“An area along the delta of the Ganges,” replied the pirate, “I’ve never been there, but I can imagine what it’s like.”
“It’s a vast place, crisscrossed by rivers, abounding with swamps, islands, and sandbanks. Dangerous beats lurk behind every tree. My master was born there, in an area known as the Black Jungle. Strong and handsome, he was the bravest man I’d ever known. He was fearless; no beast, no cobra, no python, not even the great Bengal Tiger could ever shake his nerve.”
“His name?” asked the pirate.
“Tremal-Naik, the most renowned hunter in the Black Jungle; serpents and tigers were his specialty.”
The Tiger of Malaysia leaned forward and fixed his eyes upon the Maratha.
“A tiger hunter?” he asked. “It takes great courage to face a tiger. I like this man already. Continue.”
“One night, my master was returning from the jungle. It was a magnificent evening, a true Bengali evening; the air was sweet, the sun had set and stars had just begun to appear in the sky. He had walked a long way without encountering a soul, when suddenly a young woman of incredible beauty appeared in a mussaenda bush less than twenty paces from him.”
“A young woman?”
“With dark hair, pale skin, and lovely eyes. She gave him a melancholy look then vanished into the night. Though she had appeared for only an instant, Tremal-Naik was thunderstruck; it was love at first sight! A few days later one of our men was murdered on Rajmangal, an island not far from our hut. He had tracked a tiger to its shores and was found dead with faint marks about his neck.”
“Oh!” exclaimed the pirate, surprised. “Who could have strangled a tiger hunter?”
“Patience, sir, I’ll tell you all as it unfolded. As I said, Tremal-Naik was a brave man. We went to investigate and landed on Rajmangal at midnight, determined to avenge our unlucky companion. At first all was quiet, but then mysterious sounds began to emanate from underground, and suddenly, several men emerged from the trunk of an immense banyan tree, their chests marked by strange tattoos. We soon discovered they were our poor friend’s assassins.”
“And then?” asked the pirate, his eyes shining with joy.
“Tremal-Naik did not hesitate. He felled their leader with a blast from his carbine and we ran off into the jungle.”
“Well done, Tremal-Naik!” the Tiger exclaimed enthusiastically. “Continue. What a great story! It’s more entertaining than a boarding raid.”
“My master decided it was best to separate to divide our pursuers. So as I headed back to the river he went into the jungle and eventually came across a large pagoda where he found... would you care to venture a guess?”
“The young woman?”
“The young woman. Those men had been keeping her prisoner.”
“Did you discover who they were?”
“Thugs, Indian stranglers who worship the Goddess Kali. They honour her with constant human sacrifice.”
“Fearless men. I know them well,” said the pirate. “I had a few among my crew.”
“Thugs among your crew?” exclaimed the Maratha, shuddering. “I’m done for.”
“Do not fear, Kammamuri; that was long ago. Continue your tale.”
“The young woman had fallen in love with my master, and aware of the danger he ran, she urged him to take flight, but he was not a man who frightened easily. He remained there and awaited the Thugs, determined to fight them, and, if possible, escape with the prisoner. But alas... he had placed too much faith in his own strength. It was not long before twenty-four stranglers entered the pagoda and attacked. He fought like a lion, but in the end, greatly outnumbered he was captured, thrown to the ground, tied up and stabbed by their leader, the merciless Suyodhana.”
“And he did not die?” asked Sandokan, his interest mounting with every word.
“No,” continued Kammamuri, “He did not die. A short while later I found him in the middle of the jungle, bleeding, the dagger still in his chest, but very much alive.”
“Why had they tossed him in the jungle?” asked Yanez.
“So the tigers could dispose of his body. I brought him back to our hut, where after a great deal of care he recovered, his love for the young woman stronger than ever. Once he regained his strength, we embarked for Rajmangal, determined to free his beloved. We waited for darkness, sailed down the Mangal and landed on the island. The banyan tree was unguarded; we found the secret entrance and descended into the stranglers’ lair, making our way forward through dark tunnels. We had learned that the Thugs, having failed to quell the young woman’s love for Tremal-Naik, had decided to burn her alive, to appease the ire of their deity. We ran to her rescue.”
“Why was she forbidden to fall in love?” asked Yanez.
“As Priestess of Kali’s Sacred Temple, she had to remain pure.”
“What scoundrels!”
“Having made our way through long tunnels and slain whatever sentries we encountered, at last we reached a vast cavern filled with a hundred columns, lit by numerous lamps. Two hundred Indians sat quietly in that ghostly light. A large bronze statue of Kali stood in the centre, before it, a basin containing a tiny red fish believed to house the goddess’ spirit; a great pyre had been built off to one side.
“At midnight, Suyodhana appeared with his priests, dragging forth the unhappy young woman, her mind numbed with opiates so she would not offer any resistance. A man lit a torch, and the Thugs began their death chant. When she had almost reached the blazing pyre, Tremal-Naik and I charged forth, firing our weapons in all directions. Within minutes we had barrelled through that sea of men, grabbed the young woman and raced into one of the tunnels.
“Where were we heading? We knew not. There was no time to stop and think. We ran blindly, striving to put as much distance between the Thugs and ourselves as possible. Once they had recovered from their shock, they immediately came after us! We ran for an hour, heading further and further below ground, until finally we came upon a well. We climbed down into it and found ourselves in a cavern. Unfortunately, it was a dead end. We tried to climb back out, but it was too late, the Thugs had sealed us in!”
“Damn!” exclaimed Sandokan. “Maratha, your story is riveting! How did you escape?”
“We didn’t. They laid siege to us immediately, lighting fires around the cavern. It grew hotter and hotter until the heat was unbearable. Just as we thought we were going to be roasted alive, they unleashed a gusher of water into the well. We rushed to quench our thirst, drank our fill, and fell to the ground unconscious. It was only after we awoke that we realized they had laced the water with some kind of narcotic.
“Knowing the Thugs to be merciless, we resigned ourselves to death, but to our surprise we were spared. It was not an act of kindness. Unbeknownst to us, Suyodhana had hatched an infernal plan that would destroy the young woman’s love for Tremal-Naik and dispose of him once and for all.
“At that time, an Englishman, calling himself Captain Macpherson, a bold determined man, whose daughter had been kidnapped by the Thugs, was waging a merciless war against Suyodhana and his men. Hundreds upon hundreds of stranglers had fallen into his hands; he fought without quarter, determined to destroy them, assisted by the full might of the British government. Several Thugs had been sent to kill him, but he always managed to escape. Suyodhana feared him greatly; he pitted Tremal-Naik against him, promising in reward the hand of the Priestess of the Eastern Temple, the dark haired young woman my master loved so. The captain’s head was to have been her wedding present!”
“And Tremal-Naik accepted?” the Tiger asked anxiously.
“He had no choice. He loved the priestess immensely, and he was at Suyodhana’s mercy. I won’t relate all the dangers he faced to fulfill that horrible pact. With a bit of cunning he managed to enter the captain’s employ, but one day, he was found out and imprisoned. He did not, however, abandon his mission. He escaped only to learn that Captain Macpherson was planning to attack the Thugs in their lair. A ship had
been prepared for the expedition, and Tremal-Naik managed to get aboard. That same night, with the aid of several accomplices, he sneaked into the captain’s cabin. The moment of truth had arrived. With a swipe of his blade, Tremal-Naik would finally have the captain’s head. His blood was racing, his conscience rebelled, screaming at him not to commit that act, but my master would not yield. Unaware of Suyodhana’s infernal treachery, he thought it the only way to free his beloved.”
“Did he kill him?” Sandokan and Yanez asked anxiously.
“No,” said Kammamuri. “Just as he was about to strike, his beloved’s name escaped his lips. The captain awoke. That one word prevented a heinous crime, for the captain was the priestess’s father!”
“Good Lord!” exclaimed Yanez. “What an incredible story!”
“Every word is true, Señor Yanez.”
“Wait, your master surely must have known his beloved’s name. He shouldn’t have been surprised when—”
“Yes, of course, but her father had taken the name Macpherson to hide his true identity from the Thugs. He feared they would kill his daughter if they suspected he was attempting to rescue her.”
“Continue,” said Sandokan.
“You can imagine what happened next. Finally realizing Suyodhana’s fiendish scheme, my master confessed everything. He offered to lead the captain into the Thugs’ lair. When they landed on Rajmangal, my master descended into the underground temple, pretending to bear the captain’s head. Once reunited with his beloved, he gave the signal and the British attacked. Suyodhana, however, managed to escape, and as my master, the captain, the priestess and the soldiers left the caves to return to the ship, they heard him cry out menacingly, ‘We will meet again in the jungle!’ That sinister man kept his word.
“Several hundred stranglers had gathered on Rajmangal, having been informed of Captain Macpherson’s expedition. Led by Suyodhana, they outnumbered the British twenty to one. The ship’s crew rushed to aid their captain, but their efforts were in vain. All fell, overpowered by the sheer number of their foes, the captain was the first to die. The ship was captured and torched, its remnants set adrift down the river. Only Tremal-Naik and the Priestess were spared.
“Three days later, the British authorities in Fort William arrested my master. He had been rendered mad by some mysterious liquid Suyodhana’s men had forced down his throat and denounced as a Thug. There were no lack of witnesses; Kali has numerous followers in Calcutta. Due to his condition, he was spared and exiled to a penal colony on the Isle of Norfolk for the remainder of his days.”
“What a terrible ordeal!” exclaimed the Tiger after a brief silence. “Suyodhana hated Tremal-Naik that intensely?”
“Yes. And he could not allow the Priestess’s love to continue. So he hatched a plan that would rid him of both his enemies and forever destroy the young woman’s heart. She could never have loved her father’s murderer.”
“Suyodhana is a monster.”
“Is your master still mad?” asked Yanez.
“No, the doctors cured him.”
“Didn’t he attempt to defend himself? Didn’t he tell his story?”
“He tried to, but no one believed him.”
“Why is he in Rajah Brooke’s custody?”
“The ship transporting him to Norfolk sank off the coast of Sarawak. Unfortunately, he won’t remain in the rajah’s custody for much longer.”
“Why not?”
“A ship headed for Norfolk has recently set sail from India; if my calculations are correct, she’ll reach Sarawak in six or seven days.”
“What’s the name of that ship?”
“The Helgoland.”
“Have you seen her?”
“Yes, once, before we set sail.”
“Where was the Young India heading?”
“To Sarawak, I planned to rescue my master,” Kammamuri said firmly.
“Alone?”
“Alone.”
“You’re a bold young man, my good Maratha,” said the Tiger of Malaysia. “What became of the Priestess of the Eastern Temple?”
“Suyodhana held her prisoner in the caverns of Rajmangal. She had gone mad after the slaughter in the jungle.”
“How did she escape?” asked Yanez.
“She escaped?” asked Sandokan.
“Yes, little brother.”
“Where is she now?”
“You’ll know soon enough. Tell us everything, Kammamuri. How did she escape?” asked Yanez.
“While my master had gone off to kill Captain Macpherson, I pretended to let myself be persuaded to join the cult. I remained with the Thugs despite all that had transpired, keeping close watch upon the Priestess of the Eastern Temple. Knowing for some time that my master had been condemned to the Isle of Norfolk and that the ship carrying him had been wrecked off the coast of Sarawak, I made plans to escape. I bought a rowboat, hid it in the middle of the jungle, and then one night while the Thugs were in the midst of a great celebration, I went to the Sacred Pagoda, stabbed the guards, freed the Priestess, and escaped. I reached Calcutta the next day and boarded the Young India four days later.”
“And the priestess?” asked Sandokan.
“She’s in Calcutta,” said Yanez hurriedly.
“Is she beautiful?”
“Very,” said Kammamuri. “She has dark hair and lovely dark eyes.”
“And her name?”
“Ada Corishant.”
The Tiger of Malaysia sprang to his feet.
“Corishant!... Corishant!...” he howled. “The same as my poor Marianna’s mother! Good Lord! Good Lord!...”
He fell forward, face contorted in pain, hands clutching his heart, heavy sobs roaring from his chest.
Frightened and surprised, Kammamuri moved to rush to the pirate’s aid, but two powerful arms quickly pulled him back.
“A word,” said the Portuguese, tightly clutching the Indian by the shoulders. “What was the name of the young woman’s father?”
“Harry Corishant,” replied the Maratha.
“Great God! Was he a Sepoy captain?”
“Yes, sir. How did you know?”
“It’s best you leave us now.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Silence! Go!”
He grabbed the Maratha by the shoulders, pushed him out the door and barred it shut behind him.
Chapter 5
The Promise
THE TIGER OF MALAYSIA had immediately recovered from that terrible outburst. Though still shaken, his face once again bore the proud expression that inspired respect and instilled terror in the bravest of men, and his lips, though pale, bore a melancholy smile. Sweat lined his brow and a fierce light blazed in his eyes.
“Has the storm settled?” asked Yanez, sitting down beside him.
“Yes,” Sandokan replied hoarsely.
“You get overwhelmed by grief every time something reminds you of Marianna.”
“I loved her intensely, Yanez. That unexpected memory was like a shot through the heart... Marianna, my poor Marianna!”
A second sob erupted from the Tiger’s chest.
“You must be strong, little brother,” said Yanez, also moved by the memory. “Do not forget that you are the Tiger of Malaysia.”
“Certain memories are too overwhelming, even for me.”
“Do you have the strength to talk about Ada Corishant or should we discuss it later?”
“We’ll discuss it now, Yanez.”
“Do you believe the Maratha’s story?”
“He has no reason to lie.”
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
“Yanez,” Sandokan replied sadly, “do you remember a conversation we had with Marianna one night as we sat beneath the cool shade of a durian tree?”
“Almost word for word. ‘Sandokan, my love,’ she said, ‘I have a cousin in India, the daughter of my mother’s brother, she is very dear to me.’”
“Continue, Yanez.”
“‘She’s disappeared. It’s rumoured she’s been kidnapped by the Indian Thugs. Her father has searched for her desperately but without success. Sandokan, my love, rescue her, and return her to him.’”
“Enough, Yanez, enough!” howled the Tiger, “Those memories are tearing at my heart. I can’t believe I’ll never see her again! Marianna, my poor sweet Marianna!”
The pirate buried his face in his hands as sobs rose from his chest.
“Sandokan,” said Yanez, “You have to get a hold of yourself.”
The pirate raised his head.
“You’re right, my friend,” he replied.
“Shall we continue then?”
“Yes.”
“No more sobbing?”
“No more sobbing.”
“What are you going to do about Ada Corishant?”
“What am I going to do? Need you ask? We’ll rescue her, then set off for Sarawak and free her beloved.”
“Ada Corishant is safe, Sandokan,” said Yanez.
“Safe!... Safe!...” exclaimed the pirate, springing to his feet. “Where is she?”
“Here.”
“Here!... Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Despite her dark hair, she bears a strong resemblance to Marianna. I was afraid you’d be devastated by the sight of her.”
“I want to see her, Yanez, I want to see her!”
“Very well then, you’ll see her immediately.”
He went and opened the door. Kammamuri, visibly anxious, was seated upon the remnants of a gabion, waiting to be summoned back into the hut.
“Señor Yanez!” he exclaimed, his voice trembling slightly as he rushed towards the Portuguese.
“Calm yourself, Kammamuri.”
“Are you going to rescue my master?”
“We’ll try,” said Yanez.
“Thank you, sir, thank you!”
“You can thank me once we’ve rescued him. Now go down to the village and bring your mistress up here. Sandokan would like to meet her.”
The Maratha nodded then rushed down the narrow steps, howling with joy.
“A good man,” murmured the Portuguese.
He went back into the hut and approached Sandokan. The Tiger had sat down once again, his face resting in his hands.
Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia (The Sandokan Series Book 3) Page 3
