![]() ![]() The modern glass-and-steel structure gleamed in the sunlight. In the center of the island, at the base of the hill, Shaw saw the main house. He could make out the top canopy of the trees now: waxy leaves, creepers, rubber trees, palms, and an infinite variety of flora that, just a minute ago, had appeared so unvaryingly green. Like turning the dial on a microscope, Shaw thought, and seeing a whole new level underneath. The uniform lushness of the rainforest opened up into a patchwork of different shapes, colors, and textures as the chopper descended. ![]() This island had been created suddenly and violently, thrown up from under the sea by the force of a volcanic eruption a million years ago. This was not the sort of island that had grown patiently over the eons from the detritus of the reef, the shift of the tides, and the patronage of the sea birds. Shaw remembered his primary school geography. The forest swept downward from the hill toward the beach. ![]() It was a typical small South Pacific atoll: a band of gleaming white sand encircled the lush rainforest and was surrounded in turn by a brilliant blue ocean. Shaw looked out the window as the chopper came in to land. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |