Chapter One - Richard Lewis
Chapter One - Richard Lewis Chapter One - Richard Lewis
Mantera shuffled forward. Was it Nol's imagination, or did had the prince aged overnight? As well he should. Dharma murmured to Nol, "The keris rattled, warning me of the man who betrayed your father." Then a warm smile closed over his face like water over a hole. He greeted Mantera not like his prince but like an old and beloved friend. "I apologize that Gdé Raka could not make it," Mantera said. "There is a tempest in the household with his daughter Wulandri," he added, as if sharing this family affair excused the insult of Raka's absence. Little wonder Wulandri would be upset, Nol thought, seeing her boyfriend beat to an inch of his life. But no matter. With only Mantera attending from the palace, Nol's mint-scented calmness could focus with exceptional clarity of thought. This was the man who had fathered him, but Mantera was not his Bapa. He was a wicked man, who had sent a good man to his death. Dharma guided Mantera to his place of honor, a row of velvet armchairs by the guest pavilion, where the priest was ready for the celebrants. The gamelan beat out a crescendo as the prince took his seat. Nol slipped into the chair beside Mantera, and the music died away to silence. "How is your bird, my lord?" "The one you taught to sing? It's going to be a champion." "My son Putu Swastika couldn't make it," Nol said. "A medical emergency last night." "Oh, dear. I am sorry to hear that. Is he okay?" "He was attacked by thugs last night." "Oh my," the prince said. "Have you informed the police?" "A matter to be taken care of privately," Nol said. "An old feud with somebody. Why involve the police?" Mantera sighed and lightly tapped his cane to the ground. "We Balinese really should get over our petty clan and village feuds. It is so backwards." Nol pictured Mantera writing the anonymous letter, filling a plain sheet with his handwriting, the words furtive and sly. This was the man who had fathered him with rape and violence, and the man who had betrayed his real Bapa. As the gamelan played a light tinkling tune, the celebrants filed out through the courtyard, glittering in their finery, looking like dolls in their make-up. Putu's cousin led the way, Ki Poleng the family keris tucked into the back of his ceremonial dress. It should have been Putu, but Putu was in the hospital, his teeth shattered to their roots. Before the cousin stretched out on his back on the prepared mat, Dharma removed the sheathed keris from the boy's finery. As he handed the sacred weapon to Nol, his gaze held Nol's for a long and lingering moment. The handle of the keris felt warm to Nol's palm, as if it pulsed with life. He pulled the handle, the blade slipped free, and the calm poured to his mind, and held his soul pure and steady. "Can't you go any faster?" Tina pleaded with the taxi driver. He glanced at her in the rear view. "It's the traffic," he said, "and this isn't a movie, you know. I drive this on a commission, I have to pay for my fuel and any scratches…" 196
He went on, delivering a litany of woes. Tina tuned him out, tapping her knee in frustration. How stupid and naïve she'd been. As soon as Arini had told her the truth about Nol's real father, she'd sat there stunned for a second before bolting. She had to get to the tooth filing ceremony in time to stop Nol from doing anything crazy. She had the awful sense that something horrible and bloody was going to happen. Parked cars and motorbikes of invited guests clogged the narrow lane to Dharma's compound. The taxi inched along. Tina told the driver she'd get out here, thrust a rupiah note that was double the fare into his hand, and bolted out the car. Ignoring the barking dogs and the young louts who called out to her, Tina twisted and pushed through a group of tourists who were late to the Balinese ceremony they had paid a tout good money to see. Drops of sweat stung her eyes. One of the thin rubber bathroom sandals she was wearing broke its thong, hobbling her for a step before she discarded them both. Barefoot and panting and sweating, she charged through Dharma's compound. His junior wife, greeting the late arriving guests, reared back in alarm. The crowd packed the compound, many seated, many standing, blocking her view. Gamelan music drifted through conversation and laugher, for a tooth filing was celebrated with merriment. This one might be celebrated with murder. She jumped up on a flower planter. Craning her head, she spotted Nol, in the velvet seats of honor by the garden pavilion. He sat rigid beside Mantera. There was in his left hand a scabbard and his right the straight-bladed keris she'd last seen at Temple Ped. Nol's face was gray and even as she watched his eyelids began to tremble, the first sign of a deadly trance, of a Balinese about to go amok. Such tranquility. Nol had never experienced anything like it. He was above and beyond himself, almost as if he were having an earthly taste of nirvana. In his hand the keris lifted itself into his view. He would avenge his family on the man who had cuckolded his Bapa and then betrayed him to his death— —his Bapa, who charmed birds out of trees —his Bapa, who risked his own life to save an innocent man from a murdering mob, who said if you want to kill an innocent man who can't read or write then you must first start by killing me, —his Bapa who was saying to him you will not be avenging me but killing me a second time —and Nol's hand trembled "Nol!" Tina shouted. "No! Don't! She jumped off the cement planter and barreled her way through the crowd, knocking two gentleman off their plastic chairs. Guests shouted, and children screamed, frightened by a sweaty, barefoot, carrot-haired, freckled woman with wild eyes. Had a demon materialized to disrupt the occasion, plowing through them to the pavilion where the priest was doing his holy work? him —the blade shivering in Nol's grasp, shattering his peace, pain searing through 197
- Page 145 and 146: This time Wendell was less guarded,
- Page 147 and 148: "The secret to selling to tourists,
- Page 149 and 150: "My ancestors came from China, but
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- Page 153 and 154: "I understand," Reed said cheerfull
- Page 155 and 156: denounced the cruel and sadistic mu
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- Page 161 and 162: "I'm not having my ceremony if he c
- Page 163 and 164: "We're not going to drop this," she
- Page 165 and 166: "You speak Bahasa," he said. It was
- Page 167 and 168: "It is common for Westerners to ana
- Page 169 and 170: addition to her other duties this L
- 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.
- Page 179 and 180: This was the first she knew of the
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- Page 183 and 184: the merchant refused. "No, no, no.
- Page 185 and 186: "Have her here at seven tomorrow mo
- Page 187 and 188: "No!" Reed shouted, resuming his sp
- Page 189 and 190: Chapter 33 "They found their Luhde
- Page 191 and 192: "He would blame Mantera, wouldn't h
- Page 193 and 194: Then he heard his brother Dharma, b
- Page 195: Chapter 34 Nol stood with Dharma at
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- Page 201 and 202: In the back of a shed, a tin pot st
- Page 203 and 204: "What do you know about it?" Tina s
- Page 205 and 206: "There were rattlesnakes around whe
- Page 207 and 208: Chapter 36 Nol trotted up the grana
- Page 209 and 210: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The bloody trauma
He went on, delivering a litany of woes. Tina tuned him out, tapping her knee in<br />
frustration. How stupid and naïve she'd been. As soon as Arini had told her the truth<br />
about Nol's real father, she'd sat there stunned for a second before bolting. She had to get<br />
to the tooth filing ceremony in time to stop Nol from doing anything crazy. She had the<br />
awful sense that something horrible and bloody was going to happen.<br />
Parked cars and motorbikes of invited guests clogged the narrow lane to Dharma's<br />
compound. The taxi inched along. Tina told the driver she'd get out here, thrust a rupiah<br />
note that was double the fare into his hand, and bolted out the car.<br />
Ignoring the barking dogs and the young louts who called out to her, Tina twisted<br />
and pushed through a group of tourists who were late to the Balinese ceremony they had<br />
paid a tout good money to see. Drops of sweat stung her eyes. <strong>One</strong> of the thin rubber<br />
bathroom sandals she was wearing broke its thong, hobbling her for a step before she<br />
discarded them both. Barefoot and panting and sweating, she charged through Dharma's<br />
compound. His junior wife, greeting the late arriving guests, reared back in alarm.<br />
The crowd packed the compound, many seated, many standing, blocking her<br />
view. Gamelan music drifted through conversation and laugher, for a tooth filing was<br />
celebrated with merriment.<br />
This one might be celebrated with murder.<br />
She jumped up on a flower planter. Craning her head, she spotted Nol, in the<br />
velvet seats of honor by the garden pavilion. He sat rigid beside Mantera. There was in<br />
his left hand a scabbard and his right the straight-bladed keris she'd last seen at Temple<br />
Ped. Nol's face was gray and even as she watched his eyelids began to tremble, the first<br />
sign of a deadly trance, of a Balinese about to go amok.<br />
Such tranquility. Nol had never experienced anything like it. He was above and<br />
beyond himself, almost as if he were having an earthly taste of nirvana. In his hand the<br />
keris lifted itself into his view. He would avenge his family on the man who had<br />
cuckolded his Bapa and then betrayed him to his death—<br />
—his Bapa, who charmed birds out of trees<br />
—his Bapa, who risked his own life to save an innocent man from a murdering<br />
mob, who said if you want to kill an innocent man who can't read or write then you must<br />
first start by killing me,<br />
—his Bapa who was saying to him you will not be avenging me but killing me a<br />
second time<br />
—and Nol's hand trembled<br />
"Nol!" Tina shouted. "No! Don't! She jumped off the cement planter and barreled<br />
her way through the crowd, knocking two gentleman off their plastic chairs. Guests<br />
shouted, and children screamed, frightened by a sweaty, barefoot, carrot-haired, freckled<br />
woman with wild eyes. Had a demon materialized to disrupt the occasion, plowing<br />
through them to the pavilion where the priest was doing his holy work?<br />
him<br />
—the blade shivering in Nol's grasp, shattering his peace, pain searing through<br />
197
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