“Ned is the undisputed king of the island,” I said as Patricia found her courage again and came from behind me to take a good look at the huge wild boar in front of us. “Folks say he swam over from the mainland about ten years ago and has had the run of the place ever since. He has a nice shed of his own where he sleeps at night, but most of the time he hangs out down here, where he can see what’s going on and meet visitors.”

“He’s colossal,” said Patricia, wonderingly, as I opened the cooler and poured the rest of the potatoes it contained on the ground. “How much does he weigh? And just look at those tusks—they must be six inches long,” she said as she reached out a hand and gave him a tentative touch.

“I think he’d easily go four hundred pounds,” I replied as I pushed one of the potatoes closer to his snout with my foot. “But amazingly, he’s as gentle as a kitten. He walks the kids on the island to the ferry in the morning to catch the school bus, and then meets them when they return in the afternoon. And his closest friend is an old blind hound dog that lives nearby.”

I was watching Ned as he finished the last of the potatoes when Patricia suddenly slugged me on the shoulder.

“ ‘Bad teeth. Don’t make fun of his teeth. He’s sensitive about them,’ you said. Oh boy, Tanner. You’ve got one coming. Just you wait and see.”

Patricia chuckled deeply. I picked up the cooler and gave Ned a last pat on the head.

“Come on,” I said. “I have some other people I’d like you to meet.”

“No more tricks?” she asked as we stepped away.

I gave her a glance as I took her hand. “No more tricks. I promise.”

As we followed the road deeper into the island, the live oaks closed in on both sides, their enormous branches intertwining overhead, engulfing us in a cavern of primeval shadow. Within minutes, we were absorbed by the ancient and exotic life of the sea island of Daufuskie.

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

“THIS IS A PILGRIMAGE I MAKE WITH some frequency,” I explained to Patricia as we reached a crossroads and turned right, forging ever deeper into the interior of the island.

“So this is some sort of religious trip for you, eh?” she asked with a teasing smile.