He was quite good looking, but he was pompous, he spoke as if he were near forty and acted like a professor. She wondered what his research topic really involved. It might have explained why he sucked up to big names and money. Worst of all, you just couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She suspected that the boyish face and innocent blue eyes covered up something particularly nasty that he was engaged in.
Perhaps at the end she had been under strain and had given him too much of her mind. She hoped he would find his colleague but, because of his obsession with his career, she doubted whether he would continue very long.
She didn’t expect she would ever meet “Sir Galahad” alias “the professor” again. This wouldn’t worry her. He was a long way from her expectation of what a man should be.
Yet her own problem remained. The trouble with Kate was that she was impelled to ask questions but she wasn’t sure if she could cope with the answers.
I wish I’d never heard about that broken leatherwood!
David watched her as she strode away. She didn’t even turn as she reached the corner. He felt uneasy about the conversation and its abrupt ending. It had been a disaster, just like all his other encounters with women.
Women were emotional time bombs. He just didn’t know how to handle them. And he had allowed himself to light the fuse by getting into an argument which didn’t go anywhere. It was the argument with Tane all over again. After their conversation it was unlikely that he would see her again, but, if he did, perhaps he should apologise.
CHAPTER 14
David had not looked for another occupant for Tane’s room. In fact in the last three years he had rarely entered it.
Even as he stood there he felt like a trespasser. But he rationalised that the information he might find there could be useful, and he needed to do it before he left for Australia. After his talk with the bird girl there seemed to be the possibility Stan McTaggart had actually met up with Tane before his trip. What could have passed between them? What had really happened in the Waitoa? Was there a discovery? And if so, what?
Nearly all of Tane’s research was embargoed . They each had their own filing cabinet, but Tane kept his locked.
For a long time he contemplated it.
“I have a similar cabinet – perhaps my key will work?”
He hesitated again before he inserted the key.
Inside lay a small folder. Eagerly he opened it. It was a short research paper on the geological implications of Maori spirituality, dated three and a half years before. He could not recall that Tane had ever published this – its contents were predictably controversial. It could have been a private paper. Attached to the paper was a copy of a proposal setting out procedures to be followed if a geological discovery were to be found on Maori-owned land. A note at the bottom of each paper indicated that both had been sent to Sir Charles Hawthorne.
That in itself was not surprising. He sponsored so many research projects that he might have forgotten about this one of Tane’s.
But what excited him was a third enclosure. This was a letter addressed to the senior kaumatua of the Whanau Apanui. The letter was dated January 14th three years before and two days after their falling out. It referred in general terms to the necessity for consultations in the case of a geological discovery. At the bottom it said that a copy of the letter and a proposal had been sent to Dr Charles Hawthorne, Q.C. However, the proposal was missing. He examined Tane’s signature at the end.
The letter was original.
Was it ever sent?
He put a call in to Te Kaha Post Office. The postmistress was friendly. “I think you want Eruera,” she said and gave him a number.
“Yes, thank you,” the kaumatua said acknowledging David’s congratulations. “We have waited over sixty years. I am talking about it on TV tomorrow night.”
“I am a geologist at Auckland University. Do you mind if I ask you an unusual question?”
The voice sounded puzzled. “Geologist, did you say?”
“I presume that you were the senior kaumatua three years ago.”
“I was.”
“May I test your memory? Do you recall receiving a letter from a colleague of mine, Dr Tane Ngata? It might have related to a possible geological discovery.
There was a long silence at the other end. “Did you say Tane Ngata?”
“Yes, he came from Te Kaha.”
“Of course, I knew his grandmother. We have not heard from him for a long time, but are glad he has done well.” There was a pause. “It was sad about his brother – very unfortunate.”
“Tane told me the story.”
“He was not involved.”
The tone was cool, and David got the impression that the subject was closed. “This letter could have been accompanied by one from Sir Charles Hawthorne.”
The answer came warmly. “Of course, we know him well. He is an honorary kaumatua and our legal adviser.”
“I don’t know what the discovery was or whether there was one at all. But the tribal territory of Te Whanau-a-Apanui was mentioned. And as Tane was sensitive to your feeling for the land, he would not have proceeded further without your approval.”
“I do not recall a letter. However, if Sir Charles was involved, we would have asked his opinion.”
“If you’d received a proposal for the development of a geological discovery, possibly involving mining, on your land, what would have been your reaction?”
There was another long pause. “I do not understand you. It is a huia sanctuary and we are kaitiaki.”
“Another question. Sir Charles moved in to Pataratara just under three years ago?”
“We were very pleased to have him among us. He is very interested in our matauranga and he gave us our cultural centre.”
“Have you visited his home at Pataratara?”
“He is a very private man.”
“Do your people fish in the area?”
“No, not now. The Regional Council made the coast around there a marine reserve. Sir Charles thought it would be good for the area. He offered to look after it too.”
“Did your people approve of this?”
“Not at first, because it was a good place for kaimoana. But there have been some drownings around this coast and the rahui was often on the area.”
“So you accepted the marine reserve?”
“Yes, like the old proverb ‘te purapura pai’ – ‘out of bad things can come good’.”
Though the kaumatua was courteous, David sensed an underlying suspicion. He knew he was at risk of offending the elder if he continued further. However, he pushed himself to ask one last question. “I gather Hone visited a valley and the elders disapproved of his action.”
There was no reply.
“Was that valley the Waitoa?”
There was a click as the phone at the other end was hung up.
Eruera remained sitting in his chair fingering his tokotoko.
A geologist was he? But what was Tane Ngata really up to? Just like his brother. Testing the boundaries. Questioning the elders’ wisdom. Why did he want this information? There were certain things which were better left alone.
He would have a korero with Sir Charles before he spoke to that man again.
The Queen’s Counsel again received him warmly. David expressed his appreciation for the tickets.
“No need to thank me,” and he inclined his head graciously.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve been doing some research here on Tane before I leave for Australia.”
“How interesting! But you gave me the impression yesterday that you had run out of leads in New Zealand.”
“It’s just about the Maori spirituality side. I believe Tane wrote a paper on it and sent it to you.”