ransvestia

Kate Porter walked ahead of her family and knelt down on the ground beside the grave. She heard the others following her. Such a lonely place to die, she thought, real tears springing to her eyes. unbidden. Kate wept for the futility of Eleanor's life and for the lone- liness she had endured for ten years.

The house was quite empty when they reached it, though it was clean and clearly someone lived in it. The kitchen contained no modern appliances but there was a great deal of canned and powdered foods. "Not as isolated as you'd think," sniffed Cathy after a quick tour of the kitchen. They helped themselves to canned fruit juice which didn't really quench their thirst, as it was as warm as the air itself.

"It's likely that Kenneth and the other folks on this island have moved on," said Jim after they'd prowled the house for a while.

"He may not have been here at all," said Greg, coming down the rough-hewn central stairs. "There's only Aunt Eleanor's bedroom that's got clothes in the cupboards and wardrobe. All the others are empty."

"Maybe he packed up and left," said Cathy, the glum expression still on her face. "He never expected anyone would be stupid enough to come out here at this time of the year."

"Cathy!" This time it was her father who showed his exasperation with her.

"She may be right this time, dear," said Kate mildly. "Why don't we go back to the yacht? We can at least get a cold drink."

The tide was out when they arrived at the cove, and the Esperance was obviously stuck fast where she was moored. Kate had just begun to put a supper together, the kids were lying on the deck, when Jim's yell from the jetty turned all their attention outwards. Two canoes were coming into the bay. The occupants were staring back just as hard at the people on the yacht, as the Porters were at them. There were six or seven blacks in each canoe and clearly, they had been out on a successful fishing trip, for the center of each canoe was filled with large, silver, glistening fish. There was another person in the boat and Kate could see Greg's eyes almost popping out of his head as he looked at the golden girl.

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