Chapter 20 - On the bank of Manaar
Pearls are fished in many oceans, even in rivers; but most famous fish ponds always sound which of the Persian Gulf and which of the great shoal of Manaar, near the west coast of Ceylon.
First of all, what is the pearl? If pure the most beautiful, the most splendid, it is nothing but a living secretion. Its formation depends on the presence of a parasite, which infiltrates the tissues in the pearl oyster.
In cultivation certain parasites are introduced into oysters, both by piercing the shell and producing an irritation on the external area. What produces the pearl is therefore an incurable disease, which eventually ends up killing the pearl.
In the fish ponds of Manaar the number of fishermen is double and the quantity of pearls brought to the area is far greater than in other places.
Before the day set for the opening of fishing, the British government has the reef, which is thirty kilometers long, explored to determine which section the fishermen can go to and sends small vessels to check.
When a cannon shot announces the opening, hundreds of large boats, commanded by a mandah, go to anchor on the reef and the fishing begins.
The divers, who are mostly Indians, use a rock in the shape of a sugar loaf weighing about twenty kilos to sink as quickly as possible.
Suspended from a belt, their only garment, they carry a net to place shells and a knife to defend themselves from the sharks that flock in large numbers during the fishing season, certain to make a good number of victims.
Since those molluscs are attached and the fisherman is careful not to detach them and puts a whole chain in the net, often bringing back to the surface, in a single blow, even one hundred and fifty.
Fishermen do not dive deeper than eight meters and remain underwater for sixty to seventy seconds. There are some with extraordinary lungs, which can remain submerged for even two minutes.
Hardly a year goes by that some fishermen do not come out mutilated from the bottom of the waters, and many never return to the surface and find their grave in the belly of a greedy shark.
At the end of the day almost everyone emits blood from the nose, eyes, ears, that is, from the surface of all mucous membranes. After a while their vision weakens, their body is covered with incurable sores.
Fishing only lasts from dawn to twelve for a continuous month, the oysters are not opened immediately. They pile up in well-guarded holes and let themselves rot in the sun, which develops an unbearable smell that spreads to incredible distances.
Don't believe that all mollusks contain pearls, many don't have any at all.
Not all the pearls obtained from the Manaar bank have the same tint. Sometimes there are white, some that have a pale yellow, golden yellow, pink, blue, lilac and even a bluish black color, and these are very expensive.
The boat, on which the three convicts had boarded, was one of those large and wide lifeboats used by the pearl fishermen of Manaar. The mandah who guided her, after repeatedly hugging Kaj, drew him under the aft canopy, calling the other two to follow them.
«I thought I didn't have to see you again, mt dear Kaj.»
The mandah, did not take his eyes off him, happy to have met him.
«Where are you from? From the bottom of the sea or from the kingdom of darkness? Are you really my friend Kaj or his shadow? Weren't you dead in the penitentiary?».
«Who told you?» Kaj asked laughing.
«Word got out here, but I can't tell you by whom it was spread. For what miracle are you here? How did you escape? Everyone knew you had been to the Andaman Islands.».
«Voices run, it's seems! You'll find out later» said Kaj, whose forehead had darkened.
«Why did you come back here to Manaar Kai, certainly not to go back to being a pearl fisherman.»
«Because there is something else that I want to know now. Is that girl, my future wife, still alive? Tell me, Moselpati, tell me!»
The face of the old pearl fisherman at that moment expressed an unspeakable anguish, such that the former officer of the Golden Hind and Jody were very impressed.
«Do not be afraid, Kaj» said the leader of the pearl fishermen «the girl you love is still alive. My brother, who took part in the pilgrimage to the temple, saw her three months ago and she was more beautiful than ever and was part of the processiona s wife of god».
A long sigh lifted the pearl diver's mighty chest.
«Alive! Liling is still alive! May all the gods be blessed. I have feared for his fate all these months, that they had punished her for my faults».
Then pointing to his companions, to introduced them:
«I owe my life and my freedom to these two faithful friends. You can tell everything in their presence, because they know all my secrets. Meet Mr. Blake, officer of the Golden Hind and Kaj, the smartest mind you can find around!».
The mandah held out his wrinkled hand to both of them and, taking their hands, squeezed them cordially with vigor. Smiling at him he said:
«You are already my friends and as long as you stay here you are under the protection of the chief of pearl fishers. From this moment on I consider you my guests, ask for everything you need».
«Thank you, dear old friend and now, let's talk about more serious things.»
«I'm ready to listen to you, friend.» said the mandah who was curious.
«Before begin tell, what happened to my boat, the one I entrusted to the association when they sentenced me?» Kaj asked anxiously.
«I rented it to a friend of mine on the Coromandel coast, in exchange for the fishery products they would have caught and I want to tell you that those fishermen have had an extraordinary fortune which you will also enjoy a great economic benefit.
I keep five thousand and eight hundred rupees in deposit for you which are your exclusive property and which I will have you give tomorrow».
The three castaways were amazed.
«My fear was to arrive here without a rupee!» said Kaj smiling «That sum will be more than enough to free the girl I love».
«Are you always that idea?»
«I will always be as long as I have only one day and a moment of life!» replied the pearl fisher as happy as ever.
«But remember how dangerous it can be to use violence against those monks, you've already experienced it on your skin, Kaj.» the mandah warned him seriously.
«I know, but I don't want to kidnap her, I'm thinking of redeeming her instead.»
«You need to give the red pearl then, you must know, my poor Kaj.»
«I'm going to look for her, that's why I came here.»
«At that depth! You know that it is said of what it is in the abyss. Which diver could go down there? Neither you nor others could resist the pressure of the water.»
«We'll talk about this later, Mosel» Kaj replied, not at all frightened. «For now I ask you for a safe haven, for me and my friends, far from the City of Pearls. Perhaps the police may no longer recognize me, however it is better to be careful, because I have no desire to go back to the penitentiary»
«You are right, my daredevil young pearl diver.» the mandah answered.
He remained silent for a moment, staring with his black eyes at the surface of the sea that sparkled under the first rays of the sun and with dazzling reflections; then stretched out a hand to the west, saying:
«The best refuge for you is there, on that isolated rock, which the high tide covers for three quarters when the east wind blows; there is a gallery that leads to the top, which is only free for six hours a day. Nobody will look for you up there, because only me and my men know that passage»
«Can't you climb externally?" Blake asked.
«No, sir, you can't.»
«A superb refuge» said Jody, who was watching the peak closely. «The police will certainly not find us up there»
«But you will have to stay aboard my boat until tonight. We'll have the lowest tide when it's between eleven and twelve.»
«And the food?" Jody asked worriedly.
«I take care of everything, you don't have to worry» the mandah reassured them. «We are on the fishing spot. Help yourself in the pantry of what you like best and have breakfast. Now I have to direct my men and I'll be busy until noon. Don't worry, no one will come to bother you and you can consider yourself as on a boat of your own»
He shook everyone's hand and left the hut, shouting to the sailors:
«Sink the anchors! The divers are in place!»