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//-->It was like a mirage in reverse, this strange island off the California coast—it couldn't always be seen, but it was there—in Time.Sinister ParadiseBy Robert Moore WilliamsTHERE'S the island, Parker!" Retch called. Bill Parker shifted the controls of the 'copter and the bigcraft swung in the direction Retch was pointing. Squinting his eyes against the sun glare rising from thePacific, Parker clearly saw the island. It was miles away as yet but it swam like a mirage suspended justabove the surface of the sea.The island was not large—Parker guessed it as probably being less than two miles incircumference—but he could make out a fringe of trees along the shore and a central peak rising like acliff in the center."I've found it again!" Retch spoke with fierce satisfaction—clenched fists. Parker heard the indrawnhiss of breath following the words; a hiss that seemed to hold a promise for the future. Revenge,vengeance, triumph, or something else? Parker could not determine what emotional overtone had foundexpression in Retch's words. But the emotional overtone was there. Out of the corner of his eyes, Parkerglanced at the man sitting in the seat next to him. What he saw did not please him.Retch was big. He had the muscular build of a prize fighter. The scar over his left cheekbone did notadd to the attractiveness of his appearance. He did not, in Parker's opinion, look like the scientist he hadclaimed to be.Parker shrugged such thoughts aside. What difference did it make what Retch was, or the nature ofhis business here? He had paid charter charges on the big helicopter."There it is, Parker!" Retch almost screamed the words. As he pointed again toward the island in thefar distance, Parker caught a glimpse of a pistol in a shoulder holster under the man's arm.The sight of the gun caused a split second of alarm in the big pilot. He had not known that Retch wasarmed. Then the alarm subsided. Parker pressed his left arm down against his body, assurring himself thathis own gun was where it belonged.The woman, Mercedes Valdar, seemed to catch some of Retch's excitement. She leaned forwardacross Retch's shoulder to stare at the island. Parker caught another whiff of the musky perfume that sheused. He noticed again what he had realized the first time he met her—that in any man's language she wasa beauty. Aquiline face, smouldering black eyes, high cheek bones, a delicate brown complexion thathinted at Indian blood back several generations in the past, she looked like something out of an exoticmovie. The slacks and sport coat that she wore accentuated the fact that she was a woman.Parker was aware again of the enigma of her presence. Retch had introduced her as his secretary.Parker, accepting the man's statement, had asked no questions. Asking questions in a matter such as thiswas a fine way to get a bust in the snoot."It ees the island!" Her whisper was sharp. A glow appeared on her face. "Soon we will be reech!"She slapped Parker heartily on the shoulder. "Beel, is not that wonderful!""It sure is," Parker answered. He was as astonished by the statement as he was by the slap on theshoulder."Shut up, Mercedes!" Retch spoke. "Parker, turn some juice into this thing.""She's cruising at about her best speed," Parker answered."Then get her faster than cruising speed. We've found the island." His manner indicated that findingthe island was very important but that something else perhaps of equal importance remained to be done."What's the big rush!" Parker countered. "You don't think it will vanish before we get there, doyou?"A startled look appeared on Retch's face. "No, of course not. That is—"A thudding jar went through the ship."What 'appened?" Mercedes screamed in fear.With a snarling crash of breaking metal, one of the helicopter blades was yanked from its mountingabove them.Parker had the dazed impression that he saw the big blade jerked away through the air. Then, like aleaf suddenly caught in a violent hurricane, the helicopter began to turn flip-flops in the air."Do somesing!" Mercedes cried.As the ship jumped and began to yaw, she was thrown across the cabin. Jerking, buckling, jumping,twisting, the big helicopter lurched its way toward the surface of the sea below. Cutting the power,Parker leaped from his seat. He knew what was going to happen. He intended to try and be ready for it.RETCH, gripping his seat with both hands, yelled. "We're falling!""It's not news to me," Parker answered, jerking open the door to the compartment at the rear. Insidethat compartment was a mass of synthetic fabric. Tossed to the surface of the sea, inflated by theself-contained flask of gas under pressure, it would make a rubber raft."You've left the controls!" Retch barked. "Do something to stop us. We're going to fall." The man'sface was wild with fear as he twisted his head around to see what Parker was doing."You damned right I've left the controls!" Parker answered. "We've lost the equivalent of a wing in anordinary plane. If you know any way to stop a plane from falling you tell me." Working with deft, surehands, he pulled the mass of synthetic fabric out of its compartment."But we've got to get to that island. We've found it. We've got to get there while—""If we get there, we'll have to swim," Parker answered. "Personally, I'll consider myself lucky to getthere by swimming. Here we go."The last was spoken as the helicopter began its final plunge to the surface of the blue water belowthem.Parker, with the mass of fabric clutched firmly in both hands, threw himself flat on the floor.The 'copter hit with a terrific thud. An instant later, Parker was on his feet. The life raft was under onehand. With the other hand, he was reaching for the handle that opened the cabin door."We've got to get out of here. This ship will go the bottom like a rock."Behind him, Mercedes and Retch were struggling to their feet. Parker yanked on the handle thatopened the cabin door.The handle did not budge.The heavy jolt the craft had taken when it struck the surface had twisted the whole frame."Get that door open!" Retch moaned. "We'll be drowned like rats.""Hell, I'm trying!" Parker answered. He yanked upward with all his strength.The door still did not budge. Outside Parker could see the green water rising around the cabin. Hebacked away, ducked his head, threw himself with all his strength against the door.Under the driving impact of his body, the door was knocked open. The mass of synthetic fabric in hisarms, Parker catapulted through the opening and into the sea. He hit with a terrific splash. Mercedesfollowed him. Parker, treading water and working with the valve that would release the gas and inflate theraft, saw that Retch was still standing in the door of the 'copter."What am I going to do?" Retch screamed."Jump.""But I can't swim.""Then wait until I get this goddamned raft inflated. Ugh!" Parker's voice went into silence as armscame up out of the water and closed around his neck with a grip of death.Mercedes, in a panic that often comes to people catapulted suddenly and unexpectedly into thewater, was grabbing the nearest source of potential safety."Let go!" Even as he spoke, Parker felt her arms close even tighter around his neck. He knew thenthat she was not going to let go. She was pulling him under with her.Giving one final jerk at the valve of the gas container, Parker found himself pulled under water.The arms around his neck seemed to grip like iron. He caught them in both hands, yanked at them.His hands slipped. He grabbed again. She was behind him, on his back, so he could not slug her.Meanwhile each passing second was sending both of them deeper into the sea.He yanked at her arms again. This time his fingers held. Her grip was broken.Twisting, he grabbed her hair. Then he began to fight his way to the surface.His head broke water. As he gulped air, he realized the blessed sight before his eyes.The rubber raft! His last jerk at the valve before Mercedes dragged him under had opened it.From the door of the sinking helicopter Retch was staring at the raft. At the, same instant in finaldesperation, he jumped. His clutching fingers caught the edge of the rubber raft. Like a frightened riverrat, he pulled himself out of the water.TREADING water, Parker dragged Mercedes to the edge of the raft. Retch leaned over and liftedher in. For an instant, Parker remained in the water, his fingers firm on the raft, letting it support him whilehe gasped air into his lungs. Behind him, with a gurgle and a rumble, the helicopter sank. He swunghimself into the raft. Mercedes, her masculine garb clinging to her, was sitting up."I am sorry, Beel," she said. "I get the scare up and I grab at you. I not know for sure what I amdoing. You will forgive me, no?""Think nothing of it," Parker answered. "Anybody can get scared under these circumstances.""That I know," she answered. "But you saved my life. And that I will remember.""Forget it," Parker said. "I did what had to be done, nothing more.""But I will remember it," she calmly repeated.Parker was silent. Under her hardness for the first time he glimpsed something deeper, finer. She wasthe type who meant what she said. She was a woman who paid her debts. Under other circumstances ...Parker put the thought out of his mind.Now he set about doing what had to be done—paddling to the island. He turned his eyes toward it.The island was gone. Calm, serene, the level face of the sea stretched away to the horizon.Fear, dark, sudden, and overwhelming, arose in Bill Parker. The fear did not come up just becausethe face of the sea was level and calm, the island not visible, but because of something else, somethingthat he had forgotten, something that he had put out of his mind and out of his life. Could it be possiblethat—He caught himself. In that direction lay madness. Words exploded out of him. "Hey, what the hell?Am I nuts? What became of that island? I saw it!""I told you we had to hurry to get there when we saw it." Retch was hesitant. "It's—it's not alwaysthere.""But it's got to be there! I, saw it!""There is a trick about that island," Retch said. "I—it—I—you don't always see it. Something funny."Parker was across the "shaking, unsteady raft. His impulse was to take Retch by the throat, to shakewords out of him. "What do you mean?" He was restraining himself with difficulty.Retch spread his hands. "I'm sorry, I can't explain. That's all I know. Believe me."Retch was telling the truth Parker decided. The big pilot swung his gaze in every direction, searchingfor land. Somewhere in the far distance was the peninsula of Lower California. But it was beyond rangeof his eyes. As far as he could see, was barren water.Setting his course by the small compass that was included as part of the standard equipment on thelife raft. Parker paddled toward the south. The clumsy raft made little progress. Parker hardly noticed,hardly cared. Deep in his mind was a lurking thought he was trying to keep below his consciousness.In the front of the raft, Retch sat with his back to Parker. From Retch's motions, Parker knew theman was cleaning his gun. Parker made no comment. When Retch had finished and had turned back tohim, Parker spoke. "I want to know a little more about that island. How does it happen we can't see it?""I'm not certain," Retch answered. "I think it's a lot like the mirages you see on the desert. This islandis something like that, only in reverse. In a mirage, you see something that doesn't exist. In the case of thisisland, you don't see something that does exist.""Um," Parker said, then was silent. The explanation sounded reasonable enough, as far as it went.The trouble was it didn't go Tar enough, not nearly far enough to quiet the thought lurking deep in the bigpilot's mind. He worked with the paddle. "When you hired me to fly you down here, you told me that youknew where this island was located but you didn't tell me it had a bad habit of vanishing.""I didn't believe it myself," Retch answered. "So far as I was concerned, it was just a wild rumor.""Um," Parker said again. As he spoke, part of the thought that he had been keeping buried in hismind came blasting to the surface. "She said it was a mirage too!" he blurted out the words. "And thatgoddamned Dr. Yammer—" He caught himself. Into his mind had come a vision of a woman he had onceknown, and a psychiatrist called Dr. Yammer. Pain crossed his face."What?" Retch asked. "Who are you talking about?""Nobody," Parker answered. "Just a woman I once knew."Her name had been Effra. Effra of the Green Eyes, he had called her. Rigidly he forced the thought ofher from his mind, forced himself to think of what Retch had said. But it was no good. His mind keptgoing back to Effra and Yammer."She is caught, trapped in a net of delusion and hallucination that is as solid as a block of steel," Dr.Yammer had once said, his voice precise with authoritarian certainty. "I cannot get her out of this steelblock unless I hospitalize her, perhaps operate. There is no other choice, no other decision that can bemade. Putting it bluntly—she is insane. A delicate thing, insanity. We still work in the dark with things ofthe mind."AT THE memory of Yammer's words, Parker twisted uncomfortably. He used the paddle muchmore vigorously than was necessary. It was as if Yammer's face showed in the water into which he thrustthe paddle.Mercedes was studying Parker. "About this woman—""She was just a woman I once knew.""You loved her, yes?""Well—" Parker was silent."Tell me what 'appened.""Nothing," Parker said. "Oh, hell —all right. Up in LA three years ago I knew Effra. She was a pilottoo, and we got to running around together. She liked to fly out over the Pacific all by herself. I don'tknow why; she just liked to flirt with danger, maybe. One time she came in a couple of hours overdue.Figuring she was down in the drink, I was about to rouse out the Navy to hunt for her when she came in."He paused.Mercedes was silent. In the front of the raft, Retch said nothing. His eyes were still searching theskyline."She was wildly excited," Parker went on. "She said she had made a forced landing on an islandsomewhere off the coast of Southern Cal. She also said there were a lot of strange people living on theisland." He shook his head. There was a feeling in him he did not like.His eyes came to focus on a ripple in the water. A shark. It made him think of Dr. Yammer."What 'appened then?" Mercedes asked softly."I helped her look for the island," Parker said. "We spent months looking in our spare time. We flewover more ocean than I ever knew existed. But we didn't find it.""No?""That island was awfully important to her. She thought something wonderful was there, what it was,she could not tell me, just that it was there. When we could not find it, she began to doubt herself, tothink perhaps she had not seen it, that she had not landed there. She reached the conclusion then—well,she went to see one of these fancy mental specialists who know everything about nothing and nothingabout anything."Under the water, he could see the eyes of the shark. They reminded him of the expression in Dr.Yammer's eyes, except that the shark's eyes looked more honest."And then?" Mercedes said, very softly."She—vanished," Parker said. "Yammer was going to stick her into a hospital, use something that hecalled 'shock' on her, maybe operate. She ran away.""Did you try to find her, Beel?""For asking that question, Mercedes, I ought to choke you!" Parker said hotly. "I hunted high andlow. All we knew for certain was that her plane was missing. I think she decided she would simply fly outto the sea she loved, and never come back." Again his voice sank to a whisper as he visualized Effra ofthe Green Eyes flying out over this wilderness of waters."I am sorry, Beel," Mercedes said gently. "Will you remember one thing, Beel?""Sure. What is it?""You saved my life back there. I will not forget it. If the time ever comes, I will pay my debt.""Thank you," Parker said. "But there is no debt.""You think this island we are hunting might be the same island your girl claimed she found?" Retchspoke from the front end of the boat."And if it is the same island?" Mercedes said.Anger came boiling up in Parker. "If it is that island, and if I ever get back to Los Angeles, I am goingto hunt up a psychiatrist by the name of Yammer and take care of him!" Parker dug the water savagely.Gradually, his anger subsided "Where did you run into the rumor about this island?"Retch shrugged. "It was just one of those things you hear." He studied the landscape. "We shouldspot a boat soon.""We are not exactly on the well-traveled ocean lanes," Parker pointed out. "Does it happen that thereare any other little things about this island that you forgot to tell me when you chartered my ship to fly youdown here?"Retch flushed. "Such as—""Such as how it happened that my 'copter threw a vane just after we sighted the place?"Retch did not answer."Seemed as though somebody shot at us.""Oh hell no! The loss of the vane was accidental.""Accidents like that can happen but they usually don't. I checked the ship before we took off."Parker turned silent. There was no proof that the wrecking of the 'copter had been anything but anaccident."What do you expect to find on this island?""I told you—""Just before the 'copter started down, Miss Valdar was yakking about how we were all going to berich," Parker interrupted.The glance Retch gave Mercedes had no love in it. "Sometimes she's got her mouth open when sheought to have it shut."MERCEDES was silent. "I see," Parker said. "When you chartered my ship, you told me you were ascientist and that you wanted to investigate certain phenomena on this island. You said your investigationwould take only a few hours. I was to fly you here and wait for you. You said you might want me to flyyou back to the mainland, or might not, depending on what you found here. Is this correct?""Certainly," Retch answered. "I'm sorry you lost your ship but the insurance will take care of it.""Insurance will take care of the 'copter but not of my neck. Are you a scientist?""Of course. Didn't I tell you—" "What kind of a scientist are you?""I—ah—What do you mean?" "What's your specialty? Are you a biologist, a physicist, or what?""I don't believe you Are a scientist at all. You don't talk like one.""Damn it, I told you what I am and that's what I am!" Retch's face showed sullen and his hand movedtoward the gun. Parker tensed. Retch stopped the movement of his hand. He glared at the big pilot."Okay," Parker said. "It doesn't make any difference anyhow." He resumed paddling.The sun slid down the western sky. Retch and Mercedes huddled in the front end of the raft andwhispered to each other. From time to time, the woman glanced at Parker. 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