Luke had come out. He was standing on the balcony in front of the door. On one side of him stood John and on the other Muriel.
When Karia appeared there was a momentary silence. She made her way to the balcony steps, Tamarisk and I following. She stood there beside Luke.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It’s something to do with Jaco, it seems,” said Luke.
“I gather they want him. He can’t stand on his feet. I can’t understand what it is they are asking.”
Karia held up a hand. It was amazing what dignity and authority she maintained.
She addressed the crowd, and we guessed she was asking them what they wanted of the mission. They began shouting but Olam held up his hand and they were immediately silenced.
He spoke to Karia and she replied. Then she turned to Luke and the Havers.
She said: “They want Jaco. He has some special duties in tonight’s celebration. He has trained for it and he has to be there.”
“He can’t stand on that leg,” said Muriel.
“It’s imperative that he rests it. How can the bone set otherwise? He can’t ” They want him,” said Karla.
“They shall not have him,” replied Luke.
Karla was frowning.
“They won’t understand,” she said. Then she addressed the crowd. I knew she was explaining to them that Jaco had broken his leg and that the people at the mission were mending it but it was not ready yet.
There was silence and the crowd began to talk together excitedly.
“They want him brought out,” said Karla.
“He is sleeping peacefully,” said Muriel firmly, ‘and he cannot be brought out here. He has to keep that leg in position and still. “
Karla tried again. She talked for a long time. Then she turned to Luke.
“They say you claim you can make him well. You have special powers.
They want to see him. “
Luke replied: “We will not allow him to be brought out. To stand on the leg at this time would be disastrous. Can you make them understand that?”
“They believe in magic certainly. I can see that they are not sure whether you have greater powers than their spirits. When old Mahe fell he was crippled for life and you say you can save Jaco from that. They are wavering. They have doubts of you and yet they know the white men have powers which they do not possess. Olam is pondering as to what he should do. This is a matter of great importance to him. He is the one with the power and you are promising them a miracle. We must go very carefully. Olam might bring his men in and take Jaco away with them.”
“We shall not allow him to do that,” said Luke.
Karla lifted her shoulders.
“The three of you … myself … these young ladies? Look at those people out there, armed with spears. What do you think will happen? We have to bargain. But it may be that they will insist on taking the boy.”
“No, no, no,” said Luke.
Karia turned to the crowd. She told us afterwards what she said. She made a bargain. The mission people said they could cure Jaco. They could make his leg as new but they must have time. Their spell would not work in a day or two. Olam and the rest, in time, would see what they could do. But if they insisted now, if they did not leave Jaco in the hands of the white men, he would be crippled all his life. He would hate those who had spoiled his life and there would be bitter resentment throughout the island. They should go away. They should find someone who could be at the ceremony and perform those duties which would have been Jaco’s. Jaco must be given a chance to see if the white man’s cure was a good one.
There was a great deal of whispering among the crowd.
Then Karia turned to Luke.
“He wants you to swear to cure Jaco.”
“Of course, we’ll swear to do everything we can to cure him.”
“It’s only a simple fracture,” added Muriel.
“I can’t see that anything can go wrong. The boy is young, his bones are strong. It is almost certain that he will make a complete recovery.”
“They want you to swear,” said Karia, looking intently at Luke, ‘to swear on your blood. You know what that means? “
“What?” asked Luke.
“If he is not completely cured you will die yourself.”
“I die?”
“You will fall on your spear if you have one, or you will walk into the sea and not come back. It’s an oath they want. If your gods fail you, as you did not hand over Jaco to take his part in the sacred ceremony, you will have failed to honour your oath. The only thing you can do then is die.”
“I’ve never heard such nonsense,” said Muriel.
“It’s either that or they take Jaco now.”
“They are not going to take Jaco,” said Luke firmly.
“All right. Tell them, I swear on my blood.”
Karia told them and turned back to Luke. He was asked to hold up his right hand while they chanted what sounded like a dirge.
Then Olam inclined his head and, turning, led his followers away.
We were left standing on the balcony, bemused, but relieved because the torch-led gathering was disappearing into the trees and all we could see was the flickering of the flames as it gradually receded.
Luke spoke first.
“What a show!” he said.
“It was horrible,” replied Tamarisk.
“We certainly saw a bit of local colour,” commented Luke.
Tamarisk said: There isn’t any doubt, is there? Jaco’s leg will get better. “
“It will be all right as far as I can see,” answered Muriel.
“So long as he doesn’t get up and do some damage.”
“I wish it were over,” said Tamarisk.
“Do you think they’ll come back?” asked Muriel.
“No,” said Karia firmly.
“The matter is ended for tonight. You have made your pact. Olam is satisfied. He does not want to quarrel with the mission. At the same time he does not want his authority undermined. This is a challenge. If the boy recovers completely, you will have done good work. Such a thing would bring people to you more quickly than anything else. I hope the boy did not hear all that was going on.”
“He had some pain last night and I gave him a little laudanum to help him sleep,” Muriel told us.
“That’s good,” said Karia.
“He shouldn’t know there was all this fuss.
It might upset him. ” She looked from me to Tamarisk and went on: ” I think we should try to get a little sleep before morning. “
Tamarisk laid her hand on Luke’s arm.
“It’s all right,” he said.
“I’ll defeat the witch doctor.”
“That boy’s leg must be all right,” said Tamarisk earnestly.
“There is no earthly reason why it should not,” insisted Muriel.
“Come,” said Karla.
“Your father will be anxious.”
“He will know something is happening,” I said.
We made our way back to the house where he was waiting up for us.
“What happened?” he asked.
“It was old Olam.”
“The ceremony?”
“He wanted to take the boy Jaco there.”
My father grimaced.
“Sit down awhile,” he said.
“I don’t think any of us is going to get much sleep tonight. What about a spot of brandy? You all seem as if you could use it … all of you.”
Karla said: “You’re right when you say if we go to bed we shan’t sleep.”
We went to my father’s study and Karla poured out the brandy while she told my father what had happened.
“Old Olam in all his war paint. I don’t like that.”
“The spears were terrifying,” said Tamarisk.
“And they held them as though they were ready to charge. Karla was wonderful.”