Eruption at Krakatoa

by Katrina Charman

  Raja was faring no better. “It’s too hot!” he complained. “And it’s getting stuck in my fur. Wretched stuff.”

  Melati landed beside them. “Stay in the shade,” she said. “The sand is cooler there.”

  She gestured in the direction of a small island far in the distance. Steamers and smaller boats sailed out on the ocean, and Budi saw Raja shrink back a little.

  “The humans can’t see you from that far away,” Budi told him gently. Raja inclined his head gratefully, glancing down at the ragged scar that ran along his side.

  “Do you see it?” Melati asked.

  “I can’t see anything,” Budi said, narrowing his eyes. “Apart from the boats and the island.”

  “Look closer,” she said. “Can you see the peak of Perboewatan?”

  “The mountain?” Budi asked.

  Melati nodded.

  “I see it!” Dewi cried. “Look there! It’s going all the way up to the sky.”

  “What is?” Budi asked.

  But he didn’t need to wait for an answer, because suddenly the clouds cleared and he could see it as well as he could see Raja beside him.

  A thin plume of smoke, rising from the mountainside.

  “Raja,” Budi said, his voice serious. “Smoke can mean only one thing.”

  Melati fluttered her wings anxiously. “What does it mean?”

  “Fire,” Raja whispered.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Melati

  May 10, 1883

  Southern Sumatran Rain Forest

  “Are you all right?” Dewi asked Melati as they returned to the jungle. Melati had met Dewi on the beach when she was a young parakeet and Dewi was a young pangolin, and they had been friends ever since. Ahead, the largest rhino and tiger Melati had ever seen in her life were caught up in what seemed like an intense conversation, with lots of growling.

  “I don’t think I am, Dewi,” Melati said. “What does that mean? Fire?”

  Dewi shuddered. “Nothing good,” she replied. “Do you see Raja’s scar?”

  Melati nodded. She couldn’t help but notice it. It ran across almost the whole of the tiger’s right side, and no fur grew over the puckered skin.

  “Humans did that to him, with fire,” Dewi said.

  Melati shivered, and Dewi gave her a gentle hug and smiled. “It’s good to see you, Melati.”

  “You too, Dewi,” Melati said. “You always know how to make me feel better. I was worried about you. I wondered if the tremors had come from here.”

  “We felt a small rumble last night,” Dewi said. “But nothing like you described. It is usually nothing to worry about.” She paused. “The smoke, though, that is new.”

  Melati stopped, suddenly feeling as though she might be sick. “I’m afraid, Dewi,” she said. “For my island, my home, for the others living there. If something bad is happening to the mountains, then only the birds will be able to escape.”

  “Don’t worry,” Dewi said. “Raja and Budi will find out what’s going on.”

  Melati watched the two animals as they sniped back and forth, and wished she had the confidence Dewi had. She flew ahead to get their attention, but they were so deep in conversation that they didn’t notice her.

  “It’s not my job to worry about an island,” Raja said. “The jungle is my domain, no more, no less.”

  “What about the animals here?” Budi replied. “You need to make sure we are safe.”

  Raja waved a paw in the air dismissively. “We have lived here our whole lives, Budi, our parents and grandparents before us. Has anything bad ever happened here in the jungle?”

  Budi shook his head. “Well, no, but the smoke, Raja…”

  Melati took the brief pause as her chance to interrupt. “If I may…” she started.

  The tiger and rhino looked down at her in surprise as though they had forgotten she was still there.

  “I sometimes visit the human village,” Melati continued, suddenly feeling very small. “Ketimbang. Perhaps I could go there and listen to what the humans are saying about the smoke? Then we might know more about what is happening and if there is any danger.”

  Budi smiled at her. “A very good idea, young parakeet,” he said. “Raja? What do you say?”

  “No humans,” Raja growled. “You know the rules, Budi. We stay away from the humans, they stay away from us, everyone lives.”

  “But surely it couldn’t hurt, Your Majesty,” Dewi interjected.

  Melati nodded gratefully at her friend. “I know some of the humans in Ketimbang,” she continued. “There is a family there that I sometimes visit… a little girl and…”

  “A little girl?” Raja laughed. “What would she know about the mountain?”

  Melati gave Budi a pleading look, and his eyes softened. “Let her finish, Raja.”

  “The girl came to Sumatra from a different land. Her father seems to be in charge of the village. If anyone knows what is going on, he will. If I go and listen in on their conversations…”

  “Then you will be caught and either will become their pet in a cage or will be plucked and eaten!” Raja finished.

  “No!” Dewi gasped.

  Melati’s stomach dropped. She didn’t know why she had bothered to come and seek help. Why would they care about what happened to her beautiful island?

  She turned and stormed away from the tiger, then paused.

  “You might not care about what happens to Krakatoa, but I do!” she shouted. “And I’m not afraid to do what needs to be done to save my island.”

  With that, she took to the sky, her heart pounding out of her chest. She chanced a quick look back and saw Dewi and Budi trying to hide their smiles as Raja stared up at her with his huge jaw hanging open.

  I’m not afraid, she told herself as she headed for Ketimbang.

  Ketimbang was the closest human village to the jungle. Even so, it took Melati two hours to reach the outskirts. The village lay on the coast, with a small harbor bustling with steamships and fishing boats. Many were there to trade goods such as sugar and fragrant spices. Melati soared over the funnel-shaped bay, taking in the mangrove swamps and mud flats the town was built upon. Not long ago, it had barely been a small village, but since Johanna and her family had come to Ketimbang, many others had followed, and slowly the village was turning into a town.

  The long shadow of Rajabasa drew over Melati as she flew. The mountain was taller than Danan, Perboewatan, and Rakata on Krakatoa island, and it stood proudly behind Ketimbang.

  Near the foot of the mountain, Melati spied a grand white house made from wood. It was larger than any other house and twice as fancy. It was surrounded by palm and fruit trees and had a wraparound porch. This was where Melati had first spotted the girl, Johanna. Or rather, where Johanna had spotted Melati. Melati had been too engrossed in the mango she’d found in the fruit grove to notice the little girl sneaking up on her. She was lucky enough that it wasn’t the girl’s brother, Isaak. He could be cruel—more than once Melati had seen him trying to capture butterflies and imprison them in a small jar. Melati visited the girl whenever she came this way—Johanna always had the tastiest treats.

  Melati cautiously flew around the house to ensure that Isaak wasn’t lurking nearby, then landed on the wooden railing of the porch, singing her usual call to let Johanna know she was there. Almost immediately, light footsteps sounded through the house and Johanna appeared in the doorway with a huge smile on her face. Her long blond hair was tied back with a red ribbon, and her yellow dress swirled around her as she moved.

  “Little bird!” she cried. “Where have you been? I thought you’d left me for good.”

  Melati chirped back to the little girl, bowing her head in apology.

  “No matter,” the girl said. “You’re here now.”

  She held out her arm and Melati hopped onto it, being careful not to dig her claws in.

  “Look who’s here, Mama!” Johanna called as she walked through the house.

  Mela
ti peeped into the rooms they passed. Each was filled with fine wooden furniture. One had a large desk, behind which Johanna’s father sat. He furiously scribbled on a piece of paper with ink. Melati tried to see what the man was writing, but Johanna continued along the hallway.

  Finally, they arrived in the kitchen, where Johanna’s mother was preparing food.

  “Oh, Johanna!” her mother cried. “No birds inside the house.”

  “This isn’t just any bird,” Johanna said, pouting. “It’s the one I told you about. She’s so clever, she—”

  Johanna was cut off as Isaak rushed into the kitchen, setting Melati’s feathers on edge.

  “Did you hear?” he cried. “Something is happening on the island.”

  “What island?” Johanna asked. Melati leaned into Johanna, trying to make herself as small as possible, hoping Isaak wouldn’t notice her. She didn’t want him to get any ideas about putting her into a glass jar.

  “The one in the middle of the Sunda Strait,” he said. “The locals say it is belching fire!”

  “Nonsense,” their mother replied, although she glanced out at the hallway nervously. “Anders!” she called. “Have you heard this?”

  A few seconds later Johanna’s father appeared. “What’s this?”

  “The island is on fire!” Isaak shouted.

  Melati’s chest tightened.

  “Krakatoa?” Johanna’s father asked. “Don’t be silly, Isaak. That volcano has been dormant for centuries.” He shook his head as he returned to his study. “What are your tutors teaching you?”

  Johanna looked at her mother, the fear in her eyes reflecting Melati’s own. “It’s not on fire, is it, Mama?”

  Her mother shook her head. “If your father says it is fine, then there is nothing to worry about,” she said.

  Melati sighed in relief. If the humans weren’t worried, then neither should she be. Before Johanna could protest, Melati took off and flew out of the house, over the harbor and toward her home. It was one of many islands that lay in the middle of the Sunda Strait, directly between Sumatra on one side and Java on the other.

  As Melati reached Krakatoa, a strange silence filled the air. She landed in a nearby tree and looked out to Perboewatan. The smoke still snaked up into the sky. It seemed thicker now. Melati flew on but was almost knocked out of the air by a flock of birds of paradise heading the other way.

  “Danger!” one of the birds called back to her.

  Melati pushed on, ignoring the panic building within her. Surely a little bit of smoke couldn’t hurt anyone. Johanna’s father had said there was nothing to worry about. He knew more about how the world worked than she did. But as she neared the summit of Perboewatan, she became less sure. Her stomach twisted as she flew higher. The air was thick with heavy white smoke and it became harder to breathe.

  When she reached the crater, her heart stopped. Deep inside the pit of the mountain was a raging lake. But not of water. The liquid was searing hot and bubbled orange and red and yellow.

  “Lava!” Melati cried.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Budi

  May 11, 1883

  Southern Sumatran Rain Forest

  “Darn those monkeys!” Budi groaned as he stretched out his aching bones. He hadn’t been able to sleep a wink all night and now his body was paying for it. “What is wrong with them? They didn’t stop howling and hooting all night.”

  Raja, who was sleeping close by, opened one eye and grinned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Budi. I for one had a marvelous night’s rest.”

  To illustrate his point, he stretched his body out, then leaped up. “I’m going to catch some breakfast,” he purred.

  Deep in the trees, the monkeys were still howling and hollering. “I’ve had enough!” Budi said, standing. “Dewi? Dewi! Where are you?”

  Dewi came running through the trees as fast as a pangolin could run, which was not very fast at all. “Can I help you, Budi?”

  Budi nodded. “The monkeys,” he said. “What are they screeching about?”

  Dewi looked at the ground uneasily.

  “What is it?” Budi demanded.

  “The smoke,” Dewi said. “From Melati’s island. It’s getting worse and the monkeys are telling the other animals all kinds of stories.”

  Budi sighed. He trudged through the trees, following the sounds of the monkeys. Soon, he found them, high in the treetops, shouting down at a small gathering of animals. Budi was surprised to see that the gathering seemed to actually be paying attention to the monkeys. There were leopards and elephants—and even the orangutan who had been quarreling with the monkeys only the day before now seemed to be hanging on their every word.

  “Everyone knows what smoke means!” the monkeys screeched.

  “Fire!” a snake called out from the branch above.

  “That’s right!” another monkey shouted. “And everyone knows how fast it moves. It might be far away now, but what is there to stop it from coming here and destroying us all?”

  “The ocean?” an elephant said, looking slightly confused.

  The monkey glared at the elephant and had started to protest when he noticed Budi in the crowd.

  “What will happen to us?” the monkey asked, jumping up and down on the branch. “The fire is coming! Look! See the smoke. There’s no smoke without fire.”

  “Calm down!” Budi shouted. “The smoke is far away on an island. Everyone knows that fire cannot cross water, and as my elephant friend has pointed out, there is an ocean between it and our jungle.”

  The elephant gave Budi a small smile. Budi had turned to go and try to get some rest when a coconut hit him on the back of his head. He spun quickly, but the monkeys all huddled together in a group, sending him a defiant stare.

  “What if this is just the beginning?” one of them shouted. “If fire can come out of the mountain over there, what’s to stop it from coming out of the mountains over here? The jungle is surrounded by mountains.”

  Budi had no answer to this. It was no secret that sometimes mountains erupted. The humans called them volcanoes. And occasionally the ground rumbled, but Raja had been correct when he’d said that nothing bad had ever happened, and the mountains that had erupted were many miles away. Budi had opened his mouth to tell the ever-increasing crowd as much when there was a loud roar and Raja landed in the middle of the throng.

  A deadly hush fell over the animals. Even the monkeys had the good sense to keep their mouths shut.

  “You heard what Budi said!” Raja roared. “You know that he speaks on my behalf. There is nothing to worry about.” He winked at Budi. “I have my very best eyes on the ground and in the air. If anything bad was coming, I would be the first to know. So go back to your business, and you,” he said, glaring up at the monkeys, “keep your noise down at night. When Budi is in a bad mood it puts all of us in a bad mood.” He winked at Budi again, then slowly sauntered away, his long tail swishing back and forth.

  Budi chased after him, ignoring the torrent of questions at his back.

  “What eyes do you have?” he asked. “Who is checking on the island?”

  Raja waved him away with a paw. “Oh, you know. That bird… Melanie… Mellowy…”

  “Melati,” Budi corrected.

  “That’s the one,” Raja said.

  “But you sent her away, dismissed everything she was trying to tell you.”

  “I don’t quite remember it that way, Budi. Besides, I’m sure she will come flying back soon enough if there is anything to worry about. If she hasn’t already been eaten by the humans, that is.”

  “Humans don’t eat parakeets!” Budi growled.

  Budi glanced back at the monkeys. They wouldn’t dare make a noise while the king was close by, but Budi knew that sure enough, when night fell they would make more noise than ever just to spite him.

  But that night, the monkeys were silent. There was no chittering, no hooting or hollering. After a few hours of fitful sleep, Budi decided to
go and find out what they were up to. Because if Budi knew anything about monkeys, it was that for as much noise as they made, it was when they went quiet that you really needed to worry.

  He made his way through the jungle along the well-trodden paths. The insects chirruped as he walked by, and the sound of bats’ wings flapping around the canopy of trees above filled the silence. He continued on, keeping an eye on the trees above in case the monkeys were planning some kind of ambush in revenge. They seemed determined to make mischief. It was never Raja who had to sort it out. He spent far too much time having fun and enjoying himself, leaving all the boring jobs to Budi. Budi had tried to bring up Raja as best he could, to guide him toward being the leader he was born to be. But Raja was as stubborn as the monkeys. When would he learn that the jungle and all those who lived there were his responsibility?

  Budi paused, sensing something on the air. He waited for a moment, but nothing happened. Then, just as he lifted a foot to move on, he felt it. A tremor. Starting from his toes and vibrating through his body.

  There was a crash through the bushes ahead, and Dewi came tumbling across the ground, colliding with Budi’s foot.

  Dewi unfurled her gray scales and stood shakily as she tried to catch her breath. “The monkeys…” she gasped.

  Budi stomped his foot. “What is it this time?”

  Dewi lifted her head to look Budi in the eyes. “They’ve gone, Budi. Every last one of them. The monkeys have left the jungle.”

  Budi tried to make sense of what Dewi was saying. Why would the monkeys leave their home? Where could they possibly go, apart from the human village?

  “Why?” Budi asked, voicing his confusion.

  “They are afraid,” Dewi said. “Of the fire. One of them told me to give you a message. He said to tell you that something bad is coming, whether you believe it or not.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Melati

  May 20, 1883

  Southern Sumatran Rain Forest