The sun eased itself into the Indian Ocean, quickening the flat horizon with crimson before leaving only shades of pink. The guests looked on from the cocktail bar in hushed silence, like visitors on a seven-star wildlife safari.
Satisfied, they turned their seats inwards, and their conversations to another evening of leisure. Another sundowner before dinner? Lobster or sushi? Visit the cinema on the beach, or maybe just relax in the private pool? The luxurious isolation of the Maldives island resorts drew them in and would hold them just long enough to keep them wanting more.
Issey had missed the sunset, busy getting the dhoni boat ready to take to Male, the crowded capital island. An experienced member of the resort's boat crew, his job usually involved taking high-paying guests on dive trips and dolphin cruises; starched linen and smiles for millionaires and oligarchs. An hour away through the night, the journey to the city was more straight-forward this evening. Tonight he was taking the staff boat empty, ready to pick up colleagues first thing in the morning.
Taking the trip alone was against safety regulations, but an outbreak of flu had left the team short-staffed. Issey wasn't concerned; it was almost a month until the south-western monsoon would bring storms across the archipelago, revealing the unpredictable reality of the islands after the foreign guests had gone home. But tonight the weather was calm, and he would call a friend to help him dock the boat when he arrived.