The brief tropic dusk muted the bright colors of Waikiki, while the sound of waves breaking on the shore was a constant reminder of the blue-green Pacific. Eden waited in the evening stillness for her father to speak. Her anticipation heightened. What was on his mind? What would he tell her? Dr. Jerome, she knew, was fatigued by more than his voyage from San Francisco. She believed he had tropical fever. He was struggling against a prolonged sickness that he, apparently, did not wish to discuss, perhaps because it might impede the realization of his ambitions. Nonetheless, his emotions bordered on jubilation. “This is a celebratory day, Eden, my dear. My plans to open a research clinic on Molokai have been fortified this afternoon with the arrival of Herald Hartley. I can tell you this, Dr. Chen’s journal adds a great body of research to my own.” Surprised, Eden turned. “Oh, then you have Dr. Chen’s research journal?” “Indeed, we do. What a bounty he has left to my charge.
