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but mostly birds。 Wood storks； blue herons。 There's a bald eagle on the island； a young male。 Wingspan is ten feet if it's an inch； just a glorious bird。 He stays up in the tallest pines； fishes only at dawn and dusk。 He's up there now； in the trees。〃 Wiley's ancient…looking eyes went to the pine stand。 〃It's too windy to fly； so I'm sure he's up there now。〃
〃I've never seen a wild eagle；〃 Kara Lynn remarked。 〃I was born down here and I've never seen one。〃
〃That's too bad；〃 Skip Wiley said sincerely。 His head was bowed。 Tiny bubbles of water hung in his rusty beard。 It didn't make it any easier that she was born here； he thought。
〃It'll be gone soon； this place；〃 he said。 〃A year from now a sixteen…story monster will stand right where we're sitting。〃 He got to his knees and fumbled in the pocket of his trousers。 He pulled out some damp gray newspaper clippings； folded into a square。 〃Let me give you the full picture；〃 he said； unfolding them； starting to read。 Kara Lynn looked over his shoulder。
〃Wele to the Osprey Club 。。。 Fine living； for the discriminating Floridian。 Makes you want to puke。〃
〃Pretty tacky；〃 Kara Lynn agreed。
〃A hundred and two units from two…fifty all the way up to a million…six。 Friendly financing available。 Vaulted ceilings； marble archways； sunken living rooms； Roman tubs； atrium patios with real cedar trellises； boy oh boy。〃 Wiley looked up from the newspaper advertisement and gazed out at the woodsy shadows。
〃Can't someone try to block it？〃 Kara Lynn suggested。 〃The Audubon people。 Or maybe the National Park Service。〃
〃Too late；〃 Wiley said。 〃See； it's a private island。 After old man Bradshaw died； his scumball kids put it up for sale。 Puerco Development picks it up for three mil and wham； next thing you know it's rezoned for multi…family high…rise。〃
〃Didn't you do a column on this？〃 she asked。
〃I sure did。〃 One of Wiley's many pending lawsuits： a gratuitous and unprovable reference to Mafia connections。
〃Back to the blandishments；〃 he said； 〃there'll be four air…conditioned racketball courts； a spa； a bike trail； a tennis plex； a piazza； two fountains； and even a waterfall。 Think about that： they're going to bury the natural spring and build a fiberglass waterfall！ Progress； my darling。 It says here they're also planting something called a lush green…belt； which is basically a place for rich people to let their poodles take a shit。〃
Kara Lynn said： 〃How will people get out here？〃
〃Ferry；〃 Wiley answered。 〃See here： Take a quaint ferry to your very own island where the Mediterranean meets Miami！ See； Kara Lynn； the bastards can't sell Florida anymore； they've got to sell the bloody Riviera。〃
〃It sounds a bit overdone；〃 she said。
〃Twenty…four hundred square feet of overdone；〃 Wiley said； 〃with a view。〃
〃But no ospreys；〃 said Kara Lynn； sensing the downward spiral of his emotions。
〃And no eagle；〃 Wiley said glumly。
He acted as if he were ready to leave； and Kara Lynn knew that if he did； it would be over。
〃Why did you pick me？〃 she asked。
Wiley turned to look at her。 〃Because you're perfect；〃 he said。 〃Or at least you represent perfection。 Beauty。 Chastity。 Innocence。 All tanned and blond； the golden American dream。 That's all they really promise with their damn parade and their unctuous tourist advertising。 e see Miami； e see the girls！ But it's a cheap tease； darling。 Florida's nothing but an adman's wet dream。〃
〃That's enough；〃 Kara Lynn said； reddening。
〃I take it you don't think of yourself as a precious piece of ass。〃
〃Not really； no。〃
〃Me； neither；〃 Wiley said； 〃but we are definitely in the minority。 And that's why we're out here now…an object lesson for all those bootlicking shills and hustlers。〃
Wiley crawled out from under the plastic tent and rose to his full height； declaring； 〃The only way to teach the greedy blind pagans is to strike at their meager principles。〃 He pointed toward the treetops。 〃To the creators of the Osprey Club； that precious eagle up there is not life； it has no real value。 Same goes for the wood rats and the herons。 Weighed against the depreciated net worth of a sixteen…story condominium after sellout； the natural inhabitants of this island do not represent life…they have no fucking value。 You with me？〃
Kara Lynn nodded。 She still couldn't see the big bird。
〃Now；〃 Wiley said； 〃if you're the CEO of Puerco Development； what has worth to you； besides money？ What is a life？ Among all creatures； what is the one that cannot legally be extinguished for the sake of progress？〃 Wiley arched his eyebrows and pointed a dripping finger at Kara Lynn's nose。 〃You；〃 he said。 〃You are； presumably； inviolate。〃
For the first time in the conversation； it occurred to Kara Lynn that this fellow might truly be insane。
Wiley blinked at her。 〃I'll be right back；〃 he said。
This time she didn't move。 Wet and cold； she had e to cherish the meager protection of the plastic shelter。 Wiley returned carrying a short wooden stake。 An orange plastic streamer was attached to the blunt end。
〃Survey markers；〃 Kara Lynn said。
〃Very good。 So you know what it means…construction is imminent。〃
〃How imminent？〃 she asked。
〃Like tomorrow。〃
〃Tomorrow's the groundbreaking？〃
〃Naw； that was Christmas Eve。 Purely ceremonial；〃 Wiley said。 〃Tomorrow is much more significant。 Tomorrow's the day they start terrain modification。〃
〃What's that？〃
〃Just what it says。〃
Kara Lynn was puzzled。 〃I don't see any bulldozers。〃
〃No； those would be used later； for contour clearing。〃
〃Then what do they use for this 'terrain modification'？〃 she asked。
〃Dynamite；〃 Skip Wiley replied。 〃At dawn。〃
Kara Lynn thought she might have heard him wrong； thought it might have been a trick of the wind。
〃Did you say dynamite？〃 she asked。
〃Eight hundred pounds；〃 Skip Wiley said； 〃split into three payloads。 One at the northwest tip； another at the southeast cove。 The third cache； the big one； is right over there； no more than twenty yards。 Can you see it？ That galvanized box beneath those trees。〃
From where she sat Kara Lynn saw nothing but shadows。
〃I 。。。 I don't 。。。 〃 She was choking on fear； unable to speak。 Hold on； she told herself。
〃They do it by remote control；〃 Wiley explained； 〃from a barge。 We passed it on the way out； anchored three miles off the island。 You were asleep。〃
〃Oh 。。。 〃 The plan was more terrible than she had imagined； all the stalling had been futile； a wasted strategy。
〃They have to do it at dawn；〃 Wiley went on； 〃some kind of Army Corps rule。 Can't bring boats any closer to the island because the blast'll blow the windows out。〃
He ambled to the campfire and stood with his back to her for several moments。 His naked cantaloupe head twitched back and forth； as if he were talking to himself。 Abruptly he turned around and said； 〃The reason for the dynamite is the coral。 See…〃 He kicked at the ground with his shoe。 〃Harder than cement。 They need to go down twenty…four inches before pouring the foundation for the condo。 Can't make a dent with shovels； not in this stuff 。。。 so that's why the dynamite。 Flip of a switch and…poof…turn this place into the Bonneville flats。 Eight hundred pounds