160 When Good Is Bad and Bad Is Good (1/2)

There was a sail out there. A single triangular sail, barely visible above the horizon. It was very far away, but after watching it for a while Samir ascertained that it was moving north, together with the wind.

Who could it be?

It was Trouble, that's what it was.

When the spear was clean, he waded back to the shore and tossed it onto the sand and then turned around and ran into the ocean, diving into the water headfirst as soon as it was deep enough. He took a mouthful of seawater on purpose and spat it out when he surfaced. It left a bad taste in his mouth. That was good. It was proof that something very, very necessary - didn't life as such begin in the ocean? - could taste bad, very bad.

He hadn't killed anyone ever before. The man he'd pierced with his spear was his first victim. It was good that he was young and strong and most importantly, that he'd attacked first. Whatever was done was done in self-defense.

My first kill, thought Samir. My very first kill. How lucky! Many first kills consisted of killing a cowering child or a whimpering old woman. Or someone equally defenseless and helpless. But he had killed a man much stronger and more dangerous than he was, himself. It was more than okay, more than all right. It was a triumph!

He stood still, the water reaching to his neck, and threw his head back and roared at the sky:

”Aaaarrrgh!”

His cry dissolved instantly in the hissing ocean. Almost as quickly, he had the thought he might have been heard by the strangers in the boat. The wind was offshore - no, that was absurd, the sail was at least a thousand paces away.

But still, he turned around and started half-swimming, half-walking back to the shore. He was about halfway there when he saw Neil running down to the beach. He waved to Neil, and Neil stopped. He stood and stared as Samir finally got out of the water and approached him, shaking water out of his ears.

”What is it?” demanded Samir, He twirled a finger inside his ear hole, bent his head, and unplugged his ear. He turned the freshly tuned ear towards Neil and gave him a dangerous, slanted look and repeated:

”Come on. What is it?”

”I heard you shout,” said Neil. ”So I came and saw, and saw this.”

He raised his arm and pointed at the sail and squinted at Samir, as if it was his fault the sail was there.

”I saw that sail too,” Samir said. ”We'll talk about it later. Let's deal with those bodies first. It's going to be a lot of work.”

”Can't we just throw them into the ocean?”

”They might wash upon the beach.”

”Exactly. And when the high tide comes - ”

Samir broke off. He stared into the distance with unseeing eyes.

Giving people a good scare was the perfect way to secure their obedience. As a wise man called Machiavelli had put it: it was better be feared than to be loved.

”We leave everything as it is,” he said. He gave Neil a critical glance, and added:

”You need a wash. Have a swim. I'm going back to the village to take a look at things. Join me there when you're ready.”

”What about the bodies?”

”I said we leave everything the way it is. We'll tell the others the truth. That someone tried to take over my settlement, and that we killed them.”

Neil was silent for a while. Then he said:

”I understand.” He sounded like he really did. Samir nodded, and said:

”I'll see you later.”

He was done quickly with taking inventory of everything in the abandoned settlement: the list was short. Madan had taken all the good stuff when he moved to Kulaba. But what had been left behind was still more than enough to give the new colonists a good start.

Of course, it might not appear that way to someone who was new in the New World. A few huts built of wattle, cracked pots, holed baskets, and shredded nets could look disappointing to newcomers. Samir was aware of that, and when he and Neil got back to the group resting in the palm grove he said:

”Forgive me for being away for so long. We came across intruders who were trying to take over my settlement, and we had to fight them. We killed them.”

He paused and savored the silence that followed his words. Then he added:

”The settlement I am about to give to you is a precious prize. But you don't have to worry about anything now. You're safe. You're under my protection. Come on, let's go, and don't forget to take... You ate all the coconuts?”

”There were just eight or nine,” said the caretaker. ”And you were gone for a long time.”

”A very long time,” said his wife.

”We thought you were dead,” said her brother.