Chapter 6 Modern Exploration
Modern Exploration
The next morning.
“What will I do while you do this work thing?” Tāwera asked while Nyree was staring at something she’d called a tablet.
“I’m uncertain if other people see you. You seemed more solid last night, but this morning you’ve faded again. I have no idea what this means because you don’t have problems picking up items or eating.”
Tāwera held up his almost transparent arm and said what they were both pondering. “Will I fade away until no one can see me? Not even you?”
Nyree shrugged and placed her tablet on a shelf. “I’d hoped my friend would’ve emailed by now. A few messages have come through, so the connection is working. Why don’t you come with me? I can show you around, and you can explore on your own while I’m working.”
“I would enjoy that.” He hadn’t wanted to stay cooped up inside, not after years of nothingness and defined boundaries. Now was the perfect time to indulge his senses in a way he hadn’t for hundreds of years.
“You should try to shift to your taniwha and explore the island, but don’t go too crazy. Okay?”
Eagerness pulsed in him. Excitement at the freedom after confinement inside his stone prison. “I could do that? Shift?”
“Yes, except you won’t be able to leave the island until we figure out how to get you home, but you can explore and watch the other people who visit.
You have time to decide on the next step.
The summer season ends in March, which is when we all leave.
If you’re invisible, a cruise ship or a supply vessel might be the best way for you to travel home. ”
Tāwera frowned, not understanding most of Nyree’s conversation. “I hope I learn fast.”
“You will,” she said with a smile. “Do you want breakfast?”
“My stomach is empty.”
“Okay then. This is breakfast cereal, and I usually have toast as well.”
They worked together to make breakfast, with Nyree showing him how to work the toasting machine and serve the cereal.
He watched closely and copied her actions, smelling the white rice bubbles.
A scent didn’t jump out at him, but the toast excited him more when Nyree spread something called crunchy peanut butter on the top.
He’d dreamed about what he might do once he broke the curse, but eating toast and cereal or spending time with a beautiful woman had never entered his mind.
It had never occurred to him he might miss hundreds of years, and everyone he’d known would have long ago died.
Aroha… A twinge of pain worked through him at her loss.
He’d wondered about her often and prayed she’d had a happy life.
Thinking of her now and knowing she was long dead, his feelings toward her were more bittersweet, a mourning for the young girl he’d held in his arms. The long-ago memories.
Thoughts of his brother, however, made him burn with anger.
Tāwera burned to understand how his brother had structured this curse. Had he known a stranger might break it?
“Why are you scowling like a warrior about to go into battle?”
“Even now, I’m shocked by my brother’s actions. I considered us friends. We trod different paths, and our father ignored us both. Rāwiri had no reason to resent me.”
“Your fiancée,” she reminded him.
“I wonder what happened to her. I hope she was happy.”
“That was one of the questions I asked Manu.”
A growl rattled deep in his throat, and he took half a step toward Nyree before his mind understood what he was doing. Nyree stilled, her expression watchful.
Slowly, he raised his hands, palms extended outward in a position of surrender. “I promise never to hit or knowingly hurt you.”
“Why did you snarl?” She straightened and shot him a glower. “That’s not civilized. You’re a taniwha. If you strike me, I will retaliate in kind.”
She looked cute. Aroha had been sweet and loving, but she hadn’t possessed Nyree’s inner core of strength. Her fire.
Nyree advanced on him and poked his chest with her forefinger. A dart of pain accompanied by more awareness had him gasping.
“You feel solid enough,” she said, her tone rueful as she wriggled her finger with care.
A tremor passed through him as he inhaled her clean scent, and he fought the urge to embrace her and press their mouths together in the way of the Europeans.
He and Aroha had tried this many times. Aroha hadn’t enjoyed the contact of lips and the tangle of tongues as much as he.
His gaze drifted to Nyree’s lush mouth, and he leaned closer, only to jerk upright when she poked him in the chest again.
He fingered the sore spot. “That hurts.”
“It’s meant to divert your attention to answering my question.”
“What question?” His gaze had developed a will of its own. In his defense, her lips looked soft, which made him curious and yearn to explore.
“Why did you growl at me?”
Tāwera gave her truth. “I don’t enjoy you mentioning other men.”
“What?” She sounded incredulous.
Tāwera swallowed, unable to explain the burst of his emotions. “You rescued me, gave me a roof and food.”
“I expect nothing in return. Now hurry and finish eating. I don’t want to be late for work.”
Confusion dulled his reaction time, and he continued to stare at her.
“Tāwera, did you hear me?”
“What? Yes.” This reaction was an unusual one for him—the hesitation.
He was—had been—a leader. Someone who made decisions.
He’d never hesitated but moved onward, always trusting his gut instinct.
Right now, he teetered as if he stood in a swamp, and any of his next steps might send him waist-deep into the mud.
Aware of Nyree’s impatience, he drank his coffee and ate the last mouthful of toast covered with something black called vegemite. It was salty and bore an interesting flavor, although he’d liked the peanut butter better. He stood. “Should I do the dishes?”
Nyree laughed. “We’ll do them later.”
“Why are you laughing? Should I not offer? Is doing dishes women’s work?”
“These days, men and women share tasks.” As she spoke, Nyree placed containers away in cupboards and the refrigerator.
His mind buzzed with information and the differences between his world then with now.
Nyree glanced at the timepiece she wore on her wrist and moved even faster. “Let’s go.”
Tāwera dutifully followed her outdoors and took pleasure in the chilly wind against his chest.
Nyree walked beside him and pointed out the landmarks. Tāwera craned his neck to study the enormous pieces of machinery.
“White men like the sailor who brought you here fished for whales in this bay. They captured thousands and almost decimated the population. These days it is illegal to capture whales, and slowly, the population has increased. Once we go flying together, I’ll show you the whales.
Some days they play in the water and show off. Have you seen penguins before?”
“Once. Mostly, I heard them,” Tāwera said. “I am also familiar with seals.”
“All right. This is the museum. Can you read English?”
“The missionaries taught me.”
“Excellent. You’ll be able to read the descriptions in the exhibits. They explain each display. You might like to explore that while I’m busy in the gift shop. Carolyn mentioned a cruise ship is arriving in around an hour. You should find plenty to keep you amused.”
“Nyree.” A woman appeared from another room. She glanced left and right. “Who were you talking to?”
“Myself,” Nyree said without hesitation. “I get better answers that way, Carolyn.”
Carolyn blinked as Tāwera moved to stand beside Nyree. For an instant, he wondered if the woman saw him, but she laughed and stared right through him.
Tāwera puffed out a harsh breath, his chest growing tight. It had been too much to hope others might see him. He was lucky he had Nyree to speak with and to show him the modern ways.
“Did you have something specific you wanted me to do today? I was going to double-check the stock levels in the store, then do a walk-through of the museum to make certain everything is ready for our next visitors.”
Carolyn laughed. “I don’t know why I bother checking on you.
You do everything I need to do without being asked.
” She turned to return before pausing. “The other temp worker scheduled to arrive in two weeks rang this morning. She can’t come since her mother has cancer.
Suzie needs to remain at home to look after her mother. ”
“Oh, I’m very sorry,” Nyree said.
“They’re going to find a replacement, but I told Brett, the organizer, we were doing fine at present.”
While Nyree chatted with the woman, Tāwera wandered around the building’s interior and studied everything with interest.
Pictures covered the walls, and everything appeared tidy and smelled inoffensive. Machines sat on desks and in corners, and Tāwera marveled at the things these people used to make their lives easier.
“I’ll check in with you later, once the passengers come ashore, in case you need help.”
“I’ll be fine,” Nyree said. “It’s easy and nothing compared to working in a busy pub.”
“If you’re sure,” Carolyn said. “Would you like to take control of a tour this afternoon?”
“I’d love to,” Nyree said.
“Right. I’ll let you know the time.”
Tāwera waited until the woman left before speaking to Nyree. “She didn’t see me.”
“No, but I wonder if she can hear you. The shop is this way, near to the museum. We sell books, T-shirts, postcards, stamps, and a few other things. The visitors like to send cards and letters home to their families.”
To Tāwera, this was a mystery, but he figured he’d learn. “Can I help you?”
“Sure, you can carry the heavier boxes for me, so I don’t need to make lots of trips.” She grinned at him, an impish grin that shouted mischief.
She hadn’t looked this way when she’d received the message about the Ari-man. His nostrils flared, and his muscles tensed.