Indonesian Gold (54 page)

Baird frowned under her gaze.
‘You could say that,'
he admitted,
‘but, back then, no one acted on the advice.'

‘Dominion Mining did.'

Baird considered the remark, and waited for some moments
before asking,
‘And why is this significant?'

Angela's heart hardened, but she remained calm.
‘You
don't feel any responsibility for what is happening here?'

‘Responsibility?'
Baird
waited for Mardidi to finish serving the porridge to Angela before continuing.
‘Of course I
feel responsible – and proud. And who wouldn't be? This has to be one of the most significant
resource discoveries in Indonesia's history!'

‘Gold at any cost?'
Angela's response was touched with sarcasm.
‘I have examined all of the records going
back as far as the earliest mining applications covering this area, and there's nothing to
suggest that any environmental study had ever been undertaken, or that the Penehing people had
been invited to have any say in what was going to take place here.You most probably have no idea
as to how the Dayak people have been affected by timber and mining companies.Are you aware that
forest cover is being depleted at more than twelve thousand square kilometers every
year?'

‘That's not our fault,'
he said, defensively.

‘Why not?'

‘
Because that responsibility rests with the central
government.
'

‘No it doesn't,'
she
refuted, confidently,
‘the foreign investment laws require that companies conduct a full
impact feasibility study before commencing timber and mining operations.'

‘You're right, of course. But there's no mine
here…'
he paused,
‘…yet. And when there is, then I'm sure that
the company will meet all of its responsibilities.'

‘And that will, of course, include compensating the Dayak
people?'

Baird looked around, spotted the expatriate drillers
dragging their heels in for breakfast, and turned back to Angela.
‘To be honest, I don't
know.'

Angela Dau fell silent, staring down at the porridge. When
the drillers joined them, she ignored them all and rose, leaving the table and her meal,
untouched.

****

Sharon
reread the letter,
saddened by its contents. Her uncle's health continued to deteriorate, the inference that he
might not see out the year casting a pall over her mood. She folded the letter and placed it in
her breast pocket, annoyed that she had not thought to include the General's home in the
radiophone link via Jakarta.

Attached as she was to her uncle, Sharon was unable to
leave the operations as long as drilling continued, worried that the tainted sampling procedures
might be discovered – the possibility of this occurring even more so now with the presence of the
Indonesian Mines & Energy representative, conspicuously on site. Sharon knew she had no
choice but to remain at Longdamai Sial until she could dispose of her BGC stock, and that moment
was still a few weeks away. Kremenchug had sent clippings covering the sensational escalation in
Borneo Gold Corporation's value, the most recent highs far beyond her greatest expectations. Her
original projections of earning twenty, even thirty million dollars from the sale of her stock,
was all that she had wished for. The market's reaction to the high gold grades had driven the
value of her position to levels beyond her greatest expectations – and she was unable to realize
on this asset, as long as her shares remained in escrow.

As for Kremenchug, Sharon expected that with the meteoric
rise in BGC stock values, he would most probably wish to liquidate his stake in her holdings the
moment the shares became available. With stocks at their current levels, Sharon believed that the
original premise to establish a mine solely to launder Filipino gold would no longer carry any
long-term appeal to Kremenchug, another aspect of her complicated endeavors. She had calculated
that it would have required at least one hundred times more gold than her uncle was supposed to
have hoarded, to drive shares to their current, giddying levels. Sharon knew that Kremenchug
would have thought this through, and banked on his wanting to bail out without waiting for his
partner to launder her existent hoard. She had counted on the man's greed, and he had not
disappointed. When BGC did eventually collapse as she expected it must, and the true value of
Longdamai Sial had been exposed, it would be the BGC directors who would become embroiled in an
aftermath filled with recriminations. Kremenchug was a member of the BGC Board – it would be
his
blood that the investor-shareholders would demand once the extent of the hoax had
finally been revealed. Sharon Ducay was confident that when this time arrived she would be
comfortably ensconced in a secure jurisdiction, well out of harm's reach.

Sharon
's thoughts turned to
Angela Dau, suspicious that the timing of her visit coincided with an increase in the complement
of Indonesian, Special Forces' soldiers. Previously, there had been a small contingent of four
Kopassus
troops, supported by helicopters on a regular basis from their main camp from
somewhere downstream. Now, there were more than twenty of these well-armed, elite soldiers, based
at the Longdamai site. Although they went about their business without interfering in her
drilling and sampling operations, nevertheless, Sharon could not help feeling that their presence
was, somehow, linked to Angela's mission.

When Angela Dau had arrived armed with a Ministerial
directive instructing P.T. Kalimantan Gold (Indonesia) to provide any assistance she might
request, Sharon's immediate response had been cool, but professional. Sharon had introduced
Angela around the camp, shown her the operations, and pressed Baird to second Mardidi to assist,
suggesting that it would be in their interests to have someone trustworthy keep an eye on the
newcomer, at all times. Baird had reluctantly agreed and, after a week on site, Sharon's earlier
misgivings had all but disappeared as Angela's presence had in no way interfered with the
operations, and, more importantly, the implementation of her covert sampling
procedures.

****

Eric Baird caught a glimpse of Angela's disappearing form
as she threaded her way through the maze of semi-permanent, palm-thatched roof structures, past
Sharon Ducay's cabin, where she fell out of sight.

He reflected upon their conversation, surprised by
Angela's accusatory tone, unable to shake the nagging thought that her presence in camp was
directly related to the mining operation's high grade assay results, and not environmental issues
as she had claimed. Years of dealing with the Indonesian government had taught Baird never to
accept anything at face value, especially when there was money involved. In his mind, the
unexpected appearance of Mines & Energy officials on site signaled third party interest in
the Longdamai Sial site, Baird's concern that if these were Palace-associated lobbyists, then
possession might be at risk. Partial acquisition might ensure future, trouble-free operations,
such as had been the experience with the massive Freeport Grasberg gold and copper mine, in
Indonesia's West New Guinea, but any such involvement would, as had been demonstrated in the
past, be at the expense of other investors.

A speedboat roared into life and he spotted Angela again,
briefly, when the craft's nose lifted and gained momentum, the trailing rooster-tail spray
indicating Angela had gunned the fiberglass boat to full power. His eyes drifted back across the
shoreline where Sharon Ducay came into view, Baird reminded not for the first time, of the
startling similarities between the two, strong-willed women.

****

Longhouse
Village

Angela eased the throttle back to idle, slowing the
speedboat's momentum as she guided the craft to within reach of eager, outstretched
hands.

‘It's ‘Gela, it's ‘Gela!'
children lined the boardwalk chanting, waving, giggling, pushing forward to be the first
to touch Angela as she stepped from the vessel. A number of youths secured the fiberglass boat,
removing the cargo of packages she had brought from Jakarta, which contained as many gifts as she
could afford.

‘Where's our ‘oleh-oleh'?
The children eyed the parcels, their expectations growing when Angela pointed to these,
telling them to be patient. The throng grew with the news of her arrival spreading throughout the
village and, as she climbed ashore and she grasped her father's extended hands, the Dayak chief
drew her into his arms.

‘Welcome home, my daughter,'
Jonathan's proud moment shared by all as the air was filled with clamorous joy. With one
arm around her shoulder, the shaman turned Angela for all to see, his chest swelling in response
to the villagers' roar of approval.

Before she could take another step, Yuh-Yuh, Angela's pet
orangutan
broke through the crowd and wrapped herself around the young woman's thighs.
‘Hello, Yuh-Yuh, I expected you'd be eaten by now!'
she laughed, reached down and embraced
the small ape, now clinging furiously to her side.

Jonathan prized the
orang-utan
loose.
‘Enough,
Yuh-Yuh!'

They threaded their way through the gathering, Angela
bending down to respond to a child who called her name, kissing another and touching as many of
the villagers as she could manage whilst making her way into the Longhouse proper. There, as
tradition demanded, she sipped from a bowl of hastily poured
tuak
, the fermented palm-wine
bringing with it a warm glow of well being, her father's soft, reassuring chant blessing Angela
and thanking the spirits for bringing her home safely, a melody to her ears.

‘Tonight, we will hold a ‘selamatan' to celebrate your
return.The evening will be even more special, as the morning skies will be graced by a full moon,
heralding in both the new calendar, and lunar months.This is another obvious sign. No doubt you
remember the significance?'

Angela nodded solemnly.
‘Yes, father.The new month will
be filled with signs to guide us, blessed as it closes with a second full moon.You taught me the
importance of this event at the time of my initiation.'

Jonathan placed his arm around his daughter once again,
and squeezed.
‘I am very proud of you, Angela, that you have not lost our ways.'
He then
released her and turned to the sea of admiring faces, clapping his hands for attention.
‘A
double celebration it is, then,'
he raised his voice even more,
‘to welcome our Angela
back, and the month which bears twin moons!'
Then, leaning close to Angela's face he
whispered,
‘And an appropriate time for the two of us to go up to the mountains and meditate,
together. There is much we must discuss.'

****

Towering
cumulonimbus
clouds gathered in haughty
presence covering Eastern Borneo's early morning sky in ominous, translucent forms, further
delaying the appearance of July's first, full moon. Jonathan and Angela waited together in
expectant, but reverent silence – their eyes locked on the heavens in eager anticipation as a
rhapsody of platinum rays suddenly burst from behind the clouds, signaling the commencement of
yet another, all-important cycle. Both fell into rehearsed routine, appealing to ancestral
spirits for guidance and their blessings, the couple's resonating, harmonious chant carrying into
the night, lost amongst soft breezes in the valley below.

When the ritual came to a close, they moved back into the
cave's sacred surrounds, Angela sitting alongside her father on a
tikar
mat where,
together, they broke their fast, eating a simple meal of berries and fruit, Jonathan then
engaging his daughter in debate, discussing most pressing issues. They conversed by flickering
candlelight, shadows dancing around the timeless cavern giving momentary life to carved shapes,
etched into rock by ancestral hands, Jonathan revealing his concerns – Angela for the most part,
listening to the wisdom of his experience and years.

‘
…and, the worst is yet to come. It's now clearly
apparent that we will be forced from our traditional lands to accommodate the transmigration
process, one which is designed to dilute the Dayak presence, and one which can only be met with
force. We can no longer stand back and do nothing while they bulldoze our mountains, destroying
the soil, desecrating our sites, polluting our rivers where we fish and bathe. With the
destruction of our forests, the roots of trees and plants will be gone, and invaluable
information about natural medicines gathered by generations, will be lost forever. Our unique
culture and language will eventually disappear altogether, perhaps even resulting in the
extinction of our people.
'

‘If only these gold discoveries had not brought the
outsiders here,'
she complained, bitterly.
‘I still can't
understand why the world places such great store in the metal.'