The Solomon Curse by Clive Cussler Page B

that’s fine. We’re good.”
    â€œWell, come on and have a seat, then. What stories you want to know about?”
    They sat on a makeshift wooden bench, their backs to the front ofthe house, and Sam cleared his throat. “Anything that might have to do with a cursed bay on the other side of the island.”
    Tom’s eyes narrowed. “‘Cursed bay,’ you say?”
    â€œThat’s what the captain of the boat we were on said.”
    â€œWhy you care about some old nonsense like that?”
    â€œWe’re just interested in why such a pretty area would be considered taboo by islanders.”
    Tom stared off into the distance and then grunted. “Sorry. Can’t help you.”
    Remi’s face fell. “You don’t know any stories connected to the bay?”
    Tom shook his head. “Afraid you wasted your time, folks.”
    â€œThat’s a shame. We saved a man’s life who was attacked by a crocodile there,” Sam said, hoping to score some points.
    Tom showed no interest in the story. “Yeah, that happens. People go missing sometimes when they’re careless. Crocodiles are plenty dangerous around here.” He spat to the side. “’Course lots of danger around this place if you aren’t careful.”
    â€œReally?” Remi said. “It doesn’t strike me as particularly dangerous.”
    â€œOh, it is. ’Specially you go poking your nose around where it don’t belong.”
    â€œLike where?”
    â€œLike that bay you talking about, for starters. And the caves.” His voice softened to a whisper. “Best not to get too close to the giants.”
    Sam sat forward. “I’m sorry. Did you say ‘giants’?”
    Tom nodded. “That’s right. Plenty of them in the mountains. Best to stay away and mind your own business. Stay in Honiara. Enjoy yourself. Be safe.”
    â€œYou’re saying there are giants here?” Sam asked again, his tone skeptical.
    Tom grunted again. “Been here forever. And then some.”
    â€œAs in ‘big people’?” Remi clarified, surprised by the unusual turn the conversation had taken.
    â€œNot people. Giants. Huge. They live in the caves and eat people. People aren’t their friend. Most country people know about them. They see them all the time.”
    â€œThis is a legend, right?”
    â€œCall it what you want, I’m just warning you so you don’t get into trouble. You friends with Orwen. Wouldn’t do to be eaten by giants.”
    Sam chuckled. “You honestly believe in giants?”
    â€œHell, boy, I seen ’em. Plenty of ’em, in my time. Over twice as tall as you, covered in hair. Meaner than that crocodile that ate your mate.” Tom spat again and then seemed to lose interest in the conversation. Sam and Remi tried to get something more out of him, but, while polite, he answered their questions with cryptic comments and generalities.
    â€œIs there anything else we should know about besides giants?” Sam asked with a good-natured smile.
    â€œLaugh all you want, but there’s strange things going on. People are disappearing. Getting sick for no reason. Up in the hills, there are areas nobody will go because they’re poison. The island’s changing and giants are only one of the dangers. Never seen nothing like it before, and I know enough to understand none of it’s good.”
    â€œIs that what people think about the bay, too? That it’s poison? Cursed?” Remi asked softly.
    â€œI don’t know nothing about no bay.”
    â€œWhat about stories from the old days. Anything about lost cities?”
    Tom petted his skink and shook his head. “You talking nonsense now?”
    â€œNo, I just thought I’d heard something about a lost kingdom.”
    â€œThat’s a new one on me,” Tom said, but his tone sounded guarded.
    After a few more minutes of