Chapter 1

It was Tuesday and only the second day of classes for Tom Conroy. After four months alone with Marie it seemed strange to be around so many people again, particularly since they had been off the island for less than a week. In fact, he thought with amusement, he had only managed to get a haircut the day before on his way to school.

He had an afternoon class on environmental issues that now really amused him. For the first time he realized how little his classmates knew about the environment and how romanticized their beliefs were. After four months of living by their wits and their hands, one thing was certain: Nature was neither kind nor benevolent.

It was six o'clock and he was at a table in the corner of the student union snack bar. He had agreed to meet Marie at six and had arrived early. As he was about to take out a book to read, a shadow fell over the table and he looked up to see Barbara Dawson, a classmate of his. Barbara was five feet eight and a very pretty blonde. She was in Tom's afternoon environmental issues course and had been watching him from behind all afternoon.

Also a sophomore at USC, she knew Tom Conroy from the previous year but scarcely recognized him when she saw him that day for the first time since the previous school year. She was amazed at the change in him. First, she had never seen a deeper tan on anyone, although his face seemed significantly lighter than his neck and arms.

He seemed so much bigger, too. She realized that his shoulders and arms were much heavier than she remembered. All in all, she decided that he could be worth cultivating. "Hi, Tom," she said brightly, "May I join you?"

"Of course. Please sit down."

She sat across from him and took advantage of the currently accepted behavioral standard. "How about having dinner together sometime? I would like to get to know you better. Who knows... ?"

His reaction astonished her. She knew she was one of the best-looking girls on a campus loaded with good looking girls, so she couldn't understand it when he looked at her with amused tolerance and said, "Thanks Bobbie, but I'm really not interested."

"But why not?" she asked, unable to control her surprise. She was a girl who had never been rejected by a man — let alone so bluntly — in her life.

"Principally because my wife wouldn't like it," he replied, rising from his seat.

He had just seen Marie appear and he stood up to wave. He felt a wonderfully warm feeling seeing her again, even if they had only been apart since the morning. Their honeymoon, he realized, had been a truly remarkable experience. It wasn't possible for two people to get to know one another better than he and Marie knew each other after being together constantly for four months. She saw him, grinned, waved, and came over to the table. Taking her in his arms, they melted together in a passionate kiss.

When they parted, she said softly, "God, have I missed you!"

"Honey, I would like you to meet Barbara Dawson," he said. "Bobbie, this is my wife, Marie."

The girl's jaw dropped and she shook her head. "But I don't understand," she stammered. "I don't remember you even having a girl friend last year. What happened?"

Marie slid into the booth and then Tom sat down beside her. Marie looked like a beautiful urchin, wearing her Levi's with her usual washed-out work shirt with the sleeves torn off. She had visited Henry Hall the day before and he had neatened up her hairdo. He referred to it as her ragged urchin cut, but they both liked it very much on her. She appeared to be about seventeen years old, and was wearing no makeup or jewelry. The one enhancement to her outfit was a wide belt made from the belly of the Great White shark.

Replying to Barbara's question, Tom said, "I guess that's sort of right, Bobbie. You see, our first real date was when we were married. Actually, I met Marie years ago when she used to babysit for me."

Now the poor girl was hopelessly confused. How could this girl, who is obviously younger than Tom, have been his babysitter, she wondered. She looked at Marie closely and could make no sense out of anything. Being honest with herself, she admitted that the girl was incredibly beautiful, with the same unbelievably rich golden tan that Tom had.

Her figure was perfect, but there was something else — something she couldn't quite place. Then she realized it was the way she moved, like a dancer or ... an athlete. That's it! she thought. She has the same incredible muscle development that Tom has.

He explained that Marie worked at the resort as a maid. They had known each other for years and he had proposed to her in the spring. The girl asked where they were living and Tom said they had a small apartment near school. Then she asked Marie what she did for a living.

"I have a job now," she replied, "but I'll be quitting in a few months when the baby comes. Then we're going to have to make it on what Tom brings in."

"But ... but ... you can't be pregnant!" the girl exclaimed.

"Okay, I'm not pregnant," Marie said agreeably. "On the other hand, the little thing growing inside of me is going to be terribly disappointed when I tell it."

"Why don't you just get rid of it?" Barbara persisted. "I mean ... with all the people in the world, and you're so young ... You aren't established ... Say," she said brightly, "there's a Planned Parenthood clinic that could take care of things for you. And there's no charge. They take care of the fetus—"

"Baby!" Marie interrupted. "It's a tiny baby that's growing inside me as fast as it can. It's Tom's and mine, and we're looking forward to my having it."

"But ... but, how can you ever get established? I mean, there is daycare and that stuff, but what about your life? Your career?"

Then she sat up straight and added, "Besides, you owe it to Tom. He's in college and his wife will be important later in his career. You don't want to hold him back because you're uneducated, do you? Why don't you get an education? There's a good community college nearby..."

She slowed and stopped because she couldn't understand the reaction she was getting. She had seen Marie bristle at the idea of an abortion, but now as she was talking about education, the girl just looked subtly amused.

Barbara changed the subject. She told them about a group she was involved with that was focused on preserving the environment. It was being organized and led by the professor who was teaching their environmental issues course.

"Harriet Dobbs is simply brilliant!" she declared. "In fact, tomorrow we're meeting with the top law firm in California. They're going to work with us on a case we're bringing to force the California Coastal Commission to cease issuing any new building permits."

Tom appeared interested and asked what firm it was.

"It's Clifford & Jamison!" she replied. "That's where I'm going to work," she stated proudly. "It's an all-women firm. Harriet is a friend of one of the partners, Sandra Harris. They worked together in the anti-Vietnam movement in the seventies. She told us she's sure that Ms. Harris will take the case because she was active in all those things."

When she mentioned Vietnam, she had seen a change in Marie. There was something in her eyes ... almost a coldness. She said, "Marie, are you Vietnamese, by any chance?"

"I am an American, Barbara," Marie said firmly. "But yes, I was born in Vietnam and escaped to America."

The girl looked puzzled. "But why did you leave? I mean ... the imperialists were defeated. You have your country together again, and they need help to rebuild it. The people have their country back. Ms. Dobbs says—"

"Why did I leave? For freedom," Marie replied coldly. "And frankly, I don't think I give a damn what your Ms. Dobbs says. I do know that I watched as my parents were both shot dead. My father's 'crime' was to be mayor of our little village.

"They came into the village, rounded up all the people, made my father kneel in the village square and then shot him in the head. When my mother ran to him to hold him as he died, they shot her in the head, too. My sister and I were forced to watch it all. Then they took all my schoolmates from our girl's school and one by one, raped and tortured them until they were all dead."

Marie's eyes were cold as ice and her voice was harsh as she said, "I guess I don't care for that brand of liberation.