Man Shark by Knight Gerald R

Author:Knight, Gerald R. [Knight, Gerald R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Iguana Books
Published: 2019-10-01T16:00:00+00:00

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As the days passed, one to the next, the jekaro began dripping in earnest. Ḷainjin taught the boys how to carefully guide the drip from the wet face of the utak down into the mouth of the netted coconut shell with a freshly cut coconut leaflet. Before allowing each boy to retreat from his yellow-and-green spiraled roost, he first had him drink his fill. Then he taught the boys as a group how to thoroughly wash the empty shells at the sandy shore and hang them out in the sunlight to dry. As each day passed, the boys grew stronger and all the villagers chattered about this phenomenon. Finally, Liṃanṃan visited Kōkkālọk on her island, intrigued her with a taste, and gained her acceptance of Ḷainjin’s offer to bring tribute to her during the morning of jetkāān. All the elements of his plan were set in motion and ready in good time to be fulfilled.

On the morning of the appointed day, all talk was about the struggle that would ensue once Ḷainjin crossed the passage and set foot on Kōkkālọk’s island. The boys all chattered about Ḷainjin’s ṃaanpā skills and how they expected to see Paratak’s head, slapped violently, drop into the sand as though hit by a falling coconut. Others predicted Paratak would not dare to appear. Still others repeated Ḷainjin’s assessment that Paratak would not be easily surprised a second time and would have prepared a better defense. Everyone was nervous as they left the shady coconut groves and walked along the sun-drenched path between the shiny-leafed kōņņat trees at the island strand. They descended the canted rocky shoreline into the breeze that rushed between the islets and waded into the cool water separating them. Each, as instructed, carried a netted shell full to the brim with fresh amber jekaro in one hand and an adze for cutting mangrove in the other. They waded in single file behind Pedpedin, Ḷainjin, and Liṃanṃan. The sea level had been dropping quickly in the spring tide all morning, but the lagoon water, which recedes more slowly, was still higher than the ocean and streamed through the passageway — where it was swift and nearly waist deep — on its way to the sea.

Paratak was waiting for them, and when he stepped out onto the strand above the opposite shore, a collective gasp sounded from the jekaro boys, who now expected the worst from the furious face raging down at them. His eyes were concentrated on one individual alone — as though there was no irooj present and no tribute for his mistress. There was nothing but the hated person who had the effrontery to challenge him yet again and, this time, at the very shore of his domain. He twirled a thick spear in his hand recklessly as though he would hurl it at his opponent at any moment, but at the same time, Kōkkālọk was hustling down the sandy shore from her house, entreating him fruitlessly to step aside and let her uncle pass.

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