Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Vijai Chand had been nagging his daughter for over twenty minutes. Letting steam off he had managed to calm his nerves, but he could clearly see the boredom in the girl's eyes and attitude.

"You have exposed yourself to a thousand dangers to bring aboard this yacht someone of whom you do not know his identity, nor do you know how he came to that beach."- The discussion took place in Hindi. “These waters are full of pirates, traffickers of all kinds, drug and arms dealers and people smugglers. The chances of him being a malefactor are greater than those of being a poor castaway.”

"Papa, if I had not rescued him and brought him here, the man would probably be dead now."

"You really do not know if it would not have been better!"

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing! What remains of all the precepts of charity that you proclaim when we go to the temple?”

"We're not in the temple now. This is real life.”

Alisha burst with rage at an absolutely unexpected reaction in a traditional Indian woman, but she was anything but a traditional Indian woman and Vijai knew it. For a moment he regretted being separated from his wife; indeed she was an Indian matron of great character who would had put her daughter under control. Practical man at last he concealed his anger and softened his tone a little.

"You could have left the ... shipwrecked or whatever he is on the island and come on the raft to get help on the yacht. That way Jack could have decided whether to bring him on board or not. Thus, you have introduced into the yacht someone who may be a danger for all of us.”

"That's your real problem!" Unlike her father Alisha did not lower his tone and continued speaking in an eruptive form. "What really bothers you is that your buddy can get angry with you.”

The father was going to answer in an exemplary way what he considered to be a total disrespect of his daughter when a knock sounded on the cabin door. Vijai gestured to the girl indicating to remain silent and went to open it. The immense figure of Jack Brody appeared on the other side, dressed in dark trousers, white crossed jacket and a captain cap. His appearance was perfect except for certain veins in his nose and face that betrayed his love of drinking. He quickly set his gaze on Alisha's spectacular copper body, which was still in a bikini since the argument with her father had prevented her of bathing and changing her clothes. The girl blushed once more, as she knew Brody's other notorious hobby, young and beautiful women.

"Am I interrupting something?" The Irishman shamelessly asked, who, despite not speaking Hindi, had likely heard the discussion inside the cabin. Without waiting for the answer to his rhetorical question, he added at once to the woman.

"The man you rescued has awakened. Your father and I are going to talk to him.”

“ I demand to be present at the meeting. I think I have rights." Answered Alisha to her father's alarm.

Jack thought for a few moments with an annoyed look and then said.

"Well, let it be. Perhaps you can help because the castaway has a certain French accent and you speak that language very well.”

The involuntary guest was lying on a couch in the yacht room, he was conscious and he was trying to sit on the divan with a visible effort. Gaurika, Brody's girlfriend and one of the Sudanese girls were taking care of the stranger helping him to sit up and pouring him a cold drink.

The helmsman of the yacht, an Indonesian who officiated as a paramedic in case of need, had determined that the shipwreck was in a high degree of dehydration and had to sip liquids in a gradual way. He had already performed cures on several wounds on the head and torso of the stranger in order to prevent infections.

Brody, Alisha and his father Vijai entered the room and were silent for a moment while the helmsman finished with his care and when he stepped back Brody approached and in a neutral voice addressed the unknown man.

"They tell me that in your delusions you spoke French. Do you speak English?”

The stranger nodded his head, coughing in order to clear his voice.

"Well, that makes things easier." Continued the owner of the yacht.” Could you please identify yourself, that is, tell us your name, your nationality and your occupation?”

The man nodded again. Then making an obvious effort began with his response.

"My name is Romain Mercier. I am Canadian, of the Province of Quebec.” He spoke perfect English although with a barely perceptible French accent.

"I'm an admirer of Montreal, except in the winter, of course." Added Brody in an effort to break the ice.

"I come from a small town called Trois Pistoles, located on the Saint Lawrence River.

"What do you do for a living, Mr. Mercier?" Jack continued his questioning.

"I'm a geologist.”

"And how did you get to the atoll where our guest found you?" The millionaire inquired, politely pointing to Alisha. "Were you a victim of a shipwreck?"

"I did not travel by boat, but in a seaplane." We had left Zanzibar in the direction of Sri Lanka. The plane had a flaw but managed to land in the ocean. The pilot, the other passenger and I were able to put a raft to the sea before the plane sunk. We spent two days in the water without seeing anyone. At the end of the second afternoon a violent storm broke out and we were all thrown into the sea. I could hold myself to the empty raft that was turned upside down and spent the night in the icy water. The next morning I was able to straighten the boat and lay on it. I had nothing to eat or drink. I do not know how I got to that islet. At some point I must have lost consciousness. " Then he turned to Alisha.

"So it was you who found me?"

The girl felt another blush as she was questioned by the stranger. In spite of herself she had to recognize that the reaction was due to the attraction that man exerted on her. Overcoming her embarrassment she answered.

"Yes, it was me.”

"My daughter not only found you but loaded you on her raft and brought you here." Said Vijai with a hint of pride as Jack Brody nodded.

"Then I express my gratitude to her because it is evident that she saved my life," Mercier replied. Then he went on talking to the girl.

"Did not you see traces of the raft on the beach ... or other things, belongings that I had brought with me?"

"There was absolutely nothing in sight." Alisha said as she regained her usual aplomb. "No wonder, because we do not know how much time you spent on the beach. The tides may have taken your raft or other things offshore.”

"Again, thank you." The man called Romain said, but he could not conceal a hint of frustration.

"Were there any particular objects that you miss?" Vijai asked.

"No ..." Mercier replied in a way that seemed elusive to Elisha. "Actually, my documents, money ... well, things like that….”

Interest in Mercier's explanations began to decline when the passengers of the yacht saw that there was nothing extraordinary about his activities so that progressively Brody and his girlfriend Gaurika and then Vijai left the room to take in the fresh air from the deck. Only Alisha stared at the castaway who at first seemed distracted and then decided to give her an intense look. The girl knew what was going on in the man's psyche as she knew the effect her huge dark eyes had on the opposite sex. Standing at the farthest end of the room, Charuni, one of the Sudanese girls watched the scene in silence, so she was not perceived by Alisha nor Mercier.

"Can I ask you another question?" Alisha asked the stranger.

“Of course.”

"What was a geologist doing between Zanzibar and Sri Lanka?"

The man was obviously not prepared for that question and hesitated a moment before answering.

“Well ... I'm in a kind of holiday period ... I'm going to my destination in Bombay, sorry Mumbai.”

The look and overall appearance of Romain displayed a certain degree of anxiety to ascertain what effect his response caused.

Alisha inclined her head, nodding at the man's words, and left without further comment from the room silently followed by Charuni.

The girl leaned on the yacht railing watching the waves break against the coral near the shore and hearing the cooing of the waters on the hull. Suddenly she heard a voice behind her back.

"The man lied to your last question and you noticed it."

Startled, Alisha turned and saw Charuni behind her, intensely staring at her.

“ Sorry? What did you just say?”

"Your question about Mercier's activities was adequate and predictable, and yet it produced a certain embarrassment and forced him to give you a false answer.”

So far Alisha and Charuni had had little contact so that the young Indian was astonished by the direct interpellation. But she had already noticed that the black girl was a shrewd woman and was thus intrigued by what she was saying.

“Please elaborate.”

Instead of answering, Charuni said directly.

"I'll tell you what I think Mercier could be doing on the island of Zanzibar, and on the neighboring mainland in Tanzania.”

“I´m listening.”

"In that country there are gold and also diamonds and other gems mines. In particular the exploitation of the latter is done illegally and clandestinely.”

"And you believe ...?"

"On the other hand," interrupted Charuni to continue her own speech. "One of the most important world markets for gems is in India. It is possible that Mercier was heading not to Sri Lanka but to the Indian mainland.”

Alisha pondered the reflection. In fact the gifts of jewels of the Indian potentates to their ladies constituted one of the main Asian and world markets for the precious metals and gems. Charuni's new words brought her out of her meditations.

"You like him and he likes you. There is no doubt about that.”

The Sudanese sudden change of subject found Alisha again out of balance. Her face was covered with blush once more, a phenomenon of rare occurrence in her life but apparently repeated in relation to the man whose life she had saved. His red hair and blue eyes flew briefly through her mind, forcing her to shake her head to ward off pleasant but untimely thoughts.

She thought to react angrily at the Sudanese's unusual interference in her private life, but when she looked up at her, she only managed to smile. Charuni turned and headed for the bridge. Alisha remained with her elbow leaning on the railing of the ship reflecting on the suggestive talk with the woman. Much to her dismay, she had to acknowledge that everything Charuni had said was reasonable and that suspicions about Romain's activities were well founded.