Chapter One - Richard Lewis

abducted after leaving the airport, a classic car intercept. The BPI had interrogated him
about his attendance at Sukarno's birthday party.
"Why would they bother to do that, six months after the fact, when there's far
more important things going on?" Wendell asked.
Reed absently scratched his wrist, forgetting he had a cast on. "Who knows? And
after a spot of torture, they let me go. Could be their pulling our noses, keeping me right
above the apartment. Having one last moment of fun."
"Bob Holden at the Singapore Embassy said you phoned him," Auntie said.
"According to you, you were already abducted."
Damn, Reed thought. He'd forgotten about that phone call. He wasn't thinking up
to speed. Putting on a sheepish look, he said, "This isn't going to make me look good. I
came to Djakarta to scavenge for deals. Quick sale heirlooms. Stayed at the Oranje Huis
and put out the word. BPI picked up me the next day."
"Bob said you wanted him to track down a guy named Bambang," Wendell said.
"Some sleazebag works at the Permina office there. But rich. I've sold him things
before."
Auntie said they'd better go and let Reed have some sleep. The doctor had given
him pills for his aches and pains, but Reed didn't take any. He thought of Naniek, and
wondered where she was this evening, where she'd taken secret shelter. This was a big
country, and there were many unmarked ways to get around. He picked up the phone
with the idea of calling Harry Chen, but when the Embassy operator said, "Yes, sir," he
hung up. He wandered out into the garden, but a Marine guard intercepted him. "Sorry,
sir, but you're to say in quarters."
The next morning in the kitchen, Reed had Cheerios and fresh milk and orange
juice while Wendell sucked down coffee and cigarettes. There'd been developments, he
said. His forehead was swollen with excitement. For first time Reed could recall,
Wendell's tie was loose and not cinched tight against that glossy neck. The army,
Wendell said, had shared with the Embassy the results of certain interrogations. They had
discovered that the PKI had a secret Special Bureau assigned to coup preparations. Only
Chairman Aidit and a select few had known of its existence. The Special Bureau had
placed cells in all the major islands, including an agent in Bali.
"Guess who?" Wendell said. "None other than Luhde Srikandi." He waved his
cigarette. "It's gets better. Our Librarian did some research and found a very interesting
letter in the Harian Rakyat."
Wendell produced a copy from his briefcase, a letter on water rights, written by
Madé Catra, headmaster of SD Number 3, Batu Gede. At the end a note thanking Luhde
Srikandi for her insights.
"You know this Catra fellow?" Wendell asked.
"His brother is the local PNI leader," Reed said, changing not a whit his slouch at
the table or his tone of voice, but suddenly very alert.
"You're our Batu Gede expert. Who do you think he's talking about?"
"A Special Bureau's secret agent is hardly going to go around announce himself."
Wendell beamed. "Herself. There's even more. At PKI headquarters, the cadres
couldn't shred files fast enough. Army intel found a partial dossier. It seems that in
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