Chapter One - Richard Lewis
Chapter One - Richard Lewis Chapter One - Richard Lewis
approve of him, and in Reed's opinion Naniek was taking this more seriously than she should. They didn't speak to him, and he didn't know what to say. The Elephant Cave was on the edge of rice field terraces a short way out of town, an ancient Hindu complex in a small jungle valley. A footpath cut down the side of the ravine. Afternoon sun filtered through trees tangled with vines and orchids, and dragonflies flashed golden wings in the hushed green light. In a level clearing, ancient statues of maidens held water pots above bathing pools. The cave itself was dug into the side of the ravine, its opening the mouth of a demon carved into soft stone. There was an otherworldliness to the place that pricked Reed's senses, of vanished people and unknown ages. "Shall we have a look?" Bambang said to Reed, gesturing at the demon's dark and gaping mouth. Reed turned to Naniek. "Are you coming?" She curtly shook her head without speaking. "She's claustrophobic," Bambang said. Reed followed him into the low tunnel, ducking slightly. A guttering oil lamp at the end revealed a statue of Ganesha, the elephant god hunkered in an alcove, withered offerings scattered about. The lamp's flame flickered to a faint draft of air. Shadows swayed, and the god seemed to peer through the dim, unsteady light at him. "I want you to stop seeing Naniek," Bambang said. There it was. Reed wasn't surprised. "You are PKI?" Bambang chuckled. "They are such strict and severe people. They don't know how to have fun. Naniek, for example. A wet blanket, I think you say in English. But she is my sister. Stay away from her." "I think she should be the one to decide, don't you?" "Go and talk to her. She will tell you." In the clearing, Naniek brooded upon a water nymph, the nymph's carved sandstone features eroded, her water spout dry. Reed said, "It's kind of depressing to think that whoever carved that is dead and forever forgotten." Naniek crossed her arms, refusing to look at him. "That is a bourgeoisie way of thinking." "We're back to propaganda, are we?" "The success of the Revolution depends on unknown heroes. It is not a price to pay. It is a life we give." Reed sighed. "Your brother has ordered me to stop seeing you. What do you say?" She turned to him. Her black eyes shone hard as stone. "Go back to America, Reed. This is not your country." "Yankee Go Home, hunh. What happened? Last time we were together, I believe you kissed me goodbye. Snuck that kiss right underneath Mak Jangkrik's nose—oh, boy. Don't tell me that hag's been telling tales to your bosses. Is that what this is? She's told on us and now your brother's laying down the law?" "I told him about you. I always tell him everything." Naniek opened her shoulder bag. One by one she handed Reed black-and-white surveillance photographs. Reed at a party at the US Ambassador's private residence in conversation with Auntie; Reed 134
strolling through Merdeka square with Wendell; Reed at the red door of the Heart of Mary convent with Mother Agnes. Top quality shots, most likely taken by BPI agents. "Bambang has connections," Naniek said. Her brother stood by the mouth of the cave, hands thrust in his trouser pockets as he watched them. Reed suddenly understood—Bambang had paid off somebody in the agency for the goods on the American his sister was getting involved with. "You were asking Sister Agnes about me," Naniek said. "She's now Mother Agnes," Reed said. "That's where you knew my nickname," Naniek said. "Nobody in Bali knew it. I thought and thought about that. It bothered me." Naniek shoved the photos into her bag. She crossed her arms. "You are interested in me for who I know. Dr. Subandrio. I am someone for you to cultivate. Someone to use." "Is that really what you think?" Reed said, anger tightening his voice. "These photos—it's small American community. Every one of us has a BPI file." He tapped the photograph of him at the Ambassador's residence. "This was a Fourth of July party. Of course I was there. And Mother Agnes, she's a friend. Yes, all right, I should have told you. I showed her your photo. Asked if she knew you. You were in Djakarta, she's worked with Gerwani, I thought there might be a chance. It was personal, I was attracted to you, I wanted to know more about you." "I don't want to see you again, Reed." Naniek took her brother's arm and marched up the steps, abandoning Reed to the stone maidens, mute in the soft gold-green light. At the Bali Hotel, Reed sought Arini's counsel. The cool dry weather was giving way to moodier skies with sweltering heat that mirrored the island's simmering tensions. Arini was as composed as ever, but of late there was to her a certain strain, a constant and alert surveying of the lobby and the halls and all who went in and out. Reed had brought a letter for her to give to Naniek, but Arini gave a quick shake of her head. "I'm sorry but I can't take it." She spoke in a half whisper. This seemed to be the conversational tones these days. If you weren't shouting angry slogans, you were whispering behind your hand. "Everyone is watching everyone else. It is too risky. But," she added, "tomorrow afternoon at Batu Gede there will be a big Communist action. The palace rice-fields are ready for harvest, and Gerwani and the Peasants League are going to take over some of the fields and harvest the crop for the refugees." The next afternoon, Reed drove down to Batu Gede. The Gerwani secretariat was closed, Parwati's residence was shuttered, as were the shops on the main street. Reed saw no pedestrians, and no children played in the alleys or on the village square. Reed rattled down several lanes to a unpaved track for ox carts. On his left were coconut groves, and to his right stretched rice fields ready for harvest, a sea of golden grain that on the northern side lapped up to a temple several hundreds yard away, its shrines shaded by a large shaggy banyan. Reed heard chanting of revolutionary slogans from somewhere ahead of him. He pulled off into a stand of palms and parked deep in their shadows. 135
- Page 83 and 84: Bali from a professor there and I s
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- Page 93 and 94: Nol braked a sudden stop. "Give tha
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- Page 99 and 100: At the Gerwani house, the late afte
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- Page 111 and 112: "At the Batu Gede rally I asked peo
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- Page 115 and 116: Chapter 21 An hour after sunrise, T
- Page 117 and 118: Down the beach, Mantera buried his
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- Page 121 and 122: Taking a deep breath, he said to Ti
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- Page 131 and 132: Chapter 24 On the night of the full
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- Page 139 and 140: Chapter 25 It was now five minutes
- Page 141 and 142: "What happened here in 1965, Mother
- Page 143 and 144: Chapter 26 1965 A heavy rain fell f
- Page 145 and 146: This time Wendell was less guarded,
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- Page 149 and 150: "My ancestors came from China, but
- Page 151 and 152: dozen kue lapis. I told her take th
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- Page 155 and 156: denounced the cruel and sadistic mu
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- Page 159 and 160: edroom. When I entered the room, it
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- Page 171 and 172: The editorial thundered that the my
- Page 173 and 174: warung, packaged in banana-leaf. Re
- Page 175 and 176: Chapter 31 In the hospital garden,
- Page 177 and 178: and decided to send her into exile.
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- Page 183 and 184: the merchant refused. "No, no, no.
approve of him, and in Reed's opinion Naniek was taking this more seriously than she<br />
should. They didn't speak to him, and he didn't know what to say.<br />
The Elephant Cave was on the edge of rice field terraces a short way out of town,<br />
an ancient Hindu complex in a small jungle valley. A footpath cut down the side of the<br />
ravine. Afternoon sun filtered through trees tangled with vines and orchids, and<br />
dragonflies flashed golden wings in the hushed green light.<br />
In a level clearing, ancient statues of maidens held water pots above bathing<br />
pools. The cave itself was dug into the side of the ravine, its opening the mouth of a<br />
demon carved into soft stone. There was an otherworldliness to the place that pricked<br />
Reed's senses, of vanished people and unknown ages.<br />
"Shall we have a look?" Bambang said to Reed, gesturing at the demon's dark and<br />
gaping mouth.<br />
Reed turned to Naniek. "Are you coming?"<br />
She curtly shook her head without speaking.<br />
"She's claustrophobic," Bambang said.<br />
Reed followed him into the low tunnel, ducking slightly. A guttering oil lamp at<br />
the end revealed a statue of Ganesha, the elephant god hunkered in an alcove, withered<br />
offerings scattered about. The lamp's flame flickered to a faint draft of air. Shadows<br />
swayed, and the god seemed to peer through the dim, unsteady light at him.<br />
"I want you to stop seeing Naniek," Bambang said.<br />
There it was. Reed wasn't surprised. "You are PKI?"<br />
Bambang chuckled. "They are such strict and severe people. They don't know<br />
how to have fun. Naniek, for example. A wet blanket, I think you say in English. But she<br />
is my sister. Stay away from her."<br />
"I think she should be the one to decide, don't you?"<br />
"Go and talk to her. She will tell you."<br />
In the clearing, Naniek brooded upon a water nymph, the nymph's carved<br />
sandstone features eroded, her water spout dry.<br />
Reed said, "It's kind of depressing to think that whoever carved that is dead and<br />
forever forgotten."<br />
Naniek crossed her arms, refusing to look at him. "That is a bourgeoisie way of<br />
thinking."<br />
"We're back to propaganda, are we?"<br />
"The success of the Revolution depends on unknown heroes. It is not a price to<br />
pay. It is a life we give."<br />
Reed sighed. "Your brother has ordered me to stop seeing you. What do you say?"<br />
She turned to him. Her black eyes shone hard as stone. "Go back to America,<br />
Reed. This is not your country."<br />
"Yankee Go Home, hunh. What happened? Last time we were together, I believe<br />
you kissed me goodbye. Snuck that kiss right underneath Mak Jangkrik's nose—oh, boy.<br />
Don't tell me that hag's been telling tales to your bosses. Is that what this is? She's told on<br />
us and now your brother's laying down the law?"<br />
"I told him about you. I always tell him everything." Naniek opened her shoulder<br />
bag. <strong>One</strong> by one she handed Reed black-and-white surveillance photographs. Reed at a<br />
party at the US Ambassador's private residence in conversation with Auntie; Reed<br />
134
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