Indonesian Gold (87 page)

‘What's going on?'

‘Local politics; there's a very popular tribal leader who
will surely die without our help, and could possibly die even with it. I need to take the chopper
over there and pick him up, fly the man to Samarinda, and remain with him for at least the next
twenty-four hours. We would know by then whether he's going to make it or not and, either way,
I'd be back on site by tomorrow night.'

‘You don't need to ask my approval, you're the ‘site-ops'
manager.'

‘I know that. It's just that I don't want you to get your
nose out of joint because of something you weren't briefed about.'

The Canadian drill-boss placed his hands on his hips.
‘I've got no problem with it providing it doesn't interfere with my getting the program restarted
on time.'

‘Good, thanks – oh, and there's one more thing – those
guys are troublemakers of the first order.' Campbell indicated the outgoing drillers standing
around, packed, ready to leave. ‘I had planned on sending them back starting today but can't
afford to have them onboard, causing trouble with the Medevac. Also, I wouldn't want them paid
until I return. If they become troublesome, you won't mind keeping them in place?'

The superintendent's eyes narrowed. ‘Not at
all.'

Campbell
spoke to the charter
pilot, giving him instructions as to what was happening. Then, without further ado, he climbed
aboard and directed the pilot to the Longhouse Island site, the journey taking less than ten
minutes.

****

Longhouse
Island

‘It was kind of you to come to help, Eric. Diperbanyak,
terima kasih – I am deeply grateful.'

‘I'm sorry that I can't do more.'
They communicated in whispered tones whilst maintaining vigil at Jonathan
Dau's side.

‘Stewart will return soon. Hopefully, we'll be able to get
him to a hospital in time.'

Baird had been waiting for an appropriate moment to ask.
‘Say, Angela, I know this may not be a good time but, what was behind Mardidi's leaving the
mining camp with you the other night?'

When Angela cast her mind back over the past four days she
recalled that it was Mardidi who had enticed her down to the river. She threw Baird a condemning
look.
‘You think he left the camp with me?'

It was now the Australian's turn to appear puzzled.
‘You were seen going down to the moorings together. If he didn't leave with you, and he's not
back in the camp, then where is he?'

Angela realized that neither Eric nor Stewart were aware
of events surrounding her kidnapping, and the subsequent attempt on her life

– that Sharon's death was originally arranged as a sham,
and the man who had killed the Filipino was, in fact, Jonathan Dau. The
Penehing
village
had been destroyed and hundreds killed by
Kopassus
commandoes, her people attacked by
helicopter gun-ships and, amongst all of this, she had forgone the love of another. For Angela,
Baird's problem paled in significance when compared to what her fellow villagers had suffered
over the past few days. The consequences of Mardidi's betrayal were immeasurable – Angela now
firmly convinced that, by delivering her into the soldiers' hands he had set into train the
disastrous events of the past twenty-four hours.

‘I can assure you, I Eric, honestly don't
know.'
Angela's recollection of the conspiracy to murder her in
Sharon's place remained vague. What had followed when she'd been seized, dragged through the
water and into the longboat, was unclear. She had lost consciousness before Mardidi had been
ordered into the vessel, and had not been witness to his death.

‘All of his clothes and personal stuff are still back
at camp,'
Baird said quietly.
‘He wouldn't have left all that
behind if he hadn't planned on returning. It would seem that you were the last one to speak to
him.'

‘I don't know what more I can say, Eric, other
than…'
‘'Gela?'

Jonathan Dau opened his eyes and called his daughter's
name.

Angela lovingly held his hands in hers.
‘I'm still
here, Papa. Please, don't talk.'

‘
'Gela… it's… time.
'

‘No, Papa! You must hold on! Please Papa!'
She started to cry.

‘Now…you…must be…strong…for the
Penehing…people.'

‘Please, Papa, please. Hold on just a little longer,
they'll be back with the helicopter soon.'

The chief's last breath escaped, audibly, with the
finality of death – Angela's lips quivered, her hands locked together with her father's as the
villagers gathered by her side, hushed with grief.

****

Baird rose, and walked slowly down to the river where he
remained, cross-legged waiting for Campbell's return – privately questioning Angela's version of
events with respect to Mardidi's disappearance. Her explanation had been far from convincing –
Baird's naturally suspicious nature compelling him to believe that something calamitous had
befallen Mardidi, and that Angela was somehow connected. For the first time since his lover's
disappearance Baird was faced with the real possibility that Mardidi might be dead. With this
chilling thought occupying his thoughts he looked skywards towards the sounds of an approaching
helicopter, then climbed to his feet and moved out of harm's way.

****

‘We're too late?' Campbell was met as he climbed out of
the chopper.

‘You couldn't have done anything to save him.' Baird's
demeanor was solemn, but not because of the shaman's passing. ‘In a way, it's probably better
that he died here and not on the way, if you know what I mean.'

Campbell
sighed with
exasperation. ‘If only we'd been better equipped.'

‘Well, we weren't. Can I get a lift back?'

The American was surprised with Baird's cold retort. ‘When
I'm ready,' he responded curtly then walked towards where Angela and others were in
prayer.

‘I'm so very sorry, Angela.'
He had reached down and lifted her gently, Angela placing her head upon his shoulder as
she made her request.

‘
Stewart, everything we owned was destroyed in the
fire.We can't prepare his body for the funeral. I feel so ashamed.
'

‘What do you need?'

Angela lifted her head and dabbed eyes with the back of a
wrist. .
‘It's our custom to cleanse the body before burial. We should anoint the remains with
fragrances then place it in a white shroud. Look around you – we don't even have food let alone
perfumes.'

‘Give me a list. I will get it for you.'

‘Oh, Stewart, if only you would!'

‘How much time do you have before…'
he hesitated, ‘
before whatever comes next.
'

‘
My father was like a king to his people.The cleansing
ritual must take place within the first day of his death.
'

‘You'll have to forgive me here, Angela, if I sound
insensitive. It's just that I am totally ignorant as to what is required.'
Campbell
held her comfortingly.
‘I guess none
of us was prepared.Who would have thought…?'

Angela stepped back wiping a deluge of tears as she fought
to maintain control.
‘Once the first ritual is over, he will lie in state until the end of the
waning, crescent moon, the final farewell will coincide with the new moon.'

Campbell
immediately
understood. They would need whatever traditional applications substituted for formaldehyde.
‘I'll be back within a few hours. Now help me prepare that list.'

****

Campbell and Baird departed, leaving Angela with a
promise that she would have her supplies. ‘What's eating you?' Campbell had to raise his voice to
be heard above the JetRanger's whine.

‘Don't know what you mean.'

‘Come on, Eric, you were walking around with your chin on
the ground ever since I got back. What happened?'

‘Nothing.'

‘Okay, if that's how you want it, that's fine by
me.'

They touched down back at the mining camp, Campbell going
directly to the drilling superintendent. ‘There's been a change of plans.'

‘What happened?'

‘Their chief died.'

‘Will that impact on what we're doing here?'

‘No, but I need to keep the chopper for another couple of
hours. Also, I need to take whatever longboats we have, and load them with supplies.'

‘What do you have in mind?'

‘Well, the way I look at it, we've got a major public
relations opportunity here to bring the locals back on side. We have sufficient stores and
further supplies are on the way. I'm going to take as much as can be loaded into the longboats
and send it upriver to the
Penehing
settlement.'

‘The Penny who?'

‘The local Dayak tribe.'

‘Not my position to say, but shouldn't you be clearing
this with Toronto?'

‘No, I'm taking full responsibility for this one on my
own.'

‘Okay, Stewart, how can I help?'

Campbell
extended his hand.
‘Thanks. I was counting on your support. I have to take the chopper further upstream and locate
one of the other Dayak communities. While I'm gone, how about overseeing the loading of supplies
for me?'

‘No problem – just point me in the right direction and you
can consider it done.'

Campbell
called out to Baird.
‘Want to join me?'

The Australian shrugged his shoulders sullenly. ‘Are you
going back?'

The American waved a piece of paper. ‘Later. Right now I
need to fill these requests – could do with your help, Eric.'

Baird strolled over. ‘What's on the list?'

‘Stuff that we most likely won't find anywhere but in a
Dayak village.'

‘Okay,' Baird took the list and started reading. ‘Yeah,
you're right. You won't find most of that around here, even over in the Madurese quarter. Are you
thinking of flying out to other villages in the area, cause, if you are, your gonna scare the
bastards shitless arriving in a chopper?'

‘We don't have enough time to take river transport.
Besides, I've arranged to have whatever vessels are on standby, loaded with supplies.'

‘I thought Udir was already on the river doing
that?'

‘He isn't aware of the chief's death.'

‘Well, let's get on with it then,' and the two men set out
in the helicopter again, catching up with Udir at the very first Longhouse along the
way.

When they told him of the shaman's passing – the elder
didn't express any surprise.

‘
He knew he was dying – and so did I
.'

‘Then why did you leave when you did?'

The
Penehing
looked Campbell straight in the eye.
‘Because Jonathan would have wanted for Angela to assume his position of priest and, with my
support, she will also become their new leader. They cannot survive on empty stomachs and these
days will be difficult enough for ‘Gela without having also to worry about such things. I will
fill their bellies and then we will ask for them to vote for a new leader.'

Tchick! Baird clucked and pulled a wry, contemptuous face,
while Campbell simply shook his head. ‘
All right, let's fill this list and get Udir's supplies
back to the villagers. Udir, do you feel like a ride in the helicopter?'

The offer was declined, and once they had finished loading
they left the elder behind, returning directly to the grieving, longhouse island community. When
darkness fell, the last of the supplies ferried from the mining camp had already been stored and
kerosene lanterns burned brightly, the
Penehing
women working throughout the night to
prepare Jonathan Dau's body for the complex rituals that lay ahead.

****

Chapter Thirty

 

The
Penehing
Cremation

 

Before the introduction of Christianity, Catholicism and
Islam, all Dayak tribes embraced
Kaharingan,
a belief that ancestral spirits controlled
life – and that these ancestors had originated from the Seventh Heaven and arrived on earth in
the form of hornbills. According to legend, the hornbills then assumed human form, their numbers
multiplying across the then borderless island of Borneo, spreading from Tantan Puruk Pamautan in
the upper reaches of the Kahayan River to Tantan Liang Mangan Puruk Kaminting in the shadow of
Mount Raya, across to Datah Tangkasiang in West Kalimantan's Malahui River region and, finally,
in Puruk Kambang Tanah Siang towards the source of the Barito River.