Indonesian Gold (42 page)

‘Promise?'

‘Yes,'
he replied,
patiently.

Satisfied, Angela took a sip of water, then asked,
‘Have you heard anything about the government's plan to renegotiate all existing mining
contracts?'

Stewart heard the words, the gravity of her statement
catching him totally off guard.

‘That's absurd!'
he
scoffed. He searched Angela's face for some sign that she was toying with him.

‘And that Jalan Cendana will pick up the majority of
whatever additional holdings the Mines Department manages to extract as a result of those
negotiations?'
Although her reference to the Palace added
substance to the suggestion, Stewart still refused to accept that the First Family would be so
naïve as to believe that they could plunder foreign mining ventures in Indonesia.

‘And you heard this from…?'
He left the words hanging, believing he already new the answer.

‘Let's say I overheard the President's son confirming that
he had full Palace support to arrange legislation, obliging mining companies to surrender a
greater share of the country's natural resources, and that the real purpose of the new law will
be to shift ownership of all successful, gold mining ventures.'

Stewart totally rejected the idea.
‘They'd never get
away with it.The suggestion's preposterous!'

‘Then we can finish here, now, and forget that we ever
had this conversation.'
Angela's disappointment was evident; she
looked out in the direction of
Pulau Edam,
the lighthouse nothing more than a vague,
miniature silhouette in the distance.

Stewart's jaw hardened. If what Angela said
were
true, there would be massive upheaval in the industry, with all of the concessions under
negotiation sure to be aborted – amongst these, two of his own clients.

‘Why me, Angela – why are you telling me?'
He searched her face for a sign, the message her eyes sent, fiercely
convincing.

‘Because there's more…'
Campbell
's cell-phone disrupted their conversation. He
raised his hand to interrupt, switching the mobile off.

‘Angela, before you go any further, I have to ask you
something.'
The question had been nagging him since the night
before.

‘Then ask,'
she
suggested, Stewart unable to detect the annoyance in her voice.

He drew a deep breath.
‘I am really curious as to what
you were doing there, last night?'

‘I just told you,'
her
impatience now evident.

‘No you didn't,'
he
argued.

Angela's eyes came alive.
‘I don't understand. Are you
asking me what I was doing there, or what was I doing there with the President's
son?'

‘Both,'
he answered,
lamely.

Angela shook her head in dismay.
‘You think I am
sleeping with him?'

As that was precisely what he had thought, he felt his
face color, turning in search of a waiter to cover his embarrassment.

‘Stewart!'

Reluctantly he turned to face her.
‘That's not what I
said.'

Angela was determined not to let him off the hook.
‘But, that's what you meant, wasn't it?'

‘No, it wasn't,'
he
lied.
‘Guess I felt that you were a little too anxious to have me disappear, that's
all.'

‘I told you, I would explain.'
Campbell
noted the exasperation in her tone.

‘
Okay, then let's get that out of the way
first.
'

‘All right, then, let's do that!'
she all but snapped.
‘I had been with a group of friends from the
Environmental Agency, fresh from the Mines' Minister's home. Enny Sutanto was there…'
Angela
paused when she realized that Campbell might not know the name.
‘The current Miss
Indonesia,'
she explained for his benefit.
‘That's where I overheard the
conversation.There was quite a gathering, the President's son indifferent to the fact that I was
present – guess he assumed that I was part of the usual trappings. When we felt it appropriate to
leave, the Minister's wife asked Enny and me to stay. I won't say I didn't understand why we were
asked to remain after the others had gone, it was just that I hadn't thought that far, my mind
preoccupied with what they plan to do with the foreign mining contracts.'

By now, he was totally absorbed in her
explanation.

‘Enny was also supposed to be at the Ball last night –
thankfully, she insisted on being given a few minutes to apologize to the Governor in person.
After all, he is her uncle. It had something to do with her responsibilities as Miss Indonesia. I
think she was going to sing, or whatever.'
Campbell
did not respond to this, indifferent to her role in the events of the
previous evening.
‘Stewart?'
Angela wanted to know that she had his full attention. He
nodded to signal that he had understood, and she continued.
‘It was Enny who became his date,
not me. I realized later that, had it not been for her insistence that she speak to the Governor
in person, today, my father might have had every right to be ashamed for me. They drove us to the
Ball after their meeting, staying long enough for Enny to apologize to her uncle, then return
with them.'

She paused long enough to take another sip of water,
before continuing.

‘I had no idea that you would be there, at the
Ball.When I saw you, I knew you would come over and start talking about what you do, or mention
gold mining. My God, Stewart, if they thought you and I were connected, that would have been
disastrous for me! Don't you know what they are capable of? That's why I couldn't
sleep.'
Her face fell.
‘I should phone Enny.We're not friends,
but I'd feel partly responsible if she met the same fate as that young actress.'

Stewart was familiar with the story. When one of the
Palace siblings discovered her husband having an affair with an emerging screen star, the girl
was murdered, her body placed on the back seat of a Mercedes, the message sufficient to keep the
President's daughters' stallions well behaved in their stables, for at least some
months.

‘You said there was more,'
he prompted.

Angela nodded sadly.
‘Yes, and for the Dayaks, an even
greater impact than all the precious gold yet to be found in Kalimantan.'

‘Go on,'
he urged, his
face grim.

‘One of the guests, I think it was General Sukirno, told
the Minister that the President had agreed to send Special Forces troops into Kalimantan to
protect a massive migration of Madurese settlers into the area.The President's son confirmed that
the timber tycoons have secured approvals to expand their concessions by more than a million
hectares. Stewart, do you realize what this will mean? They plan to strip even more of our land,
take the timber and in so doing destroy the environment, give the Madurese our property, and then
chase the Dayaks into the mountains!'

‘What was the connection with gold mining?'

‘That's how the conversation commenced. The Minister made
the comment to the President's son that one of the major difficulties foreign mining companies
faced was inadequate labor in the field. Stewart, I can still hear Sukirno's laughter when he
explained how the Palace had decided to rectify the so called labor problems.'

Campbell
considered what
Angela had said; accepting the depressing scenario she painted as highly probable, recalling that
Indonesia's history had been marked with many, parallel scenarios, when the country's generals
fought over the nation's wealth. He looked up, aware that Angela was monitoring his reactions.
‘Why are you really telling me all this, Angela?'
he asked, dropping his voice, and moving
his head to force direct eye contact.

She replied without hesitation.
‘I had not planned to
but, after seeing you there last night, I thought…'
she paused, stared out the window as if
searching for something or someone out there, then turned back and sighed.
‘I thought you
would understand.'
Angela hesitated again, before continuing, Stewart's gut telling him he
was about to learn what this meeting was really all about. Then, she asked,
‘What would happen
if the foreign mining companies got wind of what was planned?'

He sat stony-faced, staring across at Angela, her
expression washed with child-like innocence as she sat, elegantly poised, her long, black flowing
hair set in a waist-length pony tail, all too perfect a picture. In that moment, the realization
that he was being used became all too apparent. Disappointment written across his face, Campbell
signaled for a waiter, and ordered vodka for himself. Minutes passed, the ensuing silence rapidly
eroding whatever rapport they had built between them. The waiter returned, and he demolished half
the cocktail before returning to the conversation.

‘I thought you had sworn me to secrecy?'
he said, the sarcasm deliberate in his voice.

Angela looked away, again, as she spoke.
‘I was
referring to the fact that I was the source of information, Stewart.'

‘Why don't we just be honest here,'
he suggested,
‘you want me to be the conduit that alerts the foreign
miners to the proposed changes in ownership. Isn't that why you're really here?'
With one,
long swallow, he emptied the vodka and signaled the waiter for another.

‘I wish you wouldn't,'
Angela asked, her tone sincere.

‘Standard lunch procedure.'

The remark brought a concerned rebuke.
‘My father used
to drink a great deal.'

‘You're digressing,'
he
accused.

‘Dayaks produce their own alcohol,'
she continued, ignoring his remark.
‘Both the women and men drink, but
mainly on ceremonial occasions.'

‘And you father doesn't drink at all, anymore?'

Angela's face became expressionless.
‘He does what he
wishes,'
was all she said.

‘So, he still drinks?'
he persisted.

‘When he wants.'
The
absence of warmth in her response caused Campbell to steer the conversation back to the
troublesome issue at hand.
‘Was I right in saying that you want me to warn the mining
companies?'
he pressed.
‘You think that, by revealing what's planned, the foreign mining
companies would seek their own government's intervention to prevent acquisition of their
assets?'

‘Yes,'
she answered,
flatly.

‘And that's the only reason?'

Angela shook her head.
‘No.'

‘Then what else?'

‘I wanted to see you again.'

‘Really?'
He refused to
disguise his skepticism.

‘It's true.'

‘Then, why did you refuse to return my calls last
year?'

****

Angela's mind revisited that time of confusion, unable to
explain what had prevented her from seeing him on that day. Even if he
had
arrived in time
to keep their appointment, Angela would still not have met with him, her interpretation of the
vivid dream a clear warning that he was not ready – and of this, she had been absolutely
convinced.

Shortly thereafter, Angela had moved to Jakarta and
entered government service with the Environment Agency, where her request to be engaged in issues
relating to Kalimantan was granted. She had soon proven her worth, attracting the Minister's
attention and rewarded with the recognition she deserved. Within the year, Angela Dau's
credentials as a dedicated research analyst were highly respected. Although her determined style,
and stands on issues that contradicted departmental policy did attract occasional criticism from
vested interest groups, she was forgiven, her youth and beauty carrying her through.

Angela had dated, but always avoided serious involvement.
As attractive as she was, Angela was not popular with men of her age, her independent nature and
strong will, traits the younger men abhorred. When Stewart Campbell ceased leaving messages,
Angela regretted not having returned his calls. And, although her attraction to him in no way
diminished as the year wore on, she refused to accept the distraction, prioritizing, driven by
her commitment to find solutions for the dilemmas facing the Dayaks in her beloved
Kalimantan.