Free In Solitary by Garry Kilworth

the clearing to make a sacrifice and approached Stella with a proposition.
    As I entered the patch of jungle which Tangiia had cut especially for the hut he had built for Stella (hoping, I suppose, for a return favour), she was bending over the fire turning a spitted fish that Fridjt had trapped in one of his snares. Tangiia was sitting behind her, a few metres away, rigidly regarding her brown, smooth buttocks. The main problem was in full view.
    ‘Stella,’ I began as I trod the grass towards her, ‘we’ve got to do something for the other two men.’
    She turned and cocked a bushy eyebrow.
    ‘In what way?’
    ‘Well,’ I was trying my best to be casual but Tangiia had already perked up and was looking at us intently and I was thankful that Fridjt was nowhere around, ‘not
us
exactly, but
you
. They need a woman. I think you ought to give them what they want, what they
need
– occasionally – when I’m not around.’
    She snorted.
    ‘You
give them what they want! I don’t like them – not for that anyway.’
    Tangiia’s head sunk between his knees again and I tried not to look at him.
    ‘Don’t be foolish,’ I pleaded. ‘You can’t be
that
averse to it – I mean you once had sex with Fridjt.’
    ‘Fridjt once had sex with me, which isan entirely different matter. The fact that I chose to let him do that, rather than punch my face did not mean I enjoyed it. However,’ she lowered her voice placatingly as I began to wind up my fury against Fridjt, ‘it’s all over and finished with. We have a problem, but the answer doesn’t lie with me. It lies with them.’ She pointed towards half their number, which was all that was present.
    Tangiia smiled broadly. ‘You mean we should go and get woman each?’ he shouted, astounding me by his quick grasp of things.
    ‘That’s exactly it,’ answered Stella. ‘The sooner the better. We shall all be happier for it.’
    Suddenly Tangiia leapt to his feet and began running, down towards his canoe. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was on his way.
    ‘Wait!’ I called, running after him. ‘Tangiia, wait. Fridjt will want to come too.’
    He paused on the sands.
    ‘No room,’ he said as I caught up to him. The sand was still hot from the day and I had to keep changing feet in a kind of ritual dance to prevent them from burning.
    ‘Only small canoe. Only room enough for me and,’ he grinned, ‘two females maybe?’
    My hopping was amusing him but I felt I had to make sure he would not leave Fridjt without a woman.
    ‘How will you manage to bring two?’
    He nodded and winked.
    ‘I bring two, don’t worry,’ he replied in that deep resonant voice I envied.
    Two strong hands,’ he showed me his opened scarred palms and fingers, then closed them as if gripping hair, ‘two females. I will bring them back – you will see.’
    ‘Not
too
young,’ I said nervously.
    ‘Who needs children?’ he tossed his head at me contemptuously as he turned and dragged his canoe down the sand to the edge of the island. The water was low, and would not be up for some time so I tried to persuade him to wait, but he was too eager. He pushed it out towards the reef intothe foam, and swam after the outrigger canoe. His mating canoe.
    On impulse I ran after him, I didn’t know why – perhaps it was the thought of riding high in that splinter of a boat that appealed to me? Or was I running away from something? It did not matter – the main thing was I knew I wanted to go.
    Tangiia tried to prise my hand away from the canoe as it bobbed up and down in the surf.
    ‘One of the women will have another boat,’ I said. ‘Please let me come?’
    He stared for a moment. ‘We may be gone long time.’
    ‘It doesn’t matter,’ I insisted.
    He shrugged. ‘If you die, you die. She will hate me,’ he nodded back towards the camp. ‘Maybe. But I don’t care about that. Come.’
    With that I scrambled aboard and Tangiia ran the Satawal out, leaping inside when it was