I smiled, and instead got some of the ointment we had bought at the store and dabbed at the wound.
“Ouch,” he said, feigning pain. “Gin would have been better.”
“Is it healing?” Sir Gregory asked.
“Yes, it is,” Thomas said, pushing his cap back on an uncombed mop of brown hair. “It just stings a bit right now.”
We approached the outskirts of Surabaya twenty minutes later, evidenced by the transition from mountain to coast and farm to suburb. We were quiet, knowing another encounter with the enemy was likely.
"The city is held by the Japanese,” Thomas warned. “We may have a difficult time escaping."
"Should we jump off now?" I asked. I wanted to avoid a confrontation. I felt like a cat with few of his nine lives remaining.
"I don’t want to leap from the train," a still-shaken Lady Jane informed us. "Especially after what just happened."
"You’re right," Thomas said. "We'll wait for the train to stop. That’s a better plan."
I frowned. The decision was risky. We could end up in the arms of the enemy.
“I understand the dangers of leaping from a moving train,” I said. “But does that outweigh the risks of capture? I’m sure the Japanese will be at the terminal.”
“Let’s see if the train passes through to Madura,” Thomas suggested.
The train slowed, at first appearing to stop, but it was soon apparent the reduced speed was needed to travel through the city, one of the largest in Java. We peeked from our boxcar, observing the metropolis while we moved through it. It was every bit as large as Batavia, with buildings several floors in height dotting the urban landscape. Red-tiled roofs, so prominent to the area, were sprinkled among the taller structures. Throngs of people milled about the street, traveling on bicycles, in rickshaws, taxis, and cars, and on foot. Japanese soldiers and their vehicles wandered through the city, mingling with the local residents. I knew the metropolis housed a massive naval base, but it wasn’t visible from the train.
"We’re not stopping," Thomas said when the bridge to the island of Madura became visible. “The soldiers we escaped from must not have warned the authorities.”
Seconds later we were over the strait that separated Java from Madura.
"Where are we going?" Sir Gregory asked.
"To Pamekasan," Thomas replied. "It's the largest city on the island. We’ll have to avoid the Japanese and contact Bennie."
We crossed the bridge, and a mountainous island similar to Java’s terrain became visible. As we approached the distant shore, I saw a row of shacks along the water with fishing boats of many different colors anchored in the cove. A large pagoda, a tiered tower with multiple eaves, overlooked the harbor, signaling the presence and protection of Buddha. Once on the island, we passed a throng of villages bound together by an overflowing population before we entered the outskirts of Pamekasan. A boulevard bordered the railroad; a row of enemy trucks patrolled beside us.
"Won't the Japanese be at the terminal?" I asked.
“Probably,” Thomas said. "We'll just have to be careful."
Pamekasan, which was originally an old fishing town that grew to an urban center, hugged the coast and sprawled around an ancient harbor. It was a quaint city but hardly spectacular, marked by narrow, winding streets crammed with crowds. The natives were mainly working class, fishermen and merchants, and most of the city's dwellings reflected these occupations.
The train chugged into the terminal, belching steam as it crawled to a stop. A sizable Japanese force, numbering a hundred or more, wandered around the rail yard and the adjacent streets, intermingled with a thousand city residents. If nothing else, the Dutch East Indies had no shortage of people.
Once the train stopped, we peered out cautiously, watching the enemy make preparations to unload. Thomas inched forward and surveyed the area.
"Wait here," he whispered. Then he disappeared.
Sir Gregory had his arm wrapped protectively around Lady Jane. She was afraid; he was apprehensive. I was tired and frightened. The Japanese were everywhere, no matter where we went. Several minutes later, Thomas reappeared.
"Lady Jane," he said. "Follow me. I'll be back for you two."
“Hurry!” I hissed. I didn’t like sitting in a train with a hundred of the enemy nearby, all within shooting distance.
Lady Jane climbed from the boxcar, and they vanished beneath it. Sir Gregory and I had no idea where they were going. There was nothing to do but wait.
He returned a few moments later and motioned us to follow. We slipped beneath the boxcar and were about to dash for safety when we heard Japanese voices. Soldiers were approaching.
Five men appeared, surveying the train and its contents. They paused at the boxcar in front of ours, engaged in an animated discussion. As the minutes passed their conversation continued; they didn’t seem to be leaving.
We waited, open and vulnerable, hidden only by the framework of the railcar. Ten feet from us vegetation provided an adequate screen, but those few feet seemed like miles.
One soldier walked away, but the others continued their discussion. I held my breath; my heart felt like it was in my throat.
A few minutes later the men strolled towards the front of the train. Once they were gone, Thomas led us a hundred feet down the tracks, moving through the foliage that skirted the rails and into a wooded area beyond.
When we entered the underbrush, we found Lady Jane waiting. "Why did you leave me alone?” she asked, alarmed and confused. “You were gone for a long time. Someone could have found me. What happened?"
"Nothing really," Thomas said, downplaying the potential altercation. "Just a minor delay."
"Did the soldiers see you?" she asked. Her blue eyes, normally twinkling with life, were piercing and accusing.
He shook his head. "No, they have no idea we're here. So let's keep it that way. Come on. We’d better hurry."
Thomas led us through the trees and shrubs that bordered the rail yard. After traveling about a quarter mile, dragging our bags behind us, we emerged from the woods and into a jungle of whitewashed houses and stores cluttered on narrow lanes. The harbor was visible in the distance, and the sun sparkled off the blue-green water.
We wandered through the crowded streets amid the stares of curious people. Since the island was a Dutch colony there was a sprinkling of Caucasians, but Lady Jane seemed to attract the attention of those we passed. I’m not sure if it was due to her poignant beauty or the golden color of her hair, and I hoped it wasn’t due to posters placed by the Japanese. I dreaded the consequences should the enemy ask the locals if they had seen any strangers. She finally withdrew a scarf from her bag and wrapped it around her head, blending more closely with the resident women, many of whom covered their hair.
I watched her as we walked through the streets, her head high, her cheeks flushed. She had been quiet during the last leg of our journey. I suspected she was not only rattled by her near death but also confused by her emotions. There was a bond between Thomas and her; their embrace had proved that. I supposed the light banter and flirting they continually exchanged was not as innocent as I’d thought.
And then there was Sir Gregory. Proud and confident, rigid and disciplined, he had spent a lifetime waiting for her. He desperately held on to that dream, watching helplessly as it slowly slipped away. But I was also part of the equation. Although Maggie kept one of my feet firmly planted in London, the other trailed Lady Jane wherever she went.
There were a few Japanese soldiers mixed with the pedestrians, but we stayed a few feet apart, shielded by the locals, and none seemed to notice. There were so many people mingling in the streets, native, foreigner, and conqueror, that faces merged in a collage of motion and soon became indistinguishable. Even for the enemy.
After a twenty-minute walk, we left the populated area and entered a more suburban setting that marked the outer reaches of the city. We climbed a small hill that sat beside the harbor where we could se
e fishing boats fanned across the waves. The docks were directly below us, functional and teeming with activity. The enemy didn’t interfere with daily life; they knew a thriving economy meant less risk of resistance.
The houses grew sparser the farther we traveled. Thomas led us to one dwelling that faced the harbor, a charming white-washed bungalow with a red-tiled roof. It was nicely landscaped with shrubs spaced around a small yard and offered generous views of the ocean, the city of Pamekasan, and the coast of Java, near Surabaya, which was almost a hundred miles away.
"Who lives here?" Sir Gregory asked when Thomas led us to the door.
"A friend," Thomas replied. "Although it’s vacant now. We’ll be safe here while we arrange our escape with Bennie.”
"What if we can’t find Bennie?” Lady Jane asked. “How will we get out of here?"
Thomas pointed to the boats rolling on the waves. "There are a thousand ways.”
CHAPTER 42
We entered the cottage to find it clean, functionally furnished, and cozy. A large telescope was placed against a corner window in the front room facing the sea. I imagined the owner had spent many pleasant hours watching ships or the rolling ocean waves. But as we toured our temporary home, I suspected it had another purpose. In the back room, which served as a kitchen, a short wave radio was propped on a table. A stack of maps sat beside it. Suddenly the cottage no longer reminded me of a bucolic, seacoast retreat. I envisioned it was much more.
“Relax,” Thomas said. “Treat the home as your own.” He moved to the radio, made some adjustments to the dials that decorated its face, and started speaking into the microphone.
“Java Three, Java Three, come in.”
He repositioned a toggle switch and I heard a raspy, crackling sound. He turned it back off.
“Java Three, Java Three, come in.”
We stood there staring at him, our mouths agape. “What are you doing?” Lady Jane asked.
“I’m trying to find Bennie,” he said.
“Java Three, Java Three, come in.”
I thought his behavior peculiar, but I wasn’t that surprised. I had long suspected that Van der Meer, Bennie and Thomas, and possibly Chin, were much more than what they seemed. Smugglers, spies, I couldn’t say for sure, but the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together.
“Java Three, Java Three, come in.”
I walked into the front room, keeping an ear trained on the short wave communication. I couldn’t resist the telescope, and I walked over to peer through it. It was locked into position; the angle, direction, and magnification were fixed. I placed my eye up to the lens and peered through.
I was startled by the image it displayed. The telescope was trained on the naval base at Surabaya. I was staring directly at a Japanese cruiser. I could see it perfectly; its name and serial number stenciled on the hull, the number of guns pointing skyward, Japanese sailors strolling on deck, and officers manning the control tower.
I returned to the kitchen, my suspicions answered. Thomas will sat at the radio, frantically trying to reach Bennie, while Lady Jane and Sir Gregory observed with befuddled looks upon their faces.
“Java Three, Java Three, come in.”
The radio crackled and hissed, and then the answer came. “This is Java Three. Identify.”
“Java Three, this is Java Two, current location Pamekasan. In need of transport. Can you assist?””
“Negative. Can arrive in three days. Current location Timor.”
“Negative. Too late. Will advise of meet location later. Signing off.”
He switched off the radio, sighing as he did so. “That’s not good,” he said. “Bennie is three days away. On the island of Timor. We have to find another way to Australia.”
“You’re spies, aren’t you?” I asked.
He didn’t answer. His stern expression didn’t change.
“I looked through the telescope,” I added.
He studied me for a moment, and then he glanced at Sir Gregory and Lady Jane. But his eyes fixed on Lady Jane. “We all make different contributions to the war effort.”
“I suspected as much,” Sir Gregory said. “I wondered how you knew so much about what the Japanese were doing. And you’re way too comfortable with that knife.”
“Who is Java One?” Lady Jane asked.
“Van der Meer,” Thomas replied. “He runs the operation.”
“Why did you ever become a spy?” I asked. I had to admit I found it interesting, but it was also extremely dangerous. I guessed that spies had short life spans.
He took a deep breath and then met my gaze. “Shanghai,” he said tersely.
“What happened in Shanghai?” I asked. It was the third time he had mentioned it.
“Stay here,” he said. He walked to the door. “I’m going to the waterfront to find a sympathetic captain.”
After he left we exchanged apprehensive glances, puzzled by his behavior, somewhat stunned by his revelation.
“Are the Japanese chasing us because of Jane, or are they trying to catch Thomas?” Sir Gregory asked.
He had a valid point. Maybe the Japanese knew Thomas was a spy, and they thought Lady Jane was with him. It was an interesting theory, extremely credible, and one that should influence our future decisions.
“That certainly changes everything,” I said. “If the Japanese are on to Thomas, they probably also know he was involved in killing Hakkan. Maybe it isn’t Lady Jane they’re chasing.”
“Does it really matter?” Lady Jane posed. “They are after us regardless. We need to focus on getting to Australia, which Thomas is doing.”
I made a mental note of how she’d defended him.
“How could we not know they were spies,” I said. “Think of all the clues. Were we denying it or just ignoring it?”
“Probably both,” said Sir Gregory. “But it places us in a dangerous position.”
“I think it’s intriguing,” Lady Jane remarked. “They’re doing more to end the war than we are, at risk of capture or discovery on a daily basis, forsaking any personal life to serve the war effort. I think they’re very brave, not to mention how cunning they must be to continually outsmart the enemy. Actually, I find the whole concept extremely exciting. I wish I were part of it.”
I didn’t reply. I was surprised by her reaction, but maybe it explained her interest in Thomas.
We spent the remainder of the day relaxing, watching ships waltz in the harbor below, and waiting for Thomas to return. I took out my notebook, having neglected my writing for the last few days, and filled pages with descriptions of all we had seen and experienced, and what we now faced. I also detailed Japanese activity in Java and Madura, focusing on the Surabaya naval base. In a section reserved for personal reflection I wrote about Lady Jane.
Each day I notice something different about her, unless it’s just a change in the way I perceive her, or maybe it’s a change in me. When I’d first met her, I was overwhelmed by her smile; it seemed as if it lit the universe it was so bright and warm, and I was sure it was a reflection of her as a person. But maybe it was only what I’d wanted to see. Or more accurately, what I’d needed to see.
I appreciate characteristics that Thomas and Sir Gregory will never detect: how cute her upturned nose is, how infectious her laugh can be, how intently she listens, eyebrows flexed, when something interests her. Or the subtle differences in how she arranges her hair and how stunning she looks when she pins it up on her head and exposes the graceful curve of her neck. And they aren’t aware of how caring and compassionate she is; they can’t sense her need to protect the weak from the strong. Nor can they see that she views each day as a new adventure, determined to make it better than the last. They don’t see any of this. But I do.
I often wonder what her future holds. She stands at a crossroads in her life. Will she turn back, returning to India and a time and place she’s already known, mired in tradition and history and conformity? Or will she forge ahead, to parts unknown
, seeking new adventures and challenges. And more importantly, who will stand beside her?
Thomas returned just as we were about to have dinner. “There are a few potentials,” he said. “I’m going back later tonight.”
“You found some willing captains?” I asked.
He shrugged. “It depends. It’s amazing how interested someone becomes when you offer them enough money.”
“What happens to the cottage when we leave?” Lady Jane asked.
“It stays as is,” he said. “Van der Meer owns it. Along with several others. He established the outposts for our use.”
We finished our dinner, cheese and fruit and juice, while we watched the activity on the harbor. It was a serene setting, fishing vessels returning with their day’s catch, a few pleasure vessels, and an occasional Japanese patrol boat. We retired early. Lady Jane used one bedroom while Sir Gregory, Thomas, and I shared the other.
The night was hot and humid, and I slept restlessly. I awoke near 1 a.m., wet with perspiration, and realized Thomas was gone. I searched the yard and cottage with the exception of Lady Jane's room, but I couldn’t find him. I assumed he went for a walk along the harbor, seeking the ocean breeze to escape the heat. I went back to sleep.
The sun had just risen when I heard the cottage door open followed by the sound of light footsteps. A few seconds later I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sorry, George,” Thomas whispered. “I don't mean to startle you. But it’s time to leave. I arranged passage on one of the ships. We have to hurry."
I woke Sir Gregory. We gathered our belongings while Thomas tapped on Lady Jane's door. In hushed whispers, he explained our situation.
"Do you trust this captain?" Lady Jane asked.
“I don’t really know him,” Thomas said. “But he’s leaving for New Guinea. It’s not Australia, but at least it gets us out of here. He said he would only wait one hour, so we have to hurry.”
“Why aren’t the Japanese harassing ships?” Lady Jane asked.
“They don’t want to disrupt the local economy,” Thomas said. “The more people that earn a living, the less will be dependent on them. And whatever they produce can be purchased or a percentage confiscated by the Japanese.”
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