Several years had passed, Professor Rumble received a telephone call from his old friend, Boran Ngem, with some exciting news about a recent discovery in his native Cambodia. Although Boran was an archaeologist, he had a passion for chemistry and science, which was why he and Norm had gotten on so well.
Professor Rumble had spent the last few years engrossed in his work and had spent little time keeping in contact with old friends, except for keeping tabs on his colleague, Ian Wimutt’s research.
Borans phone call was a nice distraction.
“Hello Norman, this is Boran, How are you old my old friend?”
“Boran!” exclaimed Norm, “I am fine, it is great to hear from you after all this time, to what do I owe this unexpected, but welcome call?”
“Norman I have made a great discovery in Angkor Thom, but I would like your expertise in some diagnostics. I know your techniques could assist me and it would be great to see you again”.
Rumble stroked his face and sat back, deep in thought. He looked around at his lab, his cocoon for many years.
“Ok Boran,” said Norm and announced “I will book a flight. Do I need to bring anything with me?”
“Just you, my friend,” chuckled Ngem.
“Will you book me a hotel?” enquired Rumble
“No need, you will stay with my wife, Roth and I, we have a large house in Siem Reap. . . . and I insist.” said Boran.
“How can I refuse an invitation like that? I will book my flight and be there in a couple of days.”
“We will pick you up at the airport, see you soon” said Boran.
Norman, intrigued, made his way out of the lab and into his adjacent apartment ‘It will be a nice break’, he thought as he put on his Trilby hat and went into the Auckland streets and to a travel agent.
He took a flight one week later and left a cold New Auckland International Airport behind and flew in a Fokker Friendship to Duong Muang Bangkok International Airport, there he chartered a small private L-410 turbo prop and flew to a small airport outside Siem Reap, Cambodia.
****
A smiling Boran and his wife Roth, warmly greeted him and they drove 6km south to Siem Reap town, to Borans house.
They sat and chatted about Borans discovery whilst Roth and her sister, Theary, prepared a meal. Boran, excited about the amazing discovery, which had left him and his team confused and intrigued. What he’d uncovered could prove him correct and, with Rumbles help, turn it from just a theory to a 100% fact. They ate and chatted until early evening and an exhausted professor Rumble retired to bed for a blissful night’s sleep.
Norman was awoken by Theary the next morning with a steaming hot cup of tea. He thanked Theary, who couldn’t speak English but smiled and left his room. ‘She is pretty’ thought Rumble, about Borans seventeen year-old sister in-law. He showered, dressed and went downstairs, where an eager Boran, dressed in hiking boots, thick cotton trousers and shirt, waited.
“Here Norm, put these on, they should fit,” said Boran, handing Norman the same attire.
They drove off in Borans small Fiat towards a temple at Angkor Thom. The journey took about 20 minutes along a main road and then Boran took a sharp left turn and entered the jungle. The small car bumped and twisted its way through dense foliage and stopped in front of a large Dipterocarp tree.
“On foot from here, I’m afraid," said Boran as he exited the car, machete in hand.
They hiked through the dense jungle for about an hour, until they came across a large ridge. Boran picked up a rope that had been tied off to a tree and both he, and Rumble, abseiled down about 50 feet, until they reached the ground. Norm looked around and noticed a large cave that Boran started to head toward
“Wow!” exclaimed Norm, “how did you ever manage to find this?”
“We found mosaics in Angkor Wats catacomb that appeared to be some kind of map” said Boran, “we just followed the directions and hey presto,”
They reached the cave mouth and continued inside and walked along a pre lit corridor.
“My team are already here, they lit the torches on the wall, but we have another climb I’m afraid,” said Boran.
****
They reached the end of corridor and the sight that greeted Rumble took his breath away. A large precipice dropped away to reveal a large cavern, which Rumble estimated to be about the size of approximately eight English football pitches, and seemed as high as the Empire State Building. The cavern was littered with stalagmites and stalactites and what appeared to be small shelters and houses that appeared to be of constructed from wood and rocks. The archaeological team had rigged up a generator which clunked away in the distance and powered several lines of 40kw bulbs strewn around the centre of the stalactites, which illuminated parts of the cavern. The two friends climbed down a makeshift ladder and after approximately 100 yards reached the cavern floor. Norm heard the sound of running water and saw a large waterfall in one corner of the precipice that flowed into a large lake, the water appeared milky brown and hazy under the string of 40kw bulbs. The pair walked over to the lake, Rumble noticed the end of the lake tapered off and the water disappeared underneath the cavern wall. Boran looked at the amazed expression on the face of his usually calm and composed colleague and instructed
“Taste it Norm. It’s safe we have tested it.”
Rumble cupped his hands and scooped up the cool water and took a drink. The cool water refreshed him from the searing Cambodian heat.
“Where does it come from and where does it lead?” asked Norm.
“There is a larger waterfall at the top of a small mountain and we traced the flow of water to a smaller river about half of a kilometre to the west.
“Wow this place is incredible!”
“Wait Norman, we haven’t got to the good part yet,” said a proud Boran.
They walked over to corner of the cavern and reached a large trestle table where some people stood. Boran introduced Norman to five more of his team and he greeted each in turn.
“Show him,” said one man.
Boran laughed and handed the professor a hard hat and a miner’s gas lamp.
“We haven’t yet lit the next section, but come with me. I want to show you something” said Boran, and led Norman through a small chamber at the back of the main cavern. Norman noticed sheets had been laid out with skeletal remains and boxes, which looked like they contained forms of dress, tribal jewellery and weapons that appeared centuries old. Boran walked to a large wall and shone his light at a large flat stone on the ground.
“Stand on that” he said
The professor did as instructed and Boran went off to the side and cranked a handle. The stone started to rise. Norman, nervously watched Borans light get smaller beneath him.
The ancient elevator went up into the darkness for about a minute. Boran yelled up at Norman not to be alarmed and then he heard a creak as the ceiling above him opened up and become a wall. He was now in a small copse in front of a glassless window, in what appeared to be ancient ruins of a temple. The stone elevator had become the floor and it clicked into place.
Rumble surveyed his surroundings, the place was deserted, and then he heard Borans voice beside him.
“You ok Norm?”
Norman spun round, but there was nobody there
“Yes Boran, I am fine” said Norm confused “where are you?”
“Look on the wall to your right; you will see a stone missing.”
Rumble did as instructed and found the small space.
“Yes,” said Norm “it appears to go somewhere.”
“That’s right” said Boran “it goes here, the world’s first intercom!” chuckled Boran.
“Now stay on the stone I will bring you back.”
The floor moved and Norm descended back into the abyss, as the wall above him returned to be a floor.
He stepped off the stone and he and Boran returned to the main chamber and the waiting team. They patted Norman playfully on the shoulder and the lady on the team enquired as to whether he’d enjoyed a 12th century elevator ride in 1972.Norman said he had, but he could now use a 20th Century toilet as adrenaline shouldn’t be brown.
Boran laid out his theory and his interest in the remains and how Professor Norman Rumble could assist. Boran explained that from the writings and drawing he had found both at Angkor Wat, and Angkor Thom, the cavern appeared to have been used during ancient times as a military garrison, to house soldiers and their families.
The team surmised that this had been the last line of defence against any invading Thai army attacking the Ta Promh temple.
They assumed that the ancients would have had lookouts in the temple and if they spotted any army approaching, they would get the monks to safety and, March warriors through the cave and out to the rear of Ta Promh temple, thus enabling a surprise attack on the flank of the invaders.
However, it appeared from the evidence collected that no attacks ever came, although an underground community seemed to have developed as they had found evidence of livestock in the form of partially fossilized droppings and cart tracks from the start of the precipice, which could be a sign that they’d brought in provisions.
The professor looked puzzled
“What has that got to do with the Mori-Ori tribes and why do you need me?” enquired Rumble.
Boran then went on to show the professor the trinkets found in a few of the boxes and some skulls of the old cavern dwellers. Boran pointed out that some had more Negro characteristics. Boran went on to explain how he’d found teeth and bones that appeared to be from two different peoples. He wanted Norman to use his techniques to check to see if there were any DNA differences. Boran told Norm that he had blood and urine samples taken from a living member of a hill tribesman in Ratanakiri, and he hoped that the professor could determine the hereditary and thus prove his theory that the extinct Mori-Ori tribes had come to Cambodia, integrated with the Khmers and served as soldiers.
Professor Rumble agreed to try, but told them that it may take some time, the computers of the 70’s had been slow and cumbersome. The one Rumble owned took up the space of one room in his lab.
The other problem was they had no sample from the original Mori-Ori’s. That was maybe an obstacle that could be overcome at a later stage, if they dug one up and Boran told Norman that some other of his team members were currently on the New Zealand islands scouring for remains. He went on to explain that some of the skeletal remains around the cave had been found in shallow graves, but there appeared to be no evidence of violence amongst the remains, so it seemed that from the age and stage of the teeth and bone decay that the skeletons of young and old folk, had probably died from natural causes, or disease.
****
Later that evening Boran and the professor, laden with samples and a cache of catfish, caught in the river topside, returned to Borans house and ate. They drank several glasses of wine and Norman tried to communicate, with the assistance of Boran and Roth, with Theary, who was flattered and amused by this polite Barang, foreigner.
Norm tried over the next few days in Borans crude makeshift laboratory within the cavern, he soon became that he needed his own equipment and planned to return to New Zealand. Although he wanted to spend a few more evenings in the company of Boran, Roth and, especially Theary.
Rumble flew back to New Zealand a week later to continue with the analysis.
Cambodian people refer to themselves as ‘Khmer’