Now that they’d been seen, Razi flicked the reins and the cart trundled away.
“It worked,” said Zheng, looking smugly back at the men. “They’ve stopped talking to that woman.” As he watched, he saw the woman hurry away into Galle town.
“They’re just waiting there,” said Razi, slowing down. “Why aren’t they following?”
“Just keep going,” said Shifa as they turned on to a gravelly path lined with bushes with flaming red buds. “Or it’ll look suspicious.”
Razi kept on, rolling the cart towards the town but taking a slight detour to give Marco time to catch up. Whatever was going on?
They trotted on, keeping to the outskirts of town. The paths here were difficult and the cart slowed down considerably.
“OK, what now?” said Razi, coming to a halt near some wilderness where whistling spurfowl wandered underfoot. “Something’s not right. Marco saw us. He knows we have the treasure. Why didn’t they follow?”
“Maybe the woman was getting them a cart,” said Shifa, crawling to the back and looking out through the greenery. “It’s not like they can chase us on foot.”
“I wouldn’t rule it out, not with this ox,” said Razi.
“Ha! I told you it was a rubbish cart!” said Shifa. “You admit it then.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“You need to argue about this later,” said Zheng. “Because I think Marco is coming.”
Something was coming noisily down the path. Razi flicked the reins again and the ox hobbled forward, reluctant to move after its break.
With a squealing of wheels on the rutted ground, Marco erupted into view.
He was in a brand-new cart pulled by two sleek and strong-looking oxen. The body of the cart was black and shiny. Zheng looked sadly at their little coconut-thatched number with its tired, greying ox.
“Look at that!” shouted Shifa. “We have no chance now.”
Razi looked back in dismay as Marco came straight at them, with Cook driving the cart. They were going to be made into fish food.
Marco’s cart drew closer in all its polished, shining glory. Razi desperately urged their ox on. What had they been thinking with this crazy plan? They were miles away from town. No one was going to see them if they got caught and the Dagger of Serendib got stolen again.
It was a complete disaster.
And it was all of their own making.
“This is terrible,” said Shifa. “Step on it, Razi!”
“You know the ox wants to go faster,” said Zheng. “Just try it. There was this time in the—”
“Oh, stop it, Zheng!” yelled Razi as they thudded over a bumpy patch and Razi flew up in the air before thudding back down in his seat again. Zheng hit his head and yelped.
Maybe Zheng had a point, though. Maybe the ox did want some excitement.
“Come on, friend,” he said to the ox. “You can do it.” He pulled the ropes and tried to coax the ox into going faster.
The ox seemed to agree with him because he immediately sped up. The trot-trot of his feet thudded on the road.
“Nice!” Razi whooped. “He likes it!”
And the ox sped up even more.
Razi leaned back, feeling the increased speed and coolness of the wind as the greenery on either side passed in a blur.
Razi turned back to look at Marco’s cart. Cook looked determined and his face was contorted in concentration.
Their ox seemed much happier now. Gone was the glum look of earlier. Here was a real adventure at last!
Razi managed to pull away, with Shifa and Zheng egging him on from the back. The treasure box bumped and bounced on the cart as they thundered on.
Razi leaned forward and urged their ox on even more, trying to widen the gap between their cart and the men’s. The ox trotted up obligingly at once, kicking up dust from the road.
“Keep it up!” yelled Shifa, rattling from side to side. “It’s working! Just five more minutes and we’re there. And Marco still hasn’t suspected a thing.”
“Go, Razi!” said Zheng. “Beat him.”
Razi grinned and waved a thumbs-up over his head.
Marco’s cart edged closer, looming up behind them just metres away.
Razi pushed the ox again, gravel flying under the wheels. Cook had almost caught up now. They were so close. Razi’s hands shook with the pressure and exhaustion. Cook’s neck muscles were straining as he urged his oxen on, mouth set in focus. Razi was nearly standing up, encouraging their ox to go faster and faster. Cook pulled ahead slightly, but within moments Razi had sped up too. Dust was kicked up and the cartwheels ground along noisily.
But then Cook levelled with them.
Razi could kick himself. He should have kept to the middle of the road so the men couldn’t overtake. They were neck and neck now.
Then Cook swerved his cart against theirs.
Razi screamed as they slewed to the side and righted themselves again. Luckily the ox was unharmed, and kept on without pause.
“Stop it!” screamed Shifa. “You’re going to hurt the animals!”
The men couldn’t care less. Marco was roaring now, even slashing out at his oxen with a whip.
The three oxen lowed and hurtled on, sweating and toiling, locked in a race of their own. Then Razi noticed that the road narrowed dramatically just ahead, leaving only space for one cart to pass at a time.
“We’re going to crash!” shouted Razi in alarm. “One of us has to slow down.”
“Well, it’s not going to be us!” cried Shifa, her hair whipping fiercely around her head and her jaw set and determined.
Zheng yelled from behind. “Yes, keep going, Razi!”
Marco’s eyes were as wide as coconuts. The narrowing in the road came closer and closer. Shifa screamed, “Stop if you want to live, Marco!”
Razi was sweating profusely now but he wasn’t about to give up. And neither were the men. Both carts hurtled onwards at breakneck speed, a wall of rock on one side of the narrowing road and a large tree on the other. Razi held his breath…
Both carts took the narrowing at the same time. They thudded together violently and everything shook. Coconuts bounced everywhere, bumping over the children and falling on to the road. Still the oxen kept going and the carts pressed close together again. Branches scraped against the side of the children’s cart, the thatching caved in and some of it lifted off, the hot sun falling into their eyes. A horrible rasping noise told them Marco’s fancy cart was scraping along the wall of rock and one of its wheels was wobbling unsteadily.
Then the road widened again and the oxen ramped up their speed, seemingly unconcerned about the damage to their carts. Marco’s face was twisted in anger. He shook his fist at them and shouted, “Just you wait till I catch you! Enjoy your final moments!”
But Razi wasn’t ready to give up yet. With a grunt and a spurt of effort he jerked ahead, and their ox thudded off as if its tail was on fire, leaving Marco and Cook sputtering and wiping the dust off their faces as the children disappeared from view.
“OK, hold on,” shouted Shifa. “Not too fast. We need them to catch us up. Just slow down for a couple of minutes.”
“Let’s not look,” said Zheng. “We can give them a chance to sneak up by pretending we let our guard down and didn’t see them.”
“Sounds good to me! The ox needs a rest after all his brilliant work.” Razi let the animal slow down. He seemed much happier now, all lively and practically smiling after the excitement of the race.
Galle town loomed ahead, its narrow cobbled streets in front of them. They trotted past the houses on either side – broad, airy verandahs that came right down to the edge of the street and were held up by wide round pillars. The cobbles increased the pull on the ox and the cart began to slow down.
“Don’t look now,” said Razi, “but I think they’re here.”
He’d heard the sound of cartwheels behind them. There was a distinctive noise as the broken side dragged on the
cobbles. It had to be them.
Gripping the reins tighter, Razi pushed the ox into a little more speed. He heard the wheels of the cart behind him speed up significantly in turn. He grinned sideways at Shifa. Marco was falling for it.
They passed a couple of tea shops, where men sat outside sipping cups of coriander tea and talking. They looked up curiously as the carts passed.
To Razi’s irritation, they heard Marco’s cartwheels slowing right down. He glanced at Shifa, who was twisting her hair again.
Zheng swore under his breath. “What are they doing now? We’re so close,” he whispered.
“Losing their nerve,” said Razi, “is what they’re doing. We’re in the middle of town and they don’t want to chance making a scene.”
“Zheng, take out the box and make a show of looking at it,” said Shifa. “Like you can’t believe how beautiful it is and how much you love it. Just to give them a taste of what they’re missing.”
Razi grinned.
“What?” She glanced at Razi. “Too much?”
“No, no, I like it.”
Zheng had the box out on his lap and had taken the lid off already, peering into the box lovingly. He sneaked a sideways glance at the cart behind.
Marco was pointing and shouting and gesticulating to Cook to go faster. The cart sped up again. It was working!
“OK, we’re on the home stretch,” said Razi. They were going to pass through the empty market grounds and straight to where they were heading. He gently tightened the reins to signal to the ox to go faster. “We have to get them to race us again. They have to be chasing us hard so it’ll be too late to slow down when they see where we’re going.”
“Zheng,” said Shifa. “Pretend you just saw them and panic.”
Zheng was all too ready for the theatrics. He gazed wistfully into the distance as the cart trundled on, then started and yelled as he spotted Marco’s cart. “They’re here! They’re here!”
Shifa screamed too for good measure, and Razi pulled up to a kneeling position, coaxing the ox to go faster.
Marco saw this and stepped on it too. His cart, battered though it was, still packed a lot of punch when it came to speed. It barrelled its way towards Razi, wheels mounting over stray stones and bumping and swaying about crazily.
Razi pulled the reins to turn left at the statue of the Queen. This set them on the wide path that led into the spacious circular compound of cobbled ground under the spreading areca nut tree, ringed with the houses of the village elders. This was their final destination. At this time, on this day, the village court was in session and packed with people, all ready to hear the criminal cases brought before the elders for judgement. Marco and Cook had no idea what awaited them.
Razi’s cart flew down the path, with Marco pounding behind it. The drop-down gates of the compound were lifted and the way in was open in front of them.
Razi steered straight into the compound, the two men hot on his wheels. He drove to the very middle of the startled crowd, Marco hot on his heels, jumped down from the cart and ran to shut the gate. As he did so, he deliberately knocked the box out of Zheng’s hands and it skittered to the ground.
Marco sprang out of his cart and ran to the shattered box.
Reaching the drop-down gate, Razi twisted the lever. The gate came grinding to the ground with a crash, cutting off any escape.
Marco, on his knees busily stuffing ancient coins into his pocket, jumped at the noise. It seemed to bring him to his senses and he stopped what he was doing and looked slowly around him. Clenched under one arm was the Dagger of Serendib.
Cook climbed down from the cart and stared in horror at the sight before him.
The village court, disturbed in the middle of trying a man accused of short-weighing a pound of fish, froze in shock. They stared at the scene in front of them, from the priceless dagger Marco was trying desperately to hide behind him, to the shower of coins falling from his pockets and pooling at his feet.
The men gazed back like mongooses caught in lamplights. All around them were accusing faces and pointing fingers, and an outraged muttering was starting to build. “Is that what I think it is?” “How did they get hold of it?”
Marco looked at Zheng and Shifa standing by their cart and gazing solemnly at him. He looked behind him to where Razi was standing by the gate, trying – and failing – to keep a look of triumph from his face.
Marco’s head dropped as he accepted defeat and the guards moved to arrest him and Cook. Justice was restored and the Dagger of Serendib was finally home.
Razi vaulted over the fence and raced up the beach towards town. He ran all the way to the medicine man’s, through cobbled streets, past groups of men sipping coriander tea, and beautiful pillared villas.
Abdul Cader, the medicine man, was sitting at a bench outside, pounding amaranth leaves. “Your sister’s inside,” he said, nodding towards the door.
Shifa was mixing up a poultice as a boy sat talking to her.
Shifa smiled at Razi as he entered the room. He knew how much happier she was now she could concentrate on her work here. “This is Vijay,” she said to Razi. “He’s an old patient of ours come to visit. All recovered now.”
“Great.” Razi smiled at Vijay. “I just came to drop off your lunch, Shifa. See you later.”
With a wave, he took off again, this time to the lace mill and Mother.
Mother’s workplace was a single-storey building in the heart of Galle town, with pillars and windows all along its front.
Inside it was a hive of activity. The large courtyard was sunlit and humming with busyness, as twelve women sat at large frames making bobbin lace. Mother, working shorter hours once again, looked happier than she had for a long time.
She smiled as she saw Razi, kissing him on the forehead and ruffling his hair, looking for all the world like she had before Father had died. Razi gave her the money from his morning’s sales.
“Thank you, Razi,” she said. “Good day then?”
“Very good day. I brought some yellowfish tuna home for us. I have school for the next three days so that’ll last us till next time I go out. Have you seen Zheng?”
“He came and said goodbye to me just now. I’ll miss that boy.”
“Your ears must be glad, though,” said Razi cheekily. “A month is a long time to listen to all that talking.”
Mother laughed. “Still, I really will miss him. Who else will tell me such stories?”
“Hopefully he’ll come and visit in the future.”
“I hope so. I’m so proud of what the three of you did, though you aged me fifty years in the process. I have to get back to my work now. Find Zheng; he said he’d be at the beach.”
Razi made his way out of the building and ran down to the beach again. His feet sank into the hot sand as he sped towards the water.
“Hey, Razi,” yelled a few children from his school as they ran down to the waves, passing a ball between them. “We’re going for a swim. Coming?”
“In a minute. Just looking for someone.”
“Razi!” Zheng was coming towards him, looking very smart and clean in a new outfit that Mother had made him.
“All ready to go?” said Razi, jogging towards him.
“Yes, it’s goodbye to Serendib from me. For now. I’ve been to see Shifa and she said you’d just been by. Your mother has arranged for me to make the journey to the port. And from there, adventure awaits. Again.”
Razi laughed. “As always. More monsters to discover. Villains to capture. Treasure to be found.”
“Of course. And new friends to make.” Zheng looked at the sea with so much hope and anticipation that Razi’s heart lifted. He’d be OK, Zheng. He always found what he needed in the end.
“You know you’ll always have us,” said Razi. “Mother’s really fond of you too.”
Zheng nodded. “I know. I’ll always have a home here now. Even Shifa likes me, which is the most unlikely thing that’s ever happened to me.” His e
yes were damp as he turned away. “You’re sure you won’t come with me?” he said over his shoulder.
Razi looked at the sea, and the stilts in the water. Father’s stilt wasn’t empty any longer. Life was busy, with his fishing and school and his family.
“Well?” said Zheng, watching him closely. “I know the pull of the sea is always there for you, even when you try to stay away from it.”
“The sea is right here, where I am.” Razi laughed. “I would love to see the places you have, and some day I will. But for now, I have a family I want to be with every day.”
Zheng nodded as if he understood.
“And I have something that I love that I want to keep doing,” said Razi.
Zheng smiled. “I understand. Me too.”
“Here, this is for you,” said Razi. He handed Zheng the object he’d been working on the whole time the boy had been staying with them. “It’s to remind you of our little adventure.”
Zheng held the little whale Razi had whittled. It was as perfect as Razi could make it, right down to the tiny clefts on its back.
Zheng looked up with tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused by landing here,” he said. “You and Shifa, you helped me with food, you helped find the treasure, you risked death time and time again. For not much in return.”
“I think national recognition for returning the Dagger of Serendib is a pretty big return!”
“OK, there’s that!” Zheng sniffed. “But still, I wish I could have given you as much as you have given me.”
“Zheng,” said Razi. “You gave me my life back.”
Zheng hugged Razi and he hugged him back. It would be a while till he saw his brave, adventurous, tiring and fanciful friend again.
“Goodbye, Razi.” Zheng turned round and went up the beach, walking quickly towards town without looking back.
Razi set his face towards the ocean, where his splashing friends and the fishermen’s stilts were silhouetted by the setting sun. A turtle was walking slowly down to the water’s edge. Razi followed her and they both dived gracefully into the wide, glittering sea.
The Boy Who Met a Whale Page 10
