SMOKE AND FIRE

2B - LOST AND FOUND

New Cast:
Master Ah Fook: Captain of the Chinese Jungkong : The Flying Panda.

Captain Carl: An English Captain of Pegasus V.

Bapa Sukardi: One of the Elders hails from Turtle Island.

............

"Selamat sore Bapa Karno!" A thin man known as Bapa Sukardi who alighted from the long boat a moment ago, met Bapa Karno in front of the hut.

Karno's men were standing behind him fully armed with bow and arrows as well as lances and machetes.

"Selamat Sore juga Bapa Sukardi.." he replied taking a quick look at the men still aboard the long boat, "What is going on? Who are those men?"

"Those are Tuan Robert's men, Bapa Karno. They have come for the teakwood that you have collected so far."

Tuan Robert was an Englishman who owned a small shipyard at Turtle Island catering for minor ship repairing. Almost all ship that sailed through Java Sea and needed repair berth at Turtle Island.

The dock was well equipped, good workmansbip at reasonable pricing.

"But we promise you to come and collect the timber by tomorrow afternoon. Beside we have only less than 30 logs here at the moment while the rest are still out in the forest." Explained Bapa Karno. He saw five three European men disembarked from the long boat.

Two of the European men were taller wearing a funny looking uniform; dark blue trousers with white long stripes on its side, also wearing dark blue coats with chevrons on their sleeves. Each having a long sword, a pistol on his side and a tricorn hat.

The third one look-like an European from a far but as he came nearer, he was a Punjabi rifleman.

"Tuan Walter! Captain Carl! This is Bapa Karno, the man I told you about!" Turning to Bapa Karno, they shook hands.

"So... do we have an agreement? We have to hurry, you know! We need to get those logs to the dock on double time and start repairing our ship by tomorrow's morning!"

Bapa Karno was not really fluent in English but at least he could understand a little or rather guess what was in their minds.... rather awesome.

In the meantime Bapa Sukardi tried to explain to Bapa Karno in plain simple local dialect.

Three minutes later, the deal was agreed and Bapa Karno received a quarter of the deal in five silver coins.

Bapa Karno gathered all the boys, explained to them the deal saying, "At least we don't have to carry all the logs down stream."

While they were discussing their bounty, Bapa Sukardi and the three gentlemen proceeded back to the makeshift jetty supervising the loading of teakwood logs into their long boat.

"I wonder how they could carry 28 logs of heavy teakwoods into one longboat," commented Bobby.

"Don't you worry Mas Bobby .. look!" Bapa Karno said pointing downstream; where two longboats were approaching the jetty with more men aboard, with smoke emitting from its single chimney that seemed to chock the river bank.

"They must be so desperate to have the logs by morning."

"They must be Mas Azis... these men are seafarers. Their ship is their life so we can expect them to be aggresive in their dealing."