Show 1 I 1 BOMBS BuRST CHURCH 1 I I CHAPTER I Arriving at Cabeza de Negro was like coming home Neither Curt nor norLee norLee nori i Lee had ever visited the time one-time small fishing port in the old days but that was the way it hit them themi i now as it rose up out of the sea Once it had been only a collection of manaca shacks on stilts cut off from inland by ridden fever-ridden marshes An unhealthy spot for white men Today all that was changed changed or or fast changing t They were up at dawn for the early docking and to watch the long low Jow blur on the horizon which slowly became the Tierra Libre Libra coastline Lee caught her breath as that blur took shape Her memories of it were precious I True shed she'd been happy since and andI I w nC she had the boys But no happiness happiness happiness happi happi- ness not even the children could ever erase from her mind those first years here with Curt Hard working working working work work- ing days for him in a job for which he was born romance and beauty in the tropic setting for her Unconsciously she snuggled closer under Curts Curt's arm as they stood at atthe atthe atthe the rail staring landward Unconsciously Unconsciously Unconsciously too Curt was scowling but Lee did not see this Meanwhile Buddy and Chuck were clamoring and tugging unnoticed unnoticed unnoticed un un- noticed at the ends of their split leash they leash they couldn't be allowed free I run of the deck dog wace Daddy begged Chuck in the fuzzy tones of a year four-year old He didn't yet have Buddys Buddy's clarity of speech for Buddy was all of six and quite a man Curt obligingly called One two three go and the children scampered scampered scampered scam scam- down the deck on all fours barking and pulling their leashes taut This play brought Curt and ana Lee to the vessels vessel's stern where their eyes caught the flat black smudge in the distance A lean low gray vessel was cutting in toward the coast farther farther farther far far- ther to the north Headed for Soledad Curt muttered muttered muttered mut mut- and the frown returned to his forehead Lee clutched his arm Its a destroyer J One of ours Jeff Must be And it its it's racing Do you suppose there wasn't any word on the bulletin board Curt patted her hand and smiled down at her Dont be getting any ideas he said and was immediately conscious conscious conscious con con- hed he'd taken a second or so too long in replying Theres no revolution here Uncle Sams Sam's just paying a courtesy call Were We're doing more of that than we used to throughout the Caribbean But its it's speeding See how the smoke lays flat from the funnels caused by the wind from around Punta Cauca honey Our smoke would look the flip th same camp c m if H u r we were in in th that p position I I Once more as he stood against the rail with Lee Curt went over in his mind the string of events leading up to their presence here on the Pisces as Pisces as hed he'd done so many times these past several nights lying awake in the dark He started with the proposition it it- it self He and Lee had been dawdling over a late breakfast while the children children children chil chil- dren played on the lawn within range of the open windows He had the morning paper folded to handy size and propped against the coffee urn and was sunk in a roving reporters reporter's reporters reporter's reporters reporter's re re- porters porter's column purporting to give the progress of proofing bomb-proofing the Panama Canal It took Lee several efforts to break through to him It vas was the final Jeff Curtis that did it and he looked up to discover shed she'd been running over the morning mail There was a storm signal in hi her eyes and she was tapping the knuckles knuckles knuckles knuck knuck- les of one hand with a long flat fiat envelope Who do I know m in Cristobal he said easily Why no one I guess Theres There's old Jim Bragg over on the Pacific side Letter Some day my fine lad she began began began be be- gan promisingly when you bury yourself in the paper paper paper-oh oh what's the use She gave up and handed him the he letter He ripped it open slid out the several sheets of enclosure Only mailed from Cristobal He read aloud the letterhead Compania Compania Compania Com pania Agricola Tropical San Alejo Tierra Libre Port Cabeza de Negro Ne Ne- gro Cable CAT Huh Who do you suppose they are Cabezas Cabeza's that little fishing village down the coast from Soledad but I never heard of ofSan ofSan ofSan San Alejo He glanced at the end of the letter Signed Apolonio Mon Mon- taya President and General Manager Man Man- ager Never heard of him He ran his eye down the first page and looked up to exclaim Why honey its it's a anew new banana outfit Opening up twenty thousand hectares between the rivers Masica and Negro But that stuffs stuff's all swampland You remember Lee that big stretch of swamp across the Negro dotted with a few spots of jungle And th the mosquitoes Curt grinned and skim skimmed ed over the test rest of the letter hurriedly Lee saw his growing excitement as he straightened in his chair Lee ULee They're offering me the job of Chief Engineer He took a deep breath and went on more slowly soberly But they say the offers offer's contingent upon residence with family family fam fam- family ily for term of contract Three years Of course if I 1 had the job Id I'd like to have you and the kids with ith me but but but- Lee rose and went around to him pushing back the table to sit on his knees and look him gravely mis- mis in the eyes Here was a situation to be handled one to be nipped in bud It took her a moment moment moment mo mo- ment to find the right words like that job lob wouldn't you darling It was more statement than ques ques- tion He lowered his eyes Well Vell Id I'd IdId Id I'd- Id I'd yes Id yes sure I would That'd be a areal areal areal real job Just think Lee Drainage levees floodgates railroad power plants plants all all kinds of projects And honey his eyes flamed a chance to work on that overhead irrigation system I missed out on when we came north He broke off again and his eyes went blank to hide or try to hide how v much this could mean to him Well he went on carefully be something more than this kinder- kinder r t ts K s rr 1 1 r f offering me the job of Chief Engineer garten stuff Im I'm doing now Twenty thousand hectares is quite an order Yes I know But you'll leave it to me to decide wont won't you Well 1 yes Lee he faltered I Iguess Iguess 1 guess Ill I'll have to She looked a long moment into his eyes then pushed a forefinger in circles through his thick curly hair before kissing him lightly It will hurt dear she said quietly quietly quietly qui qui- etly but you'll have to forget it There are Buddy and Chuck We Ve cant can't take them to a malarial swamp swamp and and with Buddy ready for school this year But Lee they cover that here herel They say say say- He swallowed hard dodging her steady gaze They say they have excellent accommodations accommodations accommodations halfway up the Quebrado Mountains including school hospital hospi hospi- tal clubhouse swimming pool tennis tennis tennis ten ten- nis courts They claim theres there's no fever in hi their settlement settlement San San Alejo they call it and it-and and Lee we ought to like it as well as we liked Puerto Soledad We Ve were happy in Soledad dar dar- ling Dont Don't think I 1 can ever for for- get But we left Tierra Libre because because because be be- cause we wanted children and thought this country and climate best for them I know he answered unhappily She got up and stood at the window window window win win- dow hands locked behind her At length without turning Lee asked How do you know they're responsible people I wouldn't accept without investigating investigating investigating gating them The letter is headed San Alejo Tierra Libre but its it's mailed in a plain envelope from Cristobal she mentioned Oh that's explainable They put their mail aboard an Associated ship at Soledad no doubt whose purser dropped it at Cristobal for faster air service It came by air you know snow And the plain envelope Well 1 Curt fidgeted I 1 dont don't think that means anything Maybe they were out of printed ones Or perhaps his voice quickened quickened quickened quick quick- ened in mailing it on an Associated ed vessel they were being wary of Associated finding out too much about them They're rivals Lee I 1 have a feeling I 1 cant can't explain but but but- She bit her lip No that's a womans woman's trick that's not fair Finally with reluctance she said Well at least it wouldn't do any harm to find out more about these people and Sweetheart Curt shouted jumped for her Her next words were muffled against his shoulder Well I hope Im I'm not a water sugar-and-water wife He didn't see the tears in her eyes And that was the first step that led to their being here on the Pisces The second Curt had put in a wave short-wave phone call for Jerry McInnis his closest friend during the years hed he'd worked in the tropics McInnis was now Chief Engineer for the Associated Associated Associated Fruit Growers at Puerto Sole- Sole dad The call came through later that morning Greetings were quickly over Then Jerry what do you know about the Compania Agricola Tropical Claim to have that swamp between the Negro and the Masica Masica- Yeh I 1 know only it wont won't be a swamp much longer They're doing a swell job of reclamation Curt Well I dont don't know much about them Guy called heads the outfit Theres There's a whisper around he was hooked up with Cedillo in Mexico and got out by the skin of his teeth when that revolt failed But that's only gossip take it for what its it's worth Seems to have plenty dough behind him but I dont don't know where it comes from Old Man Moore probably has the lowdown but you know how tightlipped tightlipped tightlipped tight- tight lipped he is Moore was General Manager in Tierra Libre for Associated Fruit Growers Vho's in with this Dont rightly know Curt Mon Mon- taya seems the only top man so fars far's farsI I can see Theres There's a couple of Swedes I dont don't know anything about except they hold their liquor and dont don't talk Youngish guys And a Dutchman Hollander Dutchman Hollander I 1 mean mean mean-a a chemical man Panama disease has shown up over on our side and if they're going to raise bananas they'll have to find some means of combating combating- Yes sure But how come Associated Associated Associated Asso Asso- didn't have that piece tied up Never heard of anyone getting ahead of Old Man Moore before Well Vell weve we've already got plenty of good land all we can handle now or in the reasonable future And this cost real money to de de- de- de Why all these questions Curt Under your hat Jerry they've offered me the job of Chief Engi Engi- neer Wanted to know more about them Think they're reliable Well 1 yes C Curt r they the are r so tars lars i 1 Know But aut ra nate hate to nave have you make a decision on my say A wary reluctant note had crept into McInnis' McInnis voice been handling the job Chigger Mitchell What That Old Mitch Hes He's a good man What happened they need another another another an an- other Well Vell you know how Mitch was kind of tough on labor A driver and all that And he could sure find finda a guys guy's weak spot and dig under the skin He didn't get the name Chigger for nothing Well he must've made an enemy over there who wanted a souvenir Anyway his ears were missing when they found him just him just a few days ago it was was and and they had to use a basket for the rest of him These machetes are bad stuff as you know well enough Early m in the morning Curt wired his acceptance to the C. C A A. T. T peoples people's peoples people's peoples people's peo peo- ples New Orleans office Back came overnight a contract for sig sig- nature And things moved fast The freighter Pisces one of a small fleet of Norwegian vessels chartered to the C. C A. A T. T outfit would be held over a day in New Orleans awaiting them Loaded with rails cement lumber machinery it was bound for Cabeza de Negro the new C. C A. A T. T port at the mouth of the Rio Negro Curt had less than twenty-four twenty hours to wind up all his affairs inthe in inthe inthe the States store the car arrange arrange for care and lease of the house through an agent for forwarding of their mail Their mail The first batch readdressed readdressed readdressed re- re addressed and sent by air to New Orleans caught up with Curt just before they sailed Busy with details details details de de- de- de tails of baggage and boarding ship he tie he hastily stuffed the handful of letters letters letters let let- into his pocket It was hours before he thought of ot it and hauled it forth for tion The ship had reached the mouth of the Mississippi they'd dropped the pilot and were headed out into the Gulf One letter was a small plain envelope postmarked Puerto Soledad Tierra Libre Inside was a brief note Mr Curtis Curti Dont Don't bring your family to San Alejo dont don't come yourself Dont Don't come Zora Mitch Mitch- ell TO DE BE CONTINUED |