Kal, Male, 37

	- Narrator, disaster survivor and castaway

	- Husband of Kate, Bailey, Keekah, and Amy, father of Katie

	- 6'1, 190lbs, straight, shoulder-length dark-brown hair

Nina, Female, 26

	- Lover of Kate, Kal, and Hakee

	- 5'4, 120lbs, light-brown tanned skin, straight shoulder-length brown hair

Hakee, Female, 18
 
	- Survivor from Hahonoko, daughter of Manu, sister of Keekah and Mie, cousin of Poln

	- 5'9, 145lbs, mocha-brown skin, butt-length straight black hair

Kunomo, Male, late-40s

	- Uhonamonan elder, brother of Kahan

	- 5'8, 145lbs, dark-brown skin, short black hair

Popko, Male, ~19

	- Uhonomonan native

	- 5'10, 165lbs, dark-brown skin, short curly black hair

Standing on the deck of the largest of the three boats on the morning of our third day at sea, I found myself more calm than I expected. The waters around us shimmered with optimism and confidence. I sucked it in greedily, feeling more alive than I had in a long time. I missed home, missed Bailey and Katie and the others, but I'd shifted those concerns deep in order to focus on the mission at hand.

The first two days of the trip had been mostly smooth. Random, light rain fell several times, and the seas got choppy during the second night, but the boat crews were professionals and kept us moving forward. We'd actually gained a couple of hours and expected to rendezvous with the small scout boat before sunset.

I realized I'd missed Keekah's sixteenth birthday while we headed towards the island. I reflected back to the celebration we'd had on May 8th the year before, when Keekah had turned fifteen. I felt myself growing hard at the memory of Manu presenting her daughter with the stone phallus. Keekah was currently pregnant with our child, and for a while, my calm excitement had been replaced by longing and worry. I hoped the others had ensured she had a wonderful day, and I vowed to make it up to her once I returned.

Nina had been sick in the night, rising from the bunk next to mine to vomit twice before returning to moan in her bed. She had no fever, but she was feeling miserable. The third morning, she was feeling better, no longer nauseous, but a bit weak from her uncomfortable night. Nina assured me she would be up to completing the mission, but I could see the weariness in her eyes.

I stared out at the horizon, my shift as lookout nearly complete. We'd seen no vessels which were not our own on the trip, and we hoped it would remain that way. Kunomo had told me previously that the fishing crews would rarely go out more than two days from the island, and the scout crew had been a three-man volunteer group which had gone three days out for a week or two at a time, risking their lives to learn more about the island. The elders had told them not to risk investigating the cache directly, so they stayed a few miles off shore and kept twenty-four hour watches for arriving and departing craft, ducking below the horizon whenever they might be seen.

Dolphins splashed down near the bow, two or three slick creatures bouncing and racing along with the boat. Hakee drew up next to me and leaned her head onto my shoulder. “Remember the last time the dolphins came. They were a good sign,” she said.

“I do. I hope we are so fortunate this time.”

We watched them play along for a while before one of the crew came up to take over as lookout. Hakee and I found Nina napping in her bunk, so we left her alone, going topside again to rest in the shade behind the cabin.

“Think she's alright? I don't like seeing her hurting...” Hakee said with concern as she settled against me.

“I think so,” I replied, not as sure as I sounded. “She's a tough woman. Just a stomach bug or something. No fever, so she should be alright. Get her some of that lemon tea when she wakes.”

Hakee was silent a moment. “I love her, Kal.”

I smiled. “I know. I'm glad you two found each other.”

“I didn't think I could love a woman like a man, but Nina is different. She makes me feel special.”

“I know just what you mean. I have been lucky enough to have Nina in my life for many years. She's a wonderful person.”

“How do you do it, Kal?”

“Do what?”

“Make all the people your life feel loved and special. It's not just Bailey and Kate, not just Amy and Keekah. You make me feel special too, and Nina still loves you a lot. Even after... what happened when you and I moved too fast... I still knew that you loved me and wanted me to be happy. Even if it wasn't the right time for us... I never forgot how you tried to make up for that...”

I shook my head. “I don't know... I just do what feels right. I love all of you, and I try to make sure you know it whenever I can. It isn't easy, really, it's not. I don't have all the hours in the day I need to give Bailey and Amy and Kate and Keekah the attention they deserve, and that leaves even less for you and Nina... I guess it comes down to honesty, and talking it out, making sure that when someone is clearly doing without what she needs, it doesn't go unnoticed or unaddressed. It helps that everyone is so good to each other. Like, Amy and Kate. They've bonded so well, they take care of each other, they love each other. It is much easier to make it work when everyone is invested together.”

Hakee kissed my cheek, then returned her head to my shoulder. “Are you mad... about me taking Nina from you?”

“Mad? No, not at all. No, just the opposite. I'm thrilled that you love her as I do, that she finds you worth her love. You two are naturals together. Sure, I miss Nina at times, and I'll always, always love her. But you two are close, now, and I'll always be thankful to you for loving her so deeply. She deserves your love, and you deserve hers.”

“Talking about me behind my back, are we?” Nina's voice was bent by a smile. I looked up to see her leaning against the side of the boat cabin, her cheeks looking less pale than earlier.

“Just professing our love for you.” I replied.

“Hmm...” Nina sat next to me and kissed my lips, then held her mouth to Hakee's a moment. “ I love you two, as well.”

“Feeling better?” Hakee asked.

“I am. Stomach is back to normal, finally kept some food down. Bit of rest before the action and I'll be good to go.”

“Vessel on the horizon!” Nina relayed after we heard Kunomo's voice call from one of the other boats which moved with us a few meters away. I looked to see him pointing from his spot on the bow, and quickly stood with the women right beside me. I rushed up to the front and could see a small, dark shape just over the horizon.

Nina conversed with the Uhonamona crew member and told us, “that's where the scout ship should be, but he said we should prepare for it being something else.”

I rushed down below with Nina and Hakee and strapped on my pistol and clip belt. Nina slammed a cartridge into her semi-automatic, and the three of us rose onto the deck and settled into crouches, awaiting identification of the boat several miles ahead.

- - -

The scout ship was tiny, really, little more than a rustic bass boat with a mesh covering and a hollowed out section which looked to hold two cots and a small stove. I was astounded that such a vessel could survive a single day out at sea, let alone a week or more. Kunomo's boat slid along side while our own idled a few dozen meters away, one of Kunomo's crew slinging a rope to secure the vessels together, then tossing a rope ladder over the side.

One of the scouts climbed onto the boat and for several minutes, I watched as he talked excitedly, using his arms to pinpoint directions as he spoke. I saw Kunomo nod after a while, then the scout clambered back down into his small vessel.

The three larger boats moved together carefully, rubber bumpers thrown over the sides just before they drew close. The men tied off ropes and we climbed across onto the deck of Kunomo's boat.

Hakee did the translating this time as Kunomo spoke. “The scouts tell us they have seen no break in the observed pattern, that the expected supply ship arrived six hours ago and departed four hours ago, on schedule. The next expected arrival is in the morning, an hour or so after midday. Our window is open, it seems.” A broad smile graced his lips. The man was eager to get going.

And I was, too. The calm I'd felt an hour or two before had been replaced with nervous excitement. Even as the contingency plans floated through my head, the inherent risks obvious and looming, I couldn't help feeling ready to step out and do something to damage the enemy, and to help my family.

It was an odd realization, that. I'd tried so hard to divorce myself, to divorce my family and friends, from the outside world, that I didn't really think much about 'us' versus 'them'. But these men, the ones who maintained this supply cache, had attacked my friends, taken me from my family, and nearly killed several of us. We'd played possum on the island, and we'd played it well, but here was my chance to strike back at those who had harmed us, who were harming the world.

We drank small shots of coconut wine, a native liquor which was almost too-sweet to drink. Nina abstained, accepting, instead, the cup of steaming lemon tea offered by Hakee. Once the drinks were gone, the final preparations began.

I stayed on with Kunomo to discuss the last planning details. His boat would go in first, cautiously, with me on it, while the other two and the scout fanned out. It would be dark, so we'd use lantern signals to report sightings or other concerns. If all was clear, we'd push onto shore and I'd take charge of the investigation with the help of two of his men, one of which spoke reasonable English. We'd survey the cache and report back. We'd prioritize the supplies and immediately set to storing the contents within the first boat.

Ten minutes before the first boat completed, the second would be signaled to move ashore, and the first would take its place as lookout. The third would later do the same, then we'd move as discussed to the South as quickly as possible.

I let out a breath and shook Kunomo's hand. “Ready, my friend?” I asked.

He smiled, and replied, Hakee translating, “Yes, my friend. I am ready.”

- - -

I was over the bow and into the surf as soon as Kunomo signaled that we were anchored. We were in about four feet of water, the waves coming in swiftly but with little turbulence. I quickly made the fifty meters to shore as the other two men who were to join me got the rowboat over the side.

The darkness was nearly complete, but I had a small flashlight and could make out heavy tracks near the top part of the thin beach as I strode up. I stopped and listened, flashlight off, straining to hear or see any sign that I wasn't alone on the island. I heard nothing but the breeze and the bugs.

The island itself was small, nearly round, the center capped with a dense copse of trees and bushes. No more than a few hundred meters in any direction, it was far smaller than Phoenix.

Satisfied that the only others on the island were the two men tying off our rowboat, I flicked on the flashlight and followed the tracks to where they led off the beach, then picked my way along a narrow footpath which led around to the South part of the landmass. It took only a moment to find the entrance to a camouflaged bunker nestled in the treeline nearby.

The bunker was recessed into the sandy soil and hidden, the door and a couple of feet of the entranceway the only sign that such a thing existed. Foliage had been hastily strew on and around it, masking it from anyone passing by on the ocean, but doing nothing to hide it from me where I stood a foot away. The door was metal, and the exposed parts of the walls which I could see were similar.

I tried the door and found it bolted in place. I pulled out the small bag I'd brought with me and fished out a screwdriver, trying to jimmy the door free. It remained stuck but there was enough play that I knew I could force it open with some effort. I repositioned the screwdriver, managed to get it between the door and frame, and as the two crew members joined my side, I freed the door, the metal frame bending and scaring from the motion.

I peered inside, using my flashlight as I took a step.

Inside, the room was much larger than I expected. It opened up to be a couple of dozen meters wide. I couldn't tell how far back it ran because there were crates and boxes and barrels stacked high and deep. A very narrow passageway had been left between the crates, and I motioned the two men with me to wait while I stepped further back.

I followed the passage carefully, not pausing yet to see into the crates. I found the back wall after just a few seconds, the room perhaps a few meters deeper than it was wide. Doing a bit of quick math, I expected we had just enough room to take all the contents with us, assuming they weren't too heavy for the boats.

I told the one man who spoke English, a young man named Popko,“Start a quick check of those crates. See, there's a crowbar near the door, use that if you need to open something. Quick, though, we just need an idea of what's here.” He nodded and relayed my message to the other man.

I looked at the closest barrel to the back of the room. It held no markings, and as I tested it by holding my arms around and shaking it, I could tell it held liquid. The other barrels nearby seemed to be similar. One after another, I found no markings of interest until I realized they all had a series of symbols scratched into their tops. I couldn't decipher them, so I pried open the first crate.

It held semi-automatic rifles and metal ammo containers. The rifles were not carefully placed, jammed together into a mess of cold steel. That first crate easily held a few dozen rifles and a few dozen crates of ammunition. It was going to be heavy.

The next crate held the same, and the third was a mishmash of pistols, grenades, and claymore mines. I felt very nervous just being in tight quarters with those explosives.

I moved on to a stack of boxes on each side of me. One held canned vegetables and fruits, another canned meats. A third included sacks of rice and beans. I'd seen enough for us to get moving.

I motioned the men out of the bunker and as we quickly walked back to where Kunomo and the other two men from our boat had joined us in a second rowboat, I asked Popko what they had found. “Clothing, bottles of pills, bandages,” he replied, clearly excited and nearly out of breath, “Oh! Also, we find radios!”

“Radios?”

“Umm... yes. The radios. Like... squawk-squawk?”

I assumed he meant some sort of two-way communication radios, short-wave. A very useful find, something which would allow us to stay in close touch with the Uhonamonans and perhaps, the rest of the world. If we wanted that, of course. Naturally, if there were no batteries, the electronics would be useless.

I briefed Kunomo and we immediately set into motion. Eight others from the waiting boats had joined us by then, the crafts heading out to stand lookout along with the scouts. Nina and Hakee were on the first rowboat.

Kunomo had brought a variety of items to help us haul the heavy crates and boxes, including skids that worked well on the sand. It was going to be a very long night, and I worried that we would far exceed the three hour window at the end of which we hoped to depart.

- - -

It was just over four hours later by the time the last barrel was on board the third boat. We'd had enough room for everything in the bunker, some to spare. Kunomo's boat captain had planned the load to evenly distribute it across the boats, and as the last item was placed in the hold, Kunomo signaled that it was time to leave.

We didn't make an effort to cover our tracks. It was still very dark and the wind had driven in a soft rain shower, doing most of that work for us. To anyone looking, of course, it would be obvious someone had been there. The empty bunker would make it certain.

I climbed back onto my boat, the last to be loaded as the captain directed it to be moved out from shore. The other boats had already been signaled to begin the movement South, the scout boat would follow behind us a few miles, just within sight, to keep an eye on our tail.

Satisfied that the boat was clear of the shallow areas around the island, the captain throttled up and turned us South. I sat heavily near the bow, Hakee and Nina nearby. I was tired but excitement kept me revved up and feeling restless. Nina had done fine, despite her earlier illness, and the smile on her face warmed me even as the light rain turned cool.

I kept watch for a few hours before one of the crew came to relieve me, Nina and Hakee already down in the bunk area. Popko was with my relief a moment and informed me that Kunomo had signaled an all clear, meaning that he believed we had gotten away without being seen, the scout boat seeing no sign of pursuit. I felt myself relax just a bit. I decided to go rest below. I came down the ladder to an arousing sight.

Hakee was on her back on the narrow bunk, Nina over her in a sixty-nine. I stood in the slender entrance to the bunk room and watched, growing aroused despite the exertion from the night. Light moans echoed, barely audible against the heavier background sounds of water rushing by the boat's hull and the vibrations from the engine.

I watched as Hakee pressed her face between Nina's thighs, her nose pushed against the woman's anus, her tongue slithering inside Nina's vagina. Hakee was so focused on eating her lover's pussy that she didn't notice that I had crouched down beside her to get a better view.

I ran my hands over Nina's ass, then spread her cheeks wider, giving Hakee complete access. Hakee's eyes flickered open and she pulled back a bit, saliva and pussy juice coating her lips and chin and Nina's labia. She smiled at me, said, “tight in here, but join us...”

Nina turned back and saw me then, smiling as well. I leaned down and kissed Hakee as I reached my arm between the women, caressing Hakee's breasts then sliding down to play with Nina's clit.

I alternated between the women, kissing one and playing with the other's genitals, then switching. The two came easily, clearly as tired as I was, but too turned on to stop. When Nina climaxed over Hakee's face, her pussy drooled creamy cum onto the brown-skinned teen's tongue. The kiss I shared with Hakee a moment later was one of the most delicious I've ever known.

Hakee's hand snaked out and unzipped my trousers, fishing my hard cock out. Precum had leaked out the tip in liberal quantities, and, despite the awkward way I had to hold on to the top bunk and press my thighs against the bottom one, I was able to push my dick close enough to Hakee for her to suck on the head. I groaned in pleasure.

I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye, turned to see Popko standing motionless watching at the bottom of the ladder. Nina noticed him at the same time, and I heard her say, “would you like to join us?”

The young man, no older than nineteen or twenty, was frozen a moment, then he looked up the ladder anxiously. The Uhonamonans did not have the free-love nature that we had, and I suspected he was worried that if he gave in and joined us, someone might find out and think less of him.

His arousal was close to winning, and when Nina reached out and slowly stroked the bulge which was obvious in his pants, he smiled nervously and let her pull them down, exposing his stocky brown penis.

Nina motioned him closer, and as Hakee sucked my cock, Nina took Popko's into her mouth. Popko was anxious but he was no fool. He was clearly enjoying himself, even smiling at me as Nina's lips worked their magic.

Nina crawled off of Hakee and stood next to Popko, stroking his dick with her fingers as she kissed him. The young man was clearly lost in the unexpected pleasure. Hakee stood as well, sharing a kiss with me then bending over the bottom bunk, offering me her sex. I slid in, finding the warm, welcoming tightness of Hakee's pussy as I bottomed out quickly.

Nina followed her example, bending over and offering Popko her body. The young man seemed to know what to do, using his hand to guide his cock into Nina's pussy. He groaned audibly as the pleasure of Nina's body consumed him.

I started to fuck Hakee steadily, the young woman's tight cunt grasping me. She was always very tight, tighter than anyone I'd penetrated other than Mie. Hakee's small slit and smaller vagina felt like heaven to me, and I was soon building towards release.

I heard Popko grunt as his hips slapped against Nina's body. She cried out and came around his cock, and the young man shook visibly as he began to ejaculate into her vagina. It was incredibly hot to watch Nina take his load, and I let my own flood into Hakee's pussy. She felt me cumming and her cunt clenched and milked my seed into her body.

I buzzed with euphoria, Popko smiling at me with a happy, dazed expression. Nina pushed him back then sank down to her knees to suck him again, cleaning away the streaks of her cum and his which were white against his thick, brown shaft. I stayed inside Hakee, stroking her with my half-hard penis until I began to harden again. Her tight pussy made it effortless and wonderful, my semen frothing and coating her vulva and my length.

Nina eyed me after she'd returned Popko's cock to hardness. “Switch?” she said to anyone listening. I grinned and somewhat reluctantly pulled myself out of Hakee's wonderful cunt. Her brown labia gaped a moment, the reddish-pink insides a lovely, creamy contrast to the darker skin around her vagina. I knelt down quickly and lapped her hole, tasting the pungent mixture of my cum and hers.

I moved to Nina as Popko got the idea. He slid beside Hakee's body and in seconds was penetrating the eighteen-year old's tightness. He groaned as she moaned her pleasure. I kissed Nina a moment, then spun her around and slid into her pussy.

Popko's cum was thick and voluminous inside Nina's vagina. On my first stroke I felt it squish out around my penetration, and on the second I could feel globs of his hot sperm running down my balls. I was incredibly turned on to fuck Nina with Popko's seed inside her.

We both lasted much longer this time. Nina and Hakee were side-by-side, their thighs touching, sharing long, deep kisses as Popko and I fucked them from behind. I felt Nina's cunt spasm and her back dipped as her body tensed. Her orgasm was muffled by Hakee's mouth as she came, her vagina clasping my cock as I steadily fucked her. Hakee came a moment later, and that triggered Popko's second ejaculation.

He bellowed and grunted, holding onto Hakee's hips as if he would fall over without that support. He slammed against her ass, pounding his semen into the eighteen-year old's pussy. I wondered if he left another large load of his cum inside.

He collapsed onto the opposite bunk, trying to catch his breath. Popko stared at Hakee's upturned backside a moment, his jism leaking freely from the brown-skinned young woman's gaping vagina. I could see his brown cock twitching and small drops of sperm running down his shaft. Hakee stood slowly only after breaking a kiss with Nina, turning and sinking down to clean away the mixture of cum from Popko's shrinking cock.

I wasn't ready to cum just yet, despite the way Nina's cunt felt so warm and wonderful. I was lost in the ecstasy of it all, the release of tension from our adventure, the release of pleasure from my first orgasm with Hakee. I held Nina's waist and fucked her steadily, changing my rhythm as necessary to hold off my climax as long as possible.

I glanced behind me to see that Hakee had gone from cleaning Popko's cock to giving him a proper blow job. The young man had recovered after his second orgasm and was leaned back, eyes closed, enjoying the way Hakee sucked his dick.

I pulled out of Nina and helped her to straighten up. I turned her and shared a long kiss with her, my fingers slithering through her wet, slippery slit. I brought her to a quick orgasm by frigging her clit with her own wetness and the remains of Popko's ejaculation. She quivered and shook, holding on to my body to keep from falling.

I pushed her onto her back on the bunk next to Popko. Nina spread her legs, the young man watching, and I settled over her, sliding my cock back into her messy, gaping vagina. Nina moaned and ran her hands over my face and chest. I leaned down to suck her breasts and was quickly building to climax.

Popko groaned next to us and filled Hakee's mouth with the last of his seed. She swallowed quickly, keeping his penis between her lips. Only a small drop slid out the side of her mouth and ran down her chin and onto her lovely breasts.

I lost it then. I ground myself on Nina, my cock buried, moving in and out of her in short thrusts. My balls drew up and I felt a fiery burn spread through my groin. Nina stared into my eyes as I began to spew my load into her pussy. I spasmed and grunted, squirt after squirt of my semen filling her vagina. Her legs drew me in and held me deep inside of her as I came hard into her pussy.

We were all spent. Popko rested on the bunk after Hakee let his soft penis fall from her mouth, using her tongue to lick her lips and clean up the small amount of the young man's semen which had drooled out. Nina closed her eyes as I pulled out of her, a very satisfied grin on her face, her body flushed and sweaty.

Hakee stood, kissed me, then knelt down to suck my cock clean a moment before moving between her lover's legs and licking Nina's swollen, messy genitals. Despite her weariness, Nina came a minute later from Hakee's attention, crying out freely as her body trembled and strained. Hakee smiled at her then crawled beside her on the bunk.

Reluctantly, we all donned our clothes, knowing that the other two men on the boat might be less thrilled by our naked flesh. I had my doubts, though, and I suspected that if Hakee or Nina were to stride naked up to the deck, both men would welcome the sight, and likely, hope to do something like what Popko had enjoyed.

Still, there was a boat to manage, and we weren't out of the woods yet. Despite the all clear from Kunomo, we still risked encountering other boats or rough seas. Our moments of pleasure were taken at a time when we all needed release and some joy, but we couldn't sink into it further. I kissed the women as they rested, neither due for a watch for several hours. Popko was the next on duty, and despite my tiredness, I was in no mood for sleep. I was still excited by our adventure, still buzzing from the sex, and I followed the young man up topside, leaving Nina and Hakee to find some rest.

Popko and I checked on the lookout and found that he had nothing to report, then we moved to the back of the deck. The young man produced a hand-rolled cigarette, lit it, then offered me one. Though I was not a tobacco smoker, other than cigars I'd recovered on Phoenix, I felt it appropriate to join him. He lit it for me, and I took a deep puff.

“That was... what is word... hot?” Popko said above the whine of the breeze and the rumble of the engines and the water.

“Yes. Very hot,” I replied.

“I do not expect this. This is... normal?”

“On our island, yes. We share together in all things, including love-making. We are very good to each other that way.”

I could see Popko dreaming about what it must be like to have willing, available partners like Nina and Hakee all the time. “And... these women... uh... see, in Uhonamona, this... this... uh... activities... would be not alright... uh... they might... be seen as not... umm... What is word... they, uh... dirty.”

“That's a real shame, Popko. See, to me, to those of us on Phoenix, sexuality is natural, normal, something to share and be joyous together doing. Anyone is free to be sexual, so long as everyone consents. There is no shame. Just the opposite. We love each other, we share our bodies, and we celebrate this openness, this willingness to bring each other pleasure. I wish your people saw the joy and love which can come from that.”

He nodded. “I do as well. I do not think that way... though I admit feeling... umm... shame... that I have done this just now. My parents would tell me that I bring... dishonor to myself and to the women. I don't think that is true, but... I am somewhat troubled this way.”

“It is hard to overcome what you are taught to believe. You are already growing beyond that, Popko. What you did tonight, what we did together, there is no shame in this. It was pleasurable for all of us. Believe me, Nina and Hakee very much enjoyed themselves and they would almost certainly want to do it again. To them, there is no shame, and you and I should not think less of them or ourselves as a result. They are mature women, deserving our respect, capable of making their own decisions about sharing their bodies. It is ok to struggle with these things, Popko, I know this is new to you. But I think you will find that the only reason for holding on to those views is because other people believe them. Make up your own mind. You don't have to tell others about this, if that makes it easier, but don't think less of the women, or yourself, as a result. This was natural, pleasurable, and good for all of us.”

He smiled and nodded. “Yes. I believe you. I will not tell my parents, this I know, but... my friends... Them I must tell...” He laughed and I joined him.

“So,” I asked, “I get the feeling this was not your first time with a woman...”

Popko shook his head. “No, I have been with two women, not like this though. I never told anyone but my friend Hu. I wish to be with many more!”

“I'm sure you will, my friend, I'm sure you will.”

He was silent a moment, then asked, “if I asked it, would you welcome me on your island?”

“Of course. I don't know that your people can spare you, though. Kunomo has suggested that he needs everyone he has to rebuild.”

Popko shrugged. “Kunomo worries a lot about things. I know this is good and he does it for us, but he... umm... don't know word... makes it bigger?”

“Exaggerate? Makes the problem seem worse than it is?”

“yes, Ex-agg-er-ate. That he does. Yes, we need men and women work, but... umm... we are recovered from storm. Men are taking more hours for leisure. There is even futbol played some days.”

“So maybe Kunomo sees a need to keep his people together, and he uses the repairs and recovery to avoid dealing with other issues.” I finished my cigarette and flicked the butt into the water. “When he brought the four young people to stay with us, he was reluctant, especially after he learned of our open sexuality.”

Popko grew quiet, replying, “yes, that... is not as he told you, I think.”

“What do you mean?”

“There was a... um... rumor? There was a rumor that Kylana had been showing interest in Kunomo, or maybe it was his brother, Kahan. That, in our village, she was of an age to do so, but... umm... he is her uncle...”

“What? He told me that their parents were killed in the storm. He implied there was no family to take them in...”

“My friend Hu thinks he is... umm... tempted by her, but that would be frowned on by our people. He is her uncle and cannot be with her that way. Hu thinks Kunomo took them to your island to avoid the situation.”

I stewed on that a moment, and found that I held no anger for Kunomo. From his perspective, it was understandable. He was trying to protect Kylana and the others from the shame and disapproval which might come if he gave into temptation and held a relationship with the fifteen-year old. Popko's thoughts made the situation much more understandable.

I let the subject drop. “Well, if you wish to come to Phoenix, whether for a stay or for longer, we would welcome you, Popko. We don't have much to spare, so we can't take everyone who wishes to come, but I could see the others willing to offer you hospitality should you convince Kunomo and the others to let you come.”

He nodded, and I knew the wheels of his mind were already trying to find a way to travel back to my home. He lit another cigarette and offered me one. I declined and said that I wished to rest a while. He shook my hand and thanked me for the frank conversation, and for “sharing your women with me...”

I smiled, replied, “don't thank me, thank Nina and Hakee. They offered themselves. I had nothing to do with it. I was just along to enjoy the ride.”