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g。 He clenched a pipe between his teeth； and trailed gray whorls of smoke behind him。 Kip stood where he was； the hammer still in his hand； and watched Kevin Langstree approach。
The boatyard owner stopped abruptly； his eyes moving from the hammer to the timbers and back again。 〃What do you think you're doin'？〃 he asked； not taking the pipe from his mouth。
Kip moved past him； laying the hammer down on the jeep's rear floorboard； beside the loaded rifle he'd brought along as a measure of safety。 Langstree snorted in anger； stepped forward； and wrenched at the timbers。
〃STOP THAT！〃 Kip yelled angrily。
Langstree whirled on him； teeth bared。 〃You lost your mind？ Goddamn it； what goin' on here； mon？〃
〃I've sealed the shelter；〃 Kip said evenly； 〃so no one can get in。〃
〃And I know what you got in there； too！ Oh； yeah； Cochran told me all about it this mornin'！ I know you got that bastard boat in there！ Now you listen to me！ I own this yard。。。 ain't nobody else own it but Kevin Langstree！ What damn right you got to use my yard while I'm away？〃
〃I had to get the boat out of the harbor。。。〃
〃I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT FUCKIN' STUFF！〃 Langstree yanked the pipe out of his mouth； he was trembling with rage； and Kip fully expected the man to strike him。 〃You got no right； no right at all！ Any other boat maybe okay。。。 but NOT THAT ONE！〃 He motioned with a hand toward the shelter。 〃YOU KNOW WHAT THAT THING DONE TO ME？ Do you？ Blew my yard to bits forty years back； set it afire； and killed a score of my best men！ Those men died bad…crushed by metal； burned to crisps； torn apart…and me standin' there in the middle of it； watchin' the hell e down on us！ No； mon； I can't forget that！ AND NOW THE GODDAMN THING BACK AGAIN！ I don't know where from； or how； but by God I want it out of my yard！〃 He turned again toward the doorway and began to pull at the timbers。 There was a crack as one of the nails came loose。
Kip grasped Langstree's shoulder； he said in a grim； forceful voice； 〃I told you not to do that。〃
There was heat burning behind Kip's eyes。 The boatyard owner started to tell Kip to get away from him； but he thought better of it and took his hands from the timbers。 〃This is still my yard； by God。。。〃 he began。
〃Your yard； yes；〃 Kip said。 〃My island。〃
〃I won't have you tellin' me what I can and can't do； mon； no matter if you the law here or not！ I'm away a week and the whole place gone to hell。。。 this goddamn boat in here； my supply shed broke open and God knows what all stolen； everybody scared and not wantin' to even e to their doors。。。〃
〃What was stolen from your supply shed？〃 Kip asked him； a note of urgency in his voice。
Langstree paused； searching the other man's eyes。 〃Take a walk over there and you see； by God！ The whole thing broke into； crates of oil； rope； timbers； barrels of fuckin' diesel fuel gone。 I don't know what else…marine batteries； heavy…duty cable。。。〃
〃Maybe it was requisitioned while you were gone？〃
〃Hell； no！ Ain't no way that much stuff be used in a week's time。 We just got paintin' and patchin' jobs in the yard now。。。 That's heavy stuff been stolen； right out from under your damn eyes！〃
Kip caught the man's collar。 〃Now you listen to me； Langstree；〃 he said very quietly。 〃You do as I say and leave the shelter alone。 We're towing the U…boat out in the morning and sinking it； but for now just leave it alone！ DO YOU HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING？〃
The other man nodded； frightened by Kip's intensity。 He pulled free of the constable's grasp and stepped back a few paces。 〃You crazy； mon； you crazy as all hell！〃
But Kip had already turned away。 He climbed into his jeep and started the engine。 Leaving Langstree standing there alone； he wheeled past the shelter and raced back for the village； anxious to get home and make sure his wife and daughter were safe。 Kip felt infected by a strange madness； a fear that threatened to rise up and crush him。 He had caught a glimpse of the truth today； and he realized how powerless he was to prevent what would happen。 Oil； Langstree had said。 Barrels of diesel fuel； ropes； cable。 And batteries。 God； no。 He had seen the truth in Cale's mad stare； in the half…consumed corpse of Johnny Majors； in the remains of the Nazi U…boat sailor lying on a bare plank floor。 And now； worst of all； in the theft of marine supplies from the unguarded shed。
In all the world there was one man who might be able to help。
Boniface。
* * *
Driving along the jungle road to the airstrip with the woman on the seat beside him； Moore could smell a storm in the air…a damp smell； full of heat； and the breezes had died pletely。 The entire sky was a gray； featureless canopy； the sun hidden； the clouds hanging motionless over Coquina。 Jana had awakened more angry at Kip than she had been the day before； and he could still see her anger working in her face。 She had hardly spoken to him this morning； just insisting she had to check her plane before sending her message to Kingston。 Now； as Moore drove into the clearing； he saw the airplane ahead； it was still as they'd left it。 But as he pulled up beside it he realized he was wrong。
〃JESUS！〃 she cried out； leaping from the cab even before Moore had braked。 She ran alongside the plane； and Moore followed。
〃Goddamn it！〃 Jana raged； tears of anger springing up quickly and streaking her cheeks。 She ran a hand along the jagged dents in the plane's fuselage。 The canopy glass had been broken out； in the front were the smashed remains of the instrument panel； wires hung loose； and the seats were ripped。 She shook her head in disbelief and rushed past Moore to the open engine cowling。 Moore saw the confusion of torn wires； cables and plugs missing。 Someone had pletely wrecked the plane。 Jana slammed the cowling shut and stepped back； trembling。 〃Vandalism！〃 she said。 〃Pure goddamned vandalism and in the meantime Mr。 Kip is sitting his ass in the village！ He thinks he's such a hotshot； telling people what they can and can't do； and meanwhile he can't even maintain law and order！〃
〃I don't understand it；〃 Moore said。 〃There's no reason anyone would。。。〃
〃It'll take days to fix this engine；〃 the young woman raged； 〃if I can even get parts out here！ Somebody's going to pay for this mess！〃
Moore motioned toward the farmhouse beyond the strip。 〃Maybe they heard or saw something during the night。 e on。〃 He reached out to take her arm and she jerked away； then stalked along after him to the truck。
Silence hung like a storm cloud over the clapboard house。 There was an empty pen； a shed； a square of tobacco plants。 On the porch was a bicycle frame without tires； and to one side of the house the hulk of an old car。 The trees clustered above like a painted green ceiling； and only a few yards away the jungle grew wild。
Moore and Jana climbed a couple of cinder…block steps to the porch。 There was a screen door and beyond that the front door； which was wide open。
〃Hello！〃 he called into the house。 〃Anyone home？〃 He waited； expecting a reply。 He thought he heard an odd drone； like the buzzing of insects； but he wasn't sure。
Jana reached past him and kn