“Where did they go?”
“Towards the shore.”
“Come, Tremal-Naik,” said Sandokan. “I warn you, what you’re about to see may shock you, but no matter what happens, you must remain calm.”
Chapter 13
The Two Tests
IT WAS TWO O’CLOCK in the afternoon. A magnificent sun blazed over the sparkling azure waters of the bay, as a cool, light breeze blew in from the sea, whispering mysteriously through the leaves of the surrounding trees. Silence reigned over the small island, broken only by the monotonous roar of the waves lapping against the shore. At times black cockatoos and large pheasants darted among the vegetation, filling the air with their chatter.
Tremal-Naik, barely able to contain his excitement, Sandokan, Yanez and Kammamuri marched quickly towards the northern tip of the small island, making their way through a thick tangle of rubber trees and climbing vines. When they arrived to within forty paces of the shore, one of the madwoman’s guards shot up from behind a bush.
“Where’s my Ada?” asked Tremal-Naik, rushing towards him.
“On the beach,” replied the pirate.
“What’s she doing?” asked Sandokan.
“Staring at the sea.”
“Where’s the other guard?”
“A few paces from here.”
“The two of you may go back to the fort.”
Tremal-Naik, Sandokan, Yanez and Kammamuri rapidly advanced through the thick curtain of trees and stopped at the outskirts of the forest. A soft cry escaped the Indian’s lips.
“Ada!” he exclaimed.
He was about to run to her, but Sandokan, expecting that reaction, quickly grabbed his wrist.
“Remember, what I told you,” he said. “She’s mad; she may not recognize you. Don’t let that upset you; promise me you’ll remain calm no matter what happens.”
“Understood. I’ll do my best; you have my word.”
“Go then. We’ll wait for you here.”
Sandokan, Yanez and Kammamuri sat down upon a fallen tree trunk while Tremal-Naik, barely managing to contain his excitement, went to meet his beloved.
There, a few paces from the sea, in the shadow of a beautiful carnation tree, sat the Priestess of the Eastern Temple, her arms crossed upon her magnificent golden breastplate. Her hair fell to her shoulders in a shower of midnight curls; her eyes gazed into the waters as the waves gently caressed her feet.
Tremal-Naik, barely breathing, eyes aflame, his face no longer hiding his emotion, rapidly approached his fiancée, taking care not to make any noise that could startle her. When he arrived to within two paces of her, he stopped. She appeared not to have noticed him.
“Ada!... Ada!...” exclaimed the Indian, his voice choked with emotion.
The madwoman did not move.
“Ada” he repeated, falling to his knees before her.
As he gently reached to take her arms in his, the priestess shot to her feet. She stared at the Indian fixedly, then took two steps back and murmured, “The Thugs!...”
“Ada!... My darling Ada!” cried the Indian desperately. “It’s me Tremal-Naik!”
“The Thugs!” she repeated, looking blankly at the man before her.
Tremal-Naik let out a cry of pain and anger.
“Don’t you recognize me, Ada? Tremal-Naik, the tiger hunter from the Black Jungle? Ada! Come back to me, Ada! Remember how we met in the jungle? Remember the night I saw you in the Sacred Pagoda? You must remember the terrible night the Thugs took us prisoner! Ada!... Come back to me! Ada... Your Tremal-Naik, Ada, try to remember!”
Those words had no effect upon the young woman; she merely stared at the hunter blankly.
“Ada,” continued Tremal-Naik, unable to restrain his tears, “Look at me closely, my sweet, Ada. How can you not remember your Tremal-Naik? Why do you not speak? Why do you not you look at me? Why do you not rush into my arms?”
The poor Indian began to sob and buried his face in his hands.
Suddenly the madwoman, who had watched impassively the growing desperation of the man she had once loved, took a step forward. Her face had turned pale and her dark eyes flashed brightly.
“Why are you crying?” she murmured, bending towards him.
Tremal-Naik raised his head.
“Ada!...” he shouted, reaching out to her. “Do you recognize me?”
The madwoman studied him silently for a moment, frowning repeatedly, as if trying perhaps to remember where she had seen the Indian’s face.
“Why are you crying?” she repeated.
“Because you no longer recognize me, Ada,” said Tremal-Naik, slowly rising to his feet. “Look at me, look at me.”
She drew closer, studied him for a moment, then took a step back and began to laugh.
“The Thugs! The Thugs!” she exclaimed.
She turned and walked off, heading towards the fort.
Tremal-Naik let out a cry of despair.
“Great Shiva!” he exclaimed, as fresh tears rolled down his cheeks. “All is lost! She does not recognize me!”
He sank to his knees in desperation, then immediately sprang back to his feet and set off after the madwoman who was about to disappear into a grove of trees.
He had not gone more than five paces when two strong arms brought him to a halt.
“Get a hold of yourself, Tremal-Naik,” said a voice.
It was Sandokan; Yanez and Kammamuri stood at his side.
“But, sir,” babbled the Indian.
“Get a hold of yourself,” repeated Sandokan. “All is not yet lost.”
“She no longer recognizes me. How I longed to hold her in my arms again, after such torture, after so much anguish! It’s over, it’s over!” cried the poor Indian.
“There’s still hope, Tremal-Naik.”
“No, sir. I looked into her eyes! She’s mad beyond reach, she’ll never recover.”
“She’ll recover, this very night, you have my word.”
Tremal-Naik fixed tear-filled eyes upon the Tiger of Malaysia.
“There’s still hope then?” he asked. “You’ve already been so generous, you’ve done so much for me, but if you can perform this last miracle, my life is yours.”
“I will cure her, Tremal-Naik,” said Sandokan gravely. “You have my word.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“How?”
“You’ll know soon enough. Kammamuri!”
The Maratha came forward. The young man’s eyes, just like his master’s, were welled with tears.
“Yes, Captain,” he said.
“Were you in the temple the night your master attempted to rescue his beloved?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Do you remember the conversation between your master and the leader of the Thugs?”
“Word for word.”
“Come with me to the fort.”
“What about us, what should we do?” asked Yanez.
“I don’t require your help for the moment,” said Sandokan. “Go for a walk. Don’t come back to the fort before nightfall. I’m going to prepare a surprise for you.”
Sandokan and the Maratha went off towards the fort.
“Come,” said Yanez. “We’ll go for a walk along the shore.”
“What do you think he’s going to do?” Tremal-Naik asked the Portuguese.
“I have no idea, but knowing him, it’s sure to be extraordinary.”
“Will he truly be able to restore her sanity?”
“The Tiger of Malaysia has many skills. If he says he can, he will.”
“If only he were to succeed!”
“He’ll succeed, Tremal-Naik; he would not make the claim if he could not. Is this Suyodhana still alive?”
“I believe so.”
“Is he powerful?”
“Very, Señor Yanez. He commands an army of stranglers. Thousands of men.”
“It sounds like it would be difficult to defeat him.”
“I’d say almost impossible.”
“For others, perhaps, but not for the Tiger of Malaysia. He loves a challenge; who knows, one day the Tiger of Malaysia and the Tiger of India may meet face to face. Do the Thugs still dwell on Rajmangal?”
“I don’t think so. During my trial, I gave the British the exact location of their lair. Several ships were dispatched to Rajmangal, but they returned without having found a single strangler.”
“They escaped?”
“Every one of them.”
“Are the Thugs rich?”
“Extremely rich, Señor Yanez. They do not content themselves with just strangling. They attack caravans; they’ve even sacked entire villages.”
“Worthy opponents indeed! The Tiger of Malaysia would enjoy himself. Who knows, perhaps one day, when we tire of Mompracem, we may set sail for India and measure ourselves against Suyodhana and his followers.”
“When do you intend to leave this island?”
“As soon as we acquire new ships,” said Yanez. “Tomorrow, we’ll send several of our men to Sarawak to buy a couple of prahus and then we’ll set sail for Mompracem.”
“I look forward to seeing it.”
“We have better plans for you. The life of a pirate is a dangerous one; if we brought you with us you’d constantly fear for your beloved’s safety. Instead our best men will escort you to Batavia. We have a small villa there; a new home for you and Ada.”
“That’s too generous, Señor Yanez,” said Tremal-Naik, deeply moved. “You’ve already done so much for us.”
“Add to that a pile of diamonds worth a few million pounds, my dear Tremal-Naik.”
“I can’t accept that.”
“You should never refuse the Tiger of Malaysia. It would annoy him greatly.”
“But—”
“There’s no need to object, Tremal-Naik. A million is a mere trifle to us.”
“You must be very wealthy indeed.”
“Extremely.”
The sun had set while they were talking, and it was quickly growing dark. Yanez looked at his watch.
“It’s nine o’clock,” he said, “We can go back to the fort.”
He scanned the vast stretch of water one last time, but not spying anything suspicious, he turned and headed into the forest. Tremal-Naik, sad and thoughtful, eyes to the ground, followed close behind. Several minutes later, the two men arrived at the fort. Sandokan was sitting in front of the entrance, calmly smoking his pipe.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, moving towards them. “All is ready. Come”
He took his two friends by the arm and led them into a vast hut that occupied most of the fort’s courtyard. In other times, it must have housed a garrison and a large quantity of provisions and munitions.
Tremal-Naik and Yanez let out a cry of surprise.
In only a few hours, Sandokan, Kammamuri and the pirates had completely transformed that hut into a dark cavern that reminded Tremal-Naik of the Great Temple of the Indian Thugs, where the evil Suyodhana had taken his frightening revenge.
Torches bathed the room in a ghostly blue light. Large tree trunks had been erected about the room like columns, adorned with clay figures of Vishnu and the main gods of India. A frightening statue, also of clay, stood in the center of the room. It had four arms, a long tongue, and its feet rested upon the body of a man who appeared to have been slain in battle. A tiny fish swam in a small basin set before it.
“Where are we?” asked Yanez, looking about in amazement.
“In the Thugs most sacred cavern,” said Sandokan. “The Great Temple of Rajmangal.”
“Who made all these ugly monsters?”
“We did, brother.”
“In only a few hours?”
“You’d be amazed what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it.”
“Who’s that ugly monstrosity with the four arms?”
“Kali, the goddess of the Thugs,” replied Tremal-Naik, having recognized her immediately.
“What do you think, Tremal-Naik, does our hastily constructed temple resemble the one in the Thugs’ lair?”
“Yes, Tiger of Malaysia. How will all this help my Ada?”
“Only a strong shock can restore her sanity.”
“I agree, Sandokan,” said Yanez, “I think I understand. You’re going to re-enact the night Tremal-Naik confronted Suyodhana.”
“Yes, yes, that’s it exactly. I’ll play the leader and recite the words he spoke that terrible night. Our men will play the Thugs. Kammamuri has told them what to do.”
“Let’s begin then.”
Sandokan placed a silver whistle to his lips and blew a sharp note. Immediately, thirty Dyaks, naked to the waist, entered the great hut and assembled in two rows on either side of the goddess. Each man wore a rumaal[6] about his waist and had a Naga painted upon his chest.
“Why are their chests marked like that?” asked Yanez.
“All Thugs bear that tattoo,” replied Tremal-Naik.
“Kammamuri hasn’t forgotten a single detail.”
“Are you ready?” asked Sandokan.
“Ready,” replied the Dyaks.
“Yanez,” said Sandokan, “you’re going to play an important part.”
“What must I do?”
“You’ll play Ada’s father and lead the remainder of our men. They’re going to pretend to be Indian Sepoys. Kammamuri will tell you what to do.”
“Understood.”
“When I attack you outside the fort, you’ll fall before Ada and pretend to die.”
“You can count on me, little brother.”
“I knew I could. Places everyone!”
Tremal-Naik, Yanez and Kammamuri left the room, as Sandokan took his place before the statue of the Goddess Kali. The Dyaks, dressed as Thugs, lined up alongside him. At a sign from the Tiger, a pirate moved towards a type of gong that had been found in a corner of the fort and struck it twelve times. As the last peal faded, the door to the hut opened and two Dyaks entered, leading the priestess forward.
“Advance, Priestess of the Eastern Temple,” said Sandokan gravely, “Suyodhana commands you.”
At the sound of that name, the madwoman stopped and freed herself from the pirates’ grasp. Her eyes widened, took in Sandokan, swept the rows of Dyaks then came to rest upon the Goddess Kali. She shook visibly as a frown formed upon her brow.
“Kali,” she murmured, terror evident in her voice. “The Thugs...”
She took a few more steps forward, alternately casting glances upon Sandokan, the pirates, and the frightening statue in the centre of the room. As she advanced, she ran her hand three times along her brow, as if struggling to recall a distant memory.
Suddenly Tremal-Naik burst into the pagoda and ran towards her shouting, “Ada!”
The young woman froze; pale with terror. She turned slowly and fixed her eyes on Tremal-Naik.
“Ada!” repeated the hunter, his voice almost a shriek. “Come back to me!”
Suddenly they heard a voice cry, “Fire!”
Several shots sounded outside the entrance to the pagoda, and a group of men led by Yanez burst into the room; the Dyaks, like the Thugs upon that fatal night, scattered in all directions.
For a moment Ada stood there stone still, then slowly she leaned forward as if awaiting a final command.
Sandokan had stopped at one end of the pagoda, his eyes fixed upon her. Did he know what the madwoman was waiting for? Perhaps, for just as the ferocious Suyodhana had done that fateful night he thundered, “We will meet again in the jungle!”
He had just uttered those words when a sharp cry erupted from the madwoman’s lips. Arms raised, her face contorted with emotion, she took a step forward, swayed slightly, and fell into Yanez’ arms.
“Dead! She’s dead!” Tremal-Naik howled desperately.
Sandokan placed a hand upon the priestess’ chest; her heart beat faintly.
“No, only fainted,” he said.
“Then s
he should be fine,” said Yanez.
“I pray that’s true!” exclaimed Tremal-Naik, through tears of relief.
Kammamuri had returned with some water. Sandokan splashed a few drops in the young woman’s face and waited for her to awaken. Several anxious minutes passed then at last a deep sigh left her lips.
“Any moment now,” said Sandokan.
“What should I do?” asked Tremal-Naik.
“Step outside for a moment,” replied Sandokan. “We’ll send for you once we’ve told her all that’s happened.”
The Indian cast a long, tender glance upon his beloved and left, stifling a sob.
“Do you think it worked, Sandokan?” asked Yanez.
“I’m almost certain,” replied the pirate. “These two unfortunate souls will soon be reunited.”
“And we—”
“Shh, Yanez, she’s opening her eyes.”
The young woman let out a second sigh, longer than the first, then opened her eyes and fixed them upon Sandokan and Yanez. Her gaze was no longer clouded; her reason, it appeared, had been restored.
“Where am I?” she asked weakly, attempting to stand.
“Among friends,” said Sandokan.
“What happened?” she murmured. “Was I dreaming? Where am I?... Who are you?”
“You’re among friends,” repeated Sandokan. “You’ve been through a lot; you were ill but I’m happy to see that you are no longer mad.”
“Mad?...” the young woman exclaimed in surprise. “I’d gone mad? I.. It wasn’t a dream?... I remember... it was horrible... it was horrible...”
Her voice trailed off and she burst into tears.
“You’re not in any danger now,” said Sandokan. “Suyodhana is far from here and there aren’t any Thugs about. This isn’t India, you’re in Borneo now.”
Ada gathered her strength and slowly rose to her feet.
“In the name of God, tell me all that has happened. I must know,” she said, pressing Sandokan’s hands tightly.
They were the words the pirate had been waiting for. With a grave voice, he briefly narrated all that had occurred in India, on Mompracem and finally in Borneo.
“Now then,” concluded Sandokan, “If all you’ve been through hasn’t quelled your love for Tremal-Naik, at a sign from you, he’ll be at your knees in an instant.”
Sandokan: The Pirates of Malaysia (The Sandokan Series Book 3) Page 16
