The Fifth Season (8 page)

‘Yes, Hani. You will now be required to attend university.'
This announcement surprised her even more.
‘And there will be no argument,'
he added, confident that she would obey,
‘after all, a general's children should have the
best education.'
For a moment there was silence as the import of what had been said, hung in the air. Ibu Purwadira's eyes filled with tears, and she rose and moved around the table to embrace her husband. Her dream had come true! He had been promoted in rank, and would become the new Jakarta Garrison Police Commander. The three teenagers broke into excited chatter, overwhelmed with their father's wonderful news.

That night, Hani lay quietly conjuring up in her mind, visions of things to come. She would attend a fine university and have even finer clothes than those now hanging in her cupboards. She would be given her own car, and who knows, she might even find the right suitor to marry, in time.

With her head resting comfortably against the soft, feather pillow, Hani fell into a deep, restful sleep, her last thoughts centering on the promise of things to come, in the national capital, Jakarta.

* * * *

Major General Praboyo raised the baton, touching his beret in arrogant style as the command vehicle swept past his father-in-law's home on
Jalan Cend-ana
, the Presidential Guard already at attention for this morning ritual.

His driver slowed measurably, maneuvered the vehicle around the barbed-wire blockade and around the two armed personnel carriers, before accelerating away through the elite suburb of Menteng, Jakarta's central residential district. The traffic was typically slow. Praboyo used the time to prepare for the morning's scheduled appointments, ignoring the city's undisciplined drivers as they angrily flashed headlights, braked unnecessarily and constantly blew their horns contributing to the early morning cacophony and suffocating pollution.

The general glanced at his wrist, and decided that he would not be late for his first appointment. The gold Piaget watch, a gift from his wife to celebrate his forty-sixth birthday, caused him to smile as he was reminded of the gift his mistress had also pleasured him with just a few hours later.

Praboyo made a mental note to ring the beautiful Menadonese girl later in the day and arrange a quick visit to the home he provided in Tebet Village.

His thoughts then turned to Colonel Carruthers, and the American's terse call the day before insisting they meet. Praboyo had been concerned with the officer's tone, conscious that Carruthers was one ally he could not afford to lose, particularly at this point in his career. The United States had been particularly supportive, and although he recognized that the origins of their relationship related directly to his marital situation, nevertheless Praboyo believed that he was deserving of the accelerated promotions he had enjoyed since marrying the President's daughter. After all, he mused, had he not acquitted himself admirably in a number of campaigns, such as in East Timor?

Praboyo recalled his first exposure to the Americans' involvement in training the Special Forces anti-terrorist squads, and how their ongoing relationship with the Indonesian military had survived the purge which followed President Suhapto's successful 1966
coup d'etat
. Although still in high school at the time, he had already decided to enter
ABRI
, the Indonesian Armed Forces, once he had graduated, and make the army his career. He had first become interested in
Kopassus
when it was still known as
Kopassandha
, the Covert Warfare Forces Command, and boasted three battalion-sized para-commando units and a support battalion specializing in covert warfare.

It was obvious to the young officer, even then, that the Special Forces enjoyed privileges not afforded to others, and he had decided to work towards achieving a position within the well-funded command. When the United States covertly organized the formation of Detachment 81, an anti-terrorist unit comprising some 350 highly trained soldiers, Praboyo was overjoyed to be posted to this
Kopassus
unit. Just two years later, his team was flown to Bangkok when an Indonesian domestic flight had been hijacked from Sumatra, and flown to Thailand. In the resulting confrontation, they killed all but one of the hijackers, several of the airline crew, and left a trail of blood across the international airport's tarmac that still sent chills through officialdom, whenever the mission was mentioned.

Praboyo was most proud of his achievements during the East Timor campaign. When the former Portuguese colony was invaded on 7th December, 1975, the Special Forces were the first troops to enter Dili where they systematically annihilated most forms of resistance. Throughout the following two years, his teams were sent also into North Sumatra in operations against the Aceh Liberation Movement, utilizing the very tactics rehearsed under the watchful eyes of their American instructors during their training programs in the United States. General Praboyo appreciated the significance of that training, and the necessity for the alliance.

Ambitious to the core, he used the capture of the East Timorese Resistance leader, Xanana Gusmao, to further ingratiate himself with the Palace. Praboyo clearly understood the power he had acquired as Commander, Special Forces, and the assumption that his star would continue its accelerated ascent due to his father-in-law's sponsorship. Although his status within military circles still necessitated frequent displays of humility, he had little doubt that his future included the strong possibility that he just might succeed the President, once he had been appointed Chief of the Armed Forces.

Even a near miss with a speeding cement truck failed to ruffle the young general on this day. Foremost on his mind was not the imminent meeting with the American officer, but the success his assassination teams had recently achieved in East Java; missions he had personally planned and directed. Praboyo cared not that responsibility for the destruction of these churches would be laid at the feet of Moslem extremists. That was part of his strategy. Now, he believed, it was time to cease the attacks and demonstrate once again how effectively he could control such outbreaks of violence and insurrection in the provinces.

He would be applauded by all. His allegiance with the powerful
Mufti
Muharam
would be strengthened by preventing these baffling attacks, which had so inflamed anti-Moslem sentiment, and the Chinese would admire him, for having interceded on their behalf. He could not lose.

The general recognized the familiar sign as they turned onto the Cili-tan-Bogor arterial road. He examined his beret as they continued down through the Pasar Rebo intersection and turned right, arriving at the Special Forces Command Headquarters only minutes before his first visitor was expected. Praboyo barely had time to be briefed by his adjutant when the American Attaché's arrival was announced. Colonel Carruthers was immediately ushered into Praboyo's office.

‘General,'
the American saluted, then extended his hand. The
Kopassus
commander returned the salute, almost idly, then accepted Carruthers' firm handshake as he examined the foreigner's four rows of campaign ribbons, arranged in orderly rows above the man's left breast pocket. Praboyo knew from earlier conversations that his visitor had served two tours in Vietnam, and wondered if this soldier had actually killed any enemy in combat, as he had during anti-guerrilla sweeps.

‘Jean sends her regards, and this small gift for Tuti.'
Carruthers spoke in
Bahasa Indonesia
, placing the delicately wrapped box of mints on the teak table. His secretary had organized the present as his wife Jean despised everything about this country, and would never have considered sending a gift to one of the Indonesian wives whom she found distasteful at the best of times, or at least stated so, in her correspondence to friends and relatives back in the States.

In reality, the Attaché's wife was unable to compete with the obvious wealth the Indonesian officers' wives flaunted, and was irked by their natural beauty, convinced that her husband would have no hesitation leaping into bed with any of these attractive women, should the opportunity arise.

‘Please thank your wife, Colonel. Has she recovered from her recent illness?'

Praboyo asked innocently. The woman had feigned ill health to avoid attending a function organized by
ABRI
wives, and was sighted the following morning by one of the Indonesian ladies, playing tennis at the Embassy compound.

‘She's fine, thank you, General, just fine,'
Carruthers answered, then wishing he had left the damn chocolates behind.

‘Good,'
he said,
‘then I hope she remains so, and that we might soon see her at
one of our Indonesian ladies gatherings.'
The American nodded, crossed his legs, and moved the conversation to the reason for his visit.

‘Speaking frankly, General,
' he began, having rehearsed what he needed to relay to this influential officer,
‘the DIA is quite concerned with what is
happening in East Java.'
For a moment, the commander expected his guest to continue, and elaborate. But when he remained silent Praboyo too decided to play this evasive game.

‘East Java?'
he asked, knowing full well what was on the American's mind.

‘Yes, General, East Java. Washington is becoming quite agitated with these
organized attacks against Christian groups and their churches. What do your
intelligence sources say? Are you in a position to shed some light on what's really
happening?'

Without hesitation, anticipating that the Americans would want some sort of explanation, Praboyo offered his prepared explanation.

‘Moslem radicals,'
he lied.

‘Are you sure?'
Carruthers wanted to be convinced. He needed something concrete to take back with him, preferably evidence that the military had no involvement in the attacks. The heat had come from church lobby groups back home claiming that humanitarian agencies had reported sightings of soldiers participating in the violence. The Defence Aid agreements between the two countries would come under scrutiny again, and the Pentagon didn't need any more pressure from civil liberty groups, nor could the senior brass afford discovery of the covert training provided to the Indonesian Special Forces.
‘Have the police been able to come up with
anything yet?'

‘No, but we caught two,'
Praboyo lied again. The American raised his eyebrows in surprise.

‘And?'
he waited, observing the Indonesian for any sign which might give the man away, but there was nothing.

‘They were taken to Serang and interrogated at 12 Battalion headquarters. They didn't have a great deal to reveal, just that they were part of a local
group of dissident Moslems youths who felt that the churches in their area had
encroached on what has been traditionally Moslem communities.'

Carruthers was aware that the Indonesian Government did not permit the churches to expand their congregations by attracting converts. The story was believable, and basically what he had expected to hear.

‘Any chance that we might have an opportunity to interview these two?'
he asked, expecting that this would be unlikely. General Praboyo smiled, and shook his head.

‘A D18 team conducted the interrogation.'
He paused, then crossed his arms, a gesture he would have found insulting in others.
‘Apparently, the
team was a little over enthusiastic.'

‘They're dead?
' The Colonel queried, with incredulous surprise.

‘Yes,'
he replied, chuffed that he had handled the matter so easily
. ‘We
have had the local military commanders call on the Moslem religious leaders, the
 
ulamas. All have given an undertaking that they will endeavor to prevent any
further violence against the minority communities.'

Carruthers knew then it would be futile pursuing the matter unless further incidents occurred. He seemed satisfied, then steered the conversation towards other matters relating to the U.S. Defence Aid programs responsible for funding the ongoing training of
Kopassus
soldiers in the United States.

They remained in conference for another hour, after which the Defense Intelligence Agency Attaché returned to the United States Embassy where his written recommendations concerning General Praboyo were encoded, and electronically mailed to his Director in Washington. For the moment, the Indonesian President's ambitious son-in-law would remain safe.

Tuti recalled her first meeting with the young officer, and how she had admired his proud bearing and confidence, interpreting his arrogance as bravado. It seemed that he was not to be intimidated by her surroundings, and this particularly pleased Tuti, accustomed to earlier beaus who all seemed betrayed by their nervousness whenever her parents appeared.

Her father had served the nation as President for more than thirty years. Tuti recognized that when she first commenced dating, being a member of this select household virtually endowed her with the opportunity to select any man of her choosing. As this thought crossed her mind, she looked at the row of photographs which had been placed along the living-room shelves and frowned. In all but two of these, the handsome Javanese features evident in the elegantly framed pictures were those of her husband's and, as Tuti's forehead wrinkled even further, she was swept by waves of loneliness, then anger, because of Praboyo's capricious ways and blatant indifference to her pain.