A dozen or more people from Annie's Clan would arrive, one after another, as the girl's father instructed that King would be escorted to quarantine. Then, he offered, "I will send search parties up and down the beach to look for your friends ... so long as you follow this man's instructions and don't give us any trouble."

[i]This man[/i], of course, was the one standing protectively between King and Annie. It was obvious that there was some sort of relationship there, though, King couldn't know what it was [i]or[/i] that it was more heavily felt from the man's side than it was the girl's. 

"If you do ... give us trouble, I mean ... Paul has permission to put his spear through you," the man in charge said. "Do you understand? I can't take a chance that you are infected with the Bug."  

"I understand," King said, raising his arms to his sides in a [i]surrender[/i] gesture, before slowly letting them hang to his side again. "I understand your caution. I really do. Food, water, and blankets would be great." 

He gestured to his lack of clothing -- raggedy denim shorts was all he'd had on when the [i]Elizabeth[/i] had struck a reef or shoal or whatever -- and asked, "Maybe something warm to wear, too?"

"We'll get you something, yes," Bran said, looking to Paul and nodding to indicate that the man was to see to it. 
 
As he headed up the trail, the villagers hurried to maintain a distance from King. He paused at the bottom of the big boulder on top of which the girl still stood. Smiling up to her, he said, "See you again soon, I hope."

The sun was behind Annie, so King couldn't see her reaction. He headed up the trail as ordered, looking back to find Paul following him at a respectable distance. Down on the beach, Annie's father began giving instructions and dividing the villagers such that each of the searching groups had some armed men included.