The traveller moves further into Borneo en route to Belaga, 100km northeast of Kapit along the Ranjang River. They encounter talk of jungle spirits on their journey.
Belaga is a small place on the edge of the rainforest. One can reach there only by water. The traveller, picturing themselves as a new Livingstone, becomes excited at the thought of such isolation. They take their seat in the river craft, unaware of the whispering man behind them.
The landscape intrigues the traveller. So does the atmosphere. An inquisitive presence notes this perplexion. ‘The river, it’s important to us,’ says the newcomer. Their eyes gleam with elemental cunning. They motion towards the rainforest. The forest broods impassively as the river churns at its feet.
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‘Jungle spirits,’ continues the monologue. ‘There are strange currents here. The spirits are unhappy.’ Logging operations run wild in Borneo, and the traveller recalls the devastation wrought around Kapit. Acres of verdant forest lost forever to the whims of development.
‘Jungle spirits have existed here for a long time. They have power. You see them, you understand. They will not let things change,’ the newcomer states. Quiet defiance imbues her words with the quality of steel.
The traveller, their mind racing with notions of dark jungles, ancient folklore and an unknowable quest, wonders what form of revenge lurks in Belaga.
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