“There’re lots of people in the summertime.” He shook his head. “It’s winter now, which is worse.”
“Of course, there can’t be much to do.”
The boy blinked slowly a couple of times, which in any other person would have seemed affected and ridiculous but in his case seemed entirely natural.
“No, not because of that ... In the summer, with all the people,hehides. But in the winter, he always comes out and does things. Nasty things.”
Roberto felt an icy shiver down his back. Diego’s tone was fearful in a way that made it clear he didn’t mean the bully Luis.
“Who are you talking about?”
But they were interrupted by a vehicle’s headlights. Roberto looked up to find a hulking white SUV with the Spanish national park emblem on the doors, and Antía motioning to them from behind the wheel. They loaded up the luggage, Roberto and Diego got in, and Antía pulled onto the track.
As they were driving away, Roberto glanced out the window and saw the white-bearded Ramón Docampo once again. He had returned to the balcony and was watching them steadily, cigarette in hand. The sky was so dark with clouds now that it was almost as if night had fallen. In the gloom, Roberto couldn’t make out the man’s expression, but a thought came to him that further darkened his mood.
Stay out of trouble,the skipper of thePunta Suidohad said.
And he, within ten minutes of being on the island, had probably made enemies of half its inhabitants.
2
A Gift
The paved road ended after a hundred yards, and the SUV began hurtling along a narrow dirt track with deep drainage ditches at either side. Every now and then, they passed an unlit, empty house.
“In the summer, almost all the houses are occupied, either by their owners or by vacationers,” Antía explained, without taking her eyes off the road. “But at this time of year, you can go a whole day without meeting a soul, if that’s what you want.”
The SUV shook as it tackled a steep slope.
“Did you bring enough food?” she asked again.
“Yes. I was told to bring everything I needed.”
“Good. There’s a store and a few restaurants, but they only open in the summer. The Docampo bar, the one next to the dock, sometimes opens during the winter but only when there’s a fishing boat in port. I doubt they’ll serve you, but you can always try.”
“I seem to have gotten off to a pretty bad start with the Docampos.”
“Maybe,” she sighed. “But these are our problems really, not yours. My mother wouldn’t agree with me, but you ought to go to the bar at some point and try to smooth things over.”
“You’re telling me to make peace with the guy who I nearly got into a fight with, two seconds after arriving?” Roberto gave her a quizzical look.
“I’m telling you not to get drawn into our quarrels,” she replied. “It’s ... complicated. Anyway, this is the place.”
The SUV lurched to a halt next to what appeared to be an overgrown mound, barely visible in the darkness. Only when they got out did he realize that it was a small cottage with irregular stone walls and a moss-covered roof. By the door stood an old fig tree, gnarled and twisted by the wind, which was no doubt a welcome source of shade during the summer but right now looked more like something out of a horror movie.
Antía handed Roberto the key, and he turned it in the lock. Once inside, he felt around for a light switch, but nothing happened when he flicked it on.
“You should be so lucky ...”
With a click, Antía illuminated the interior of the house with a powerful flashlight.
“Electricity on the island is rationed,” she explained. “There’s a generator in the village that supplies the whole place, but it only runs for a few hours a day.”
“And the rest of the time?”
“We get by without electricity.” She shrugged. “It’s not so hard once you get used to it. But don’t worry, there’s usually some power early in the evening. It should come on soon. Diego, honey, go look for a lamp.”
The boy went to the kitchen and quickly came back with a propane lamp and a triumphant expression on his face. Antía opened the valve and pressed the igniter; with a quiet hiss, gentle gaslight illuminated the room.
