Colt followed along behind me as our smiling entourage kept pace with us. They were especially interested with Colt. They seemed interested in his hairiness. They kept reaching out to feel his arms.
"Can you tell these dudes to back off from the whole touching business? Where I come from dudes don't touch other dudes."
I said something and the gathered men laughed, but they did stop the touching.
It was several hours to the feast that was being held in our honor and I made good use of it by showing Colt a look into the past of my people that had changed very little down here in this sunken inner world. All in all Colt seemed to be quite fascinated by the historical cultural display going on all around us.
We were having a good time when suddenly I saw Colt's face clamp tight with displeasure and I quickly turned to see what had aroused his anger. Old memories came back to me as I took in the sight of the girl that couldn't be older than ten or eleven on her knees pleasuring an older man. The scene of carnality was unabashedly out in the open for all to see.
Colt glanced at me and started to say something, but I cut him off, "Colt this isn't your western civilized culture. Things are different among the island people. They are far looser and more easy going than your western culture with its heavy Christian accents would have them to be. Here it is nothing to sleep with another man's wife or for a father to sleep with a daughter. The man is likely the girl's grandfather. Such things are expected as a sign of respect."
Still looking disgusted Colt said, "I don't care! That shouldn't be happening island culture tradition or not!"
I was quick to reply, "I wholeheartedly agree with you, but our purpose here isn't likely to change anything in terms of how they have lived for thousands of years."
Colt was looking at me speculatively all of a sudden and I knew what he was going to ask even before I heard the words.
"Did you?" Colt asked as he pointed to the girl.
"My uncle, but that is all that happened." I said feeling embarrassed by the admonition that it had once been me as a girl over there on my knees.
"I'm sorry."
I glanced back to Colt in surprise, "Why are you sorry?"
"No little girl should ever be made to do that, cultural sign of respect or not."
I shrugged and turned away feeling oddly touched inside by his statement. Colt was different. How few men there must be surely that when presented with an island culture such as this would stick to an outdated sense of morality and refuse the easy pleasure that could be theirs for the taking.