23 INSIGHT

Ivan indicated to Gábor to come with him and they excused themselves and walked toward the lagoon. The sun was lower now and it was late afternoon. A breeze brought relief from the midday heat, and they remained under the shadows of the trees, making sure not to walk under any coconut trees. Ivan had had enough of narrow escapes and Lundy was a good example of what could happen if one would connect with one of those lethal nuts.

The two found a split log, which made a bench to sit on, and they sat down, looking out to the waters of the lagoon. To the other side was a line on the horizon. The water was an incredible turquoise and blue and it was as clear as crystal. Gábor looked at Ivan and wondered how he should start a conversation when his friend turned to him and began.

"Gábor, you must be wondering what is going on in my head about Leo and I must explain to you some of the ideas I have. I want to talk with you about it first without going through Leo because I don't know how it would come across to him, so I think it better to just outline an idea that I have to get Leo introduced to society. Are you interested in hearing what I think?"

"Of course. How can I not be interested?"

"Okay. We can link and share with Leo and Helena after, and see what they think. First, understand that I consider Leo as my protégée if you don't mind. You, as his father, and Helena as a mother, are too close to see things the way an outsider does. You want to make sure no harm gets to him and you want to keep him away from people. I can't blame you, but at the same time, you must also see that he must live his own life and deal with people. It will not be easy and if he does not know how to deal with them, it will destroy him. You know, the only way to learn how to swim is to get into the water, and that is exactly what I want to do, with your permission of course. I will teach Leo how to swim, expose him to the possibility of drowning and swallowing some water and I know you will hate me sometimes.

Nevertheless, I care about Leo and I would like to see him walk amongst people without fear, to act with dignity, and to have friends and be self-confident about himself. I know that is what you want for him too. You wonder what I may have in mind, and you have a right to know. It will not always be possible for me to tell you ahead of time what I need to do, so I will ask for your trust. I promise you that I will do my best for Leo or die doing so. Will you give me your trust?"

Gábor listened without interrupting Ivan and saw in his eyes the determination to do what he could to help Leo, him, and Helena.

He searched Ivan's face for a minute then offered his hand. "Yes."

Ivan took it, stood up, pulling Gábor to his feet, hugged him, and said with a husky voice. "Gábor, you honour me. I will never let you down."

"Now Ivan, what is your idea?" Both men took their seats again.

"It is not a solid plan yet and the general idea is to first teach Leo to survive, then some martial arts with their philosophical values and ethics. He needs to study humans, know what motivates them, what they fear, their hopes, and their despairs. He must learn about himself, patience, courage, limitations, and strength; his desires, and expectations, what is possible and what is not and know the difference. The first step, I think, is to be on that island until he knows what he can do. He is there now with Helena and then I will be there when you both are back in Canada. He should also be alone for a while so he learns to be independent. Then martial arts training and study, Tao, Zen and Buddhist philosophy, Christian theology and other scriptures so he will not be lost when others throw things at him. Sociology and anthropology, arts and sciences are something you can supply. After that, we could introduce him to society as an ambassador of another New Race. Depending on how fast he can learn he could be ready to meet humanity in about three years. If things go as I hope they will, he could enter school as the intelligent alien that humanity hoped to meet one day in space, except this one is from Earth. Intelligence discovered on Earth. Who would have thought it?"

Gábor laughed with him. The more time they spent together, the more he appreciated Ivan's friendship and sharp humour.

 "What do you think?"

Gábor was silent for a few minutes and Ivan watched him. This is what I love about him, he thought. He never rushes in and thinks before he speaks.

"As a general idea it sounds good, but I need to talk it over with Helena before I commit to a crazy proposal like this, Ivan. Do you think people will take to an idea this far out, the way you present it? They have a hard time accepting vegetarians if they are meat eaters and vice versa. You've heard Vai talk about the problem she has in school because of her resistance to studying church propaganda, and she does not even closely resemble Leo's appearance."

"But that is exactly the advantage Leo has, Gábor, he is extremely different. It will be easier for humans to accept strangeness in an alien, rather than in a human. You would expect an alien to be different, but for a human to be different is dangerous. What Leo needs to prove is his superior intelligence over animals, but not too much or people will get scared. Just a bit more than human, so they think they would be able to profit from his intelligence. The collective intelligence of humans wants to be able to exploit another's skill and knowledge and as long as it benefits them, they will tolerate him."

"But he is not an alien, Ivan. He was born from human stock, and somehow Leo mutated into his present body."

"Look Gábor, let me be blunt. Your problem is that you want Leo to change into a human because you have a problem accepting his present form. You think something is wrong with Leo. The truth is that Leo is perfect as he is. Your thinking is not.

When Leo was born, you expected him to be a healthy human being, and when the changes became apparent, you thought you or Helena were some kind of freaks to give birth to a cat. Understandingly, you panicked. Anybody would have. It's never happened before and you wanted to blame someone or something for Leo's looks. The fact is it doesn't matter how Leo looks; he is an intelligent being. Before you found out that Leo is intelligent, you acted as if you were somehow superior over animals because you couldn't recognize intelligence, and you're not alone in the world with that misconception. I bet 99% of the world thinks and feels that way. But now you know better. There are no illegal aliens on this planet, only stupid people who would like us to believe it to maintain the status quo and the power over the people. You know as well as I do that Leo is highly intelligent. Let people think that he is an alien.

Don't present him to the public and try to make him a product of a normal human. Humanizing will kill him for sure. As an alien, he has a much better chance to survive and even to rise above his present stage. You still want him to act like a human being so people won't think of you, Leo or Helena as weirdoes and thus overlook the fact of his intelligence and the opportunity to rise with him. You are not ordinary people. You've made mistakes while Leo grew up. You didn't teach him to talk; you didn't play with him, as you would have if he were a human child because you thought he was a freak of nature, at best an animal. Hiding in the bush you thought to protect Leo, but in reality, you were hiding from people and their judgment about you and Helena. You tried to fit Leo into society even if it would have meant accepting him as a child with Down's syndrome. Nobody could blame you, but now you know the truth and must face reality and make the best of it. Use the facts and build on them. Leo is giving you an opportunity you never had before. Life handed you a lemon; sweeten it and make lemonade; I'm sure you've heard that before. It is time for Lena, Leo, and you to make steps to come out of hiding and claim your place in this world."

Unexpected, these words ripped open a wound Gábor thought to have healed, and it felt more painful now because it was the truth. Gábor's ego flared up before he could take control of it and he felt sudden anger rising like a tidal wave and with balled fists, he jumped up from the bench, turning to face Ivan.

"Fuck you. Do you think I don't care about Leo?" he exploded. "I've tried to protect him since he was born and I've raised him and I want him to be safe from society. How dare you tell me my thinking is wrong? You'd better have a good answer, Ivan, or our deal is off."

Gábor's eyes flashed and his face distorted with anger and pain. He felt attacked and questioned. His entire life he had lived to please people, doing a lot of things to be liked and accepted by them to the point of giving up his own individual tendencies and inclinations, and then Leo's birth forced him to relinquish all that which he had worked so hard to achieve. The plan to make Leo disappear so they could continue living among people respected and as conformed citizens with normal children was all but a glasshouse in which Leo was the brick. He crouched and raised his fists, ready to battle his friend who dared to destroy his world.

Ivan didn't engage in the dance of anger. He remained seated and replied calmly.

"Gábor, I have never doubted your intentions to care for Leo, but your care comes from your own need of self-protection. You felt you had to protect Helena and yourself from the stigma society would have put on you for having given birth to a mutant, if they'd have found out. I believe your relationship to Leo has changed since you found out Leo is an intelligent being, but your old thinking is like a bad habit, hard to change overnight. Your love is real and you need to get away from the paradigm of protection and learn how to be vulnerable. Hardness, if not tempered, will shatter with a hard blow.  Look how angry you are and willing to fight when you feel attacked. I have not even attacked you, but that self-image you've carried around for so long has become your identity. That is creating the problem. I have dealt a blow to your ego, your self-image, or identity if you prefer that word better, and you feel attacked. Who are you really? Are you your self-image, or the intelligence that created the image?

Your idea, that you are a human, and accepted in their society, you must look like a human, is what your problem is. When you look at Leo, you see that you and Helena have given birth to a freak of nature, not to intelligence, and that is your dilemma. He is intelligence in the form of a cat, something extraordinary. Accept him. Do you see what I mean?"

Ivan's words were like concussion grenades, hitting Gábor without mercy, penetrating his walls of conditioned and accepted beliefs and shattering them like brittle crystals. He staggered as if hit by bullets. For a moment, he felt a rage and desire to rip out Ivan's throat, to annihilate this man in front of him, but then unexpectedly something broke.

Anger, hatred, fear and unspeakable ugliness that had built like bile in his entire body, all mixed into a hot ball of putrid rot and decay swelled out of proportion and suddenly burst like a boil full of puss. The world began to spin, turning upside down, mountains turned to valleys and rivers into stone. Searing tears welled up in his eyes and with the sudden realization; he saw how much truth there was to Ivan's words. His knees buckled and he collapsed and let out a scream from the depth of his being, then another and a dam holding a billion hectoliters of muddy water surged and washed through him, sweeping away concepts of who he was, and what he believed.

Judgments of right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, all tumbled out and lost structure. He sobbed and his body shook with the force of a machine gun fired by his own hands. A freezing permeated his entire body, compacted, heated up and then exploded with savage heat. Gábor, in a heap on the sand, curled up into a foetus ball. He was no longer aware of himself. A seizure assaulted him and for a long time, he lay on the ground while Ivan knelt by his side and watched over his friend as he convulsed in agony.

After what seemed like an eternity, Gábor calmed down and his tear-streaked face turned up, he rolled onto his back, straightening his body and he opened his eyes. Focus came back and he looked at Ivan as if he saw him for the first time. Then, recognition of all his illusions came back to him, and a quizzical look changed into a curling of his lips like a smile and he began to laugh, then it changed and sounded like crying, then back to laughter. Ivan could not help but join in the laughter and he hugged Gábor with tears in his eyes. They hugged each other, laughed, cried together for minutes, and slowly let go of each other.

"Wow, quite a catharsis you went through my friend. How do you feel?" Ivan wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and Gábor blew his nose, but somehow he felt better.

"Easier, but raw."

"I can imagine. You will be like this for at least a week. You would be wise to rest a bit. This is as good as any place and it is better you are alone for a little while to collect yourself. When you feel you're ready to see anyone then do. I'll go now to see Leilani and Vai. I have some things to talk to them about. See you later."

With that, he got up, turned back toward the village, and disappeared among the trees. Gábor let his eyes scan the lagoon. Shadows were long now and the sun was low in the western sky. Silence enveloped him. His mind was exhausted and quiet. A peaceful quality spread through him and no thoughts entered into the silence.

For a long time, he just stood there, letting the silence speak for itself and let the emotions wash through him without engaging with them. He felt raw, as he'd never felt before. He had practiced Zen meditation for many years and had several moments of Satori, but this was the most significant breakthrough he had ever experienced.

He sat and let the silence penetrate him, fill every cell of his being, and suffuse his mind and body and he sat there until darkness descended on him. He then began to walk toward the village through the wooded growth, barely seeing the path. Eventually, he saw some lights through the trees and headed for them. His sense of direction took him to Leilani's fare and he heard Ivan's bass tones, but could not make out actual words. As he got closer, he heard Vai's voice.

"And where is Sunshine coast?" He heard Ivan's voice answering.

"From Vancouver, you would have to drive to Horseshoe Bay then take the ferry to Langdale, and from there you take a road toward Secret Cove. That entire stretch of coast is the Sunshine Coast. It is pristine and "Super Natural" as British Columbia likes to boast. Not much has changed there for a long time, and now it is becoming popular with rich retirees."

"Is there snow in the winter?"

Gábor stepped up to the veranda, and the two women and Ivan turned to greet him.

"Gábor, you look as if you fell in love. Or did your wife drop in for a surprise visit?" Vai obviously had noticed his wedding band. Leilani looked at Gábor inquisitively. Vai had a curious look in her eyes and Ivan looked like a cat that had just swallowed a canary.

"I had a moment of illumination by the lagoon. This is a beautiful place and you are very fortunate to live here."

Gábor sidestepped the women's curiosity. "Ivan was telling us about Canada, and by the sound of it, it must be a beautiful place too. He told us you live not far from his place. Is it true you have deer, cougars, and bears in your backyard?" Vai asked excitedly.

"Sometimes they have a regular party going, and at other times we have to escape their inquisitiveness. They can be a nuisance on occasions."

"And you have snow there, don't you?" Vai asked excitedly. Her mother was also hanging onto Gábor's every word.

"Not a lot because of the warm current coming up from Mexico and it keeps the winters mild, but sometimes we have enough to cover cars with."

"I don't believe it. I have never seen snow. Ma did in England, and she said they have the same thing that you have in Canada."

"Snow?"

"Fog."

"That's true. At least on the West Coast."

"Sorry to cut in, but if you want to see the Tamaaraa, we must go now. The ori, Polynesian dancing, will be in a few minutes. The drums are sounding already and I hear ‘himene,' singing." Vai looked with bright eyes at Gábor and a naughty smile played on her lips.

"You need to get a lei and so does Ivan," she said and rushed off. Both men looked at each other. Did Vai know what the word meant in Canada and the US? Leilani had her pareu on and a flower garland on her head, like Vai, and then Vai returned with two flower garlands and hung the lei around the two men’s neck. Gábor focused on Leo and a few seconds later was in the mind link. Ivan linked in as well and as the two men looked at each other, Helena was able to see them both through Leo's mind.

"My, my, my; two handsome men with two beautiful women on the prowl to heaven while a dutiful housewife is stranded on an almost deserted island keeping watch over the home fires. Whatever happened to equality?"

"Guilty as charged, Queen Helena. But be assured, your knight in shining armour will return unharmed and safe from fire-breathing dragons to tell tales from far, far away lands and fair maidens. I'll do my best to keep him from temptations, and yet, I fear for my own chastity," chuckled Ivan in his thoughts.

"There is an innocent child in this link and we are corrupting him. You will be too busy to look after yourselves and Gábor is not my property. He is with me, not for me, and you never know what benefits a little adventure can bring. We both could learn something that we never thought about, but Leo is still too young to be exposed to the games adults play," reminded Helena, only to ‘hear' Leo intercepting Ivan's reply.

"It's okay, Mom, I have the idea about the birds and the bees and Ivan has finished puberty and reached an age where he needs no instructions."

"And where, if I may ask, did you get information about the birds and the bees?" wondered Gábor. "Did something happen while I wasn't looking? So where does that sudden knowledge come from?"

"From Mom. She has not mastered concealing her thoughts yet and she thought about some activities in some graphic details … sorry Mom, not my fault. And eventually I have to learn these things too, she tells me. She suggests I read some books about ‘birds and bees', but through the mind-link, it seems to be less misleading and informative I might add."

"I've never thought of introducing sexual education to a six-year-old."

"It's never too soon. Didn't you say in human years I'm about eighteen?"

"We've created a monster," croaked Helena embarrassed.

"No worries Mom. Your secrets are safe with me. I have no desire to have a mate yet. Maybe in a year or two. I will let you know when it happens."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better." Exasperated, she sighed through the link.

"When we get back, we need to sit down and have a conversation, just us three adults; no offense Leo, but it has to do with planning how we will have you face society, and when we are clear with ourselves, we will need your consent. I went through a heavy transformation a little while ago and without a concrete concept, I would not want to confuse you. I hope you'll bear with me."

"No sweat Dad."

The four reached the place by the hut and the whole village was there, and more. They noticed a few quad bikes, and there must have been at least two hundred people.

Vai and Leilani introduced Gábor and Ivan to many people and Vai remained at Gábor's side most of the time while Leilani stayed with Ivan. Many women and children were there and eyed the guests, smiling wide smiles at them. Only about a third were men out of all those who had gathered, and Leilani told them that most of the village men worked the pearl farms or were doing some fishing, but the main income was from pearls. The men had the women doing the grafting of the pearls whilst the men dove and harvested the oysters. The reason why the women outnumbered the men was that the young men had moved to Tahiti to make money there, and often didn't return to Niau because they didn't see any future for themselves. Ivan thought, with a disdainful intensity; the lure of western concepts corrupting values of humanity; money can buy happiness, it said; thus seeing happiness as a commodity, and he had a foul taste in his mouth. He had money and he didn't have to worry, but he was not making money a source of his happiness.

Right now, he felt content with Leilani willing to take them to a Tahitian tamaaraa and they didn't need any money to have a good time. Everybody contributed with what they'd harvested from the sea, or plants and they shared.

Those who had money from the pearls bought items from Tahiti, like gasoline driven vehicles and outboard motors to power their boats, but a lot of them still lived simple lives and lived off what the land and sea provided. Ivan envied their simple life. These people or most of them lived a simple and happy life without the need to change their world; nature gave them all they needed.

22 AREAREA (Fun)

There was a kind of a picnic atmosphere on the beach; everybody seemed to be there and there must have been about a hundred people decorating the building, setting up drums, and spreading blankets on the grassy areas.

"You will have a party tonight?"

"Tamaaraa," Tahitian feast for popaa, a ‘Welcome' for European guests. The people will perform a Tahitian Maeva tonight. Better rest a little." Leilani looked coyly at Ivan and Gábor, wondering if they'd be interested.

"There are many vahine and potii here and not many men and they welcome the opportunity to dance with men rather than other women all the time. You're not married, are you?"

"Not yet. What are you doing after the party?" Laughing out loud, Leilani scanned over Ivan and Gábor thoroughly. Both men had that certain magnetism and charm that attracted Leilani. If they had been brought up in the old Polynesian ways, she would invite them both for hauti (play, making love). She could see herself with either, but Gábor was married, regrettably, and that was the line she wouldn't cross unless invited.

"Probably sleeping, but it depends on what the night wind blows in."

"Are you going to the Maeva?" Ivan inquired.

"Wouldn't miss out on it when there are new people around."

"Okay, count me in then." Ivan had an anticipatory look on his face, and Gábor also was looking forward to the festivities and wished Helena was here too. He thought about Leo and his heart tightened in his chest. Would Leo ever be accepted enough to see these kinds of performances, go to concerts or any cultural festivities? Gábor heart ached and all of sudden he didn't want to be here, not when his family could not be. But he also looked forward to seeing Leilani at the festivities and hoped he could see her dance. Beautiful as she was, he was curious how she danced and moved.

Ivan noticed the shadow on his friend's face and guessed what was going in his mind. He had a date with a gorgeous woman while Gábor was away from his wife. For sure he must be missing Helena. Feeling compassion for him, his resolve to go through with the plan he had in his mind, strengthened. He thought about how to introduce Leo as an ambassador of another species. These people here were eager to accept strangers and he wondered how they would react to beings other than human.

Leilani's remark about intelligence in dolphins and birds came back to him, and he wanted to know more about her and her views. Tonight would be a good opportunity to get to talk to her and he hoped to get to know her better. Crossing the throng of bodies, they continued toward the ‘hospital'. As they approached the clinic they saw a young woman from a distance at the entrance looking expectantly toward them.

"Ah, she's back," said Leilani, the pride in her voice subdued, but still perceptible as she spoke about her daughter.

She was as beautiful as the woman beside them; slender and very pretty, her youthful figure filled to full ripeness. The resemblance to Leilani was uncanny, more like a younger sister to Leilani than her daughter. Wearing a hibiscus flower above her ear like all the women and men here, Gábor noticed that some wore it over the right and others over the left ear and he asked Leilani about it. He had read somewhere that there was a significance as to on which side it was worn but forgot what it meant.

"I read some time ago that a flower over her right or left ear designates whether a woman is available or married, but I forgot which is which. Would you remind me, please?"

Leilani looked at him as if she wanted to guess his intention as to why he wanted to know. Was he interested in her daughter, or was his question out of curiosity? She was sure that the ring on his left finger was a wedding band, but the look on his face showed more than fleeting interest.

Was he the kind of men that came to the islands because they thought the females were exotic and easier than the ones back where they came from? Did he lust after other women like her husband had after he married her and had a child with her? Gábor didn't strike her like that at all, and she wouldn't like to think that. Having studied long enough in Europe she had enough insight into western culture and customs to know the jealousy and moral guidelines that ruled their lives, but under that was the secret reality.

In Polynesia of yore, things were very different and she had been brought up much closer to the old values and concepts and had imparted that in her daughters. Regardless of that, she would not tolerate her daughter being exploited by those people who were only interested in a quick roll in the sack. Quietly she explained.

"The difference is whether she is married or not. Over the right ear she is available, over the left, she is married or seriously involved with someone and is taboo, but sometimes a woman has a flower over her right ear even if she has a husband. With that, she indicates that she is available and open for a possible engagement, but that doesn't mean they won't take intimacy seriously. Approaching and flirting is okay and may lead to something, but it's up to her. Many boys have their eyes on her, but as it happens, Vai is not looking for a man as yet. Cheap thrills are not what it's about for her or most of the women here."

That was a shot across the bow and both men got it and understood the implied rule. They were now close enough to be audible and Gábor stopped talking and scanned over the young woman, keenly aware that her mother was observing him.

No shoes on her feet, she stood about the same height as Helena. Her oval face and high cheekbones, wide forehead, and big, observant blue-green wide apart eyes, topped by eyebrows rising in a gentle curve over her eyes were that of a supermodel. Her long, deep brown wavy, almost black hair framed her shoulders and hung down to the middle of her back. It was held in a barrette similar to her mother’s. Natural long and dark eyelashes contrasted with her bright eyes. Her straight nose and sensual mouth with full lips and a good chin were all set into a skin of golden brown complexion. The swaying palm fronds alternately exposed or shadowed her face. Her beauty stunned Gábor and Ivan. This young woman appeared to be between seventeen and twenty-five, depending on the light, and involuntarily, the two men's eyes scanned the two figures. Both female's bodies and the facial bone structure was such as they would remain beautiful into a high age, and both had the fine lines of athletes.

Leilani's daughter wore a blue pareu with red and orange flowers printed on it, and it wrapped around her body in a way that she looked like a picture postcard model. Her fully developed breasts, high, firm, and just perfect, not too big or too small, and fair sized nipples showed through the fabric as if she were cold. Her eyes revealed intelligence, alertness, and deep wisdom. The keen and observant expression on her face changed into a broad smile as she looked at Gábor, then Ivan and back to Gábor. An almost undetectable flicker of curiosity and interest flashed in her eyes that seemed to change color between bright emerald green and blue, depending on the playing light.

With a soft, singing voice, very similar to that of her mother, she greeted them. "Maeva. So you are the two popaa the whole community talks about."

Leilani faced the two men and with a smile, she introduced her.

"This is Vai, my youngest daughter," raising her left hand and using the right she touched one finger on her left hand saying. "She looks after the patients when I leave the Med-shack," then she touched another. "She wants to study to be a veterinarian and sometimes practices on humans," touching her ring finger she continued. "She has some funny ideas about people and society and finally, she is rebellious when it comes to education," she concluded laying a finger to the last small finger.

"Next year she plans to go to Europe to study in the Czech Republic. She also has a set of ears that hear every circulating rumour, and she is up for crucifixion next for her heretic views. She just finished school, but let that topic rest or she'll launch into a lecture without end."

Vai looked at her mother and in English with a slight French accent, she sweetly returned her mother's remark.

"Mother is the one to talk." Mimicking her mother she reiterated her mother's hand gestures, but made only two points.

 "She went to England because in Paris they thought her to be an anarchist. They didn't think it was chic and were happy when she went to London. I think she just wanted to escape the wrath of god. Point two; she left it to me to battle through school and endure all that what she had escaped. Did she not tell you that?" She smiled and then added more seriously.

"It's true. I want to study in Europe where there are better opportunities and not so much religious indoctrination. I'm interested in facts, not dogmas, and fairy tales. I think missionaries running schools stinks. They are more interested in brainwashing than allowing one to learn. I'm glad school is finished here and I don't have to listen to stories they want us to believe are true. I've never believed in stories unsupported by facts or at least strong evidence, and things that I can't explain, I will not explain with another improbable hypothesis, like those priests. So that explains my pending crucifixion."

Leilani spread her arms to her side, palms up and looked at the two men still staring at Vai. "See what I mean about lecturing?"

"It's never too early to drop out of school." Ivan injected, pouring fuel onto the girl's fire. Leilani looked with reproach at Ivan.

"Are you saddling her horse? She is just nineteen and needs to finish her education. She started three years late and had to catch up with the other kids, which she did remarkably well despite her rebellion," she smiled proudly at her daughter and put her arms around her shoulder. Turning her head she faced her with a smile. "Her rebellion had her nearly expelled from school."

"Supporting another does not necessarily mean ganging up on you. I have no schooling to speak of. I survived so far on my own wits, and nobody yet has discovered my ignorance until now. You two are the first to know," responded Ivan apologetically, but with a laugh in his voice. Leilani looked at him with played disdain. Vai nodded to his words with admiration and Gábor had a grin on his face. He knew Ivan well enough to know when he made fun of himself. Ivan was very intelligent and used his capacity well, but often letting others think he was an oaf. That way he knew more than others thought he did and used it to his advantage.

"Education is important," her mother insisted.

"Only the kind that allows one to learn instead turning one into a parrot," injected Gábor. His brush with the educational system had left enough fears with him to last a few lifetimes. He knew what this young woman meant. Vai looked at him with bright eyes and smiled, grateful for the moral support.

"Exactly what I'm saying. I love to learn and I want to know a lot of things. Discoveries and research from teachers with genuine knowledge based on evidence and facts I'm interested in, not beliefs or pseudoscience. I'm just not happy to be forced into studying things I'm not interested in just to pass grades. What do religious studies have to do with science or medicine? I want to study as you did Ma. None of the stuff the Fathers and Sisters tell us about has any scientifically supported evidence and is based only on faith. I doubt whether any of these priests, including the Pope, would jump out of an airplane with only their faith that says god will save them. Yeah, of course only after splattering on the ground. But they want us to follow them and their bible. Have faith, they cry, jump, they say, but they are making sure they would have a parachute." Gábor looked at Ivan who listened with a grin on his face. He liked this girl.

"Everybody needs schooling, Vai," insisted her mother.

"Ever saw a fish going to school, Ma? They have all the knowledge they need to live life without schools."

"Most are found in schools," said Gábor wryly.

Ready to battle Vai turned to him.

"And they study religion to pass grades so god could save their souls? I seriously doubt that."

Gábor stepped back lifting both hands chest-high. "Peace. I'm on your side," he laughed. Vai looked pacified.

"She has fire and some very good points," remarked Ivan. Leilani consentingly looked at Vai then to Ivan and admitted: "There are no schools around here without a religious slant and she must pass through them in order to advance," then, turning to Vai she continued.

"You're through and can go along your own path.  You know I will be behind you all the way."

"I know, Ma. I'm sorry if I upset you. We talked about this and I know you're with me on this. It is just very frustrating to listen to that nonsense every day. I'm not some dumb child. I'm glad I'm through, no more school for me here. I want to see more of what’s out there."

Ivan looked at the two women and saw the very strong likeness in their faces, and if the young woman were any indication of her mother's influence, they would make a great team, but veterinarian? Where could she possibly find work here? Tahiti would be the best place in the South Pacific. Perhaps some other islands had need of them. She would know more about it than him.

Leilani excused herself; she wanted to tend to Lundy, grabbed some items, and went inside through the garden to a fare, a Tahitian style building on posts with a bit of French influence in it. Vai offered them tea and they accepted. They had their packages still on the porch and Vai asked them where they wanted to go.

There was another fare here they could use, she said, glancing pointedly at Gábor. The men informed Vai that her mother had offered it to them as long as they needed it. Lundy was the only patient in a two-bed fare; another one was available. Vai looked happy and flashed a smile at Gábor.

"Sorry to have been harsh with you. Let me help you with that," she said and grabbed one of the backpacks before Gábor got it, and with a smile, he took the other small package he intended to give to someone as a gift, while Ivan picked up his backpack. Vai walked in front of Gábor and he admired her round butt and legs and the sway of her hips. Vai had the same sexy walk as Helena and their bodies were nearly identical. There was the same dance in her walk as in Helena.

While the water heated up, the men followed Vai and entered the other fare behind her. It was a clean place with two beds, a table, and a few hooks for clothing, a cabinet for personal items, nothing fancy, but very practical. A string curtain made from shells separated a shower stall from the room, which contained a toilet as well.

They put the small items on the bed and the backpack on the floor and accompanied the young woman back to the main building. The water was boiling and Leilani put petals of Jasmine flowers into the pot and poured hot water on them. Vai got the cups and Gábor used the time to look the two women over while Ivan engaged them in a bit of talk about the imminent festivity. Leilani was about fifty kilo and when she stood in front of him her eyes were at the height of his lips. Her blue eyes had dark rings around her iris and bore witness to European blood in her. Her open, heart-shaped face, bronze-tanned and bright, smile dazzled the two white men. Perfect white teeth flashed behind her sculptured, generous, full lips and took both men's breath away. She had a figure very much like Helena; slender and willowy like that of a teenager. Her hair was loose from the nape of her neck down, where a hair clip made from shell material held it, and from there it fell to the middle of her back and ended in another hair clip close to its end, perhaps to keep her hair together and not to get in the way when she worked.

She had a stronger flare to her hips than Vai, evidence that she had children, and with her hourglass figure, she looked very sexy indeed. Her round buttocks were high and firm and ended in nice legs, shapely calves, and fine ankles with small feet. Her youthful slender frame had all the right curves and her moves were graceful and elegant as that of a dancer.

She had changed into a western style skirt and a blouse with a v-cut just to the middle of her sternum and a necklace of black pearls decorated her neck and chest. Her round breasts, close together and a bit larger than Helena's seemed firm and he caught a glimpse of the dark areolae when she bent a bit forward as she did now while filling their cups with the aromatic Jasmine tea. Her golden skin showed no blemishes anywhere. He looked at her heart shaped face, wide, large eyes, straight nose, and full lips when she straightened up again.

Her age was hard to guess, but if Vai was nineteen and had an older daughter, the mother had to be about forty unless she had a child at a very young age, yet she didn't look more than thirty.

Vai was the younger version of her mother and there was no doubt the two women were related and they could easily pass for sisters. If Vai resembled her mother, her sister would too. Leilani's parents had passed down a great genetic bloodline and he wondered if he'd ever meet Vai's sister to affirm his observation.

He noticed Vai looking at him, and smiling as if expecting an answer from him and with a jolt, he got out of his scrutiny of the doctor's body.

"Hm-um, I was out of it for a minute. What did I miss?"

"Maybe a few things, but not much, I'd think," Vai smiled, having noticed his eyes on her mother's body. Gábor's face flushed. Leilani glanced at him and smiled, obviously enjoying his interest in her.

 "I asked what you are you doing here in Polynesia. There is not much here on Niau." He thought fast. What were they doing here?

"Uh, I work with Ivan on the same case. We came for holidays and then we decided to do this job, to find a person who fell overboard," he answered fast and turned toward the door to hide his face. He knew he wasn't a good liar.

"Insurance agents? You don't look like one. Sounds like a boring line of work."

"The money pays the bills."

"So when will you take Mr. Lundy to Papeete? What will you do after, I mean, after checking out the sights," she smiled and threw a glance at her mother, then looking at him again she continued. "Checking out the girls? Cultural events? The island; clubbing perhaps?"

"Vai, Aren't you a bit nosy?" her mother tried to restrain her daughter's inquisitiveness.

"It's okay Leilani, I don't mind. In fact, I enjoy it. It is not often that a young woman talks to me or is interested in what I do in my spare time." He turned to Vai again and delighted in her attention. She had a great smile and fascinating eyes and she was openly curious.

"I practice archery and martial arts when I'm in Canada, but here I am checking out the sites of your forefathers and I want to know about the living culture, how we foreigners have affected your lives and how the original people cope with it. It is like studying the cause and effect on people."

"That sounds interesting enough. Are you married? Wife, family, pets, any serious attachments?"

Leilani looked very uncomfortable, but when she looked at Gábor, she saw authentic interest in him to reply and answer her younger daughter's interrogating questions.

"Yes to all, Helena and ... Uh, we came together to Tahiti." He stumbled when he mentioned his family and the women noticed it, he was sure of that and quickly continued to cover up his faux pas.

"Yes, we have pets in Canada, two cats, and an old dog."

"I have a few dolphin pets and when I have time, I go swimming with them and have a lot of fun. They are very smart and sometimes I think they have more brains than the men do, at least here. I mean they have it more together, you know what I mean?"

Leilani broke into the conversation. "Vai means "Water" in our language and it fits her to a "T". She spends all her spare time with them and when I see them together, it is as if she is a dolphin too; she swims like one, plays like one, and I swear, she can talk with them too. If you have a chance to see her, you'll agree. She goes to the beach sometimes and when she whistles, they come, even if they prefer the southern beaches."

"Ma gave me the Va'a to use, my father's outrigger canoe, and I cross the lagoon to get to the southeast coast."

While Leilani spoke, Gábor contacted Leo. He was there and so was Helena, of course, and he wanted to share with them. This was interesting stuff. Ivan got in too and they ‘listened' to this conversation.

"Can you really speak to the dolphins?"

"I don't know if they speak as such, but they seem to understand concepts, and I can tell for sure when they are upset or happy. They "speak" with their body, with ultrasound, which of course we can't hear and then the way they move through the water. When they want you to understand something, they get physical, bumping you or coming at you with great speed, scaring the lights out of you, and then veer off, leaving you in their wake like a stunned fish. It sometimes gets like a boxing match and you have to watch out. You are better off getting out of the water when that happens."

"Did you consider studying Marine Biology?" asked Ivan.

"Yes, as a hobby or perhaps as a sideline, and I love cats, dogs, and horses, all kinds of animals, really. I love to cuddle with them, look after them when they need help and that is not possible with dolphins, at least not here. They live in a different world. They would die on land, and I would die in the water. As much as I love them, I must respect our differences. I think accepting our difference is the key to true love."

 "That's a very wise thing to say from someone so young, Vai. I've met someone else who is also very young and wise for his age. Perhaps I will introduce you to him one day, but I must talk with him and his parents first. I'm sure you'd like him."

Ivan breached a sensitive issue, he knew, and looked at Gábor and saw in his eyes a question. "Are you talking about Leo?"

"He is." Leo and Helena thought as one. "You know. Why are you asking?"

"I have a hard time believing it. You are risking exposing Leo."

"Sooner or later he will be known, Gábor. We cannot hide Leo forever. And we have to start somewhere."

"Leo is not ready."

"Maybe not and neither are you, but I did not mean to introduce him today. I need to know more about Vai and Leilani. When Leo says he is willing to meet her, then we will see how best to do it.  For now, I just want to prime the girl. Her mind-field is ready, Gábor. Leo needs friends and peers who can be with him and support him when he gets into the outside world and she could be one of them if I see it right."

All this dialogue took less than a second and the women experienced only a fraction of a pause in their conversation with Ivan.

"Helena, what is your take?" Gábor wanted to have her input, but Helena needed time to think about it and conveyed such.

"Let's get back to Vai and Leilani. Stay tuned."

"So where is this person you are talking about and who is he?" Vai asked.

"He is from Canada and lives in the woods. One day, if he is willing to meet you, I'll let you know. It's a promise."

"Canada is a long way from here."

"He promised me a dinner in Canada…what was it, Ivan… Horseshoe Bay?" Leilani told Vai and her eyes sparkled.

"What? In Canada? But… but you don't know him," groused Vai in mock outrage over her mother's apparent frivolity.

"I will by the time when I'm back here," Leilani shot back with a wicked smile.

"Ma, I thought I knew you." Vai laid her hand on her chest and her mouth formed an "O". "You're shocking me."

"Oh, thank heaven. I was afraid I'd lost that edge." Leilani laid her hand on her chest, just like her daughter. It was a game they played, intended for the popaa that were not used to the direct and immediate expression of feelings and danced around an issue that led almost always to the reason that man and woman existed.

Leilani had brought up her daughters in the way of her old culture that wasted no time with what so-called civilized cultures practiced called ‘getting to know each other'. In her view, once the acknowledgment of the attraction to another was established, there was no sense in useless conversation before the parties involved got down to the business of pleasure. There was no better way to get to know one other than becoming intimate with them.

There was no faking or conventionalism in this form of relating, no game playing where the partners got married and found out in the marriage that they fell for pretence and now were trapped and locked into a situation from which conformity made it difficult to escape from. People got to know each other very fast and if it was good, they continued with their relationship, and if not, they found another. The partners based a relationship on the experience with their chosen mates and not on ownership of the person.

Ivan and Gábor looked at each other and Gábor smiled at his friend even though he was a bit miffed with him. Leilani seemed to like Ivan, judging by her willingness to take him up on his offer to have dinner with him in Canada, but he wanted to know what ideas Ivan had and he needed time to link with Leo and Helena so he could have the whole idea of what was going on in Ivan's head. Helena and Leo in the background seemed to get the picture, and their thoughts were aligning with Ivan. Gábor squinted.

Leilani excused herself again and got up to see after Lundy. This time Ivan went with her and Gábor and Vai followed behind like colleagues would, but he stayed behind her. Vai walked in front of him, her hips swaying almost erotically and he caught himself looking at her buttocks and hips as he had earlier. Her slender frame was very feminine and trim. She had a smooth walk and somehow reminded him of Helena. Helena in the background snickered and was pleased too.

"I'm pleased to see you are still receptive to the female charms. I like her; she is sexy. I can see us becoming close friends. We could meet them after you come back, and we all could check out Papeete and she could be our tour guide. She has the kind erotica you like. Leilani is just as beautiful and Ivan seems to have caught on fire. I'd like to meet them sometime." The image from Helena was warm and fuzzy.

He had to agree; this young woman had something of a natural erotic emanation very similar to Helena's. Leilani too was very attractive. Good for Ivan. Gábor looked past Vai. Lundy was in the fare to the left from theirs and the layout was the same. When Leilani entered with Ivan, Lundy was awake. His head bandaged with a lot of gauzes, the left side of his face covered down to his jaw, he looked as if he wore a lopsided turban. Some blood had seeped through the bandage.

"Hi Doc," he greeted Leilani.

"I brought you a visitor, Mr. Lundy, Mr. …" The doctor looked at Ivan.

"Cherenkov, Ivan Cherenkov," Ivan filled in. "Perhaps you've heard about my father? We're not related." Lundy's face looked confused.

"Who are you?"

"I am an insurance agent for the Cruise line you work for, and we heard about your accident and were sent to find you or your body if possible, so a claim could be settled. I'm glad we found you alive."

"What insurance? And what cruise line?"

"You don't remember? Emerald Seas. The Line has insurance for all crew. If something happens, we pay."

"Who pays? How much?"

"We do, but it all depends. How do you feel?"

"My head feels like a football after a punt."

"I'm here to take you to Papeete, to a hospital and when you've recovered, you can go back to work on your ship, as soon as you like."

"What ship? Where am I?"

"On an Island called Niau, near the Tuamotu, two hundred nautical miles east of Tahiti."

"And how did I get here?"

"You don't know?"

"Not really. I have some pictures in my head of a ship, a lion, dolphins, and a deserted beach. The next thing I see is the doctor here."

"You don't remember fighting with another person and falling overboard, being in the water?"

"Only visions, but not clearly. I have no clear pictures, only impressions; they come and go. It only came to me now as you asked."

"Concussion," Leilani said quietly beside Ivan.

"What about his memory?"

"Partial amnesia? Hard to tell."

"Okay, Mr. Lundy. Get some rest. We'll talk some more tomorrow."

"Okay."

Gábor had been in contact with Leo during the conversation and felt uneasy about Ivan's "story" of being an agent for the Liner Company, but it went down without a glitch. Helena felt a mental sigh of relief when Lundy claimed loss of memory and hoped it would remain that way for a long time.

However, she knew from past history of a few patients in her line of work that in many cases memory trickled back over time as the brain recovered from the trauma, not a hundred percent, but good enough to make statements, which in their case could be a problem. Gábor felt compassion for the man when he looked at his face and could only imagine the scars he would have from Leo's claws. The doctor did a great job, but there were four claw marks, and three of them looked really nasty, they would leave him looking disfigured. His left eye would look strange for sure.

Confused by this compassion Gábor wrinkled his forehead. He had reason to hate the man for attacking his son and endangering his life. At the same time, felt pity for his sustained injury and loss of memory about a big time of his life. Leo could be very dangerous it seemed, and Gábor wondered if he had a wild side in him along with his looks. Leo picked up on his thought and replied only to him.

"Dad, it was not intentional, I didn't mean to harm him. We may be lucky if his memory loss remains stable. What do you think?"

"If he recovers, we will have still the same problem. Can we find out how stable or unstable the memory loss is?" injected Helena.

"Leilani is the doctor and perhaps she can find out, but she would need information to probe into his memories and provoke him to remember events."

"What if Ivan mentions the dolphins or he sees you? If you show yourself to him he may remember you and could connect you to the cruiser and he would know you're not who you pretend to be."

"I will stay out of his sight for the time being and see what happens when the dolphins are brought up," Gábor the ended the link.

When Ivan stepped with Leilani out of the room, Gábor touched his hand slightly to his forehead, indicating to Ivan to link up and Leilani thought he indicated something about Lundy's mental state.

"He is confused and there is a severe case of concussion to be expected. I will see if I can rouse his memory about the accident. He lost much blood and we have no blood transfusion facilities here and no x-ray. He has to go to Papeete. Only there can he be taken care of properly," Leilani explained her concern while Ivan linked in with Leo and his family without her noticing.

The four-way connection took only a second, and they agreed on the idea of using the dolphins to provoke Lundy's memory when they talked to him again, but to keep Gábor out of sight until they were either sure the amnesia was stable, or that they were without any witnesses if Lundy started to remember events.

"We could leave tomorrow if he is transportable. Nonetheless, do you think there is a chance of finding out if dolphins were involved in his rescue? Do you think Vai could communicate with the dolphins and find out if they were instrumental in saving Lundy? If she has that connection with them, it may be possible to find out some things and that info may be helpful to bring back some of Lundy's memories, you think?" Leilani considered that thought and found it intriguing. She turned to Vai who, who heard the question and looked thoughtfully at Ivan.

"I could try. But it is getting late today, plus we'd better get ready for the arearea."

"What's an arearea?" asked Gábor. He was picking up the words and enjoyed the use of them. Helena and Leo were getting the education of their lives in Maori language skills and laughed.

"It means ‘Fun', Vai informed Gábor and added:

"You will see some of the dances we have and the traditional costumes, and since you are interested in ‘living culture', you will have your fill tonight. You must participate in the men's dancing and we will have some good laughs. It's a lot of fun." A mischievous laugh formed in the corners of her mouth and she looked at her mother.

"Ma has not danced since my father died and she needs a shake-up dance. You two had better have a good rest before it starts. She," and she pointed with her chin toward her mother, "is a wild dancer when she gets going."

"So are you, Vai," her mother deflected the praise.

"I had a very good teacher. You taught Ina and me, remember?"

"I do. You girls wore me down."

"We kept you from hauti is more like it."

"That too," laughed Leilani.

"What's ‘hauti' and who is Ina?" Gábor asked.

"Hinanu is my first daughter. She lives in Papeete," replied Leilani.

Okay. And what does ‘hauti' mean?"

"Making love," replied Vai before her mother could stop her.

"Around here in Polynesia we're a bit more open about sexuality than you Westerners and have no compunctions like you do," Leilani explained.

"Your Judeo-Christian guilt and shame complex is totally the opposite in our old culture. We have always nurtured sexuality as a cherished activity that was a pleasure for everybody to enjoy without shame or guilt. We're having no bad feelings when we feel good. Of course, with the arrival of your missionaries that has changed for many, at least on the surface. But in my family and many people on these islands the old ways are still practiced underground. We had no choice but to conform or die as heathen. But nevertheless, when we have the chance to celebrate, we do, and resurrecting the old, sensible customs with dancing, is one way to get it started.

The funny thing is when your captain Cook arrived here, they all enjoyed our ways and our culture, then your missionaries came and told us it was all sinful and forbade almost everything we did and showed us that the ‘proper' way to live was living in misery, greedy, jealous and hanging heads over some original sin and walking around with dresses that get filthy and harbour diseases. Additionally, we're paying for food and goods that nature provides freely. Before them, food was available for free. Today we have to buy our own produce.

In this day and age, the Westerners come here to find all that what we had before the missionaries ‘improved' our lives. They think we must be glad that they came to show us what it takes to be happy. You two appear to be different from them. The dances and celebrations today will give you a little insight into our culture that many have forgotten."

Both men felt a bit awkward and didn't know how to reply to that, so Ivan broke the uncomfortable moment with a remark meant to ease the situation.

"Your ways sound more like an hors d'oeuvre to me. Let the dance begin." Even Helena had a good laugh roughly hundred forty-five nautical miles away. Helena wondered how Gábor would look when he tried to dance Polynesian style. He moved well, had great coordination and if it was possible to see through Ivan's eyes Gábor's movements, then it would be like her watching him through her own eyes. She looked forward to the experience and conveyed it to him, but reminded him to save at least one dance for her. Telepathically he replied.

"As long as you are around, there never will be any dance that was not reserved for you."

"Choose well. We are free to love, anytime, anywhere and anyone as long as it is mutual and not forced. Have fun. Remember that love is to be shared. I'll dance with you when you come back," she promised, but left a quizzical husband to ponder what she meant with "We are free to love, anytime, anywhere and anyone, as long as it is mutual and not forced."

She couldn't have meant for him to get it on with the women here. Ivan's grin told him he was ‘listening' and he shrugged his shoulders. To him, it sounded like Gábor had a liberal wife with a great sense of humour. Their relationship was solid as bedrock. The undercurrent of Helena's thoughts must have meant that Gábor should enjoy the festivities. There are very few secrets in the mind-link, but still, some remained obscure; he would have to get used to it or learn how to cover his thoughts.