Calou was sure he had transformed her into part of the lake so it was a big surprise to find herself human again the next morning. She could hardly remember how she got back home early at dawn and had precious little memories of her otherworldly experience of the night before but, as a general impression, the adventure seemed quite pleasing and extraordinarily thrilling for the empty routine she had been used to all her life.

Still the consequences appeared to be bigger than she suspected for even after many hours she was still trembling and couldn't yet calm the beating of her heart. The girls had work that day making baskets and Calou's fingers were not obeying her to correctly undertake this job. Sheriza kept glancing at her and soon her dilated pupil and agitated breath revealed the old woman something was not quite right with the volcano's bride. She called the witch doctor.

Neither of them could detect what sort of disease ailed Calou and it worried him to notice her increasing temperature. Calou tried to rest but suffered from anguish. Sheriza made her lay down on her mat and kept watching her. The day passed painfully slow.

At nightfall her nervousness calmed down a bit. Everybody went to sleep and Calou tried to rest but her mind was wide awake and pushed her back to the cave so intensely she finally got up and ran off to see her friend.

This "disease" of hers prolonged for many days. She spent them all lying on her mat, resting, sleeping all day or writhing in anguish. This absolute distraction, nervousness and weakness led the doctor to conclude some evil ghost had taken over her spirit. During all this time he gave her every poison he knew, invoked all the elements and practiced all sort of exorcises and spells. Nothing seemed to work. Calou supposed it was but logic: the magic of the sea god would surely be stronger than the doctor's.

Every one of these days she continued to see Roger... She would sneak out very late at night, sheltered by the shadows that protected her from Sheriza's sharp eyes and met her friend in the same place near the spring. At sunrise she would sneak back in the hut before anyone woke up and slept all day while the others worried about her and the doctor consulted all his ancestors seeking for a cure.

Now that Roger's raft was all ready to go he faced the terrible dilemma of returning to the civilization; abandoning this quiet paradise and his little native friend. HE had grown an absurd yet very deep infatuation for her and did not like the thought of leaving her. But there was no point in fancying he could take her with him: she would never fit in his society.

He knew this romance had to end soon. Hey lived in too different worlds to reconcile with each other's life style. Little did he know the fate that awaited her only two days after...

That night was particularly hot and humid. A big tempest was announcing. Never had the air felt so hot and sticky... or the mosquitoes and bugs so intolerable.

Unable to resist this weather anymore Onca, who had been awake for a little while, chose to walk out and take some air. She headed for the spring her throat craving for a cold drink. As she reached the sought place her heart stopped in horror, her eyes wide as ever.

There was Calou, with a strange human-like creature of pale head that seemed to be eating her! Calou appeared to be asleep or hypnotized, moved weakly, muttered incoherent sounds and couldn't get free of his powerful grip.

So this was the devil that tormented her friend! Onca didn't know how to help her -the fear froze the scream in her throat. When she could recover some of her senses she jet for the hut as fast as she could, trembling, horrified, astonished.

All her companions awoke with a start hearing Onca's hysterical cries approaching. She dashed out of the jungle pale and agitated and fell to the floor. All the women surrounded her, frightened by the look on her face. While Onca tried to take a deep breath and recover her voice, one by one, the others noticed that Calou was missing.

Sheriza frowned. Something was definitely wrong. She ordered Onca to speak up at once and the girl babbled her story with trembling words. The girls screamed in horror; their guardian sent them back inside and ordered them to sleep. Once they were all safe the old woman ran to the village.

The witch doctor roared in rage as he heard the tale and awoke the guards.

Back at the spring, both lovers were completely heedless of the trouble they were in. Calou was the first to perceive the approaching noise and got up with a start, her eyes filled with concern. Before her partner could even ask what worried her six big men, armed with lances and painted with hideous make-up, came out of the dark vegetation. Only one glance at Calou and all of them began to shout with ire. Roger had no idea what was going on but he could see they were in trouble.

The guards dashed towards them and Roger grabbed Calou's hand and ran off as fast as he could without even waiting to ask the men what they wanted. He could hear their footsteps behind him as their pursuers got closer. Calou jumped like a deer through the plants without even minding the road, but he wasn't nearly that agile and soon stumbled on a giant root at the edge of the cliff rolling all the way down to the beach.

Calou turned around to look at him and the guards took this moment of distraction to reach her. Two of them held her firmly as the others ran down the cliff after her companion. Roger tried to get up, dazed and hurt after that heavy fall. He could make no sense at all out of what was happening except that for some reason they were both in grave danger. He didn't have the slightest desire of running away without his friend but these men seemed seriously decided to kill him.

As they dashed to him, lances up, ready to strike, the moon came out from behind a cloud. All four of them stopped shortly and stared at him astonished and scared. The man was blue -and the sun shined on his head! What kind of creature was this? The fugitive took this chance to display his escape: he jumped into the water and swam to the islets. From his position he saw the natives taking his girlfriend away...

It was Calou's last day before her ceremony of sacrifice and she spent it all tied up to a tall post. Such was her penalty for breaking the seclusion law. The entire day she stayed there, starving and thirsting under the burning sun, hearing Sheriza's lecture about the merciless punishment the volcano would have for her.

At sunset she was left alone to meditate about her actions and future tortures. Late at night she heard footsteps approaching but did not care anymore about anything that could happen so she didn't even lift her head. A familiar voice whispered near her:

"I came to save you..."

She could not believe he had come back from the sea again! Despite the joy of seeing him she was reluctant to follow him. Obviously he insisted in taking her and she couldn't understand why. He already had a bride -he was to take Yina two full moons later; she could not follow him and arise the volcano's anger further. She tried to resist but he stubbornly dragged her to the jungle. Clueless as he was of her story he knew whatever these natives had planned for her would surely be cruel and barbaric.

As she still refused to cooperate he started losing his mind, shaking her, yelling without thinking the guards could hear him. He realized his mistake as the angry screams resounded in the jungle and light footsteps rushed towards them announcing they had been caught. He took Calou, lifted her on his shoulders and ran off.

The moon was still hiding behind thick clouds and he knew in the darkness of the jungle these men had great advantage on him. By the time they reached the coast a storm was breaking: the sea was raging and the waves grew tall as mountains -rather unusual for that quiet island.

Calou realized the sea god was angry. They had all offended him: he had come to take her and she had tried to resist; the guards had chased and defied him... They would all suffer the consequences now! He would turn his revengeful powers against them, causing the entire island to sink under the storm! There was only one way to save her people: do as he wished, please and obey him.

The guards were not impressed by the storm and continued their chase all along the cliff and the beach. Roger could not run fast carrying Calou; he was already tired and his raft, ready to escape with both of them, was still far away.

"This will not do", he panted. He set Calou on her feet. It was her choice now -she could live or die; he couldn't help her anymore. She didn't hesitate a minute and followed him like a shadow. Now that both used their own legs they could run faster.

The rain broke -not slowly or gradually, without introduction or delicacy- heavy giant drops coming out of nowhere by millions as the monstrous waves lashed the coast violently. The wind started to blow and large shiny thunders resounded above them.

Roger took Calou's hand and led her into the raging sea. The savages hesitated: they dared not follow them into his territory. They all stood on the beach and peeked through the blinking rain as the two character climbed up to the raft tied to a rock.

Calou held it firmly as the waves dragged them away and Roger battled to keep floating in the wild storm. The girl was frightened: finally the sea god was taking her to his reign and once more she was surrounded by shadows, defenseless against his amazing power.

She felt the heavy rain pouring endlessly upon her, the raft twisting and stumbling as the sea pushed it vigorously, the whirl turning them and her body falling in the dark water... Beneath her body all felt void, like floating on air, but suffocating, oppressing... she could not find a floor to step on, or coordinate her movements; she could not breath -felt disconcerted and dizzy- there was no up or down or sides, or images... she was lost. Could still feel Roger's hand, that desperately tried to swim beside her. The black liquid absorbed her and the silence filled her mind as they both sank lower and lower, powerless against the mighty sea.

The other men were still on the shore, following the scene. They saw the fragile raft getting away into the ocean; the waves pushed it, the rain covered it before it turned upside down and floated aimlessly along the surf. In the dim light of the thunders they could see the tiny figure of both passengers falling to the sea and disappearing under the water. There was no more human sight to be seen after that -no more movement than the ocean. The storm continued wilder for several minutes, then it slowly began to calm down...

With resignation they headed back for the village to announce the sea god had taken Calou.