Peter ripped the last of an egg in half and watched the glowing liquid that remained slip around the smooth interior. They had shared one of the four leaving three left.

The liquid glowed brighter now that night had fallen. He used his finger to scoop up the last drips. The pattern of creases on his finger and fingerprints ran blue for a moment, then the liquid disappear, slipping into his skin.

‘I just don’t feel quite right about this stuff somehow,’ Peter said. ‘We need to eat something else too. And water.’

‘But there is no water here.’

‘I remember reading… that if you dig down into the sand above the high tide mark you can sometimes find water.’

‘How can that be? Here, right by the sea, any water will be salty,’ said Maggie.

Peter dug at the base of a young bush and pulled at the roots until it came free.

‘You’re wasting your time and energy,’ Maggie said. ‘We have to wait for rain. Until then we rely on the eggs. I like them well enough.’

‘The plants here must have fresh water,’ Peter said. ‘The sand is a little damper already.’

Peter dug with his hands in the white coral sand which became cooler the deeper they dug. Soon they had a hole almost a meter deep. Coral rocks amongst the sand made it both easier and harder to make progress in the dark. But once they had pulled one free the hole that remained meant satisfying progress.

‘The sand is getting almost wet.’ Peter held up a clod of sand for inspection. Peter stepped back from the hole. ‘At least if we want to cool down…’

‘Not enough to drink even if it was fresh.’

‘No. Scrub that idea then.’

Peter walked to the sea to wash his hands. He sat back and stared at the white of the ocean rollers where they pounded upon the edge of the reef. The booms of their impact were a constant sound, like the island’s heart beat.

Maggie slipped to the sand beside him.

‘That manisaur will come after us here too,’ Maggie said. ‘Won’t it?’

‘We have to keep an eye on it.’ Peter said.

‘How well can it see in the dark do you think?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Now’s not the time to try to find out. We need to stay hidden.’

They settled down to a fitful night under some bushes. Peter wanted to keep watch but in his exhausted state he nodded off. When he awoke he walked about their hiding place to listen for what might have awoken him. Instead he saw the hunter had lit a small fire on Moby island.

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Shadows moved across in front of the small blaze. Except it may have been the dancing of the flames. He returned to Maggie, but now knew it was useless to keep a watch, and he gave in to sleep. https://www.eoth.net

‘I’m almost afraid to try spying on the manisaur,’ Peter said in the morning. ‘They’ll see me before I see them. Except… not knowing where they are…’

‘We should hide… until they go away,’ Maggie said.

‘No. What did they do overnight. Where are they now? We have to find out.’

Maggie remained reluctant but Peter persisted. He led the way back towards the inner lagoon where they slipped under the screw-pines and peered out. The other island loomed bright in the morning sun. The white sand and blue waters were what Peter had once thought idyllic. The outrigger canoe still lay pulled up on the distant island. A dark smudge all that remained of where the fire had burned in the night.

‘Looks like we’ve not been followed,’ Peter said.

‘Yet.’

Peter swiveled to the right, towards the high island. The Black Spire peak trailed its flag of cloud and he imagined the cool waters of the stream. It just made him even more thirsty. An image of the eggs swam in his mind.

‘We’ve got three eggs left now,’ Maggie said. ‘And we can’t get more.’

‘Perhaps I can fish,’ Peter said.

‘But the manisaur might see you.’

‘I’ll find a place out of sight. The tide’s out now, so the fish may have got caught in the shallows someplace.’

‘And eat raw fish?’

‘Don’t knock it. Fresh sashimi is expensive stuff back home.’

‘I can’t imagine. Fish is a cheap meal. Everyone eats fish on Fridays. Even if it is fish and chips.’

‘What day is it for you? Today I mean.’

‘I’ve no idea,’ Maggie looked thoughtful.

‘Is it even the same day of the week for both of us?’

‘Hmm. It’s not the same year for us so why should it be the same day?’ Maggie said.

‘Which month did you say you came here?’

‘February,’ Maggie said.

‘Me too.’

‘It was Sunday. The milkman hadn’t come.’

‘Saturday for me. I was sailing in the harbour when it happened.’

‘Same month, different day and year.’

‘There’s something…’ Peter kept his chin on the sand and watched the island from under the vegetation.

What would he do if he was a manisaur and chasing them? Wait until dark? If they could see better at night that would be an advantage. A part of him just wanted to find a hole and hide. Then he thought of Maggie and had a sudden urge to protect her.

Peter crawled away from the open view, and urged Maggie towards the clearing hidey-hole.

‘How long have you been here?’ Maggie said as she picked her way barefoot through the sharp leaf litter. ‘In this place I mean.’

’Three days.’ Peter tapped his sailing watch. ‘Today is Tuesday. At least according to my watch. But maybe it’s lost count and today’s the day for eating fish. Fry-day.’ He pulled his wet suit up to his shoulders, pushed his arms in, and zipped up.

He caught her eye. ‘Maggs. Do me a favor. See if you can work out how many days you’ve been here.’

‘Oh.’ Maggie looked down. ‘Even if it might complicate which days we eat fish?’

Peter smiled, then broke a stick from a bush he had uprooted digging for water. ‘I’m going to fish.’

‘With a stick?’

‘With a stick. You should keep an eye on that manisaur.’

‘Won’t he see me?’

‘Not if you’re careful. But we have to know where they are.’

Maggie crept off, almost too slowly. Peter shrugged and finished his fishing gaff. Then, after a few minutes walk along the shore, always with an eye for when Moby’s Island curved away and disappeared from view, Peter strode into the shallows up to his knees. Stock-still, he waited for the fish to get used to him, to gather near. He wanted to eat something other than blue-glowing-egg-goop tonight. He raised his stick and watched.