The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water - Zen Cho Page 0,32

Tet Sang. When Guet Imm nodded, he said, with a vision of how Fung Cheung would look when he was recommended another fruitless quest, “And where does she live?”

“Kempas,” said Guet Imm triumphantly. “The husband left his family to join hers. See?”

It wasn’t unheard of for the son of a lower-status family to be absorbed into his wife’s household and lineage instead of the other way around. But … “Didn’t Yeoh Gaik Tin marry a rich man?”

“Chuah Siaw Loon. He’s a timber tycoon,” said Guet Imm. “It wasn’t a matter of money or name. It’s Sister Anitya’s character. If she wants to make the deal, it will happen. I just need to talk to her. If she’s anything like she was at the tokong, she will help.”

Tet Sang opened his mouth to protest, though he could feel his scepticism crumbling in the face of her certainty. Guet Imm was nothing like the Abbot at Permatang Timbul in almost every respect, but she shared with the Abbot the rare quality of a faith so potent that it gave off its own heat and light, dazzling onlookers. It was impossible not to trust that things would be as she said.

“This war has changed us all, sister,” he said, but it was the final gambit of one who knew himself defeated.

“The deity led us here,” said Guet Imm. “She won’t fail us. Let me try.”

They spoke to Fung Cheung, but Tet Sang thought it neither necessary nor advisable to inform the rest of the group about Guet Imm’s intention to attempt to parley with Yeoh Thean Tee’s daughter. Yet somehow, the news spread anyway.

The next morning, Ah Boon said to him, “The plan, with the Yeoh daughter … is it a good idea, Second Brother?”

There was no point asking how Ah Boon had heard of the plan. For all their differences, the brothers were united in their hatred of informers.

“You don’t like it?” said Tet Sang.

“Sister Guet Imm has good intentions,” said Ah Boon. “But why would Yeoh Thean Tee listen to his daughter, even if she asks him to forgive our debt? Anyway, most likely this daughter will simply call the mata on us. Then how?”

All of these points and more had occurred to Tet Sang. He’d expected Fung Cheung to rehearse the same arguments when Guet Imm presented the proposal to him the night before. Instead, Fung Cheung had said, “Why not? No doubt you will make an offering to your goddess before you go to see this woman, sister.”

“The deity will look after us,” said Guet Imm.

Fung Cheung nodded.

Tet Sang said dubiously, “You think it’s a good plan?”

“Oh, no. I think the plan makes no sense,” said Fung Cheung. “But to tell the truth, Ah Sang, I don’t know what to do also.” He raised his eyes to the sky. The full moon rode low among the clouds, giving off a white glow as pure as the light of the goddess’s face was said to be. “Since we are here anyway, it’s worth a shot. Who knows? Maybe Fate will give us a break.”

Here was the power of Guet Imm’s faith again, thought Tet Sang—or in other words, the power of superstition.

They decided that Guet Imm and Tet Sang would pay the visit. At least if they were hauled off by the mata, Fung Cheung would not be involved.

“Even if she sent us away, Sister Anitya wouldn’t do that,” said Guet Imm, but she didn’t object to it being the two of them. “I don’t think Brother Lau’s face would make much difference to her. She is not the kind to be swayed by that sort of thing.”

But Fung Cheung’s approval did little to lighten the atmosphere in the camp. Ah Yee was morose, despite the apology Guet Imm had made, and he was not the only one who was unhappy. A lingering discontent hung over the men.

“That woman has spoilt our peace,” said Rimau.

If this troubled Guet Imm, she did not show it. It seemed to be Tet Sang alone who felt himself to be on a fool’s mission when they set off for Yeoh Gaik Tin’s house. He tried to comfort himself with the thought that Yeoh Gaik Tin must indeed be an unusual person, if she was living with neither her husband’s nor her own family but had set up her own household.

It was an elderly woman who opened the door. She looked them over, frowning. From her aged samfu, she appeared to be an old retainer.

Tet