Chapter One - Richard Lewis

"Let him go," Nol gasped.
"Should I, boss?" Gong asked.
Raka materialized out of the darkness. Anointed lord of day and of night.
"Two things, Ziro," he said. "Important enough for me to tell you in person. First,
keep your son away from my daughter. Second, tell your mother to keep her greedy
hands off my father. She will not extort a single rupiah out of him. Do you hear me?"
Nol spat foul-tasting saliva. "You and your thugs can go to hell."
"Nol, Nol," Raka sighed. "You always were less than nothing. I'm not a wicked
man. A wicked man wouldn't give you warning. Let the boy go, Gong," he said as he
turned away, slipping back into the night.
With final squeeze on Putu's neck, Gong let go and vanished.
"Hey, give me back my tire iron!" Nol shouted.
Putu leaned against the balustrade, coughing and hacking. Gripping a post, Nol
hauled himself out of the pond. He put a damp hand on his son's back. "Are you okay?"
Putu nodded, still coughing. He finally caught his breath. "What an asshole," he
said in English.
Alarmed at his son's tone, Nol said, "I'll take care of this. You don't get involved.
And didn't I tell you to stay away from Wulandri?"
"This isn't the feudal ages, Bapa."
The breeze chilled Nol's wet skin. His heart twisted like a dangling leaf, ready to
fall. His son confused him and angered him, but how he loved him.
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