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he used that for everything but drinking. He had a few more filter gadgets that he put his drinking water through inside the house and the water tasted so good he thought about setting up his own home brewery. Maybe he’d ask Trevor’s opinion on the taste of the water. He had the equipment for a microbrewery as well as yeast, but he’d have to import the hops. He could have his own beer on the island in two months and perhaps if he made enough, he could supply Pete with the brew for his bar. That thought brought a smile to his face.
     
    He checked his satellite receiver, something else he’d built to make sure he could get the station that the game was on. He could lock onto any satellite, but since he wasn’t a subscriber he had no idea what he was watching until the commercials ended and the show began. To move from one major network to another took his computer finding the satellite then locking on it, but he couldn’t complain as it was free. Okay, he was ready for a guest.
     
    It was time to step outside and fish for tonight’s dinner. He opened his door and was shocked to see a package sitting there. Never in his seven years here had there been a package on his doorstep.
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Could it be a bomb?
     
    He paused and did calculations in his head of what kind of damage something explosive inside the small package could do; and then he shook his head at his negative thought and bent down to reach for the box. 
     
    Then he smiled. It was a rare use of his facial muscles. He hadn’t had much to smile at in the past seven years.
     
    The box was addressed to ‘The man on the rock, whose name I don’t know.’
     
    He was sure he knew who the box was from, the question was how had it arrived without his alarm systems going off? How had she gotten on the island without him knowing it?
     
    He opened the box and found two flavors of tea from a tea shop in Sausalito and a thank you card from Ariana.
     
    He read, “I tried to find out your name but you’ve done a great job of hiding that from the world. No, I didn’t step on your island, instead I matched you for technology. After practicing dropping toys in the bay for my dog to retrieve, I dropped this package close to your doorstep. I appreciate your help with my air tank; it would have been a dangerous and long swim home without your help.”
     
    Cheers,
    Ariana
     
    He admired her approach and decided to acknowledge her gesture. He picked up the phone and called the number on the card she originally gave him as she had not included one in the package of tea. The phone rang six times before he heard someone pick up the other end.
     
    “Ariana”
     
    Damian tried to remember if this was the voice from a few days earlier, but he couldn’t confirm it, but since she said her name, he figured he had the right person. Then he froze, what was he going to say? It’d been an impulsive gesture on his part, just wanting to say thanks.
     
    “Ah, hi, it’s the man on the rock.” Wow, Damian thought, ‘aren’t you a brilliant conversationalist’.
     
    “Hello man from the rock,” Ariana replied. “Did you get my package?”
     
    “Yes and thanks. I assume you used a boat and a drone rather than just launching the drone from your house.”
     
    She laughed and replied, “I ordered the drone the minute I got back to my house and practiced the next two days before attempting the delivery to you. No way could I have made it from my home to your island without dropping the package or the drone into the bay. As it was I took two packages with me in case one of them ended up as fish dinner.”
     
    “I don’t think fish like tea leaves. They like to eat each other or kelp or algae. I can’t imagine tea made from kelp or algae being at all tasty.”
     
    Again, Damian thought, always hide behind science rather than asking her about herself. He’d never work up the nerve to invite her to his island. Whoa. He felt like his brain had hit the