Murder on Easter Island (22 page)

A tearful Uka blurted out, “Are you sure you have to leave?”

Daniel fought back the urge to say no. “Pakia and Uka, I love you, too, but I have to find my way back.”

Pakia was now crying as well. “Dan-iel, since you are set on leaving, take this with you and think of us when you see it.”

He handed Daniel a fishhook — the one from the thigh bone of the legendary Kahi — one that Daniel knew was Pakia’s favorite.

“I can’t.”

“You can,” Pakia insisted as he carefully closed Daniel’s hand around the fishhook.

Daniel’s eyes misted as he turned to leave. “I’ll miss you.”

Pakia and Uka clung to each other, tears trickling down their faces. Pakia begged, “We’ll miss you too. Don’t go . . . please . . .”

“I must go,” Daniel said reluctantly. “I must . . .”

He took one last long look at his dear friends and headed down the slope to ‘Anakena.

He held the fishhook in his right hand for the longest time before attaching it securely to his loincloth.

Daniel walked directly to the hut of the ‘ariki mau and found the entire family was gathered in front of the home, eating fresh bananas for breakfast.

Mahina jumped up and embraced him, whispering in his ear, “Did you find the answers you sought?”

When Daniel whispered back, “Yes,” he felt her shudder the slightest bit.

Daniel and Mahina sat down together, facing Hotu Iti and his wife, Tavake. At that moment her brothers Kai and Poki ran off to play.

Hotu Iti said in his deep voice, “Dan-iel, we have seen you sitting through the night in front of one of our oldest moai. Were you looking for answers?”

“Yes, and I have learned how to find my way back home.”

Hotu Iti asked, “And which way is that?”

“Sir, before I answer, I must share something you don’t know about me.”

Hotu Iti raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”

Before Daniel spoke, he glanced at Mahina, who had a pained look on her face. How hard this must be for her, he thought.

Daniel cleared his throat and said, “I am not from this time. I came from the future through a cave, which I lost track of. The moai told me how to find it again.”

There was dead silence. Hotu Iti and Tavake were obviously astonished, while Mahina closed her eyes in discomfort.

Hotu Iti finally replied, “Dan-iel, what you have said I do not understand. Let me sit in silence for a few moments to ponder your words.” He and his wife closed their eyes, while Daniel and Mahina waited.

After a while, Hotu Iti opened his eyes. “I see the truth in what you have spoken. And I must say that I always knew there was something different about you, something special. Now I know why.”

Daniel knitted his brow and said, “Hotu Iti, before I leave I must tell you that many difficulties are coming to your island. Times of famine, continued warfare, disease, and many other plagues will come upon you and your people. I would like to offer you and your family the opportunity to escape all this and come with me back to my time.”

Hotu Iti responded, “Dan-iel, you are kind to offer, but I have a responsibility to my people. No matter what you say might happen, I must stay and guide them through the upcoming troubles.”

Tavake added, “And I stay with my husband.”

Daniel had expected that response and went on, “Hotu Iti, Tavake, I understand your commitment to your people. Now about Mahina —” He reached over and grabbed Mahina’s hand. As he looked at her, he discovered her face was puffy and streaked with tears. “You both must know that I love your daughter with all my heart. So I must ask if Mahina may come with me.”

Hotu Iti did not seem surprised. “Dan-iel, Tavake and I have raised Mahina to be a capable woman. I have always wanted her to be self-sufficient and able to make her own decisions. You must already know that.”

“I do.”

“And so this choice must rest with her. I suggest you ask her, and I will abide with whatever decision she makes.”

Tavake said, “And I as well.”

Daniel nodded, turned to Mahina and took both of her hands in his. “Mahina, I love you and I want to share my life with you. I want us to marry, have children and grow old together. Will you come with me?”

Tears freely flowed down her face. “Dan-iel, I love you too and want to share my life with you. Before I make my decision, I must ask a question.”

“Yes?”

“If I come with you, will I be able to return to visit my family?”

Daniel’s face dropped. “No, when I return the time cave must be closed permanently. To leave it open would be too risky.”

Mahina turned and looked at her parents, then back at Daniel. “Then here is my decision: I cannot leave my parents, my brothers and my people. If hard times are coming, they will need me.” She clutched Daniel’s hands even tighter adding, “You must go on without me.”

Daniel felt his throat closing; he could barely speak. “Mahina, are you sure about this? Once I leave, you will not be able to find the time cave without my help, and we will never see each other again.”

Mahina gazed at him silently, confusion troubling her beautiful face.

Daniel thought quickly. “You could at least walk there with me. Perhaps you will change your mind.”

Mahina said, “There is no reason for me to come with you. I will not change the decision I have made.”

Hotu Iti said, “Then it is done. Dan-iel, I wish you well in your travel back to your time. May you find happiness. We will miss you. You have brought much honor to your people, the Miru. For many years to come we will speak of how you defeated the dread warrior, Hito, and how you came to win the Birdman competition.”

Daniel responded, “Thank you for all the kindness you’ve shown me. I will always be grateful.”

Daniel then grasped Mahina’s hand, and both stood. He softly asked, “Are you sure?”

Mahina had no words; she merely nodded.

One last look and he released her, turned and slowly headed out of ‘Anakena, southwest toward the time cave, hoping she would find it in her heart to change her mind and come with him.

Daniel turned and looked back over and over again, and with each glance there was no one in view. When ‘Anakena disappeared from his sight, he bent over at the waist and wept uncontrollably.

When he was finally able to straighten up and walk again, he knew he had lost her forever.

No words could describe his pain.

D
aniel sat beside the toromiro tree and took a few moments to rest. He hoped at any moment he would hear Mahina in the distance, calling his name in the way that only she could.

Finally Daniel sighed and began to carefully search the wall behind the tree. He relied on his sense of feeling rather than his eyes, knowing the entrance was well concealed. Before long, behind a dense layer of brush, his hand disappeared into what appeared to be solid rock. The hole seemed to be just large enough for him to wiggle through. Daniel marked the spot and went back to the toromiro tree, hoping to hear or see Mahina hurrying to catch up with him.

He waited and waited — and waited . . .

It was not to be.

With a heavy heart he slowly returned to the cave and crawled through the opening, fresh tears forming in his eyes. The cavern beyond was pitch black, and Daniel wished he had a flashlight to steer his course. When his eyes adjusted, though, he could see well enough — if only barely — and once again he encountered numerous spiders. As before, he brushed them off and moved on.

Daniel picked his way ahead carefully, and as the entry grew larger, he discovered that walking on the wet rocky floor was easier this time. All those months living barefoot had been good for his balance. Other than that, he felt numb all over — his senses had completely shut down — and it was all he could do just to put one foot in front of another. He couldn’t think about what he had left behind — but he did. With every step he thought of Mahina.

Before long the light completely faded, and he had to rely on touch rather than
vision, deliberately making his way. After an hour or so, just as he remembered, the cavern began to narrow, and all too soon Daniel was crawling on his hands and knees. He eventually found himself flattened out on his stomach, caught between sharp stones above and below. He didn’t remember it being this tight on the way in, and as his ability to move forward became even more painful, he realized he had no doubt muscled up living the life of a fisherman. He groaned and fought to breathe as he paused to rest.

He tried to reorder his thinking, pull himself together.

So what if I become all cut up — I have to get out of here.

With that thought, he pushed himself forward, and as he wedged deeper and deeper into the passageway, his arms out in front of him, he discovered he was stuck. He couldn’t move, not even an inch.

Panic threatened to overwhelm him as he realized he might never get home again.

I’ll die and rot in this godforsaken time cave.

He tried to pull a deep breath of air into his chest and couldn’t do it.

Yes, I’m going to die here.

It was then he remembered what the little boy — the boy that was him — said as he sat in front of the moai: Answers to any questions could be found inside him.

In spite of the situation, Daniel focused his mind, and before long a question, not an answer, came to him.

What can I move?

What can I move? he echoed to himself.

He kept repeating those words, and then there it was — the answer. My fingers and my toes.

At that point, rather than shifting his body from side to side as he had been doing, he began to dig his fingers and toes into the floor of the narrow cave. After a few moments Daniel noticed a tiny bit of movement. He also realized he was not getting enough oxygen — he could no longer think clearly and felt any second he could pass out.

Once again he recalled the dream he had on Mount Terevaka . . . when he was trapped in the cave.

Keep going, he thought . . . keep going.

He kept going, and the blood produced by the rocks digging into his skin began to act as a lubricant, and he began to slowly slide along the cave floor.

Some time later, he could take deeper inhalations.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

I’m going to make it.

The passageway expanded, and he could now crawl on his hands and knees.

And as he looked ahead, a slight increase in light revealed an open cavern just ahead. Once there he could once again walk upright.

The intensity of nearly dying had shocked him back into an intense awareness, and as he inhaled deeply, eager to take in all the air his lungs could hold, he was shocked to discover the odor — that wretched, evil odor — stronger than ever.

What? It can’t be!

The minute he popped his head out into the cavern, a male voice purred in Rapanui:

“Dan-iel, it’s so good to see you again.”

Before Daniel could turn to see who it was, a chemically-soaked rag that smelled sweet — like sugar — was roughly placed over his face.

Daniel grabbed at the hands holding it.

Too late . . .

He found himself slipping into oblivion, insane laughter echoing in his ears.

D
aniel awoke and found he was seated against a large boulder, hands securely tied behind his back. His legs were lashed together at the ankles and above his knees, and around his chest ropes secured him to the boulder. He tested the restraints; they were tight to the point of being uncomfortable. He couldn’t move a muscle.

How did this happen?

Daniel glanced around. He was still inside the cavern. At that moment, footsteps echoed from its depths.

When the footsteps arrived, Daniel’s unknown assailant sat down on a boulder near him, face obscured by the dark. A male voice said in Rapanui, “Dan-iel, I see you’re finally awake. Chloroform acts very quickly, but it took longer for you to wake up than I would have guessed. ”

“Who are you?” Daniel demanded.

“Before I tell you, I must share with you how joyful I am. For longer than you can imagine, I have waited for the chance to kill you, and now it is finally here. I feel like crying I’m so happy.”

Daniel wished he wasn’t tied up so he could help the mystery man with the crying part. He tugged again at the ropes and bitterly said, “Oh, I’m sure you are. Who are you?”

A clicking sound followed and light flooded the cavern.

Paoa sat before him.

Daniel was bewildered. Despite his ability to capture knowledge, digest it, remember it and make sense of it, he was completely surprised at who sat before him. His eyes went to the source of the light — and then he remembered.

Paoa laughed and said, “Your flashlight. Hotu Iti gifted to me, and it has made my travels through the cave much easier.” As Paoa spoke, the light eerily lit up his face. “Before you die, I have much to share with you. You’re the kind who wants to know everything. Yes?”

Daniel nodded.

“You see, Dan-iel, many years ago when I was a young shaman, I discovered I had the gift of being able to see into the future, and I saw the devastating events that were ahead for my people. I’m sure you’ve read the history books. Need I say more?”

Daniel didn’t respond. He decided to let Paoa ramble on.

“As I looked into the future, I could see a brighter time, a time of more abundance. I also saw that my people were under the yoke of an oppressive nation. Yet there was hope, as during this time, there would be a rare opportunity for freedom. And, Dan-iel, that time is now.”

Daniel said nothing. He was thinking — thinking of ways to free himself, ways to turn the odds of living in his favor.

“The problem was this,” Paoa droned on. “Since I lived in another time, how could I affect the future? So I went to Puna Pau, the home of Hitirau, and sat there quietly, hoping he would come to guide me. Before long he appeared.

“When I told him of my vision, he informed me that in the old magic of our ancestors, from long before we were on our island, there was an ancient way to create a gateway into the future. But as my vision of what lay ahead opened up before me, I could see a problem.”