Water Lily by Terri Farley

Author:Terri Farley
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2008-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“How did the pond look?” Patrick insisted.

“Pretty,” Darby said. “Like a pond. Don’t get frustrated with me, Patrick,” she said when he rolled his eyes. “I don’t come from a place where there are lots of ponds. But I did see something interesting there. My first ever mongoose. Even if he was dead—”

“If you’d grown up here, you’d have seen plenty of them,” Patrick assured her. “Even though they’re not native. In fact, they weren’t brought to Hawaii until the 1800s. A Hawaiian sugar farmer heard the boast of a Cuban sugar plantation owner that the mongoose could successfully control his rodent population, but it turned out, as with so many other non-native species, they had no natural enemies here.”

Patrick stopped. He didn’t seem to have run out of breath. He looked more like he was waiting for her to say something.

“So you see my point?” he encouraged her.

“No.”

“What would kill a mongoose?”

“Cade and I assumed it drowned.”

“Perhaps,” Patrick said, “but the mongoose is descended from the early civet. It swims.”

“Nothing could swim in that wall of water,” Darby pointed out.

“Of course you’re right,” he agreed. “Still, it would be worthwhile to have the water in that pond tested for contaminants.”

“Honi.”

Darby didn’t need to say more.

“If she was eating water lilies there, she was ingesting the water, too. Directly or via the plants,” Patrick said. His hands fidgeted and his left knee jiggled with contained energy. “If only we could go up and get her out of there.”

“Cade and I thought of doing that,” Darby said, “but just in case Honi was sick, we didn’t want to bring her back to the ranch.”

Why hadn’t she told Mr. Klaus and Mr. Nomi? They’d been right there at the ranch. They would have been able to test the pony, the water, and if there was trouble, they would have known what to do about it.

Why had it taken Patrick to make her realize the danger was real?

She must have looked scared.

“It’s only a theory,” Patrick said. “It’s not sound science to jump to any conclusions. Still, if she were my pony…”

Feeling Darby’s agitation even before she bolted to her feet, Hoku stepped back, eyes wide.

“Can I get you anything before I leave?” Darby offered, but she was thinking, Please don’t say yes.

“No. I’m fine. Do you have to go right now?”

“I think so,” she replied. “I’d better find Cade or someone who can help me catch Honi.”

“And then—?” Patrick broke off and Darby was glad. He didn’t have to be a mind reader to know she didn’t have a plan beyond saving the pony from dying alone.

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