But the shorts and pullovers could also function as bathing suits. Derek tried to signal he was concerned whether they were taking over Arin’s home. It took a while to get the message across, but they finally connected and Arin pointed at the tower. Or, as they were beginning to think of it, the temple. There was a clear connection between the temple and, apparently, supplying clothes and a cottage for those in need.

They carried everything upstairs, where there were three bedrooms. The beds were large, fortunately. To say the least. The smallest would have qualified as a king at home.

Framed pictures of, presumably, family members hung on the walls in all three rooms. One depicted four of them down on the beach, another showed Arin receiving a medallion, and a third was of a young couple, male and female, standing by a sculpted rock table. Possibly an altar?

The two islanders who’d brought the clothes went out and returned with towels, which they placed on the beds.

There was a bathroom, containing a shower, a sink, a toilet, and two cabinets. Everything was oversized, and there was some giggling that went on between Beth and Hutch. They also provided a laundry room at the rear. Hutch wasn’t sure what it was when she first saw it: There was no machine, only a waste-high basin divided into two sections, with a device consisting of two rollers that, she assumed, would be used to squeeze water out of freshly washed clothing.

Her room had a bedside table with a lamp. Perfect for reading if she had something to read. The table had a drawer, which was empty. She put the couplings into it.

She was relieved to get out of her wet clothes. Finding apparel that provided a decent fit took a while, but ultimately, she was able to make everything work. Arin gave them scissors to cut the excessive length of the pant legs and sleeves. But she couldn’t bring herself to do that. Eventually, he produced some cords that could be used to secure everything. Most of the shirts were pullovers. Ken commented that, when he wrote this part of his history, he’d call it “Flexibility Matters.”

When they’d all gotten dressed, Arin sat down with them in the living room. The place is yours, he told them with gestures. While he was explaining, the door opened and a female came in. At least, they thought it was a female because she was diminutive by local standards, though she dwarfed Hutch and Beth. And there was something also in the way she moved and spoke. Her voice was at a considerably higher pitch than Arin’s. Hutch could see she was surprised by the appearance of the visitors, all four of whom had gotten to their feet.