Chapter 50

I just stood there thinking for a little bit, trying to figure out what I had missed. My thoughts were interrupted by one of the men asking a question.

"Sir, do you think it would be ok for the men to confiscate four of the cases of swords for our own use?"

"Huh? What in the world would you be able to use them for, Corporal?"

"When we raid these smugglers and board their ships, we always end up going up against knives, and almost all of them have short swords too. We have had several of our men seriously cut before we are able to defend ourselves. Our ship has an edged weapons instructor aboard, and with these swords, he be able to give us the edge in a battle on deck with the smugglers. Seriously, Sir, some of us have ordered our own and been trained by him already. Those swords in the warehouse could save a lot of men serious injuries if we had them. We know by rights they all belong to you since you own this island, so the men asked me to approach you about us having some of them."

"Corporal, you may take eight cases to split between the two ships now anchored offshore. There are over a hundred boxes of them down there, and I don't think I will miss a few if they might save one of our men from being seriously injured. Have the men load up the boxes on the flat car behind that golf cart. See if your can get all three of the golf carts running so they can move them back to the house when we close this place back up. You may feel free to tell your instructor that if he needs more swords to contact me and I will see he gets them. But, the rifles and pistols are not to be touched for any reason, and tell the men, 'No souvenirs!'"

He laughed as he thanked me and ran down the ramp to spread the news. Koma came around the side of the warehouse and beckoned for me to come. I followed him to the tree where Mikey was tied and stopped at a signal from the shaman. He asked Mikey a couple of questions in their language and seemed satisfied by the answers he received. He came over to me and bowed to me before he spoke.

"I think you can question him now, master. He seems to be totally under the spell of the truth medicine. Just keep the questions very simple, and do not push him for fast answers. The medicine controls the brain, and he will try fighting it before he answers. He may seem to go to sleep sometimes, but he is not sleeping, just fighting the effects of the medicine. The medicine will control him for about an hour or so, and then he will be very sick for many hours while his body releases the medicine."

"Pala, don't ever call me master again! I am Jon or Mr. Morgan, and not your master. You do not have to bow to anyone ever again, unless you wish to do so!"

He looked at me with an astonished expression before Koma spoke to him in his language. I caught some of it, but I was watching Mikey watching me as I walked up to him. He had a glazed look in his eyes, but seemed alert to his surroundings.

"Mikey, do you know who I am?"

"Yes, you are the new owner of the island and our new master."

I took a deep breath, wanting to slap him again, but got control of myself. I knew it was ingrained in them to call the owner master, but it still bothered me to be addressed that way. I fought not to show my displeasure and maybe he would not react to my anger. I didn't want to let it show on my face while I questioned him.

"Mikey, why did you keep all those old weapons under the warehouse a secret?"

He looked at me for a couple of minutes with a somewhat disconcerting stare before he haltingly answered me.

"I did not know they were there, master. This was Sukie's private place, and I was never allowed inside unless he sold some of the canned stuff to one of his friends. We were the ones who always had to load up the carts when he brought them around from the back. His friends always kept guns pointed at us the whole time. When we were done, we were always sent back to the village to sleep."

I stepped back, thinking furiously, trying to figure out why the underground bunker was unknown to anyone but Sukie. Damned but this was frustrating, since I was flying in the dark and had no idea what to ask him. He was controlling the shipments, but from where, and how did he know where the weapons were stored. Then I had a sudden inspiration, and stepped back up to him. I looked him in the eyes as I asked the thousand dollar question, hoping he could answer it to my satisfaction.

"Mikey, where are all the guns stored until the smugglers take them to their final destination?"

I watched his facial expressions change as he looked at me with pure hate in his eyes. Pala whispered to be patient, because he was trying to fight the medicine so he wouldn't have to answer me truthfully. I watched as Mikey shook and sweat ran down his face. He finally collapsed against the tree he was tied to, and spoke in the most resigned voice I had ever heard.

"We store all our guns in the old sub at the mouth of the cove. Another sub comes in once a month and fills it completely with the guns and other stuff. Then I call my friends and they unload it onto their boats for delivery. It was just filled two nights ago, but we have not had time to move anything because of the ships anchored by the island. I was coming here to call my friends and warn them to stay away when you caught me. Except for Sim, all the others were here only to carry cans of food back to the village for the feast tomorrow night. That is all I know, master."

I stepped back, thinking about what he had just told me, and almost smiled. But then I remembered I still hadn't found out how they were able to raise the sub. It was sunk in about thirty feet of water, so they had to have some way to raise it and lower it. They needed to be able get inside to transfer the weapons.

"Mikey, how do they raise and lower the sub to get to the weapons inside? Doesn't the water in the old sub affect the guns, or are they all sealed and waterproofed?"

"There is a hose that's hooked into the ballast tanks that we use to lift it up and down. Sukie was the one that thought it up and it has always worked fine. When it was abandoned, the sub was left with the hatches shut so it was still dry inside when it was raised the first time. From what I understand from one of the older men of the village, it was abandoned because it ran out of fuel. They could not get anymore for it because the war was about over. The Japanese on the island all surrendered and were taken off by a large battleship. Sukie was the one who had the valves installed to raise and lower it. We have done it this way for many years. The old master never knew what was going on since he never left the house while he was here. All the money I have made is in a chest under my bed in my hut. I have never been off the island since I was brought here, so I was not able to spend any of my share."