148
He
know I can’t, damn you. Where are you staying while you’re on Tutuila?”
“With friends.”
“Okay, we have a couple of cruisers here at the station. They’re not in use just now. Down at the very end of Pier Three. The one we’ll use is called the Vatia. You can’t mistake it. The other, the Aku-Aku, is longer and has a flying bridge. Meet me at, oh, ten tomorrow morning, on the pier. If you get there ahead of me, tie your boat to the stern.” He stopped turning the tooth over and over, feigned unconcern. Inside, he was quivering with tension.
“May I keep this?” He knew what he was asking. Did the chief?
“There is another still set in the paopao. Yes, you may have this one. For your children, to remind them of when you were young.”
“I have no children. I’m not married, Ha’apu.”
“That is sad. The other tooth must remain with us. It will not. . .” he said, in reply to the imposed question, ‘*… ever be for sale.”
Poplar was seeing his name blazoned across the cover and title page of every scientific journal in the world. Below the name, a picture of himself holding the largest tooth of Carcharodon megalodon ever found. He might even manage to include Ha’apu in the picture.
He leaned over the desk, began shuffling papers.
“Good-bye till tomorrow, then, Matai Ha’apu.”
“Tofa, Sea-Doctor Poplar.” The chief gathered up his wrappings and left quietly.
He began going over the supplies they’d need in addition to what was standard stock on board the Vatai. Plan on being gone at least a week, maybe two. Get him out of the office, at least.