"DUEL IN THE DEEP" "These are all technical tools." "If you know how to use them, you can breathe under water." "Always pay close attention to me." "I can talk to you under water." "How?" "Using gestures." "This means OK." "Up." "Down." "I've got no air." "And danger." "What's this?" "OK." "Up... down... heart palpitations?" "I've got no air." "What do you think this means?" "Swimming." "Excellent." "This device ensures you can breathe the air at any depth." "As much or as little as you want." "You're used to holding your breath when you dive." "That's exactly what a diver should not do." "You always have to keep breathing." "As regularly as you can." "Let's see how it goes." "Hi, Lucas." "I thought I'd mingle with the rich." "Are the snails starting to bore you?" "About time." "What would you say about snails on the barbecue?" "We've been doing that for years." "Not cut up so that no one can recognize them." "Land snails with feelers and slime." "Stop it." "And for the real gourmet I have... those same snails after a year in alcohol." "Hello." "Hello." "Did you rinse everything?" "Of course." "Is she doing her best, Eddy?" "I can't complain, but when I say 'OK', she says 'Up.'" "But she means 'OK'." "Nice to see you here, Lucas." "I've asked around." "I said there had to be an explanation for all the mystery." "I think I've found the explanation." "Two years ago, a girl called Alma lived on the island." "She must have looked exactly like you." "Didn't you two ever notice?" "We were in the Netherlands at that time." "She only lived here for less than a year." "Where is she now?" "Do you understand now?" "That could be me." "Exactly." "The people here don't like this kind of coincidence." "They'd rather play it safe." "But it's just a coincidence." "Maybe to us." "Who was she?" "She lived here with her brother." "El Loco knew her well." "Apparently, the three of them dived for diamonds in Venezuela." "But that was no success." "They returned to Bonaire broke." "They say El Loco was in love with her." "I thought I'd go and see you." "Not a good idea." "Why not?" "Not a good day." "Why not?" "Too hot." "No hotter than normal." "I'm in a bad mood." "So I noticed." "So you'd better leave." "I can always do that." "Why are you in a bad mood?" "I wish it would rain." "Is that all?" "I'm out of rum." "Have you eaten anything?" "I brought rolls." "Who wants to eat?" "I want rum." "Don't be silly." "I wanted to talk to you." "I wanted to ask you a few things." "Who Alma was, for instance." "It's too hot to talk." "You knew her well." "Says who?" "Lucas." "What would he know?" "He never knew Alma." "He says you knew her well." "I don't feel like talking." "Is it true that I look a lot like her?" "It's true that I'm out of rum." "I can't talk with a dry mouth." "Whining about your rum." "You're such a big guy." "I'm out of water too." "That's why I'm waiting for rain." "Are you just sitting here waiting?" "Do you have a better idea?" "What a life." "When I was a boy, I dreamt of an island in the sun." "A coral island." "Well, this is it." "What else do I want?" "So you found true happiness?" "Exactly." "But you're out of rum." "And out of water." "That's why I'm waiting for rain." "Look." "What's that?" "Not water." "Where did you get it?" "I bought it, of course." "For me?" "I hope it's a good one." "Who gave you this idea?" "I did." "Because you wanted to talk to me." "Yes." "So you brought me rum." "Firewater for the last savage of Bonaire." "Because it loosens the tongue." "You'd better leave." "It's deep here, isn't it?" "Yes, you won't see the bottom yet." "You might never see it." "I thought as much." "First, we'll have a look at 20 metres, ok?" "Yes, great." "There must be some big fish out here." "Definitely." "Sharks, barracudas, giant squid." "Really?" "You'll see the occasional big fish, but don't be scared." "Sharks don't swim over the coral and they're not as dangerous as people say." "Barracudas can be dangerous, but not here." "Only in less clear waters." "Here they can see us and we're bigger than them." "Do you understand?" "Thank you." "Mister Achterberg?" "Yes." "My name's Feliciano." "What can I do for you?" "May I?" "Yes." "My friends asked me to warn you." "Warn me about what?" "My friends say you've become too curious." "And they don't like that." "Why not?" "Why are you asking about her?" "About who?" "About her." "Who is 'her?" "'" "It's up to you." "I did as they asked." "My friends are very powerful." "Do your friends have names?" "They prefer to stay anonymous, so they asked me to talk to you." "And they told me to give you something." "With the compliments of my friends." "Have a nice day." "Why do you look so serious, Lucas?" "Does this have a special meaning?" "Where did you get it?" "A present." "Nice present." "What's wrong?" "I want a cold beer." "What does the domino mean?" "Who'd give you a present like that?" "A certain Feliciano." "I've never seen him before." "What does it mean?" "Why does he give it to you if he doesn't know you?" "Why do you act so strange?" "Eddy's acting strange, not me." "Double 4." "We don't like that in the Antilles." "Why not?" "How do I put it?" "It's bad luck." "Why 4?" "There are always 4 candles around a deathbed." "Where did you get it, Lucas?" "I found it." "Eki, do you want some lemonade?" "Sit down." "Pick it up." "I haven't heard your song yet." "Good, good." "Go." "I think you're the bogeyman here." "It took me years to reach that status." "What was the kid saying?" "Why?" "He looked so serious." "So you still don't speak Papiamento." "In two weeks?" "Papiamento's not that hard." "I might take a course in Amsterdam." "I'm sure I'll be back here." "After all you've been through?" "That doesn't count." "Those guys seemed like enough to me." "Yes." "I dreamt of them last night." "I didn't really have anything to do with it." "Know what I mean?" "It was an isolated incident." "And they're not even from here." "It was just a big misunderstanding anyway." "And all the other mysterious stuff?" "What do you mean?" "Don't be silly." "I mean the island people who thought they saw a ghost." "I didn't forget that." "But it's all just about a mistaken identity." "A mistaken identity?" "Yes, and it's been solved." "Now I'll only enjoy myself." "Practical girl." "And I decided something else." "I won't be so pissed off with you anymore." "Really?" "You're surprised, aren't you?" "Why were you so pissed off with me?" "Do you have to ask?" "Weren't you rather difficult with me at first?" "I had my reasons." "And you won't tell me what they were." "So keep your reasons to yourself." "We don't have to know everything to be happy." "Are you happy now?" "Yes." "And you?" "What?" "Do you like it here?" "What do you mean?" "Are you happy in Bonaire?" "So you'll come back and you'll speak Papiamento?" "Yes, if I ignore the bad things, I've had a great time here." "I even made friends." "No less than three interesting men." "Lucas and I are great, but who's the third?" "Eddy." "I should have known." "I didn't even mention the most important thing." "I'm forever addicted to diving." "Did you have that too?" "Or don't you want to talk about diving?" "Isn't it nice here?" "Many old houses are empty and no one maintains them anymore." "They collapse in no time." "You can hear the beetles chew at them." "Really." "Is something wrong?" "Of course I miss diving." "I miss it a lot." "For years it was all I cared for." "It was almost a disease." "Even after it became my work." "It felt like the rest of the day didn't count." "Diving was my life." "But that's over." "Finished, over." "But why?" "You're not that old and you're very strong." "Why is it over?" "Why?" "Do you really want to know?" "It's very simple." "I got scared." "Scared?" "Why?" "Of what?" "Why?" "Of what?" "Just scared." "Why isn't Feliciano here?" "His white suit can't get dirty." "It could have ended wrong." "We're only human." "I don't like it here." "Stop whining, man." "Can I stay here with you?" "Stop whining and go back to your spot." "It's scary." "Go back to your spot, I said." "And wait for him." ""Just scared," he said." "Do you understand it?" "Of course I do." "They'll never get me down there." "You're just a scaredy-cat." "Do you think?" "It's braver to conquer your fears than not to be afraid at all." "You have a point." "Shall we sit here?" "Ok." "Do you want a drink?" "Coca cola, please." "Cola, coffee, please." "A shame you don't like to dive." "I couldn't afford it anyway." "I can hardly make do with my scholarship." "Eddy wouldn't charge you much." "But I don't want that." "Diving used to be a luxury sport." "Only the tourists could afford it." "The guys from the island could only watch." "That has changed since Eddy runs the diving club." "Typically Eddy." "That's how they all are amongst themselves." "When it counts, they help each other." "Especially Eddy." "If someone from the island wants to come along, it's alright." "Eddy's sweet." "And so handsome." "Are you in love, Sylvia Sommer?" "Yes, does it show?" "What does Eddy have that I don't?" "Well..." "Don't answer that." "A diving school." "And beautiful eyes." "And pearly white teeth." "But that's no reason to fall in love with him." "With Eddy?" "Imagine that." "No way." "I give up." "I always like ugly men." "Are you making fun of me?" "No, I'm serious." "I can't help it." "My friends used to have slime balls like Tony Curtis on their walls." "But my favourite was Boris Karlov." "So I have a chance." "But you're not ugly." "Only because we're in the sun here." "But I have awful teeth." "Caracol!" "That means snail." "That's me." "There's a bay full of snails near Onima." "Very strange ones." "Why strange?" "I've never seen them before." "They're this big." "Are you pulling my leg?" "I swear." "I thought I'd warn you." "That was quite a climb." "We need to have a quiet talk." "What about?" "The value of diamonds, for instance." "The value of what?" "Don't act stupid." "Or else..." "The young lady confided in you." "Why else would you help her?" "What do you mean?" "She's on holiday here." "She doesn't want to be bothered." "Is that so?" "But she wants to get her hands on the diamonds." "Holiday." "I don't know about any diamonds." "I think you've got the wrong person." "That happened to her before on the island." "She was mistaken for someone who has been dead and buried for years." "I've seen that little tombstone." "Very touching, but it doesn't prove a thing." "Is there really someone buried there?" "Please put the knife away." "You could hurt someone with it." "Could I?" "Sorry, I lost my patience." "I don't like it when people don't answer my questions." "Let's find a quiet spot to talk." "Don't run off before we're back." "Will you look after the girls, Eddy?" "Call me if you need to." "Look after those girls for me." "Do as your mother said." "Ok, what are your plans?" "None of your business." "I know what your plans are." "Let's not lose any time." "We'll dive a bit deeper today." "There are a few things you always have to keep in mind." "The deeper you dive, the more oxygen you use." "So keep a good eye on your meter." "You can never come up fast from a great depth." "I've read about that." "Decompression sickness." "It doesn't matter what you read." "Listen, you can ask questions later." "I'm sorry." "It can be very dangerous to come up from a great depth." "All the gasses are compressed in your body." "When you come up, the gasses have to get the chance to leave your body." "That means you can never go faster than an air bubble." "If you go faster, the gasses can't leave through your breathing." "So they'll have to find another way." "That way you can get nitrogen in your spinal marrow and brain." "Then you get caisson disease." "That kills you, doesn't it?" "Not always, but you can get paralysed." "And you become unconscious." "And out there, that's the same as dying." "Another reason never to dive alone." "You have to learn to come up bit by bit." "We call that creating a ceiling." "Imagine you're at 60 metres." "You'd have to pause every 5 metres." "How do you know?" "We have tables for that." "That means you have to make many stops of a few minutes." "The question is: what's the most important thing to remember?" "That you need to have enough air for the breaks." "So you can't stay down for long." "Good girl." "What was that?" "What do you mean?" "Answer me." "What was that for?" "What are you on about?" "No fighting." "This punk's throwing dominoes around." "And it happens to be the double 4." "Did you mean anything by it?" "I don't know what you're on about." "Let go of me or else..." "Or else what?" "Ok, get your knife." "Make my day." "You're a sensible guy." "Why don't you join me?" "Let's have a drink and do some talking." "Who did you walk into today?" "You deserve a drink." "Drink." "See, we're the best of friends." "We have no secrets for each other." "Am I right?" "So that sharp looking man gave you 25 guilders." "And it wasn't even your own domino." "So you had no costs." "And free drinks." "You should look more cheerful." "Did you give one of these to anyone else?" "Was that all you had to do for 25 guilders?" "I also had to tell a strange story to the student who collects snails." "Lucas." "What did you have to tell him?" "He said Caracol had to go to Onima." "Who said that?" "The man in the white suit." "Near Onima?" "Yes." "What was there?" "Diamonds for all I care." "What was that?" "I was joking." "Diamonds?" "Snails." "What?" "That's what I had to say." "That there were strange snails there." "That would make him go there." "Yes, because Lucas doesn't get out of bed for diamonds." "Why doesn't he dive anymore?" "Who?" "El Loco." "Rob." "Why doesn't he dive anymore?" "Ask him." "I did." "What did he say?" "That he's scared." "But that's impossible." "Of course it's possible." "Afraid of what?" "Who knows." "Why did you ask?" "No reason." "Weren't you afraid down there?" "No." "Strange really." "I wasn't afraid at all." "It was 40 metres deep." "Surrounded by sea monsters, hardly any light." "And you were not afraid?" "Ok, I accept the facts." "I'm afraid." "Lucas is afraid." "Mr Achterberg is afraid." "Help!" "Help?" "No one will help you here." "He's back, come!" "You go." "What's wrong?" "Eddy!" "I'll be there." "I'm going for a swim." "Eddy's gone for a swim." "He always does when he's been in the water." "Where's your car?" "In the parking lot." "Keys." "I just filled her up." "Very sweet, because I'm broke." "Again?" "Eddy, we have to go to Onima fast." "I think the prof got into trouble." "Lucas?" "Let me get dressed." "Where's the harpoon gun?" "Why?" "I don't see it." "In the cupboard." "Aren't they forbidden?" "For fishing." "Were you asleep?" "No." "From which direction did I come?" "He keeps calling for help." "What's that, Mr Achterberg?" "You're calling for help?" "That's pointless." "It's only us here." "No one can hear you." "I'm thirsty." "I can believe that." "It's a thirsty spot." "I know where I am." "You're bluffing." "You can't know." "I've been here for a year." "Wouldn't I recognize the sounds?" "This is Karpata." "Did you peek?" "I didn't need to." "I can hear it." "This has to be Karpata." "You've deserved a drink." "It's Karpata indeed." "Don't you have any water?" "I'm sorry." "Can you remove the blindfold?" "Why not?" "So you've been here for a year?" "Isn't that enough?" "It's not that big." "You weren't here two years ago?" "No." "How do you know Alma then?" "I don't know any Alma." "Really?" "I swear." "I don't know anyone called Alma." "I know someone called Alma lived here once, but she's dead." "The girl you kidnapped looks like her, but her name's Sylvia." "Sylvia Sommer." "We should have put you in the shade." "You have sunstroke." "Her name's Sylvia Sommer!" "She's a well-known singer." "She's not the same person as that Alma." "And she doesn't know anything about diamonds." "And neither do I." "You've made a mistake." "You've got the wrong person." "It doesn't make a difference for you." "How could I let you go after this?" "Whose car is that?" "I don't know." "Has it been here for long?" "I don't know." "The keys are still there." "Let's check the beach." "If he's here, he must have dug himself in." "Strange that he would leave his car here." "Hey Jaantchie, how are you?" "Have you seen Caracol?" "That's his car." "I know." "I'm not looking for his car." "Do you know where Caracol is?" "Have you got a smoke?" "What did you want to know?" "Caracol." "He left with those men." "Which men?" "In a big car." "A brown car?" "Yes, brown." "Where did they go?" "Towards Rincón." "Do you have to?" "Yes." "Are you joining us?" "Yes, please." "It's so hot." "I'm getting tired from a short walk." "Where's your beach car?" "Rob and Eddy have got it." "Rob?" "El Loco." "We have to eat right away, because I have to do some tutoring." "What do you think of that man?" "I don't know." "He's a bit crazy, isn't he?" "Yes, but he does it on purpose." "Why?" "He finds it convenient." "But I think he's also really confused." "Something must have happened that he doesn't want to talk about." "Ask Eddy." "He's not sure either." "I think he's just got a screw loose." "From diving." "They all have that." "Better be careful." "I didn't see anything." "Me neither." "Ok, let's go back via the salt flats." "Can you see anything?" "Lucas isn't with them." "There!" "Stop that belt!" "There's someone on it!"