Seven for a Secret (38 page)

“I must go.”

Tamarisk looked disturbed. She took a proprietorial interest in the mission.

Karia started off and we followed her. We ran all the way to the

mission and there was an amazing sight. The torches gave out an eerie light. There was a crowd of men and at the head of them the man who, I knew, was Olam.

He seemed enormous, but that was due to his tall feather head-dress, which gave him the appearance of some fierce predatory bird. I looked at his face which was like nothing so much as a distorted image from a nightmare, for painted across his forehead were the two blue stripes which Karia had mentioned, and there were red lines down his cheeks.

Two tall men stood beside him, their faces painted, though less luridly than that of Olam himself. They were carrying spears and I felt a great fear grip me, for their anger appeared to be directed against the mission.

Luke had come out. He was standing on the balcony in front of the door. On one side of him stood John and on the other Muriel.

When Karia appeared there was a momentary silence. She made her way to the balcony steps, Tamarisk and I following. She stood there beside Luke.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s something to do with Jaco, it seems,” said Luke.

“I gather they want him. He can’t stand on his feet. I can’t understand what it is they are asking.”

Karia held up a hand. It was amazing what dignity and authority she maintained.

She addressed the crowd, and we guessed she was asking them what they wanted of the mission. They began shouting but Olam held up his hand and they were immediately silenced.

He spoke to Karia and she replied. Then she turned to Luke and the Havers.

She said: “They want Jaco. He has some special duties in tonight’s celebration. He has trained for it and he has to be there.”

“He can’t stand on that leg,” said Muriel.

“It’s imperative that he rests it. How can the bone set otherwise? He

can’t ” They want him,” said Karla.

“They shall not have him,” replied Luke.

Karla was frowning.

“They won’t understand,” she said. Then she addressed the crowd. I knew she was explaining to them that Jaco had broken his leg and that the people at the mission were mending it but it was not ready yet.

There was silence and the crowd began to talk together excitedly.

“They want him brought out,” said Karla.

“He is sleeping peacefully,” said Muriel firmly, ‘and he cannot be brought out here. He has to keep that leg in position and still. “

Karla tried again. She talked for a long time. Then she turned to Luke.

“They say you claim you can make him well. You have special powers.

They want to see him. “

Luke replied: “We will not allow him to be brought out. To stand on the leg at this time would be disastrous. Can you make them understand that?”

“They believe in magic certainly. I can see that they are not sure whether you have greater powers than their spirits. When old Mahe fell he was crippled for life and you say you can save Jaco from that. They are wavering. They have doubts of you and yet they know the white men have powers which they do not possess. Olam is pondering as to what he should do. This is a matter of great importance to him. He is the one with the power and you are promising them a miracle. We must go very carefully. Olam might bring his men in and take Jaco away with them.”

“We shall not allow him to do that,” said Luke.

Karla lifted her shoulders.

“The three of you … myself … these young ladies? Look at those people out there, armed with spears. What do you think will happen? We have to bargain. But it may be that they will insist on taking the boy.”

“No, no, no,” said Luke.

Karia turned to the crowd. She told us afterwards what she said. She made a bargain. The mission people said they could cure Jaco. They could make his leg as new but they must have time. Their spell would not work in a day or two. Olam and the rest, in time, would see what they could do. But if they insisted now, if they did not leave Jaco in the hands of the white men, he would be crippled all his life. He would hate those who had spoiled his life and there would be bitter resentment throughout the island. They should go away. They should find someone who could be at the ceremony and perform those duties which would have been Jaco’s. Jaco must be given a chance to see if the white man’s cure was a good one.

There was a great deal of whispering among the crowd.

Then Karia turned to Luke.

“He wants you to swear to cure Jaco.”

“Of course, we’ll swear to do everything we can to cure him.”

“It’s only a simple fracture,” added Muriel.

“I can’t see that anything can go wrong. The boy is young, his bones are strong. It is almost certain that he will make a complete recovery.”

“They want you to swear,” said Karia, looking intently at Luke, ‘to swear on your blood. You know what that means? “

“What?” asked Luke.

“If he is not completely cured you will die yourself.”

“I die?”

“You will fall on your spear if you have one, or you will walk into the sea and not come back. It’s an oath they want. If your gods fail you, as you did not hand over Jaco to take his part in the sacred ceremony, you will have failed to honour your oath. The only thing you can do then is die.”

“I’ve never heard such nonsense,” said Muriel.

“It’s either that or they take Jaco now.”

“They are not going to take Jaco,” said Luke firmly.

“All right. Tell them, I swear on my blood.”

Karia told them and turned back to Luke. He was asked to hold up his right hand while they chanted what sounded like a dirge.

Then Olam inclined his head and, turning, led his followers away.

We were left standing on the balcony, bemused, but relieved because the torch-led gathering was disappearing into the trees and all we could see was the flickering of the flames as it gradually receded.

Luke spoke first.

“What a show!” he said.

“It was horrible,” replied Tamarisk.

“We certainly saw a bit of local colour,” commented Luke.

Tamarisk said: There isn’t any doubt, is there? Jaco’s leg will get better. “

“It will be all right as far as I can see,” answered Muriel.

“So long as he doesn’t get up and do some damage.”

“I wish it were over,” said Tamarisk.

“Do you think they’ll come back?” asked Muriel.

“No,” said Karia firmly.

“The matter is ended for tonight. You have made your pact. Olam is satisfied. He does not want to quarrel with the mission. At the same time he does not want his authority undermined. This is a challenge. If the boy recovers completely, you will have done good work. Such a thing would bring people to you more quickly than anything else. I hope the boy did not hear all that was going on.”

“He had some pain last night and I gave him a little laudanum to help him sleep,” Muriel told us.

“That’s good,” said Karia.

“He shouldn’t know there was all this fuss.

It might upset him. ” She looked from me to Tamarisk and went on: ” I think we should try to get a little sleep before morning. “

Tamarisk laid her hand on Luke’s arm.

“It’s all right,” he said.

“I’ll defeat the witch doctor.”

“That boy’s leg must be all right,” said Tamarisk earnestly.

“There is no earthly reason why it should not,” insisted Muriel.

“Come,” said Karla.

“Your father will be anxious.”

“He will know something is happening,” I said.

We made our way back to the house where he was waiting up for us.

“What happened?” he asked.

“It was old Olam.”

“The ceremony?”

“He wanted to take the boy Jaco there.”

My father grimaced.

“Sit down awhile,” he said.

“I don’t think any of us is going to get much sleep tonight. What about a spot of brandy? You all seem as if you could use it … all of you.”

Karla said: “You’re right when you say if we go to bed we shan’t sleep.”

We went to my father’s study and Karla poured out the brandy while she told my father what had happened.

“Old Olam in all his war paint. I don’t like that.”

“The spears were terrifying,” said Tamarisk.

“And they held them as though they were ready to charge. Karla was wonderful.”

My father turned in her direction and smiled.

“You calmed them down, did you?”

Karla sipped her brandy.

“I’d like to see that boy on his feet again,” she said.

“He’s going to be all right,” said Tamarisk.

“I do hope so,” my father murmured.

“It was rash of Luke-‘ I began.

“What else could he do?” demanded Tamarisk.

“It was the only way.”

“It was all very dramatic,” I put in.

“It was as though they

3is

were playacting . all that paint on their faces and the spears and the torches. “

“In a way they were,” agreed Karla.

“But you must understand them.

This is the important part of the year for them. They go back into their past. They became as they used to be. Great warriors who spent most of their time fighting each other. Olam is a sort of chief and holy man combined. They look up to him and fear to offend him. They believe him to be in touch with spirits. He is an old man. He is revered. They bring him gifts of food and the products of their work.

He lives out his life in comfort. He would not want that to change.

There is no doubt that he is clever. He has set himself apart from the rest. It is possible that now he is hoping that Jaco’s leg will not set. He could not perform such a miracle himself. Therefore, you will understand, he would prefer others not to be able to either. “

“Do you mean he will try to prevent it?” asked Tamarisk.

“He has certain powers over these people,” said Karla.

“Some time ago he told a man he would die, and that night the man did die.”

“How could that be?” asked Tamarisk.

Karla lifted her shoulders.

“I do not know how only that it happened. It may be that the man died because he had absolute faith in Olam.”

“But now,” said my father, ‘these natives are growing away from the superstitions of the past. Now the ferries and ships come here, the new world is encroaching and the old shibboleths are fading away.

These people have changed a great deal in the last few years. “

“That is so,” said Karla.

“But it would not take a great deal to send them back into the past. Nothing must happen to Jaco. His leg must be cured, otherwise …”

“You mean Luke would be in danger?” cried Tamarisk.

“We should not allow him to die,” said Karla.

“But they would expect it. Oaths are sacred in their eyes.”

1 felt sick with horror.

Tamarisk said: “Jaco must be watched all through the night as well as the day.”

“Most certainly he shall be,” said Karla.

“You must make sure no subversive suggestions are put before him,” insisted my father.

“Everything will be all right,” said Karla.

“I feel sure of it.”

She lifted her glass and we drank.

There was no point in going to bed, so we sat on, talking desultorily for a while, but I could not get out of my mind the memory of that scene, and it was useless to pretend to do so.

So we sat on. The dawn was not far away and all the time we could hear the beat of the drums.

The next morning Karla, Tamarisk and I went to the mission. As with us, the three of them had not gone to bed that last night. The Havers looked a little tired but Luke was as normal.

“What a night!” he cried.

“That old man in his war paint! What a sight! I thought at first the Ancient Britons had come to Casker’s in their woad.”

“Thank goodness they went away,” said John.

“At one time I thought they were going to force their way in and carry Jaco off.”

“Does he know about it?” asked Karla.

“Nothing,” said Muriel firmly.

“We thought it better that he should not.”

“I am sure you agree with that, Karla,” I said.

“We were saying that we did not want him to have contact with anyone till his leg is right.”

“That might be difficult,” said John.

“Not if we make it a rule, a part of the miraculous cure,” replied Luke.

“I fear Olam might do something to prevent the cure,” said Karla.

“Why?” asked John.

“IIH “

Because he doesn’t want someone to be able to do what he can’t. “

“If all goes well, we can show them what we can do for Jaco and this will be a great boon to the mission,” declared Luke, his eyes shining.

“Yes,” agreed Karla.

“That would make a lot of difference. You will have proved to have something to offer, and you will win their respect.”

“But,” murmured Tamarisk, ‘suppose something went wrong? ” She was looking at Luke with frightened eyes.

“Then,” said Luke, “I shall go to old Olam and ask him which of his spears I should take into the jungte.”

“Don’t joke!” said Tamarisk almost angrily.

“Everything will be all right.” Muriel spoke with conviction.

“It’s a simple fracture and I shall ban visitors until I know all is well.”

During the week we had news from the mission every day. Karla cooked special dishes for Jaco, and the boy was having a most enjoyable time.

He could never have been so cosseted in his life. I was sure he was telling himself it was not such a bad thing, to break a leg. Regular meals at the mission and delicacies sent to him by Karla had an effect on him. His body filled out; his eyes were bright; he was clearly in a good state of health and enjoying the attention he received.

Tamarisk and I were there when the splints were removed. He was perfectly healed and there was no sign of a break. His limbs were stiff and he needed a few exercises which Muriel made him do-and there he was, none the worse for his fall.

On Karla’s advice we made an occasion of this. It was the way to fix it in everyone’s memory. A courteous message was sent to Olam. That evening at sundown, if he would be gracious enough to come to the mission house, the boy Jaco would be handed over to his people.