“Why does she need a disguise? She’s not on a wanted poster,” said Tet Sang. He looked at Guet Imm. “You aren’t, are you?”
The nun shook her head. “I never broke a law in my life, brother!”
“I doubt that,” said Tet Sang drily. To Fung Cheung he said, “So long as she doesn’t wear the wig, we’ll be okay. There’ll be other monks and nuns on the streets of Sungai Tombak. The only difference is she won’t be begging for money.”
“Okay,” said Fung Cheung.
He glanced at the nun as though he wondered whether she’d put a jampi on Tet Sang. But Guet Imm paid no attention to Fung Cheung. She was gazing at Tet Sang, her brow creased.
Ah Boon and Rimau were content to wait at the sundry shop where they’d dropped off the rice while Tet Sang went into the town centre to deliver the valuables. Of course, they did not miss the opportunity to lecture Guet Imm hilariously about brothels.
“Make sure you pick a decent one, with clean girls! Don’t let the madam cheat you!”
Tet Sang and Guet Imm left them drinking beer and playing cards with the sundry-shop owner.
For a time, Tet Sang and Guet Imm walked in silence, the nun stealing looks at Tet Sang while he pretended not to notice. They’d set out early that morning, when it was still dark, but now it was getting light, the rising sun turning the sky silver. Acres of rubber plantations and scrub unfolded on both sides of the road. Though the trees were recent arrivals, they might have been there forever—the silence of a much older forest breathed from them.
Guet Imm broke it, saying, “Thank you, brother.”
Tet Sang did not bother feigning incomprehension. “So long as you find the ointment. I’m sick of being pummelled by Ah Boon like I’m a side of beef.”
“He knows what the ointment is called,” said Guet Imm. “I wrote it down for him. Ah Boon is educated—he went to school until twelve years old.”
“I know.”
Guet Imm gave him a sidelong look. “Why did you help me, brother?”
“Herbalists sell rags, right?” said Tet Sang. “You’re going to get in trouble if you keep tearing off parts of your robe.”
Menstruation was subject to no taboos in the Order of the Pure Moon, since it was an affliction most of the devotees shared. No doubt even the deity suffered from her monthly visitations. Guet Imm was more taken abackthan embarrassed, and after a moment, even surprise was overtaken by outrage.
“But I was so careful!” she said. “I walked so far every day to find somewhere to wash the rags, so people wouldn’t notice. I thought you all would mind!” She spoke with disgust at the wasted effort. “If I knew you didn’t care, I wouldn’t have tried to hide it. I only did it because I thought you all would be sensitive.”
“Maybe the others would be sensitive. But they haven’t realised,” said Tet Sang. “You were careful.” And the men were not observant when it came to these matters. Tet Sang knew from experience that they would miss far more obvious symptoms than Guet Imm had displayed. Either she was one of those happy persons whose periods gave them little trouble, or her stoicism over her blistered feet extended to cramps and cold sweats. She had shown no sign of enduring agonies.
Guet Imm eyed him suspiciously. “How didyouknow?”
“Herbs,” said Tet Sang. “What else would you pick kacip fatimah for?” A new thought struck him. The cut of the votarial robeswasvery forgiving… “Unless you’re pregnant?”
“No!” said Guet Imm, insulted. “Do I look like a vow-breaker to you, brother?”
“It’s hard to follow the gods’ rules in these times,” said Tet Sang. “Not everybody can manage perfect virtue.”
His tone was mild, but he intended it as a reprimandand Guet Imm took his meaning. She went quiet, but she kept glancing at Tet Sang, until against his better judgment he said:
“What is it?”
“Nothing,” said Guet Imm. Then: “You’re more perceptive than you look, brother.”
Tet Sang grunted. But as he had known would happen, Guet Imm took his question as an open invitation to talk about her feelings.
“All this time, I thought you hated me,” she said.
Tet Sang felt there had been quite enough conversation already. But under the nun’s expectant gaze, the words unspooled from him, almost without his volition. “I don’t give money to people I hate.”
“But you don’t want me around.”
“Sungai Tombak is a nice town,” said Tet Sang. “Have you been here before?”
