradley Wallace passed by, so he quickly ducked into its shadows and gazed out anxiously at the distant mountain. It appeared to be slumbering peacefully under the blue sky, lazily scattered clouds casting long, curious shadows across the face of the dormant volcano.
He glanced over his shoulder to make certain he was alone, then turned back to face the water and pressed his eyes tightly closed. He concentrated. Whilly? Where are you? At first he felt nothing. No answering thought, not even a tingle indicating the dragon’s presence. He began to panic. But then the dragon’s familiar “voice” popped into his head with a suddenness that caused him to jump.
How was your flight, Bradley Wallace? Whilly asked casually.
The startled boy expelled the breath he’d quickly sucked in. “Thank God you’re all right. Where are you?” he whispered, glancing warily from side to side lest anyone spot him talking to himself.
I’m circling directly over your head, came the dragon’s reply, and Bradley Wallace automatically looked up around the canvas and vine overhang to the blue sky above.
Don’t worry, Whilly assured him, I’m invisible.
The boy nodded. “We can’t talk here,” he whispered. “It’s too busy.”
You can talk to me without speaking out loud, Bradley Wallace, the dragon reminded him. Just think what you want to say and I’ll hear it.
That method would, of course, make things a lot easier, the boy concurred, but somehow he liked the sound of his voice as he spoke. It seemed more human, more comforting. And it seemed to provide tangible proof that we was actually talking to someone and not merely imagining it.
“I feel more comfortable talking out loud,” he whispered through his teeth, thinking with amusement that if anyone caught him, he could just say he was practicing to be a ventriloquist. “I’m gonna go swimming,” he quickly informed the dragon, for someone was approaching from behind. “We’ll get together tonight, after dinner.”
Whilly agreed, and Bradley Wallace turned just in time to greet two more “regulars,” the Falcinetta sisters, Evie and Lynda. They were both matronly, middle-aged spinsters who talked incessantly about nonessentials. They were perhaps the two most boring grownups Bradley Wallace had ever met. He delivered a buoyant “hello,” hoping they hadn’t spotted him talking to himself. He excused himself politely and hurried away, before they could really get their motor mouths in gear. He’d see too much of them this trip anyway, so why start now?
The ocean water was warm and pleasantly agreeable to the boy’s hot skin. As always, he stayed in long enough to get a nasty sunburn out of the deal, but that happened every year and he took it in stride. He even managed to squeeze in a quick game of paddle tennis with Katie that afternoon (he never wasted time having fun on vacations). Paddle tennis was probably the one thing he and his sister enjoyed together, but only if there was no one else to play with.
They ate dinner that night in the main dining room (located in the lobby building), and their table overlooked the beautiful, oriental-landscaped koi pond. The huge, multi-colored fish (which, to Bradley Wallace, just looked like goldfish that had eaten too much) swam lazily back and forth in the clear water, many hiding under the wooden bridge spanning the widest section. Actually, these fish had always fascinated Bradley Wallace, and he especially enjoyed hovering around the pond at feeding time, marveling at the enormous gaping mouths sucking in the proffered food along with mammoth gulps of water.
His mother had unpacked, and seemed to be more relaxed having gotten that heinous task out of the way, thus making their first dinner rather sedate and enjoyable. Still, Bradley Wallace couldn’t help fidgeting. He was anxious to be alone with Whilly. He’d even remembered to bring along Josette’s music box as a surprise, and hoped the dragon had not already plucked that secret from his not-to-disciplined mind. He was also anxious for another reason - just when he thought he’d considered every possible problem this trip would create, Bradley Wallace realized as Rudy, the waiter, delivered his Halekulani fruit salad, that Whilly still needed a food supply over here.
He strongly doubted there were any cows on this island, so what would the dragon eat? These worries spoiled his own appetite, and he didn’t even finish all the fresh fruit before him. As soon as decorum allowed, he excused himself from the table and skirted the interceding tables on his way toward the nearest exit.
He and Whilly had previously arranged to meet on the paddle
tennis court, which was unlit at night and proved the most open area for the dragon to land unobserved. Bradley Wallace had returned quickly to the room to change, and now stepped onto the cracked asphalt of the court wearing his shorts and a t-shirt (much more comfortable than the white slacks and button down shirt he’d had to wear for dinner). The night was clear and the air warm as he scanned the area around the aged tennis court for any sign of movement. All was still and quiet, and he was quite alone. He called the dragon.
After a scant few moments, Bradley Wallace felt Whilly’s presence overhead, and heard the flapping of invisible wings.
Then he heard in his mind, Climb aboard, Bradley Wallace, and realized the dragon had already landed. He groped blindly in the starlit darkness for the invisible neck, and quickly located it. Glancing around briefly to make certain the area was still empty, the boy clambered atop the dragon’s back in a swift, fluid motion and settled into his familiar niche. Almost at once they were airborne, soaring high above the lighted hotel cottages and then higher, gliding over the top of the massive, under-construction Sheraton Waikiki, a new towering hulk of concrete that would easily dominate the entire stretch of this world-famous beach once it was completed next year. The companions winged out over the shimmering water toward the darkened, barely visible outline of Diamond Head.
Flying on the back of an invisible dragon still felt downright bizarre. He seemed so weightless, being able to look straight down and see nothing beneath him. He thought this must be like how astronauts feel walking in space, and imagined himself soaring through the heavens under his own power, not having to ride anything. The thrill of flight seemed to increase for him each time he went up, and he reveled in every moment.
Whilly banked sharply and whipped lithely around the volcano’s tip, guiding them along its less populated side, then dipped up sharply and plunged over the ragged rim down into the enormous crater. The dragon quickly closed on a previously discovered area, a secluded, overhanging crag deep within the mountain’s maw that afforded more than sufficient cover. Whilly alighted carefully to the solid, lava-encrusted rock, and Bradley Wallace slipped off, gaping in wonder at the jagged edges of the rim so high above in the darkness. Whilly appeared beside him.
I think I’m staying invisible too much, the dragon complained, and Bradley Wallace could feel his discomfort - a throbbing headache, stronger than any he’d previously experienced. The boy studied his friend in the dim starlight filtering through the crags and projections surrounding them, and decided the long flight from California had not damaged the dragon physi
cally. But that invisibility problem would have to be dealt with. Somehow.
“Did you have any trouble getting over here?” he asked as he felt along the scaly body with carefully probing fingers.
No. After your airplane passed me, I used your mind as a beacon to follow.
Bradley Wallace remembered the near-disaster of Whilly appearing outside the plane window, and opened his mouth in reprimand. But Whilly already knew what he was going to say.
I know you’re angry about that, he interjected before the boy could even get a word out. I am sorry. I was so busy enjoying the flight that your plane caught up to me before I realized it.
Bradley Wallace scowled. That flimsy explanation sounded like one of his own devising. But then, their minds were one and the same, now, and it was obvious the dragon was adopting some curiously human attributes. However, Whilly sounded truly contrite, and the boy didn’t have the heart to chastise him. After all, this was vacation.
Then a frown clouded his youthful features, and he broached the subject that had been troubling him all evening - food. But Whilly assured him that would be no problem. He would simply go fishing.
“Fishing?” the boy answered uncertainly. “I didn’t know you liked to go in the water.”
There’s much we don’t know about me yet, Bradley Wallace, but I’m learning more every day. I’ve already been swimming, as you call it, today, and I like it a lot. Tonight, you and I shall go fishing.
The boy grimaced at the thought. But at least it wouldn’t be as bad as hunting cows. Fish didn’t bleed. Did they?
“Okay,” he reluctantly agreed, clambering back atop the dragon’s neck. “But just don’t get too carried away. Remember, I’m up here.”
A Boy and His Dragon Page 27