Magellan Point by Sanders David T.;

Author:Sanders, David T.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Published: 2019-09-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Song Birds and Sorrow

Off Magellan Point, boats from Hector’s operation responded to a radio call and arrived at the Wind Star in late afternoon to accept sacks of copra from the crew. Cesar, Ann, and Iris went onshore in the ship’s launch. They landed behind Hector and Hazel’s home. The couple was on their back porch and motioned them to come up.

Hazel had prepared a pitcher of iced tea. She served it after Iris had been introduced and they were all seated in lounge chairs.

“It took you long enough to finally bring me Micronesian copra,” Hector commented.

“We have been busy.”

“Rescuing beautiful young women, it seems.”

“Iris is going to provide a liaison between me and a committee working on Micronesian independence that I’m advising, among her other tasks. I will ask Sonya to find an apartment and office for her, but I was hoping you might let her stay with you until she has a place of her own.”

“We will be delighted to have her stay in our spare bedroom,” Hazel responded. “Ruth, my housekeeper, was with us for a time, but she found her own place.”

“I hope you were not planning a long time onshore yourself, Cesar,” Hector commented. “A Professor Wallace came by looking for you. He is catching birds and wants you to transport them.”

“He is doing what?”

“He and assistants from the University of Hawaii have contracted to move songbird species that are being decimated by brown tree snakes on this island to another island. Their catch is being assembled in a field north of Apra Harbor.”

“Did he tell which island they wanted the birds moved to?”

“Sarigan.”

“Now, that is ironical. My grandfather took hunters of birds and pigs to that island in the 1930s. It was a good business for him because it was a well-advertised fledging site.”

“The professor told me that it is a bird island now. An attempt has been made to remove all mammals, so there will be no natural enemies of the birds, and hunting will not be allowed, of course. He asked that I have you come to see him at the collection site as soon as you can.”

“That job interests me. I will go see him in the morning after Ann and I find Iris a place.”

“Will you and Ann stay for dinner?” Hazel asked.

“I’m afraid we must. There will be nothing to eat at our house and we have been on short rations onboard for some time,” Ann answered.

Ann and Iris went with Hazel to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Hector and Cesar began drinking beer, instead of tea.

During dinner, Ann gave a concise summary of what they had been through during their voyage to Micronesia that just ended. Iris provided her impressions.

“Another wild adventure. I suppose we will be reading about it in the newspapers,” Hazel’s commented. Cesar responded, “I have had enough of such adventures. Songbird transport should be a pleasant relief.”

After dinner, Cesar remarked, “Ann and I had better go see if we still have a home. We will see you all in the morning.

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