‘Sorry, of course you don’t know the names. The place I mentioned that has the hammer and sickle badge carved on a boundary stone. Just take it that the Major cannot under any circumstances whatsoever step foot on Thai territory. He will lead you down towards a big river, along a track to where the river is deep enough for boats with outboard engines to reach. They will take you downriver to where a helicopter will pick you up and fly you to Kuala Lumpur. So far, so good?’
Meng Ru cogitated for a while. ‘Is the Englishman as good in the jungle as you say he is in speaking Chinese? Are you sure that is the only way I can get there?’
‘First, there is none better than the Major, both for the language and for the jungle. You are not a jungle man so leave everything, everything there is, to him. As far as the route is concerned, I am one hundred per cent sure it is the only safe way and, moreover, if you say “no, that is not for me”, I will somehow have to abort the operation so stop the English Major from making an unnecessary journey.’
Meng Ru cogitated further. ‘How much of a risk is there going this way?’
I could strangle him if he says no. Ah Fat answered bluntly. ‘There are always risks but this way fewer than any other and more comfortable way. And I could ask you, how many risks were there in your coming all this way from China? You managed then, didn’t you? Six months, wasn’t it, on the way? Come on, this is only for maximum of ten days.’
Meng Ru had the grace to look abashed. ‘I accept. I will go as you say.’
They shook hands on it. ‘Now we must plan how best you can disappear without raising any suspicions.’
Major Rance left the CO’s office in, unusually for him, a vile temper, completely baffled by the refusal to let even three men go with him, gritting his teeth and looking like a man possessed. What has come over the fellow? he wondered. Had a row with his old woman? He can’t think that I’d be such an idiot to do anything of this nature behind his back! On his way to his company office he answered salutes punctiliously but those saluting him knew something was wrong, wrong, wrong. His company clerk saw the black look on his OC’s face. Not like him to look like that, is it? he said to himself as he turned back to the file he had open in front of him.
Rance, taking a grip of himself, sat down to look at his in-tray and a few minutes later the office runner came in with a mug of hot tea and put it on Jason’s table. ‘Major saheb. I have put an extra lot of sugar in this for you because from the look on your face when you came back from seeing the Commanding saheb I saw you needed it.’
Jason was enormously touched. ‘Keta, you were quite right but with this inside me I’ll be fine once more.’ He lifted the mug and took a sip. ‘Yes, you have had it made just as I like it.’ He looked at his watch. ‘Please give the 2 ic saheb my salaams.’
The office runner saluted and within a short while the Gurkha Captain came in. ‘Saheb, you sent for me.’
‘Gurkha Captain saheb, I did. Please be seated and listen to what I have to tell you. The first thing is that during the next week I am to hand over A Company to Major Kent saheb. After that I have to go on a secret operation, just for ten days, and on my return the Commanding saheb has just told me I must take my six months’ home leave.’
‘Saheb, we will all be sorry to see you go but if you are due home leave you have to take it.’
Jason made a little bow as an answer and continued, ‘and my second point is about the operation’ and out came the outline story. ‘Why I have been chosen is that the man who wants to defect will only do so if a Chinese-speaking Englishman escorts him and the General saheb wants to use me and my Chinese language ability for that reason. Saheb, you and I have been in the battalion together now since 1948 and we know each other well enough for intimate trust and respect – both ways. You are the only person I want to tell about what I am going to do. Please listen well. Perhaps you will ask me questions when I have finished.’
The Gurkha Captain looked at his company commander with puzzled, brooding eyes but said nothing as Major Rance got up and went to the map on the wall and pointed out the extent of the operation, where Betong was, the route he intended to bring the Cheena down the Sungei Perak for a boat pick-up prior to the heli flight for them to Kuala Lumpur. ‘It is top secret and only seven other people know about it, five in KL, here the Commanding saheb who seems angry with me because of it.’ Jason shrugged his shoulders. ‘The other person I have had to let know is the one we know as Moby. He has to know because I need to take two of the men who went with me to try and get that daku to surrender. They are Goh Ah Wah and Kwek Leng Ming. From here I needed Corporal Kulbahadur Limbu, Lance Corporal Minbahadur Gurung as my radio operator and my batman, Chakrabahadur Rai …’
Most unusually the Gurkha Captain interrupted. ‘Saheb, excuse me but this is madness. Only six people all that way. I know your planning principles you always work to, firm base, alternative and a reserve. Here your plan has none of those yet that is how you have decided to operate?’ A sudden thought struck him. ‘Or is that what you have been told to do?’
‘… Saheb,’ Jason continued remorselessly as though his 2 ic had not spoken. ‘The Commanding saheb has forbidden me to take any Gurkha at all. I must now ask Special Branch to let me have all four of the surrendered Cheena with me so that if we do meet any daku they, armed and wearing a daku cap with a star in front, can keep them occupied while I and the man I am escorting can quietly move out of the way. I am going to disobey the strict orders about not wearing enemy uniform by wearing a daku hat, the one with the peak and the red star.’
The Gurkha Captain broke in, taking the conversational initiative. ‘Saheb, can I go and tell the Commanding saheb this is wrong? How can you cope with just four surrendered Cheena daku? You’ll be on your own and out-numbered.’ He shook his head in frustration and in disgust. Can I say we all know that the CO does not like our saheb? Better not. He knows that himself.
‘Saheb, I thank you for your concern. No, please say nothing to anybody. I am only telling you in case I do not come back alive and you can get my home address from the office and get the clerk to write to my mother. My father is dead.’
The elderly Gurkha was stunned into disbelief. I did not know the gora sahebs could behave like this.
Jason smiled. ‘Saheb. I have a secret weapon: bluff! This is what I plan. If we are met by daku on our way up to the Thai border to collect this man I will tell them I’m deserting to their side with all the office secrets and if I meet them on the way down I’ll tell them I’m a Russian spy disguised as an Englishman going to penetrate the government because I was unhappy in Moscow. My new name will be Bluff Bahadur Rance,’ and he laughed so hard his company 2 ic had to join in, shaking his head with a sort of awe.
‘Now, let’s have a meeting to discuss the hand over to the new OC. I think he is due to report in on Wednesday the 15th so we don’t have much time for planning and getting everything ready.’
Jason decided to take rations that did not need cooking and to buy some self-heating soup. He would take some solid fuel cookers to light a fire at night to keep animals off. Normally guerrillas don’t move at night but if they do they use a fire brand or torch so we’ll be safe but, if it rains, uncomfortable. I’ll take an extra lot of oil to keep the insects off us. Weapon? I’ll decide later.
That same afternoon he phoned the Head of Special Branch. ‘Moby, during the war people in England were constantly told “Walls have ears” and so do phones. I simply must come and see you when you are free. When will that be?’
‘How about taking pot luck with me this evening?’ Moby was intensely proud at knowing that phrase.
‘Suits me fine. I’ll take the duty truck down and hope you can get me back from your resources.’
‘No bother. See you around 6.30.’
Jason and Moby sat at the dinner table and a sustaining meal of rice and curried chicken with vegetables from the garden were served by the Head of Special Branch’s serving maid, Leong Bik Fong, the middle-aged wife of one of Moby’s Special Branch detectives, Lee Kheng, a Communist ‘sleeper’. Jason told Moby that he had decided to tackle his operational problem differently from how he had originally told him.
‘Oh, so that’s why you have asked to come to see me?’ Moby asked, ‘how can I help you?’
Leong Bik Fong came to collect the dishes and bring in some fruit. Jason wondered how she had been so quick to come in when Moby had called her. She left and Moby repeated his question. Jason took a piece of paper out of his pocket and wrote ‘Keep talking’ on it. He leant over, showed it to Moby and got up, quietly tiptoeing towards the door which he opened abruptly – and in fell Leong Bik Fong who had had her ear to the keyhole. ‘That was quick of you,’ said Moby as he went over to the woman, now getting onto her feet and looking more than embarrassed. He severely upbraided her and told her to get back to her quarters. ‘I’ll consider what to do with you later,’ he told her as she shamefacedly left the room. ‘Her husband is one of my detectives. Could it be that the pair are not really working for me?’ Moby looked troubled then said, ‘That’s for me later on. Now tell me how I can help you.’
‘Moby, I have decided not to take any Gurkhas and instead take all four of the men I brought in that time.’
‘Jason, may I know why you have changed your mind?’
Jason hesitated. ‘Let’s keep that for later. I am thinking that with the four men on our way up if we are met by any guerrillas they can say they are escorting me, a turncoat government agent, on my way to joining the MCP in Betong. On the other hand, if we meet any on the way down, I’ll pretend to be a Russian emulating an Englishman to keep the struggle alive now the Baling peace talks have collapsed. The presence of Gurkhas would be out of place, especially one carrying a radio.’
‘Jason, you are one cool, cool operator. What does your CO think about that?’
Jason didn’t temporise. ‘It was his idea, What I want to know is if the four surrendered men are to act sincerely in good faith, is it possible to promise them not only a reward, as we have already managed for two of them, but permission to return to civilian life with no blot on their copybooks? No longer be Surrendered Enemy Personnel, SEPs. Let them be armed with a pistol each and ten rounds of .38 ammo – oh, and yes, get them all to carry a torch and a parang to cut with.’
‘I’d love to say “yes” but it is not up to me. I’ll have to find out from the omnipotent C C Too who will also have to delve even higher.’ He gave Jason a hard look. Something’s not right. He’s being loyal but then he would be, wouldn’t he? ‘When are you leaving?’
‘In five days’ time, on the 19th, a Sunday, early as I have asked for an air recce early in the afternoon. That means I must know the very latest on the Friday.”
Moby shook his head, got up and went to the phone. Jason heard an answering voice and recognised it as Mr Too’s. ‘Sir, sorry to bother you after hours but needs be et cetera. Veiled speech as time is short. I have the Southern Mountain Cannon with me. He has had to re-organise his planning, he’ll tell you in detail when he meets you in KL, but he is not taking any of his own people …’
Jason heard a splutter. ‘… You remember that man who was over ten feet tall? Yes, of course you do. The Cannon wants to take all four, not two, of those who were his. To pave the way for success and a happy group he is asking for these four to be regarded as carefree citizens with no extra obligations. Can you see any difficulties?’
‘Do these four know of this proposal?’
