Ha’apu was working at the small package. It was tightly bound in clean linen and secured with twine.
“But first you must promise me you will be careful of whom you speak to about this. We have no wish to endure an assault of the curious.”
Poplar thought back to the moaning jetliner that had passed overhead this morning, crammed to the gills with bloated statesiders eager for a glimpse of the quaint locals betwixt brunch and supper, and applauded the Matai’s attitude. He wasn’t all that naive.
“I promise it will be so, Matai.”
Ha’apu continued to work deliberately with the knots. “You are familiar with Niuhi?”
“Yes, certainly.” He peered at the shrinking pile of cloth and twine with renewed interest. A good carving of Niuhi would be something of a novelty. At least it wasn’t yet another dugout or tiki.
“Then you will know this,” said Ha’apu solemnly. He removed an irregular shaped object and placed it carefully on the desk in front of the director.
Poplar stared at it for a long moment before he recognized it for what it was. The realization took another moment to penetrate fully. Slowly he reached out and picked it up. A rapid examination, a few knuckle taps convinced him it was real and not a clever fake. It wasn’t the sort of thing one could easily fake. And besides, even the simplest islander would know he couldn’t get away with it. He brought it up to eye level.
144
He
“Ye gods and little fishes,” he murmured in astonishment.
It wasn’t a carving.
It was a tooth. And it was quite impossible. The tooth was almost a perfect triangle. He reached into his desk and brought out a ruler, laid it alongside the hard bone. Slightly under 18 cms. long, about 14 cms. wide at the bottom, and over five thick. The base was slightly curved where it fit into the jaw. Both cutting edges were wickedly serrated, like a saw. He stared at it for a long, long time, running his fingers along the razor-sharp cutting edges, testing the perfect point. A magnifying glass all but confirmed its reality. That failed to temper his uncertainty.