21
As a result of the state of emergency, Reggie insisted that Bintang or, if he were otherwise engaged, one of the house servants, accompany Jasmine and Mary when they walked to the school. The following morning, the three set off in blazing sunshine and entered the gloom of the forest.
The two women walked in front and Bintang followed behind. Sunshine broke through the dense canopy of trees and formed pools of light on the forest floor. Butterflies danced in the shafts of sunlight, their iridescent wings shimmering like bright jewels: emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
Jasmine breathed in the air – clear and light up here at the top of the island, but with an underlying smell of decaying leaves and dampness that was not unpleasant.
After a few minutes, Mary broke the silence. ‘I wonder
