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Technically, the party wasn’t supposed to start until sunset. But hours before the blazing sun sank down over the distant watery horizon, celebrations were already in full swing.
Huge kegs of beer had been tapped; roasting meats were being lifted from steaming fire pits dug deep in the golden-white sand. Wreaths of fragrant, colorful flowers hung from every tree and building that bordered the main encampment.
Several crew members were musical, and had been welcomed on stage by the rollicking band. So the twang and thrum of nearly two dozen different instruments competed with boisterous laughter and happy voices.
Bawdy songs and impossible tales were traded over brimming plastic mugs, while the delicious scents of a huge tropical feast filled the air.
Alex could hear the raucous noi
