Calico Pennants Read Online Free PDF Page A

called Nainoa Nainoa. Then he chanted an ancient prayer:
    “ Gods of the boundless deep,
    Gods of the mighty waves
    And troughs which lead to blackness,
    We place our ship in your hands,
    In your hands, our hopes and our lives .”

    Julian Crosby now sat each morning at the Sunrise, sipping black Kona coffee, waiting for the twenty-five thousand dollars to clear wire transfer, and hoping to catch one more glimpse of the willowy blond he’d seen at the cafe counter on his first morning in Lahaina.
    The cafe’s owner, Song Cajudoy, now recognized Julian’s face, and today, for the first time, she ventured a personal question. “You here in Hawaii alone?”
    “I’m flying solo these days,” he nodded.
    “I noticed your wedding ring. Where is your wife?”
    “We were divorced a couple of years ago.”
    “But you still wear your wedding ring?”
    Julian shrugged.
    “I’m divorced, too,” she confided. “My husband took all our money and went back to Manila. He left me here to work day and night at this lousy café. But I’d rather be in Hawaii. In the Philippines they close all the banks and tap the phone lines. Police beat everybody up for no good reason. Where’s your wife now?”
    “Living in Long Beach,” Julian said.
    “So, why divorce?” Song asked.
    “I guess all the magic was gone,” Julian said.
    The Filipina nodded. “Magic is very, very important. Perhaps you’ve come to just the right place. What do you think?”
    “Perhaps,” conceded Julian.
    “Listen!” said Song. “Today I make you omelet with special herbs. Maybe put some magic back in your life...”
    “Why not?” said Julian.
    Song smiled her delicate, Asian smile as she deftly cracked two brown eggs into a bowl, sprinkled in the promised herbs, and began beating the mixture with a wire whip.
    And where was Kamehaloha Kong? Since their scuba diving lesson three days ago Julian had not seen him. Though he was certain Kong had not left the island. Each day Julian walked down to the boat launch to have another look at the Scoundrel, taking inventory of the cruiser from prow to stern. It was a fine boat, still he could not deny the buyer’s remorse he was experiencing. In retrospect, he viewed the impulsive purchase as somewhat out of character. But perhaps he was becoming more inclined by the day to leave once rigid attitudes in his wake.
    Maybe it was this place... What was the term Kevin had used? Polynesian Paralysis. That was it! Well, he was not paralyzed, that much was obvious. If anything, he was exercising self-direction for the first time in his life. Something had changed. Something important.
    “Hey! Did you ever talk to Kamehaloha?”
    Julian turned toward the voice. It was the blond.
    “Yes, I agreed to buy his boat,” he said.
    “You bought the Scoundrel?” cawed Song Cajudoy as she brought his omelet to the table.
    “It’s a marvelous boat, don’t you think so?”
    “If you say so...” The café owner shook her head skeptically and said with sarcasm, “Now maybe he’ll pay me what he owes me.”
    Julian didn’t know about that, but he was pleased to see that this beautiful girl—tall, strong and tan—whose image he’d not been able to put out of his mind since first seeing her at the Sunrise, was for some unexplainable reason interested in him—or at least in his impending purchase of the Scoundrel.
    “We’re sailing over to the Big Island on Sunday,” he told her. “That’ll give me an opportunity to get to know the boat a little better before I take it out alone. Apparently, there’s some sort of ceremony taking place in Hilo that Kamehaloha wants to see.” Julian took an anxious bite of the omelet as he stared at the girl; the eggs had a curious but compelling taste.
    “Oh, the landing of Hawai’iloa, the voyaging canoe!” she exclaimed.
    “What’s that?” Julian wanted to know.
    “You mean you don’t know about the expedition?” Without being asked, she sat down at his table. “My