This communication is from Tarquin Blackwood and is to notify you that my family owns this island and this house, and that you must take your books and your furnishings and leave these premises without further delay.

The family has plans for this island and will be proceeding just as soon as you have vacated the Hermitage.

If you have any need to communicate with me, I reside at Blackwood Manor, and will be more than happy to talk with you by letter, by fax, or by phone, or in person—howsoever you desire,

Yours sincerely,

Tarquin Blackwood,

better known as Quinn

“Then, after supplying the relevant numbers for fax and phone, I hit the print button and, making four copies of the eviction notice, signed all of them and folded them and put them into my inside fishing-vest pocket.

“Then, I crept into Pops’ room, and, not finding him thereabouts—he had probably gotten up at five a.m. and was already at work in the flower beds—I took his thirty-eight pistol, made sure it was loaded, put that into my pocket and then, stopping quickly in the kitchen pantry, got a card of thumbtacks, which were always in there, you know, for the family bulletin board, and I headed to the pier.

“Let me add that I also had my rifle, my hunting knife and the kitchen knife, and I thought I was completely ready until I found Jasmine in her bare feet down at the landing by the pirogue, smoking a cigarette.

“ ‘All right, you crazy boy, I know where you’re going, and your Pops says to let you alone. So I put that cooler of drinks for you in the boat. And there’s a couple of sandwiches in there too, wrapped in foil.’

“ ‘Oh, I love you for that,’ I said, and I kissed her, feeling an awareness of her as a woman suddenly, a thing which caught my brain rather like a power surge, and most definitely a surprise. I’ll never forget it, the way that kiss ignited something. And I think I very boastfully squeezed her arm.

“Whatever, I don’t think it ignited anything for her. And as I went to push off, she called out:

“ ‘Tarquin Blackwood, are you an imbecile?’

“ ‘No ma’am,’ I said sarcastically, ‘you expect me to change my mind?’

“ ‘How you’re going to get people to believe what you saw out there if you don’t take pictures of it, genius!’ She reached into her apron pocket and took out a small flash camera—the kind you can buy nowadays anywhere, in which the film is already loaded and ready to go.

“ ‘Oh, thank God you thought of it!’ I said.

“ ‘You can say that prayer again, Little Boss. Don’t forget to press the button for the flash.’

“I wanted to kiss her again, but I was already drifting away.