A Tender Embrace

by Rex Sumner

Ratu, and Hinatea mentally rehearsed what she would say. She held herself higher, reminding herself not to disparage the kai Viti for not slaying this monster, but to be gentle and kind. Already the kai Viti had named her Biau Lala, Wave Dancer, for her surfing skill. She wondered how she would be honoured for her bravery and skill in despatching the monster of the reef.

  Pat limped along bravely, trying to forget the pain, half smiling and finding himself looking forward to telling the tale. It wasn't every day you were bait for a monster! As they drew closer, he could see the officers' eyes drawn to his amazing wounds, the suction marks of the octopus now looking like cicatrices all over his body.

  The Great Ratu, the pre-eminent chief of all the nearby islands was standing now, a massive figure, surpassing the tall Pat by a further head and his frizzy hair done up in an enormous fuzz making him appear even larger. His mouth was open as he looked down on the procession, not looking at Pat or Hinatea, but fixed on the octopus.

  As they neared, he suddenly let out a bellow like the bull whale that had followed the Queen Rose for a week. He jumped forward, amazingly light and agile on his feet for such a big man, shouting hoarsely in Vituan. All the kai Viti villagers started howling. As he came up to them, he started ripping at his jewellery, sending shells flying everywhere, still bellowing.

  Pat, Hinatea, Rat and Silmatea stopped, confused.

  The Ratu kept bellowing, and to their horror they saw tears pouring down his face. For a moment, Pat wondered if they were for him and his injuries, but the Ratu pushed past him. Rat and Silmatea eased their burden down and the Ratu knelt beside it, wailing loudly. All the other kai Viti were joining in with the weeping and wailing. The fishing team stood about, wondering if they should say something and not knowing what to do.

  The Captain came storming over, his face a thundercloud, with the Princess beside him and Lt Delarosa just behind.

  "What the hell have you done now, Connorson?" snarled the Captain.

  "We, uh, were fishing, sir, and we caught this monster. They prey on fishermen and children! We have saved lives!" said Pat, trying to be defiant, all his pride eking out into the ground.

  "It is a god," said Lt Delarosa with a stony face. She was rapidly learning Vituan. She was listening to the Ratu as he wailed out his torment, holding one of the dead tentacles, tears streaming down his face. He banged his forehead into the dead octopus. "It guards them from the wrath of the sea. The Ratu calls him his brother. They mourn his death, no, his murder. They fear for the future with the Guardian gone."

  "Oh no," said Pat, closing his eyes, whilst Rat looked around wildly for somewhere to run. The Ratu started to thrash on the ground and all the kai Viti did the same.

  "Is grandfather," said Hinatea obstinately, leaning on her fish spear. "Eat people, very dangerous. This one very big, catch, eat people."

  “It’s tabu to kill them,” said Suzanne, using a strange word that Pat didn’t understand but Hinatea and Silmatea clearly did, all the bravado going out of them in a rush.

  "We are not on Pahipi now, Hinatea," said the Princess, who disliked Hinatea intensely. "The kai Viti obviously have a different relationship with the fish. Damage limitation in order, Captain, we must ensure this desecration does not reflect badly on us and affect the new relationship we have created," she continued crisply. "Place them under arrest and have them taken back to the ship. You will need these two in the sickbay, I think. Suzanne, up to you to find out what we need to do. I would prefer not to have to execute them, but we will if we have to." She ended grimly, not looking at the boys.

  Captain Larroche issued a quick few orders and the fishing team were marched off to the ship under close arrest, heads hanging, thoroughly chastened and all dreams of glory vanished. Hinatea was still muttering in Pahippian.

  "Now, Captain," continued the Princess, eyeing the kai Viti carefully. "I think we might remove ourselves from danger. We don't know how they are going to react to one of their gods being slaughtered by us. Suzanne, sorry but you will have to stay. I can leave you a small guard."

  "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Suzanne was a startlingly beautiful woman, confident of her safety with the Ratu. "He's watching us, you know. Seeing how you react."

  Indeed he was, and as the fishing team went into the boat to take them back to the Queen Rose he let out another loud bellow then stood up and came back to the Princess and her negotiating team. He gestured to his people to continue the lamentations and spoke to them in the trade language rather than Vituan.

  "What do you do with them?” He asked the Princess directly, with no honorific and no expression on his face.

  “They are under arrest and will be placed in a secure area on the ship while we decide what to do with them. They will first be placed in the galley for their injuries to be treated.” The Princess responded directly and honestly.

  The Great Ratu looked at her briefly then looked at the horizon. “We will discuss what to do tonight. Please return to your ship, all of you, and return here in the morning to hear our thoughts. It will be the decision of the Bete.” He turned and went back to his people.

  Suzanne bent her head to the Princess and spoke in a low tone, loud enough for the Captain to hear as well. “The Bete is the priest, who talks to the Gods. Tabu means forbidden by the gods. Lots of things are tabu and they kill anyone who does anything tabu.”

  The Princess closed her eyes for a moment in pain, and Suzanne went after the Ratu.

  It was nine o’clock by the hour glass as the ship’s boats slid up the sandy beach, tough sailors leaping out to run them further up from the tide. Princess Asmara jumped lithely ashore and walked up to a welcoming party of Lt Delarosa and a young Vituan, Maru, the Ratu’s son and Pat’s friend. Both looked fairly grim.

  “Have you brought them with you?” asked Suzanne.

  “Yes, I got your message. In chains, as you suggested.”

  “We must bring them to the Bure Kalou.” Suzanne looked at the Princess’ youthful face. “You know this is a test, don’t you?”

  “Oh yes. On a great many levels, as well. Does he care at all about that damn fish?”

  “I don’t think so. He’s over the moon at the opportunity to test you, and to test you on so many levels.” Suzanne continued to look at her Princess, unsure as to how many of the levels she was aware.

  “I thought as much. Is he equally aware that this is a great opportunity to test him on a number of levels?”

  Suzanne looked startled. “Uh, no, I don’t think so. Do you want me to let him know, ever so gently?”

  “I don’t think that will be necessary. I am sure I can do it perfectly well myself, thank you,” said the Princess sweetly. “What is the Bure Kalou?”

  “It’s the odd building, the tall one on the rocks. That is, well, not a church exactly, but where the priest, the Bete, lives and worships. I don’t quite understand it all.”

  They turned and watched the Bosun bringing the prisoners up the beach. She was gentle with them, being fond of Pat and she genuinely liked Hinatea and Silmatea. They clanked as they walked, eyes downcast, the gashes all over Pat red and angry with inflammation. Without speaking, the Princess led them to the Bure Kalou where the Great Ratu sat waiting, the entire population of not just the town but the neighbouring villages sat around in a semi-circle, watching the proceedings.

  The Great Ratu was in his finery, grass skirt, shell necklace interposed with mummified fingers and his hair done up into a magnificent frizz, with flowers interlaced through the strands. He watched expressionlessly as the prisoners were marched up and displayed in front of him.

  On either side of him stood two enormous warriors, naked torsos gleaming in the sun where they were freshly oiled, massive muscles coiled under the skin and holding the wicked Vituan war clubs, dainty sticks with a crook in them, and a raised ridge at the end for smashing open skulls. These were the Ratu’s guards and his
executioners.

  The Princess watched the Bosun array the prisoners, then turned to the Great Ratu and spoke loudly in the trade language for all to hear.

  “Great Ratu of Vitua, we bring before you the prisoners. We accept our responsibility not just for the prisoners, but for their actions, as we have brought them to your lands.” The Ratu’s eyes flashed at her with interest, and she continued. “While I regret the misunderstanding that has caused the death of your Guardian, I am delighted to have this opportunity to see and learn the justice and wisdom of Ratu Ilikimi Nailatikau, the Great Ratu of Vitu Levu, who is famed far and wide for his fairness and good governance.”

  The Ratu grunted at that, he liked to think he was famous for being a vicious fighter who massacred his enemies. He waved his hand, and asked for the prisoners to be unchained. He looked at them closely, grunting in disapproval of the rough canvas clothes they were wearing. Rat did not meet his eye, looking down at his scuffling feet, while Pat’s eyes rested on the horizon and he didn’t seem to be present, his mind ranging elsewhere. Hinatea and Silmatea looked him straight in the eye, standing tall, proud and not particularly repentant.

  The Ratu spoke first in Vituan, for the majority of his audience, then repeated himself in the trade language. He recounted what everybody knew, how the four had come ashore with