The Unwelcome, Invited Guest
Chapter 22
The consulate’s guesthouse was nestled in the mountains outside of Chiang Mai and used for official visitors and, when not so occupied, for consulate staffers and their families. Its remote location and seclusion made it an ideal getaway retreat. It was constructed in the Lana style of architecture typically found only in northern Thailand. Scoring a free stay there was a popular perk with the official American community so the house typically had to be booked a couple of days in advance. There was always some friendly, horse trading going on among the staff members as families tried to string more days together for a longer vacation. I’ll trade you my reserved days for yours sort of negotiating. The system worked well by all accounts with few arguments or hurt feelings ensuing.
One of the first things Denny noticed after arriving in Chiang Mai was the unique, traditional houses and buildings that can be seen everywhere in the city. He learned they were called Lana Houses and were originally constructed completely from teak wood; built elevated from the ground to protect from flooding during the rainy season. They were the homes of wealthy Thais; only those who could afford the fine carpentry and other construction features which made them special.
The consulate’s Lana House was built in the early 1900’s as a summer home for a crown prince of a much earlier dynasty. That meant it was outsized and ornately constructed with its two large rectangular rooms sharing the same elevated floor, yet with two separate roofs. The bedroom or main room was the larger of the two and was connected to the kitchen structure by a covered walkway. However, what made it distinguishable from other, traditional Thai houses were the two V shaped, hand carved ka lae at the sloped roof’s front and back of the house. From the booklet of the house’s history lying on a coffee table, Denny learned there were different beliefs as to the purpose of them.
Some believed that they represented a pair of birds perched on the roof to scare away crows which were believed to bring bad luck, while others insisted they were a pair of water buffalo horns. One account claimed that during the Burmese occupation, all the Thais houses were forced to add it as to distinguish Thai from Burmese. Still others claimed the original purpose was simply part of the structural integrity feature of the house. It was anyone’s guess since no one knew for sure.
The consulate’s guesthouse had been meticulously updated, modernized over the years and was considered one of finest examples of Lana architecture in Thailand. It was a gifted by the monarchy to the American government after World War II. The place was magnificent and furnished accordingly. Denny was always amazed at the building’s impressive design and fine workmanship.
Denny had booked the residence in his name the previous day and was expecting his guest to arrive shortly. He’d driven to the house after finishing work. This was where he would brace Ron Johnston with Dickey’s allegation. It was a quiet, out of the way location and a perfect place for what he had in mind. He watched the sun set behind a far off hill and patiently waited alone on the veranda in the waning sunlight.
***
The Pearl of the Orient was badly floundering in the rough seas that had unexpectedly come out nowhere. The monsoon season was still a couple of weeks away with its high winds and rain so Captain Aung was puzzled, but not yet alarmed. He’d been through bad storms before and always weathered them. However, he sensed or intuited this storm was somehow different. The sky looked different, the color and action of the water roiling across the bow of the ship looked different to his experienced eye too.
He scanned his radar screen while listening to other ships distress calls over the radio. He then started to worry, sounding the alarm and ordering all crew hands to their stations. Aung thought it time to batten down the ship’s hatches or kiss their collective ass’s goodbye. It wasn’t an ordinary storm by any stretch, but a typhoon of major proportion: the mother of all of Mother Nature’s storms!