Guet Imm looked piteous. “But I don’t have anywhereelse to go. Brother”—she meant Fung Cheung—“caused me to lose my job.” Another thought struck her. “And you saved my life! That’s two reasons why you have to look after me now.”
Tet Sang’s brow furrowed. “Wait, how does that even—”
“Don’t worry, brother. I won’t be a burden. I’ll make myself useful. I learnt how to cook at the coffeehouse. And,” the nun added, with rather more confidence, “I’m great at cleaning!”
“We’re roving contractors,” said Tet Sang. “We havenothing to clean.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” said Guet Imm, looking at Tet Sang’s clothes in an unflattering way. “Contractors, huh? I thought you were bandits. What kind of contract work do you do? Building houses, stuff like that?”
“More ‘stuff like that,’” said Fung Cheung. It was evident the nun amused him.
This was a bad sign. Fung Cheung would do anything for a laugh. Tet Sang glared at him, but before he could say anything, Ah Boon intervened.
“Maybe it’s not such a bad idea, Big Brother,” he said to Fung Cheung. “It gets boring, just us men. A woman in the group could contribute something different. She says she’ll make herself useful. I’m sure she can help us out—do more than cooking and cleaning. You won’t mind being kind to us, right, little sister?”
Ah Boon chucked the nun under her chin. It was likewatching an idiot child pull a tiger’s tail. Tet Sang leant back.
But Guet Imm kept her hands in her lap. She looked puzzled, but after a moment, her face cleared.
“Oh, you mean sex!” she said. “Would you want me to have sex with you?”
“No!” said Tet Sang.
“Yes?” said Ah Boon.
“Maybe,” said Fung Cheung.
Guet Imm considered it. “I can do that. I’ve never done it before, but it can’t be difficult, right? Even cats and dogs know how to do.
“Of course,” she added, “as a devotee of the Pure Moon, I vowed when I first shaved my head that I would have no profane intercourse with men. If I break my vow to the deity, I must make sure to cleanse myself afterwards. I would need to make a sacrifice each time.”
“We’re very open in this company,” said Fung Cheung. “Everyone can practise their religion, no problem. You ask Rimau; we never eat pork.”
“Correct,” said Rimau, who had fallen asleep last night after three gourds of beer.
“She means,” said Tet Sang, “she’d have to chop off the dick of any man she fucked.”
“That’s right,” said Guet Imm, approving of his acuity. “You’re very clever about our doctrine, brother! Are you a follower also?”
“There was a tokong of the Pure Moon in the town where I grew up,” said Tet Sang.
“Chop off ourdicks?” said Ah Boon.
“It’s how I would wash out the sin,” explained Guet Imm. “Using the men’s blood. Strictly, my teacher would say I must do the cleansing even if I didn’t go so far as to have the profane intercourse. Even thinking of betraying my vows is enough! If we are being strict, I should make the sacrifice now you’ve raised the subject.”
She directed a speculative look at Ah Boon’s crotch but shook her head. “But I think that’s too rigid. Let’s see what happens. I am homeless, I have nowhere to go. I’m sure the deity will close one eye on this occasion.
“Of course, if she doesn’t, we’ll soon find out,” she said brightly. “The deity is amazing. There was one time this novice at my tokong stole the joss sticks to eat—she was always a bit weird—and before anyone even found out, her father’s house burnt down! The family lost everything.”
“We can’t take her,” said Ah Boon to Fung Cheung.
But Tet Sang had read the signs right. Fung Cheung hadn’t been that interested in the sex. He’d already made up his mind. He replied:
“You may enjoy Ah Yee’s cooking, but I’m getting fed up.”
“Big Brother, if you don’t want me to cook, I don’t have to do it,” said Ah Yee in a throbbing voice.
“Don’t be stupid,” said Tet Sang. “Your food is disgusting, but nobody else can do it.”
