“He really loves you,” I said flatly.
“I know,” she said softly. “And I’m touched. I really am. Maybe in India I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.”
Early the next morning Bennie appeared in the kitchen. “A Japanese fleet is approaching,” he said.
“Are they after us?” Lady Jane asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” Thomas said.
“We should still be careful,” I said.
“I’ll go topside and watch them,” Bennie said.
“The boys will deliver messages.”
We waited tensely. As the minutes passed, the convoy moved on, taking little interest in the trawler. We were told that most of the vessels were landing craft, destined for Sumatra.
"The Japanese are going to invade Java," Thomas said. "That’s what the landing craft are for.”
“That’s true,” Sir Gregory added. “I overhead the guards at the oil fields talking about it. The attack will come from several directions, Sumatra being one of them."
"Will we reach Batavia before the Japanese do?" I asked.
"I think so," Thomas replied. “They aren’t organized yet. The landing craft have yet to be staged.”
“How do you know that,” I asked. “Just a theory.”
"What will happen when they get there?" Lady Jane asked.
"Probably the same outcome as Singapore," I said. "Then we shouldn't return to Batavia," she said.
"We should go to Australia instead."
“We’re not prepared," Thomas said. "Let's get to Batavia first. Then if we decide to go elsewhere, we'll have time to plan our departure."
We would be running again. Singapore to Batavia, Batavia to Sumatra, Sumatra to Batavia, Batavia to who knows where. Australia? Another island? I thought about returning to London. I’d had vivid recollections when I’d almost drowned. It made me realize how important what you normally take for granted really is: family, friends, your favorite pub, an auburn sunset, the scent of a flower, listening to raindrops, a good meal, your dog, beautiful buildings, a wise old man. The list was endless; it was comprised of the things on God’s great earth you never have time to notice, at least not until they are about to vanish forever. But from this point forward I vowed to savor them, and then I realized it was time to go home.
CHAPTER 28
We were all relieved when Batavia appeared on the horizon, the sprawling, crowded metropolis that so contrasted the remote areas of Sumatra we had just left. Bennie guided the trawler into the harbor, and we docked at the pier that marked the start of our journey.
We disembarked amid the warm wishes of the sailor and his two young cohorts, Adi and Nugi. Bennie proudly announced that Nugi would become part of his family, much to the boys’ delight. Adi had already started teaching Nugi to read the one book that was aboard the trawler, an old Charles Dickens novel.
“Thanks for everything,” I said as I shook his hand.
I studied his face and the sly grin that always consumed it and wondered what kind of man had the kindness to adopt two orphans yet the cruelty to slit the throat of an enemy. I sensed he would do anything to help you if you were a friend and anything to hurt you if you were not.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. If you ever need anything, just ask.”
I smiled. Neither rescue mission was my idea of fun. I suspected any sane human being would agree with me.
We left the dock and walked towards the city. Thomas went to hire a car while the rest of us waited. We sat on a bench, chatting while we watched longshoremen and fishermen and street vendors - and even a lady of the evening or two - wander about the waterfront. Batavia was always bustling, the streets clogged with people who seemed to be in such a hurry to go nowhere.
Thomas returned an hour later with the same limousine that had dropped us at the dock a few days before. We enjoyed the ride, feeling buoyant but spent, and soon reached the colonial façade of the Hotel Duncan.
We then went to our rooms, promising to meet for dinner that evening. First we would enjoy an afternoon of rest and relaxation, privileges that had been absent the last few days.
The next day I was sitting in the office of theLondon Times.
“George, I’m impressed,” said Harry Simpkins. He had just read my article, “A Journey Down the Musi River,” that I had started on the trip and finished that morning.
“Thanks,” I said with pride. “I’m glad you like it.”
“What a sense of adventure,” he continued. “And danger. Are you sure you won’t reveal the identities of those involved? The rescue is exciting enough, but if we knew it was fact and not fiction, it could really lend credibility to the tale.”
“It is fact,” I explained. “But I need to protect those involved. Why not add a disclaimer? State that the story is true, but identities have been protected.”
“That works,” said Simpkins. “When can I expect your next article? Will you be in Batavia long? Or are you off to some exotic location?”
I thought about London and how badly I missed being home. But it came with the overwhelming heartache of Maggie. I remembered my inability to function at the most basic level before I left for Singapore; I was overcome with grief. Batavia offered the chance to live history, to be an eye-witness to changing nations, cultures, people, boundaries, and borders. And Lady Jane was in Batavia, just at my fingertips, but not within my grasp. She was strength contrasted by vulnerability, beauty balanced by brains. I was tugged and torn in two different directions: London or Batavia.
I entered the restaurant that evening and found Thomas sitting alone at a table, nursing a drink. I joined him.
“Where are the others?” I asked.
“They’re not here yet,” he said. “I saw Van der Meer a few minutes ago. I think he went to get a newspaper.”
“He seems like an interesting man,” I said. “Tell me about him.”
He thought for a moment. “I’m not sure where to begin. I’ve known him for many years. He’s like a guardian angel. And he’s the smartest man I’ve ever met.”
“Really?” I asked. Thomas was very intelligent. So Van der Meer must be absolutely brilliant, especially to impress Thomas.
“And the bravest.”
“What about Bennie?”
He chuckled. “Van der Meer makes Bennie look like a schoolgirl.”
I thought of Bennie killing the Japanese soldiers. “I find that hard to believe.”
“Then you should get him to tell you some stories sometime,” he said. “He was a hero during the Great War.” I thought for a moment. “He doesn’t seem old enough to have been in the Great War.”
“He’s not. At least not legally. He joined the French army when he was sixteen. Although he’s Dutch, he had moved to Paris as a child. He lied about his age to prove his patriotism and then spent four years in the trenches. By the end of the war his chest was full of medals.”
I was impressed. “For what?”
“He captured thirty Germans single-handedly. One of them was a Field Marshall. Van der Meer fooled them all somehow. Cornered them in a narrow ravine and convinced them they were surrounded by a whole brigade. He kept them there until help arrived. I think he was seventeen at the time.”
“That’s amazing,” I said with disbelief. The words of an article on old war heroes were rolling through my mind. I couldn’t wait to start writing it. I could also compare acts of heroism in the Great War with the current conflict. And battles, too.
“He was also wounded. He was at Ypres for one of those mustard gas attacks. I think he was blinded for almost a month. His eyes still tear very easily. Just a windy day can make him cry like a baby.”
“Do you and Van der Meer and Bennie all work together?” I asked. “And did Chin help you, too?”
He studied me for a moment and then smiled. “Here he comes now.”
Van der Meer walked into the dining room, and by the time he reached us, Sir
Gregory entered just behind him. As they sat down, those at a neighboring table were discussing the anticipated Japanese invasion, and we listened attentively to the latest information. It seemed we had escaped one disaster only to walk back into another.
"I've seen what the Japanese are capable of,” Sir Gregory said. “I think the invasion is imminent and, when it comes, it will be swift, coordinated, and deadly."
I studied him closely. He had been captured by the enemy. That much was true. But what other exposure to them did he have? His choice of words was deliberate; he spoke from experience. I suspected there was more to Sir Gregory than Lady Jane knew. Or wanted to know.
"The island of Java, or the city of Batavia, can’t be defended," Van der Meer said. “Not against an assault like the Japanese will launch.”
I remembered the panic that had overwhelmed Singapore. Batavia would be absolute chaos. It was cramped and crowed, overflowing with people. I could imagine human stampedes as people tried to evacuate. I started to think more seriously about departing, regardless of commitments made to theLondon Times.
Lady Jane arrived, strolling across the room. She wore a white dress, her hair curled into a bun on the top of her head. Jade earrings dangled from her ears, complimenting her necklace. She smiled as she entered, lighting the room. All eyes turned to meet her, including my own.
"We don’t think the Dutch can defend the island," Van der Meer informed her.
She sat beside Sir Gregory, although not close to him, and quickly assessed the glum faces around her. “So we’re about to relive Singapore?”
“I think so,” I said. “We should plan to escape. If we stay and the island is captured it will be much more difficult to get away.”
“Why not Australia?” she said.
"Maybe we should hire Bennie and explore the Southern Seas,” Thomas suggested. “That would be interesting."
I considered his statement. Where did he get his money? How could anyone nonchalantly sail the seas with no visible means of support? Maybe Lady Jane and Sir Gregory could. And Van der Meer perhaps. But not me.
"I suppose I can stay here and write for theTimes," I said. “Even if the island is captured.”
“You won’t be able to publish,” Sir Gregory said. “The Japanese will censor everything.”
“And look at what happened in Singapore,” Lady Jane said reminded me. “The whole Times office evacuated. You would be here by yourself.”
"A friend of mine from Oxford lives in Australia,” Sir Gregory said. “In Perth, I think. He can probably help us."
Sir Gregory didn’t know Thomas or Van der Meer. He thought they were normal people, men who worked for a living that knew little of world affairs. I didn’t know them that much better. But there was one thing I was sure of. They didn’t need help from anyone.
The glasses emptied as the hours passed, and each guest in turn said good night and returned to his or her room. Finally, only Thomas and I remained. I swallowed the last few drops of my now warm ginger ale and started to stand, planning to retire.
“Wait a minute, George,” he said. “I want to talk to you for a minute.”
I sat back down. “Is something wrong?”
“I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
I was confused. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I was afraid you might be upset with Sir Gregory’s rival.”
I started to feel uncomfortable. “Why would Sir Gregory upset me?”
His eyes met mine, serious and searching.
“Because you’re in love with Lady Jane.”
I was stunned. Maybe Lady Jane wasn’t a diversion; maybe she was much more. I suppose it showed, even if I hadn’t admitted it to myself. I thought about Maggie. The memory would always be there, but the feelings were fading. I realized then that I didn’t have to choose. I could love them both. There was room in my heart for Maggie and Lady Jane
“Is it that easy to see?” I asked.
“It is for me,” he said. “But maybe no one else. I’m right. Aren’t I?”
“Yes,” I said softly. “I suppose you are.”
I studied my drink for a moment, reflecting on his statement. Then I turned to face him.
“What about you? I think you’re in love with her too.”
He smiled and rolled his eyes. “Love has many faces, my friend.”
CHAPTER 29
The invasion of Java came sooner than expected. The Japanese established beachheads east and west of Batavia and also threatened a large naval base in the city of Surabaya. Dutch and Indonesian forces resisted, complimented by a small contingent of Australian, British, and American troops that mainly provided anti-aircraft support. The Japanese quickly established footholds and then advanced with little resistance from the Allied troops.
I had contacts in the military; Harry Simpkins of theTimes office had provided me with several sources, all of whom proved valuable. My favorite was a Dutch colonel named Haak who was on the staff of General Hein ter Poorten, Commander of Allied forces. But he was difficult to contact after the invasion, ignoring my requests for information. I finally reached him after several unsuccessful attempts, and he briefed me on Allied defenses, Japanese advances, and military strategies. I learned that Allied commanders were more focused on saving their armies than Java.
I posted continual dispatches throughout these events, often working sixteen hours or more each day. I placed most of the articles with theLondon Times, while the rest were purchased by the Associated Press. Joe Durgan's business card proved to be a valuable asset.
I saw little of my companions in the days following the invasion. I asked for Thomas and Van der Meer at the registration desk and was told that, although they had not checked out of the hotel, they had left the city for a few days. I thought their absence mysterious, but consistent with their secretive lifestyles. I wondered what they were doing.
Maybe they were spying on the enemy, documenting their troop strengths and movements, or smuggling assets out of Java before the Japanese arrived. Or maybe both. I might never know, but I did enjoy speculating.
I saw Lady Jane and Sir Gregory in the hotel restaurant during one of my longer work days. I had stopped in for a quick dinner, and they were seated at a distant table. Lady Jane looked tired, weary from conflict and confrontations, both personal and public. Sir Gregory was strong and dominant. I suspected he was gradually wearing her down, reestablishing the submissive state that she had so courageously shattered when she left India. Although I wanted to help her, I didn’t know how.
The following morning, as Dutch forces and government officials frantically evacuated the city of Batavia, I saw Lady Jane in the lobby, scanning a newspaper.
“Lady Jane, how are you?” I asked.
She looked up from the paper. Wrinkles of worry were etched in her forehead; her lips were formed in a thoughtful frown. “Oh, George, it’s so good to see you. What in the world is going on? The Dutch are retreating?”
“Yes,” I said. “They’re planning to evacuate. They want to save as much of their army as possible.”
She took my arm and discreetly led me to a sofa in a corner of the lobby. “What are we going to do?”
“I’m not sure we can do anything right now. But we have to find a way to escape.”
“I’ve checked the harbor and some rural airports,” she said. “Nothing is available.”
“What is going on with Sir Gregory?”
She smiled, and then softly caressed my cheek with her fingertips. “George, nothing is going on with Gregory. But it is admirable that he came halfway around the world to find me.” She paused, reflective for a moment. “He seems so different now. It’s as if the whole ordeal changed him. Or maybe it changed me. But he is a good man. He really is.”
“Jane,” a voice boomed as Sir Gregory hurried across the lobby. “I was able to contact my friend in Perth. He may be able to help us.” He looked at me and nodded. “Hello, George.”
“What can your friend do?” I asked.
“He knows a high-ranking government official,” he said. “He’ll arrange our departure.”
Lady Jane handed him the morning newspaper. “He’s too late. The government evacuated. The Japanese will be here tomorrow.”
Once the authorities departed, the Dutch army retreated and left the city to the enemy. Pandemonium reigned: looting, vandalism, ransacked businesses, and robbed banks. The army’s retreat left a vacuum of authority, and I think that some in Batavia welcomed the enemy, even if it was only to restore order. I found the chaos repulsive, and wrote several filler articles on the behavior of the few that threatened the populace as a whole.
When the enemy arrived, I watched them from the hotel entrance. I took out my notebook, scribbling a description of their victorious march down the boulevard. A few of the Javanese cheered, believing the new conqueror had rescued them from centuries of Dutch colonial rule. But most recognized that the immediate future would be much harsher and more difficult than the past.
I knew I witnessed a new world order. The Japanese ruled the Pacific; the Germans ruled Europe. As the free nations of the world were falling like leaves from a dying tree, the Allies seemed powerless to defend them. I didn’t know what would happen to me. It was frightening, watching the enemy walk through the city wearing the arrogant sneer reserved for the victor.
For some reason, on the day Batavia fell, I wondered what my parents were doing in London, and if my sister and her husband were at the local pub. They knew where I was from my articles in the Times and from the cables and letters I had sent them. But I had been so preoccupied with striving to be the best reporter that the Times had ever known, worrying about what was important to me and how I could stay one step ahead of the Japanese, that I had forgotten about them. Now I missed them terribly.
I studied the faces of those around me and saw the same fear and uncertainty that I felt. I was becoming weary of the Japanese advance; it seemed I could never avoid them. I had escaped them in Singapore and confronted - and then eluded - them numerous times in Sumatra only to yield to their control in Batavia.
To Parts Unknown Page 18