The wind was brisker here and Bond could immediately feel the thinness of the air, even at this relatively low altitude. He glanced at his Avocet Vertech Alpin watch that Q Branch had given him. It showed altitude, time, barometric pressure, and cumulative vertical ascent rates. It was three o’clock in the afternoon, but it felt later. The change in altitude made it seem as if he had already spent an entire day exerting himself. One of the Americans, Bill Scott, complained of headache shortly after arriving. Hope Kendall examined him and told him to get plenty of sleep that night.
I want everyone to go to bed immediately after dinner,” Marquis said as they gathered at the small building that served as an air terminal. “We’re to have dinner with the respective families who are putting us up. Remember—eat with your right hand, don’t even gesture with the left, and leave your shoes at the door. Don’t enter a Hindu kitchen unless invited. Let your hosts direct you to a seat. Don’t touch any food unless you intend to eat it. Utensils or food is jutho, or impure, once it has touched your lips or tongue. Everyone eats from their own plate and drinks from their own glass. These people know that all food must be cooked, but just in case, don’t eat anything that has to be washed or that isn’t cooked immediately before it’s served. Remember to offer a good hearty belch at the end of the meal, for that’s a sign of contentment in this country.”
Bond and Chandra helped the others unload the equipment. Bone carried most of his gear in a Lowe Alpine Attack 50 backpack, which was designed primarily as a functional, lightweight summit pack. A lot of the tools for climbing would be carried by the Sherpas until it was time to use them.
Perhaps the best known and most widely respected of all Nepal’s ethnic groups, the Sherpas resemble Tibetans more than other Nepalese. Hundreds of years of living in east Nepal have suitably adapted them to living and working in the mountains. Ever since mountaineers discovered them to be excellent companions ant workers, the Sherpas came into a hitherto unforeseen popularity am prosperity. For an expedition the size of Bond’s, nearly sixty porters would need to be hired.
Chandra, Bond, Paul Baack, and the French climber, Philippe Leaud, had been assigned to a family that consisted of a toothless, smiling old couple. Bond noticed that Marquis and Hope Kendall went into a lodge together. Nepalese were generally intolerant of openly displayed affection or sexuality, and he wondered how they would get around that.
Chandra, reading his mind, said, “Marquis claimed that he and Dr. Kendall were man and wife.”
Leaud made a vulgar comment in French that went over the Gurkha’s head, but he got the drift when the others laughed.
Sunset came and dinner was served on a low table inside the lodge. The food was a traditional dhal bhat, a lentil soup over rice. A few vegetables, or sabji, were served with cumin, garlic, and ginger. Hot tea accompanied the meal. By the time they had finished, Bond and Chandra were ready to turn in, the altitude and food having had a soporific effect on them. Bond unrolled his Marmot Col sleeping bag which wasn’t as warm as the more popular Cwm, but was lighter and more versatile at altitude. The wooden floor was hard, but at least there was the luxury of having a roof over their heads.
“Good night, Commander Bond,” Chandra said as he slipped into his own bag. “Don’t let the kichkinni get you.”
“What?”
“The kichkinni. That’s the spirit of a woman who died in childbirth and reappears as a beautiful and insatiable young woman intent on seduction.”
“Sounds quite pleasant to me,” Bond quipped.
“Ah, but her unlucky lover withers away as she saps his vital energies. The only way you can tell if she is a kichkinni is if you happen to notice that her feet are turned backward!”
“Just her feet?” Bond asked, struggling to get comfortable in the confines of the bedroll.
Chandra laughed loudly. It never ceased to amaze Bond that the Gurkha was always in a good humor. He enjoyed talking, sometimes to Bond’s chagrin, but he had already become an entertaining and intelligent companion. He had started to tell stories of his life in the foothills of Lamjung and Annapurna Himal, a region that the Gurungs have farmed and covered with a network of trails paved with precisely cut and fitted stone blocks.
In the higher regions of our homeland, Gurungs retain Buddhist traditions, Chandra said. “In the lower ones, they’ve converted to Hinduism.”
“What are you?” Bond asked.
A little of both,” Chandra said. “Once you’re born a Hindu, that never changes. The Buddhist religion fits neatly around Hinduism. You will find that in Nepal, many people say they are of both religions.”
Baack began to snore loudly, keeping the other three men up for a while. Chandra continued to talk until finally Leaud said politely “Oui, oui, monsieur, please, I need to sleep now. We have another bedtime story tomorrow night, okay?”
Chandra said, “Sure. Shuba ratri.”
“Huh?”
“That means ‘good night.’ “
“Oh. Shuba ratri.”
“Shuba ratri, Commander Bond,” Chandra said, but there was silence. “Commander Bond?”
Bond was already fast asleep.
Mornings are always the most beautiful part of the day in Nepal. A magical mist accumulates in the valleys and lingers until the sun comes up and evaporates the moisture. The land is clear by mid-morning, but the sight of the fog-laden land put Bond in a reflective mood. He was truly in a land quite apart from England, exotic and mystical. The idea of one day going back to the dull office by the Thames seemed impossible.
Bond and Chandra were up early with the lady of the house, whose duty it was to take care of the family’s religious obligations, which meant that first there was worship of household deities fol-lowed by a visit to the neighborhood temple with a tray of small offerings. Bond accompanied Chandra to the temple and watched him perform puja, an offering meant to please divine senses by scattering flower blossoms and red tika powder on images of gods and ringing bells to alert them to his presence. The Gurkha paid special attention to the idol of Ganesh, the portly deity with the head of an elephant. Ganesh is known as the creator and remover of obstacles and brings luck to those who pay special attention to him. Therefore, it was important to pray to him at the onset of any undertaking, otherwise he might convey misfortune and malevolence on travelers.
The Sherpa porters left with the trekking equipment very early in order to set up a campsite in Phurumba by the time the rest of the group arrived there for lunch.
“They’re always so cheerful,” Bond commented to Chandra.
“I would be too if my pay for the expedition would support my family and sometimes my entire village for a year or more,” the Gurkha replied.
Breakfast was served in the lodge at eight o’clock, and it consisted surprisingly of scrambled eggs. They weren’t cooked to Bond’s specifications, but they were nevertheless welcome and he felt rested and ready to begin the mostly-downhill four-hour trek to Phurumba, the first stop on the way to the Base Camp. It would be a long, difficult day. Normally trekkers would stop overnight at Phurumba, but Marquis planned to continue to Chirwa, another four-hour trek . . . uphill.
It wasn’t necessary to wear the heavy warm clothes yet. While it was cool at this altitude, the exertion of trekking could work up a sweat, especially when carrying fifty pounds or more on one’s back. Bond wore a Patagonia Puffball lightweight and windproof shirt, dark denims, thick Smartwool socks, and a pair of Merrell M2 high-top boots. He would save the One Sport boots that Boothroyd had given him for the snow and ice. Water was boiled before leaving the village, and every member of the team got a full canteen and was told to conserve it. They wouldn’t get more until they reached Chirwa.