They decided to wait till the end of the season to take the trip. Everything was arranged-Minnie would care for Hamish, Captain Evans would supervise the refit of the luggers, and Ahmed the sorting and packing of the sh.e.l.l.

Once on board the steamer to Fremantle, they put their precious parcel of pearls in the captain's safe and, despite having separate cabins, enjoyed shipboard life.

Upon arrival in Fremantle, they took a riverboat up the Swan River to Perth and booked into a discreet hotel as Mr and Mrs Johnston. Their days and nights together were every bit as wonderful as they'd hoped and imagined.

Monsieur Barat came to their hotel and greeted them warmly.

His sensitive antenna picked up that there was something between the two of them, but his discretion prevented him from showing any reaction. Instead he addressed the business at hand. 'If you have come to me, rather than wait for me to come to you, I must a.s.sume you have something special to show me?'

Olivia carefully unrolled the velvet wrapping to reveal the sh.e.l.l with the seven pearls on it. Monsieur Barat was speechless, an involuntary short gasp the only sound in the room.

'Is this special enough?' asked Tyndall quietly, with a slight smile.

Monsieur Barat did not take his eyes off the pearls but nodded in agreement. 'It's a miracle. Where was this found?'

'Somewhere special indeed,' answered Olivia softly. 'But even if we were to return there, I doubt we'd find anything like it again.'

The Frenchman picked up the sh.e.l.l with both hands, lifting it with reverence, as if it was a sacred object. 'One could live several lifetimes before seeing something like this. I am honoured you have shown it to me.'

'You're our friend and we trust you,' responded Olivia and Monsieur Barat acknowledged her with a slight bow.

He examined the pearls on the sh.e.l.l more closely. 'I am glad you didn't try to remove the pearls. They could have come apart and they are worth more, initially, in their original state. A buyer can decide what is to be done with them later.'

Tyndall and Olivia exchanged a relieved glance. 'Tobias Metta advised us to leave them intact. He is sworn to secrecy about them,' said Olivia.

'He is a wise man. Collectors are strange people and some prize more highly pearls that have not been publicly advertised. The sale must be handled very discreetly.'

'Indeed,' said Olivia, inviting him to continue.

'I would travel to London and sell it privately in Hatton Garden. There are agents there for buyers with the sort of money this treasure will bring. But, of course, that is up to you to decide.' He placed the sh.e.l.l back in its velvet wrapping.

Olivia and the French pearl buyer haggled briefly over the commission and the finer details of the transaction as they always did and Tyndall sat back and listened with faint amus.e.m.e.nt. It was a delicate dance, an exercise they both enjoyed with the toing and froing, pauses for consideration and suggestion, rather like a game of chess.

Monsieur Barat later joined them for dinner and when they bid him goodbye he warned them it might take a little time to find the right buyer 'with the right amount of money'.

Over the next season, losses from the cyclone were more than recouped.

'These are boom times,' declared Tyndall as record yields of sh.e.l.l were sold.

The Broome fleet now numbered in the hundreds and adventurers and entrepreneurs from many countries came to seek their fortunes on the pearling grounds. Some put their life savings into a boat or talked an investor into backing them, but most failed from inexperience, greed, or bad luck.

The Star of the Sea Pearl Company now had twelve luggers.

'We can't expand and keep a close watch on any more than we have now,' said Olivia. 'It's getting harder to find honest men to work for us, we need white sh.e.l.l openers on every boat to watch every sh.e.l.l that's opened. I still think we're losing pearls, even with the pearl boxes.'

These were an ingenious invention carried on all luggers where pearls were dropped down a funnel into the box, which was then padlocked so that only the holder of the key could retrieve the pearls. As soon as Olivia saw this device she put one on every boat.

'You're a tough businesswoman, Olivia,' teased Tyndall, leaning down and kissing the tip of her ear.

She blushed and whispered, 'Be careful, someone might come into the office.'

Tyndall picked up one of their pearl boxes and rattled it. 'What lugger did this come off, sounds promising.'

'Captain Evans brought it in from the Annabella Annabella. But he says the tally isn't as good as from the banks they worked last year.'

'Hmm. Might be time we went back to some of the old beds,' said Tyndall thoughtfully. 'The pickings should be ripe again.'

'Let's keep it to ourselves. No point in having half the fleet sh.e.l.ling in our our waters,' grinned Olivia. waters,' grinned Olivia.

'I wish there was some way of replenishing the pearl sh.e.l.l ourselves,' mused Tyndall. 'If we could get the spat to grow in controlled conditions and harvest the sh.e.l.l ourselves, we'd make a fortune. And guarantee they'd produce a decent pearl for good measure,' he added.

'Is that possible?'

'I've heard rumours of some experiments and I'd like to think that anything is always possible.'

'Always the optimist, aren't you? Well, figure out where we're going to send the boats next season.'

'This season isn't over yet. Perhaps we should take two of the luggers and do a little exploring.'

Tyndall and Olivia took the Shamrock Shamrock, with Ahmed on the Bulan Bulan. The fewer who knew where they were going, the better.

They sailed north to King Sound. The waters were so turbulent that it didn't surprise Olivia when Tyndall told her few boats ventured into this area off the entrance to the Sound.

They had brought Yoshi to dive with Ahmed on the Bulan Bulan and Taki to act as tender for Tyndall on the and Taki to act as tender for Tyndall on the Shamrock Shamrock.

Tyndall's first drift over the seabed produced nothing and he signalled the boat to move on. An hour later in deeper water and descending to thirty fathoms, Tyndall still had no luck. Finally, he signalled to them to bring him up. This was a long, slow process as he had to be staged, resting at intervals on his ascent, hanging on to his lifeline, impatiently waiting, in order to prevent bubbles of nitrogen entering tissues of the body and causing excruciating pain known as 'the bends'.

After they had raised him out of the water, he collapsed on the deck. When his helmet and boots were removed, he moaned, 'What a d.a.m.ned waste of time. Absolutely nothing.'

'What's wiped out the sh.e.l.l?'

'Not what, Olivia, but who. Poachers it seems.'

'Do you suppose Ahmed and Yoshi are having any better luck?'

'Let's go see.'

They sailed close to the Bulan Bulan and called across to Ahmed who shook his head and gave a thumbs-down. and called across to Ahmed who shook his head and gave a thumbs-down.

In the morning the two boats set off and headed out towards Adele Island to try their luck in completely new grounds.

Late the following day the crewman on watch called their attention to a smudge on the horizon. They changed course to port and sailed towards the small island. From a distance it appeared rocky and barren, but on the seaward side they found an inlet and a narrow strip of beach.

'Look at the palms, it's quite tropical, and there's smoke inland a bit,' said Olivia, handing the eyegla.s.s to Tyndall.

He accepted the gla.s.s and, scanning the island, remarked with curiosity, 'According to the map the island is "uninhabited".'

The boats slipped in and moored off the beach as the day faded. Ahmed and Yoshi rowed alongside and Tyndall climbed into the dinghy.

They pulled the dinghy onto the sh.o.r.e and made their way into the trees following a well-worn track. Ahmed nudged Tyndall and tapped his nose. Tyndall could smell cooking, too, and soon they could see firelight and hear the noise of a small community.

Long thatched bungalows stood next to stone and wood buildings. Next to several fireplaces, there was an open communal eating area sheltered by a roof supported on poles. Several Aboriginal women were tending food at the fireplaces. One of the bungalows had wooden doors and Tyndall saw the metal bolt on it was padlocked. Some Aborigines were sharpening tools and cleaning several large tortoise sh.e.l.ls.

An elderly Aborigine straightened up and stared at them as the little party walked into the clearing. He responded to Tyndall's greeting with 'G'day boss'.

The women melted into the background as the men gathered around, curious and friendly.

Tyndall and Ahmed were trying to find out what the unexpected settlement was all about when the crowd parted and a solid middle-aged man dressed in tattered cut-off trousers and cotton undershirt came forward. Despite his bare feet and casual attire he presented a figure of authority. He beamed and announced, 'Father Anders. Welcome to our mission.' His booming voice had a thick Dutch accent.

'Mission? This is a mission?' Tyndall tried not to look disbelieving. 'Way out here?'

'It is a leper mission. The people you see here are relatives and, er, helpers to those afflicted,' explained Anders. 'They are in a special area,' he added as Ahmed and Tyndall glanced around.

'I see. Do you have help, and what about supplies? The wood and water trains don't come out here, I imagine,' commented Tyndall, referring to the boats that supplied the fleets.

'We look after ourselves,' replied the Dutchman enigmatically. 'We have our own boats, there's a safe harbour round the point. I a.s.sume you came via the beach.'

Tyndall nodded. 'We'll moor for the night and if we could avail ourselves of some fresh water, maybe a coconut or two ... we'd be grateful.'

Father Anders smiled and gestured with both hands. 'Whatever we have, the Lord wishes us to share.'

'We'll be back in the morning then.' Tyndall shook the Dutchman's hand and they headed back to the beach.

'What do you think, Ahmed? I don't think our Dutch friend is a priest or do-gooder at all. Didn't trust him for a minute.'

'Why they lock up bungalows? What they got in them?'

'I think we should look at their little harbour.'

The three of them set off, scrambling through the fringe of tropical growth and over a small headland. In the rising moonlight they could see the opening to a calm inlet. Several luggers and a ketch were moored. Dinghies and canoes were pulled up on the beach and the boats looked deserted.

'Me go and check 'em out, eh, tuan?' offered Ahmed.

Tyndall hesitated, he and Yoshi would arouse suspicion. Another Malay might not. He nodded.

Ahmed chose a small dinghy and rowed silently to the boats, studying them closely. Then to their surprise, he tied a rope to the ketch and climbed on board. They saw him crouch on the deck and lift a hatch cover.

As silently as he'd left he was quickly back on the sh.o.r.e and they stood back amongst the trees.

'The hold is filled with sh.e.l.ls, tortoise and pearl sh.e.l.l,' Ahmed reported.

'I can guess where they've been getting the sh.e.l.l,' muttered Tyndall.

'This poacher's place. No mission. What we do, tuan?'

'Leave quietly and report them later. The boats are clearly from the Indies. Dutch-owned, I'd say. And the natives no doubt have been blackbirded-slave labour.'

But as they moved through the trees, Yoshi, who was bringing up the rear, gave a small shout. The others turned around quickly to find one of the Malays they'd seen at the mission tugging at Yoshi's arm.

The man spoke quickly. 'Please, help me get away from this place. I want to leave, go back to my wife and children. They bring me here and I can't escape.'

Ahmed asked rapid questions and the man told them he was hired to work as crew on one of the Dutch boats, but had been brought here with other Koepangers and Aborigines against their will and could not leave. He told them the Dutch priest was actually a ship's captain who had established this base for poaching. It was known that many of the Malay islands were used as piracy bases for gun running, spoils of poaching and blackbirding.

Tyndall and Ahmed conferred quickly, and agreed to take the man with them. With some urgency, they hurried to the darkened beach.

When they reached the sand, they found a reception committee waiting for them. Tyndall let out a cry of rage when he saw who was in charge of the small group-Karl Gunther.

Tyndall sprang at him, catching him by surprise, attempting to throttle the squat and powerfully built man. The men around them fell on the two men, wrenching them apart and the two groups, now all brandishing knives and pistols, held back their two leaders.

'Where is she?' shouted Tyndall. 'What have you done with her?'

Gunther, dazed for a moment, didn't register what Tyndall had asked him.

'How did you find us here? Who told you to come here?'

'No one! This is a happy accident, Gunther! Now, where is Niah?'

Comprehension dawned on the hawk-like features of the swarthy German. 'She's gone. I did nothing. She dived from my boat. Kaput. Sharks get her.'

Tyndall went limp, suspecting that Gunther was telling the truth. 'And why would she leap overboard ... to get away from you.' His anger resurged and he made another lunge but was held back by Yoshi and Ahmed on either side. Ahmed held Tyndall's arm with one hand and his kris with the other.

Gunther took a step forward. 'You can't leave here. We'd better visit Anders.'

'Don't be mad, Gunther. No matter what you do to us, our crew will sail straight to the authorities. Better you let us go.'

'Why should I do that-' Before he could finish the sentence, a pistol cracked and a bullet sprayed sand beside his feet, causing him to leap backwards. The shot came from the trees and two more rang out in quick succession, sending up tufts of sand between the two men. Gunther and his three men turned and fled into the trees, dragging the Malay with them.

Taki and Olivia emerged from the trees and ran across the sand. Olivia was carrying the pistol.

'John, are you all right?' she called in a frightened voice.

They fell into each other's arms. 'Yes, no harm done, but it looked nasty for a minute. Good Lord, you could have shot any of us,' he exclaimed.

'I aimed low,' she said, grinning. 'Well, say thanks.'

Tyndall laughed, hugged her quickly and led everyone back to the dinghies on the beach.

'Whatever made you come ash.o.r.e, and with a pistol?' he asked as he rowed back to the two boats.

'You seemed to be gone so long, and it was getting dark, and something told me to do it.' She shrugged her shoulders. 'Don't ask me what or why. Just one of those things. We had no sooner reached the trees when Gunther and his mob turned up, so we waited and watched.'

The last of the fading breeze got them safely out to sea and, in the distance, they could see the flame torches on the beach, and heard the reverberation of a shot, probably fired in frustration.

As they drifted into the night, Tyndall told Olivia of the encounter with Gunther and of Niah's fate.

Olivia took his hand as he choked up. 'I'm so sorry for you, John. It's a terrible thing. Can the police do anything? We'll have to tell them.'

'No, there's no point, there's no evidence that will stand up and there'll certainly be no evidence here within a few days, you can be sure of that.'