The Bell-Boy by James Hamilton-Paterson Read Free Book Online Page B

hand and the pass-key in the lock of Mrs Hemony’s door. So convinced had he become by his own tale that Laki noticed with surprise how extraordinarily well Zoe looked and thought how bravely she dissembled.
    ‘Excuse please, my lady. I am for incensing your room.’
    ‘What a lovely smell. It’s all over the hotel.’
    ‘At least it couldn’t make my room smell any worse,’ said Jason.
    ‘Jay! Don’t be so ungrateful to our friend. You ought to say thank you to Lucky.’
    Laki opened the door for them and followed them in with his brazier. He blew on the coals and sprinkled the pinkish powder. Smoke billowed up. Tessa wafted a little towards her nose with one hand.
    ‘Frankincense,’ she said. ‘Yes, definitely olibanum. Camphor and sandalwood. A trace of myrrh, perhaps. But there are citrus tones as well, don’t you think?’ Her children remained silent. ‘Neroli? No, I know. It’s like that one in Kuala Lumpur, you remember? Where you had the nosebleed, Jason? The man burned it for you to inhale and it worked at once. That had dried pomelo rind ground up in it. The burnt marmalade smell? This is the same. Oh, and of course, benzoin – or some sort of styrax. All right, Lucky; you tell us what it’s got in it.’
    ‘I don’t know, my lady. I buy in market only. Quality three because Mr Muffy not like to spending.’
    ‘Honestly, Mum, you take everything so seriously ,’ said Zoe.
    ‘Well, I like to know,’ Tessa told her stoutly. ‘Such things are important. Every day you do like this, Lucky?’
    ‘Oh yes, my lady. Every morning. Bring good fortune, make all bad spirits go away.’
    ‘Very proper too. Make sure you do it thoroughly around my bed, please.’ Laki pulled the bed away from the wall and sandwiched himself behind the wormeaten headboard, dutifully asperging smoke. ‘Oh – and Lucky? You mustn’t keep calling me “my lady”. My name is Tessa. I’m not a peeress; just plain Mrs Hemony.’
    ‘Yes, missus.’
    ‘And Lucky – I’m afraid I’ve a little confession to make. Here,’ she beckoned him over to the window. ‘Last night I broke the sill.’
    ‘No, missus. You not break; it fall by himself. Very old and bad wood. I tell Mr Muffy make new.’
    ‘You tell Mr Muffy I don’t mind whether he mends it or not, but that I shall of course pay him for the damage.’
    Jason, who had been idly rolling his mother’s little brown bottles of essential oil up and down the bed, asked, ‘Is there a swimming pool anywhere?’
    ‘Of course there isn’t,’ said Zoe. ‘This is a Third World country. Where do you think we are, Italy?’
    ‘We’ll go to the coast just as soon as we’ve finished here, Jay. Promise. Anyway, it’s time we went exploring Malomba. I’m so excited. Yesterday was rather a write-off. Lucky, can we get a map here in the hotel?’
    ‘Mr Muffy have map. Also have names of guides. You be careful, missus. Many evil fellows in Malomba, fake guides have no ID – take you to bad place, then to robbing you. Camera, passport, watch, shoeses. Steal all money then leave. Careful-careful.’
    If this warning did not exactly accord with Tessa’s preconceptions of life in a holy city, then neither did it come as much of a surprise. She had done a lot of travelling.
    ‘I very good guide,’ Laki was suggesting shyly. ‘Only I have duty here.’
    ‘Yes, Mum, why don’t we borrow Lucky?’ asked Zoe, causing him an electric shock of pleasure which made the handle of the still-smouldering brazier tingle. ‘At least we know he’s honest.’
    Laki flashed his glance on her. ‘I honest, miss. I am trusting your life. But not always free. When I not free I give you name of very good Moslem man, my friend Mr Tominy Bundash. He official guide to Malomba. Have ID. He show temples, fire-walking, spirit healing, everything.’
    As Laki went out Jason looked expectantly up at him from his bottles and caused the bell-boy to think that his, at any rate, was a boredom which