through them, eventually stopping on one in particular. He looked at it surreptitiously, then pulled it from the cabinet. He crossed the room and slammed it on the table.
‘Amichi, Captain, served under General Yamashita, 1943 to 1945 when he went missing, believed to have been killed.’
Lisa gasped. ‘Killed?’
‘Yes. It was thought that he was killed by Filipino workers in 1946 after Yamashita himself had been hanged in the prison.’
‘Was there any proof of this?’ the professor asked.
‘Only a body. Is that who you are after, professor? A dead man?’
The professor thought for a moment. ‘His death comes as no surprise to me,’ he said slowly. ‘But the time of it does. You see, we were under the impression that he died only recently. His granddaughter, you see . . .’
‘His granddaughter?’
‘Yes, his granddaughter. It was she who gave me the map.’
Anderson looked interested all of a sudden. ‘Who is his granddaughter?’
‘You heard of the girl in the temple?’
‘The one recently who was found dead?’
‘Yes, the very same.’
‘But it’s impossible. Amichi died in 1946 after Yamashita.’ ‘Did they ever identify the body?’
‘No, of course not. He was merely a captain and besides they would not have let his body return home. They would have scattered it in the jungle as punishment.’
‘So it’s possible it was not him and that our Amichi was alive and well and managed to smuggle a map of the gold tunnels out?’
Anderson thought for a moment. ‘Well, of course it’s possible,’ he said. ‘But it’s highly unlikely.’
‘Well,’ the professor said. ‘I’ll settle for possible.’ He got up to leave. ‘Good day, Anderson. Thank you for your information.’
‘Wait!’ Anderson grabbed his arm. ‘Have you got the map?’
The professor smiled and tapped his pocket. ‘Always,’ he said.
‘Can I see it?’
The professor hesitated; he looked across at Lisa who nodded slightly. The professor reached a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out the map. He spread it on the table. Anderson looked at it intently.
‘Well, it looks as though it’s about the right age. Obviously I can’t recognise any of these features.’
‘What would you suggest?’ the professor asked.
‘For finding it? Hmm, well, it will be difficult whatever you do. If I were you I’d hire a plane to take you all over the jungle to look for these distinguishing features – look, here there is a ridge and a small hillock, there is a distinctive collection of large trees. They will be still there – it is a remote place, there would be no loggers around there.’
Anderson poured the last of the Saki into his cup. ‘You know, professor, for my help I might ask for a little . . . er . . . restitution.’
‘Now or later?’ the professor asked.
Anderson laughed. ‘What with the aswang and the jungle I’d prefer it now if you don’t mind. For you there may not be a later.’ He laughed again and the sight of his teeth sent shivers down Lisa’s spine. The professor opened his wallet and took some notes out. He placed them on the table, picked up the map and put it back into his pocket.
‘Don’t drink it all at once,’ he said and Anderson laughed.
As they turned to go Anderson stopped them. ‘Professor,’ he said. ‘Be careful of the jungle. It bites.’
The professor and Lisa made their way along the corridor again to the canteen. Their talk with Anderson had made them all the more eager to find out all they could about the map and possibly even find the gold for themselves. They chatted casually about what might happen and their feet made short sharp tapping sounds on the floor. They passed the stairwell and headed off back into the refectory. Behind them a pair of deep brown eyes watched them from the level of the floor. As the professor and Lisa opened
‘Amichi, Captain, served under General Yamashita, 1943 to 1945 when he went missing, believed to have been killed.’
Lisa gasped. ‘Killed?’
‘Yes. It was thought that he was killed by Filipino workers in 1946 after Yamashita himself had been hanged in the prison.’
‘Was there any proof of this?’ the professor asked.
‘Only a body. Is that who you are after, professor? A dead man?’
The professor thought for a moment. ‘His death comes as no surprise to me,’ he said slowly. ‘But the time of it does. You see, we were under the impression that he died only recently. His granddaughter, you see . . .’
‘His granddaughter?’
‘Yes, his granddaughter. It was she who gave me the map.’
Anderson looked interested all of a sudden. ‘Who is his granddaughter?’
‘You heard of the girl in the temple?’
‘The one recently who was found dead?’
‘Yes, the very same.’
‘But it’s impossible. Amichi died in 1946 after Yamashita.’ ‘Did they ever identify the body?’
‘No, of course not. He was merely a captain and besides they would not have let his body return home. They would have scattered it in the jungle as punishment.’
‘So it’s possible it was not him and that our Amichi was alive and well and managed to smuggle a map of the gold tunnels out?’
Anderson thought for a moment. ‘Well, of course it’s possible,’ he said. ‘But it’s highly unlikely.’
‘Well,’ the professor said. ‘I’ll settle for possible.’ He got up to leave. ‘Good day, Anderson. Thank you for your information.’
‘Wait!’ Anderson grabbed his arm. ‘Have you got the map?’
The professor smiled and tapped his pocket. ‘Always,’ he said.
‘Can I see it?’
The professor hesitated; he looked across at Lisa who nodded slightly. The professor reached a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out the map. He spread it on the table. Anderson looked at it intently.
‘Well, it looks as though it’s about the right age. Obviously I can’t recognise any of these features.’
‘What would you suggest?’ the professor asked.
‘For finding it? Hmm, well, it will be difficult whatever you do. If I were you I’d hire a plane to take you all over the jungle to look for these distinguishing features – look, here there is a ridge and a small hillock, there is a distinctive collection of large trees. They will be still there – it is a remote place, there would be no loggers around there.’
Anderson poured the last of the Saki into his cup. ‘You know, professor, for my help I might ask for a little . . . er . . . restitution.’
‘Now or later?’ the professor asked.
Anderson laughed. ‘What with the aswang and the jungle I’d prefer it now if you don’t mind. For you there may not be a later.’ He laughed again and the sight of his teeth sent shivers down Lisa’s spine. The professor opened his wallet and took some notes out. He placed them on the table, picked up the map and put it back into his pocket.
‘Don’t drink it all at once,’ he said and Anderson laughed.
As they turned to go Anderson stopped them. ‘Professor,’ he said. ‘Be careful of the jungle. It bites.’
The professor and Lisa made their way along the corridor again to the canteen. Their talk with Anderson had made them all the more eager to find out all they could about the map and possibly even find the gold for themselves. They chatted casually about what might happen and their feet made short sharp tapping sounds on the floor. They passed the stairwell and headed off back into the refectory. Behind them a pair of deep brown eyes watched them from the level of the floor. As the professor and Lisa opened
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