Chapter 1
A Chinese spy

That Chinese had been following me since the very beginning. First I was not surprised to meet him everywhere. When I found myself alone by a green pond in the jungle and dreamed of taking a bath – he was there too. When I was picking the last piece of pineapple in the hotel restaurant – he was right next to me, a fork in his hand. Whom did I come across on an empty path fleeing from an attack of leeches in the jungle? ... Him. He was always looking surprised by my sight. With his eyes wide open, he would say something like:

- Hello, how are you?

‘How are you’ on an empty jungle road where not a soul could be encountered within half a mile? ... ‘How are you’, when I secretly tried to strip naked and dip in the pond? ... I walked away from the camp and found a quiet retreat. I hardly had put my soap, shampoo and towel on the ground when out of the blue a familiar figure appeared. The fellow was far from turning round to let me wash freely. On the contrary, he was again staring at me with his eyes wide open with curiosity and asked innocently:

- Hello, how are you?...

- I’m fine, thank you – I grunted, angry that even for a moment I cannot be by myself. Besides, it was quite clear, I think, what I was going to do in that pond after a few days’ crossing through the jungle where not a single stream could be found – I desperately needed water to brush my teeth.

I took off my boots and socks. Taking hold of my trousers, I signalled the Chinese man that I was going to strip off my clothes. I glanced at him for the last time. His curiosity was even bigger. Resolved to look him in the eyes, I undid the button and the fly. Turn round, man! Nothing.

Then I went back into thorny bushes where, putting on a swimming costume I was hissing with pain and anger while thorns were biting into my naked skin. Even then I did not realize that the presence of that Chinese man was by no means accidental. Who would be spying on me and why? There was a reason, however, and it was worth making all the efforts he eventually had to make.

For the time being I knew nothing of that. I must admit, however, that I first had a funny feeling when, having spent a couple of weeks in the jungle, I was left all by myself. All the off-road car teams taking part in the Rainforest Challenge rally through the Dinosaur Jungle in Malaysia – the one I was also invited to – packed their temporary camps and went away. The vehicle and the rest of the team I belonged to got lost in the jungle. So there I was, alone in a field gradually deserted by the last Toyotas and Land Rovers which took no time in withdrawing towards the track. Sitting by our belongings and trying to hide from the scorching sun, I watched an English team disappearing round a bend, followed by Spanish, Italian, Uruguayan and Malay vehicles... . Somebody waved at me. I waved back and cuddled up to a backpack. I had to wait.

The sun reached its zenith. It was so awfully hot that birds hid in soothingly cool branches, even flies, breathing heat, lazily moved around with their mouths wide open. I looked longingly towards the river. It was too far to take a risk and move away from the camp. I sipped the rest of warm water in the bottle. It tasted of the deposit from a pot in which we cooked our daily soup. We ran out of mineral water long ago. The food boxes contained only instant meals and a few packets of crackers. Thinking of food made my mouth water. The last car was just crossing a ravine full of mud. The wheels spun for a moment in slippery clay, then feverishly, as if they also yearned to get out of the Dinosaur Jungle back to civilization, caught a piece of dry earth, climbed and rushed forward.

The roar of the engine faded away behind the thick forest. Cicadas sounded searchingly. Something flew with a flutter of wings but landed instantly to wait for the heat to subside.
The jungle seemed to fall asleep, waiting for a freshening breeze at dusk. ‘What do I do?’ I thought. The baggage of the Polish team lay under a heavy blue plastic foil. There were camp beds, a gas stove, a few pairs of muddy shoes and black socks that used to be white. I guess they belonged to Chris, our Chinese driver.

If a heavy monsoon rain pours in the coming night as it usually does, I am likely to slide down into the nearby ravine with all the bags and cases. No way I can build a camp by myself. You need at least eight strong arms, a few wooden piles and a car roof to fix the foil to. Luckily, today the sun has been shining all day ... .

The silence that fell was so overwhelming that a buzz of an awaken fly sounded like a thunderstorm. All of a sudden I recalled stories whispered by the fire about a grey beast that attacked the guides marking the rally route. The beast repeatedly appeared in various sites and then disappeared before they could approach it. Soon the beast became even bolder. Then they realized that the animal does not belong to any of the species they know of. Looking like a giant jaguar or tiger, it moved fast and silent. It followed the guides’ footsteps wherever they went. One night they carelessly left a pot with some food over an extinguished fire. When something soft stealthily sneaked between the tents , they thought it was a shadow of a cloud covering the moon. However, when the cloud reached the middle of the camp and with one move of the jaws cracked the pot as if it were a nut, they realized the time had come. An improper gesture, sound or smell might have brought bad luck on them. They could not control anything anyway. Their bodies began shaking feverishly. The cluttering of their teeth could be heard echoing far into the jungle, while their eyes were flooded with sweat. Hesitating for a moment, as if it were listening to something in the jungle, the beast turned back and silently withdrew from the camp.

But it was still there. It lived, it breathed, perhaps it already followed me. I hoped the scorchingly hot sun would make the animal as sleepy as me. If it was so, I had time until dusk. I knew I had to do something instead of sitting on a heap of bags and cases. A red signalling lamp lit in my head. I was petrified. I could hear someone’s feet shuffling roughly among entangled bushed somewhere on my left. The sound was rougher than that produced by iguana’s paws or bird’s wings. I turned my head. The shuffling stopped for a while so I took no time to release a flock of my thoughts. I was confident they would find a solution.

My situation is simple. All by myself in the middle of the jungle, I have no map or vehicle. I have no idea where the Polish team got lost and when they will come up. I don’t know whether, searching for the way back, they manage to locate the deserted camp, or using the maps, find another route leading them out of the jungle. They don’t know that I am waiting for them here. There is a chance they decide to come back for their baggage. On the other hand, they may have thought that the other cars carried their belongings to a safe place.

The flock of my thoughts returned and galloped in the opposite direction. It was a well-tried method for a panoramic assessment of a situation. Let go all your thoughts free and watch them fly in search of a grazing spot.

... Why then the rally bosses left me here alone? Aren’t they responsible for the safety of all the participants and their vehicles? Are there any regulations about this? May a team be left by themselves, not to speak of one single living human being?
Something strange is happening here ... . Driving away, everybody was waving at me while I was sitting on a heap of luggage. I said I was waiting for the Polish team that got lost in the jungle.

- Okay, okay – they responded with some impatient joy, sick and tired of mud, rain and impassable tracks. No wonder they yearned to get back to civilization as soon as possible. – See you later !...

Only then these words seemed preposterous to me. Folks! You are leaving me here alone in an empty camp in the jungle, with no car, no communications, and you wish me to see you later? ... In heaven I presume?...

The flock of my galloping thoughts stopped again and dozens of hoofs hit my forehead inside. There was something moving in the bushes again. Something really big. Its weight crushed branches and broke creepers. I got up. It was no use running away. Defenseless, I decided to watch and wait. Would that big tiger as gray as smoke push through thick bushes instead of stealing up silently from a different direction? ... Unless it was a tiger ... . Unless ... . Would the Polish team be coming surreptitiously, without honking joyously? ...
I pressed my elbows against my body and tensed my muscles. The movement suddenly stopped. The wind combed ruffled tree branches. It became quiet again. The Dinosaur Jungle played a game with me to see how strong I was. I squinted my eyes. Pull the other one. I can control my fear. I know the jungle as I have spent many months of my life in it. I will not get frightened, I will not be scared away, I will not be defeated.

I scanned the surroundings. The trees, bushes and grass were overwhelmed by the thick tropical peace. Termites were patiently eating away trees from the inside, caterpillars were chewing leaves, whilst the other creatures were taking a nap in the shade, waiting for the heat to pass. I imagined a huge leech that might have been sent by the jungle to meet me. It had jaws as big as a main water supply pipe and huge oval black body, which strived to push through the bushes, but dried up due to the scorching sun. The leech will probably continue creeping forward in the evening when it absorbs the dampness of the dusk. I will have time to prepare myself to receive the creature. I will perhaps go hunting. I threw one last examining look at the thicket where the noise had been coming from. Whatever it was – a giant leech or just my imagination – it stopped and got silent. I was not as stupid as horror film heroes who would always put their heads into the lion’s jaws or approach an alien to see if it was alive and then they would get attacked.
I turned around and was petrified.

There was a silver car standing opposite me. It was completely different from those taking part in the rally. The offroad vehicles reminded me of tanks – equipped with extra pipes, strengthenings, front and rear winches, covered with stickers from sponsors and mud collected over several weeks. This one was neat, shiny and looked like a dream. I just couldn’t believe my eyes. Was it a mirage, an imagining caused by my dehydrated mind?
The dimmed window on the driver’s side lowered. Cool fragrant air from the air conditioning burst outside, and amidst its fumes I heard a voice:

- Hello, how are you?

The familiar voice of the Chinese! It was then that I fully realized that the moment I had set my foot in Malaysia that man from China had been appearing in my life in the strangest and most surprising circumstances. He seemed to be exactly where I was. I inhaled deeply intending to say, even shout something to him, something like: ”Ah, it’s you. Why are you following me?...”, but before I did, the Chinese put out his hand with a small carton of juice.

- Have some drink – he said.

The carton was cold, covered with droplets of humidity. All I had drunk since the morning were a few sips of warm water smelling of barley soup. My body craved for humidity and a bit of cool. I gulped the juice sucking it through a tiny pipe and felt that life was coming back to my body. The life tasted orange.

Tłum. Janusz Kłosiński