May 1960 when "the
company" arrives
The grandfather clock reads
3:29 and is poised to strike on the half-hour, still hours before
sunrise. The wind-blown water flickers when moonlight breaks
through the clouds. A shadowy figure hurries down the stairway
toward the dock. Another follows. They huddle for a moment at
the head of the dock and then withdraw from sight. The clock
chime marks the half hour. A powerboat flashes its landing lights;
followed by more darkness and more shadowy figures at the end
of the dock moving about quickly. Then, as if snatched from the
shadows swallowing up the end of the dock, a man appears. One,
then another until they form a line walking single file along
the dock. When the first one reaches land he hesitates, uncertain
where to go, and is directed up the stairs. The others silently
follow. They hang together at the top of the stairs, nine of
them, getting their bearings, getting a sense of their uncertain
surroundings, until a tenth man parts the crowd from the stairs
behind, says a few words and leads toward the pink path.
By the end of April the island's
staff had been sent home, the island readied like never before
for its night visitors. They arrived in waves. The processing
cycle for each "company" guest lasted from two to three
days. According to two of the recruits, they, along with the
other 49 in the total "shipment," were on the island
from late May until early July. Forty-three years later they
would return to the island for a reunion. Not of their own choosing,
not all of them would find their way back.
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