but my father felt the same way.’
It had not been difficult to be hired as an assistant researcher – a position that was nothing more than a clerk, really – at the War Crimes Tribunal in Kuala Lumpur. So many people had been killed or wounded in the war that the British Military Administration had faced a shortage of staff when the Japanese surrendered. Recording the testimonies of the victims of the Imperial Japanese Army affected me more badly than I had anticipated, however. Watching the victims break down as they related the brutalities they had endured, I was made aware that I had yet to recover from my own experience. I was glad when I received my letter of admission from Girton.
‘How many war criminals did they actually get in the end?’ asked Magnus.
‘In Singapore and Malaya together, a hundred and ninety-nine were sentenced to death – but only a hundred were eventually hanged.’ I said, looking into the bathroom. It was bright and airy, the floor a cold chessboard of black and white tiles. A claw-footed bathtub stood by the wall. ‘I attended only nine of the hangings before I left for Girton.’
‘ My magtig .’ Magnus looked appalled.
For a while we were silent. Then he opened a door next to the cupboard and asked me to follow him outside the room. A gravel path ran behind the house, taking us past the kitchen until we came to a broad terrace with a well-tended lawn. A pair of marble statues stood on their own plinths in the centre of the lawn, facing one another. On my first glance they appeared to be identical, down to the folds of their robes spilling over the plinths.
‘Bought them ridiculously cheap from an old planter’s wife after the planter ran off with his fifteen-year-old lover,’ said Magnus. ‘The one on the right is Mnemosyne. You’ve heard of her?’
‘The goddess of Memory,’ I said. ‘Who’s the other woman?’
‘Her twin sister, of course. The goddess of Forgetting.’
I looked at him, wondering if he was pulling my leg. ‘I don’t recall there’s a goddess for that.’
‘Ah, doesn’t the fact of your not recalling prove her existence?’ He grinned. ‘Maybe she exists, but it’s just that we have forgotten.’
‘So, what’s her name?’
He shrugged, showing me his empty palms. ‘You see, we don’t even remember her name anymore.’
‘They’re not completely identical,’ I said, going closer to them. Mnemosyne’s features were defined, her nose and cheekbones prominent, her lips full. Her sister’s face looked almost blurred; even the creases of her robe were not as clearly delineated as Mnemosyne’s.
‘Which one would you say is the older twin?’ asked Magnus.
‘Mnemosyne, of course.’
‘Really? She looks younger, don’t you think?’
‘Memory must exist before there’s Forgetting.’ I smiled at him. ‘Or have you forgotten that?’
He laughed. ‘Come on. Let me show you something.’ He stopped at the low wall running along the edge of the terrace. Pinned to the highest plateau in the estate, Majuba House had an unimpeded view of the countryside. He pointed to a row of fir trees about three-quarters of the way down a hill. ‘That’s where Aritomo’s property starts.’
‘It doesn’t look far to walk.’ I guessed it would take me about twenty minutes to get there.
‘Don’t be fooled. It’s further than it looks. When are you meeting him?’
‘Half past nine tomorrow morning.’
‘Frederik or one of my clerks will drive you there.’
‘I’ll walk.’
The determination in my face silenced him for a moment. ‘Your letter took Aritomo by surprise... I don’t think he was at all happy to receive it.’
‘It was your idea for me to ask him, Magnus. You didn’t tell him that I had been interned in a Japanese camp, I hope?’
‘You asked me not to,’ he said. ‘I’m glad he’s agreed to design your garden.’
‘He hasn’t. He’ll only decide after he’s spoken to me.’
Magnus adjusted the strap
It had not been difficult to be hired as an assistant researcher – a position that was nothing more than a clerk, really – at the War Crimes Tribunal in Kuala Lumpur. So many people had been killed or wounded in the war that the British Military Administration had faced a shortage of staff when the Japanese surrendered. Recording the testimonies of the victims of the Imperial Japanese Army affected me more badly than I had anticipated, however. Watching the victims break down as they related the brutalities they had endured, I was made aware that I had yet to recover from my own experience. I was glad when I received my letter of admission from Girton.
‘How many war criminals did they actually get in the end?’ asked Magnus.
‘In Singapore and Malaya together, a hundred and ninety-nine were sentenced to death – but only a hundred were eventually hanged.’ I said, looking into the bathroom. It was bright and airy, the floor a cold chessboard of black and white tiles. A claw-footed bathtub stood by the wall. ‘I attended only nine of the hangings before I left for Girton.’
‘ My magtig .’ Magnus looked appalled.
For a while we were silent. Then he opened a door next to the cupboard and asked me to follow him outside the room. A gravel path ran behind the house, taking us past the kitchen until we came to a broad terrace with a well-tended lawn. A pair of marble statues stood on their own plinths in the centre of the lawn, facing one another. On my first glance they appeared to be identical, down to the folds of their robes spilling over the plinths.
‘Bought them ridiculously cheap from an old planter’s wife after the planter ran off with his fifteen-year-old lover,’ said Magnus. ‘The one on the right is Mnemosyne. You’ve heard of her?’
‘The goddess of Memory,’ I said. ‘Who’s the other woman?’
‘Her twin sister, of course. The goddess of Forgetting.’
I looked at him, wondering if he was pulling my leg. ‘I don’t recall there’s a goddess for that.’
‘Ah, doesn’t the fact of your not recalling prove her existence?’ He grinned. ‘Maybe she exists, but it’s just that we have forgotten.’
‘So, what’s her name?’
He shrugged, showing me his empty palms. ‘You see, we don’t even remember her name anymore.’
‘They’re not completely identical,’ I said, going closer to them. Mnemosyne’s features were defined, her nose and cheekbones prominent, her lips full. Her sister’s face looked almost blurred; even the creases of her robe were not as clearly delineated as Mnemosyne’s.
‘Which one would you say is the older twin?’ asked Magnus.
‘Mnemosyne, of course.’
‘Really? She looks younger, don’t you think?’
‘Memory must exist before there’s Forgetting.’ I smiled at him. ‘Or have you forgotten that?’
He laughed. ‘Come on. Let me show you something.’ He stopped at the low wall running along the edge of the terrace. Pinned to the highest plateau in the estate, Majuba House had an unimpeded view of the countryside. He pointed to a row of fir trees about three-quarters of the way down a hill. ‘That’s where Aritomo’s property starts.’
‘It doesn’t look far to walk.’ I guessed it would take me about twenty minutes to get there.
‘Don’t be fooled. It’s further than it looks. When are you meeting him?’
‘Half past nine tomorrow morning.’
‘Frederik or one of my clerks will drive you there.’
‘I’ll walk.’
The determination in my face silenced him for a moment. ‘Your letter took Aritomo by surprise... I don’t think he was at all happy to receive it.’
‘It was your idea for me to ask him, Magnus. You didn’t tell him that I had been interned in a Japanese camp, I hope?’
‘You asked me not to,’ he said. ‘I’m glad he’s agreed to design your garden.’
‘He hasn’t. He’ll only decide after he’s spoken to me.’
Magnus adjusted the strap
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