Indonesian Gold (65 page)

‘Because my father and the villagers are expecting us
today…'
Angela caught Sharon Ducay moving in their direction.
‘And they'd be very disappointed if you didn't materialize after all I've said. Come on,
Stewart, it's time to meet my family. Besides, she's all but closed the operations down,'
Angela threw a glance in the Filipino's direction.
‘Last chance, otherwise I'll leave you here
with her.'

The words had no sooner escaped Angela's mouth when Sharon
was upon them, hands stuck despondently in pockets, the wide brimmed Akubra casting a shadow
across her face as she stood facing Campbell, in confrontational pose.

‘I'm putting you on notice, Stewart,' she announced, ‘I've
already informed Vancouver. I'm out of here as soon as transport becomes available.'

Campbell
's body language
identified with that of Sharon's. ‘I thought you'd agreed to stay until the end of next
month?'

‘What for?' She threw a casual look at Angela. ‘I've
received confirmation that my bonuses have been paid, so as far as I'm concerned, it's now all
yours.'

‘When are you leaving?' he wanted to know.

‘Boys playing soldiers over there have said that there'll
be no charter flights for at least three, four days. After that, I'm gone.'

‘Look, Sharon,' Campbell started to say, ‘why not
…'

‘Stewart,'
Angela made
a point of checking her wrist.
‘We're running out of time. Are you coming with me or not? You
can discuss whatever it is you need to, when we return.'

Surprised, Sharon picked up the conversation. ‘Return?'
She frowned at Angela. ‘Where are you going?'

‘Angela wants me to visit her Longhouse,' Campbell
explained.

‘My god, Stewart! Whatever for?'

Angela felt the colour drain from her face.
‘Stewart?'

‘To meet Angela's father,' he replied.

‘A day trip?'

‘Probably overnight; I could come back tomorrow, but
Angela wants to stay on for a few more days.'

‘You're not concerned about leaving?' Sharon suppressed
rising panic.

‘Why?'

‘As I said, if I can convince the pilot to leave earlier,
I'm gone. I'm not going to spend one minute longer here than I have to.' Sharon could see
uncertainty in Campbell's face, and pressed the point. ‘If I do get a lift and something happens
with both of us out of the camp, then you'll have to carry the can. Can't it wait?'

Campbell
looked down at his
mud-caked boots. ‘Guess it could, at that.'

Angela, third party to this exchange crossed her arms,
emulating the others. The three stood in awkward, funeral repose – the ensuing standoff
uncomfortable for all.

‘They'll be waiting for us, Stewart.'
Angela moved to regain control.

‘
What if I take you up there, drop in for a couple of
hours, explain the situation, and arrange to return once we have everything here back under
control?
'

‘All right, let's go,'
Angela consented, hastily, anything to get him out of harm's way. Once they were at the
Longhouse she could concoct any number of reasons to prevent his immediate return.

‘Not the most professional judgment you've ever made,'
Sharon's plans were collapsing as they spoke. ‘There's something going on around here, Stewart.
Why do you think they're throwing so many troops into the area?'

‘You were at the briefing,' Campbell's demeanor appeared
less confident. ‘The Commander said that they were beefing up their presence because of increased
racial tensions throughout the province. The Indonesian government has a vested interest in
ensuring that this site remains secure. To tell you the truth, I have no problems with their
increased numbers. Why, what are you reading into their presence?' he asked, as Campbell
sincerely respected her opinion.

With the Longdamai discovery, Sharon's reputation
throughout the mining industry had become synonymous with those who had first found gold in
California, Alaska and the Australian fields. She had ventured into Borneo's wilds, successfully
completed drilling programs, established an operation that would lead to the development of the
world's largest gold mine, and was now to leave the project. Campbell understood her bitterness,
accepting that much of her animosity had been directed towards him as the Baron representative.
However, her concerns were worth exploring, as she had been on the ground here, at Longdamai,
much longer than he.

‘Then you haven't given any thought to the possibility
that the Indonesian government might be positioning troops to take over the entire operation?'
she suggested, annoyed immediately with this desperate response.

Campbell
stared at his fellow
geologist, the absurdity of the comment twisting his mouth into a grin. ‘Sour grapes,
Sharon?'

‘I guessed you'd think that.' Then, addressing Angela for
the first time, ‘Just seems a strange time for you to take time off, to play.'

Angela burned. ‘What Stewart does is not your business!'
she snapped, catching Sharon off guard. Continuing in English she said, ‘Stewart, we
must
leave now!' Then, trembling only from inside, ‘unless you feel more inclined to stay?'

Angela pivoted on one heel and started away, her eyes
fixed on Mardidi in the distance, her heart pumping with a confusion of angst and
jealousy.

‘Angela, wait!'
Campbell
called, moving to follow.

‘Stewart, you really shouldn't leave.' Sharon reached out,
restraining him by the elbow. They remained facing each other as a distant memory carried the
moment and he rested a hand on her shoulder.

‘You're right. I'll be back in a couple of hours,' he
agreed, ‘Guess you'll still be here?'

‘Most probably.' Sharon looked on unhappily as Campbell
then followed Angela down the slope towards the jetty, where Mardidi waited patiently, having
prepared their speedboat.

Unsuccessful in discouraging Campbell from taking Angela
away, Sharon had hurried to her Captain, urging him to inform the
Kostrad
Commander of the
pair's plans. But, by the time they had located the officer Campbell and Angela were well
underway, with the latter behind the wheel. Mardidi unhooked the nylon ropes front and aft
guiding the fiberglass hull away with one foot, waving when the twin, sixty horsepower engines
roared into life and carried the couple upriver then, moments later, terrified as soldiers poured
onto the jetty with weapons raised, watching the speedboat disappear around the first
bend.

Angela refused to look back, her sixth sense warning her
of the danger behind. That she abandoned Sharon Ducay, Eric Baird and others to an unknown fate,
in no way pricked her conscience. In spite of her deep resentment towards all involved in the
destruction of the
Penehing
sacred site, and other personal issues with the Filipino
woman, prior to the military contingent's arrival Angela had seriously considered finding some
excuse to also remove Sharon out of harm's way. Now, she no longer cared, believing this course
of action would have been unnecessary, as the Dayaks would be unlikely to attack against such
formidable odds.

****

Baird sat quietly chewing on all he'd observed, mentally
noting how quickly Mardidi had sprung to assist Angela Dau, yet again. The two had become
increasingly friendly, and Baird was uncomfortable with the developing bond. He decided to warn
Mardidi against spending too much time with the Dayak, his motives entirely jealousy-based,
recognizing these for what they were.

****

Sharon Ducay brushed the Captain's advances aside.
‘You
should have prevented her from leaving!'

‘She'll be back.We'll just have to wait.'
Subandi tried to assuage her concerns but his voice lacked
confidence.

‘
And if she doesn't return?
'

‘Then why can't we find someone else?'

Sharon
swore under her breath.
There
was
no one else – and this, her foolish lover would never come to know.

Subandi strode away angrily, his loins on fire, his mood
fit to kill. Swinging towards the dedicated area reserved for the
Kopassus
contingent he
noticed Mardidi returning to the Australian geologist's quarters, and was reminded of other
unfinished business, a personal favor that had emanated from his headquarters, in Cijantung,
outside Jakarta.

****

Longhouse
Village

Angela had idled the engines back as the river narrowed,
guiding their powerboat through a passage covered by a continuous canopy of green, breaking again
into full sunlight within sight of the falls. Almost entirely encircled by sheer drop-offs and
walls, the Longhouse scene cast back through Kalimantan time. When the village first came into
view Stewart Campbell could only stare in awe at the timeless setting, the cascading waterfall
and river's reaches, the towering trees and lush, jungle growth smothering the land to water's
edge to his left, the community fields and buildings stretched along the riverbanks, on his
right. Directly ahead, Campbell could see children's arms thrashing through the water as they
raced towards the Longhouse where excitement had been building in anticipation of Angela's
arrival.

His companion eased the throttle back even further,
directing their vessel towards eager hands as they glided to rest alongside the jetty, Stewart
unable to comprehend the cacophonous, dialectal babble that greeted them. Then, the chief stepped
forward and spoke to him in
Bahasa Indonesia.

‘Selamat datang,'
the
tall figure extended a welcoming hand, Stewart immediately recognizing Jonathan Dau from his
daughter's photos. The chief wore a lightweight safari jacket, long trousers and sandals, his
well-weathered features bearing the warmest of smiles as his powerful arms assisted the younger
man ashore.

‘Terima kasih, I am honored to be here,'
Campbell
returned the greeting, his feet barely
touching the ground as he was whisked along a sturdy boardwalk towards the Longhouse proper.
Villagers crowded, for most, their first glimpse of an outsider, the older children instantly
curious, those younger, terrified to finally meet another human being in the flesh, who was
white. No amount of satellite television had prepared them for Stewart's green eyes and pale
complexion, his dark, brown hair and perfect smile. Toothless, betel-chewing, red-lipped women
reached out to touch bare arms as he passed, and teenagers giggled effusively, recalling
speculation of how well he might have been blessed. Campbell looked back over his shoulder,
captured instantly by Angela's ear-to-ear smile and the warmth of their reception.

‘They love you!'
she
called, but the words were lost amidst the excitement.

Without warning, an
orangutan
appeared and plunged,
Angela laughing as Yuh-Yuh took possession of Campbell's right leg.

‘This is Yuh-Yuh, Stewart,'
she reached down and ran a hand over the ape's head.
‘My father saved her from
poachers.'

‘I thought Dayaks ate monkeys?'
Stewart suggested, tongue in cheek.

‘Yes, and missionaries too,'
she responded, not entirely amused.

Campbell
looked back over his
shoulder when he heard the outboard engines roar into life.
‘Where are they going with our
boat?'

‘What?'
Angela fell
back amongst the crowding villagers to avoid a response, and was immediately whisked
away.

‘The speedboat!'
he
tried again, his voice drowned amongst the determined reception committee. Angela waved, Campbell
shrugged his shoulders and Jonathan Dau smiled, then led the American into the Longhouse where
the elders officially welcomed him.

****

Surreptitiously, Jonathan Dau continued to scrutinize
Stewart, not unhappy with his first close encounter with the man he'd observed from thick, forest
cover, over past weeks. That there was a very special bond between Angela and the foreigner was
never in doubt. Jonathan had known for some time that his daughter had strong feelings for this
man. What troubled the chieftain was the reciprocity and depth of Stewart Campbell's commitment
to Angela, and whether he understood the demands to be made on her as a future leader of the
Penehing-Dayak
.

****

Campbell
remained courteous
and attentive as Jonathan Dau led him through the Longhouse explaining customs and something of
the
Penehing-Dayak
history. Angela followed – pleased that the men were bonding – warmed
by Stewart's obvious sincerity and her father's apparent acceptance of their guest.