Page 185 of Tiger's Voyage

“May I try it?”

“Knock yourself out.”

“Please fill the tub with hot water for Miss Kelsey.”

The tub immediately filled, and Nilima clapped, delighted.

I smiled. “It looks nice, but I’d like a shower to get all the salt off first.”

“Of course. You can soak afterward.”

I shuddered. The thought of soaking made me nervous. I wondered if I’d ever be able to scuba dive again. Images of the giant shark flashed through my mind, and I could easily picture its extended jaws opening for a bite.

“I’d like to soak another time if that’s okay. I think I’ll stick with the shower for now.”

Nilima shrugged and helped me out of my dress. She clucked at the ruined material and ran her hands over the beadwork. “It must’ve been so beautiful.”

“It was pretty,” I admitted, “but it made me a little uncomfortable.”

“Why?”

“The top was too short.”

“Ah, thecholi. There are many different styles, some modern, some ancient. They are not short to expose a woman’s body but to keep her comfortable in the heat.”

I raised an eyebrow, and Nilima laughed.

“Okay. I admit that sometimes it’s worn to catch a man’s eye.”

“Then it definitely works.Toowell,” I mumbled.

She removed the jewels from my hair and marveled at each piece with appreciation. Steam rose from the shower. After she loosened mycholi, she left me alone, and I took my time soaping through my hair and scrubbing my skin. When I sat at the vanity in my thick robe, she returned with an armful of clothing. She brushed out my long wet hair while I rubbed lotion into my sunburned arms and legs.

“Nilima?”

“Yes?”

“Will you cut my hair shorter? Please?” I hurried on as I saw her shaking her head with apprehension. “It’s too long. It’s unmanageable. You don’t have to cut it all—just to mid-back or so.”

“He’ll be mad.”

“I don’t think it matters anymore.”

“Why not?”

I sighed. “Because we’ve broken up. I’ve told him that I’m with Kishan now.”

She paused, mid-brushstroke, and then continued slowly. “I …see.”

“Kishan doesn’t care what I do with my hair and even braided, it’s too much for me to manage when it’s this long.”

“Alright, Miss Kelsey. But if he asks, you did this yourself.”

“You’ve got a deal.”

She cut my hair to just past my shoulder blades and braided it for me. I pulled on a soft T-shirt and a pair of worn jeans and set off barefoot to find everyone.

Nilima stayed on watch in the wheelhouse while Mr. Kadam joined the three of us in the sundeck lounge. We ate and took turns catching him up on what had happened. He took copious notes and frequently asked us to repeat the dragon’s instructions as precisely as we could. I showed him the Pearl Necklace, which he turned over in his hands and sketched a very accurate resemblance in his notebook. He documented the different ways in which we’d used it and wanted to begin a battery of tests as soon as possible.