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When I explained to the Chao Muang that Dau was a Phii Krasue, and that she was responsible for the three deaths in his palace, he showed no surprise. He said he had suspected as much, and that his suspicions had been confirmed by his doctor’s diagnosis of Jonathan’s illness. He himself had gone there that night on the same business – to save Jonathan. The reason for his surprise was – me! Which is nothing to be wondered at, I suppose. After all, it is not every night that a bearded stranger bursts in and shoots one of his dancing girls!
I then explained to him the difficulty of getting rid of the Phii Krasue for good, and tried to impress upon him the necessity for fast action – indeed, we had until sunset on that day – the 13th July. If we had not placated the Pii Krasue by then, its spirit would have found a new home in another body.
I therefore urged the Chao Muang to try to think of any incident in recent years in which a young girl had been done a great wrong. However, despite my urgings, he was strangely silent.
As a last desperate attempt, I said, “If we can get to the bottom of this matter before sunset today, peace can be restored to your palace, and no-one need ever know that a Pii Krasue once haunted it!”
It was a lucky hit, for he seemed to make his mind up about something.
“Listen,” he said, “I will tell you a story.”
The Chao Muang’s Story
Once upon a time in Chiang Mai there was a beautiful girl who married an officer in the prince’s army. The prince liked her so much that he schemed to get rid of her husband. He did this by sending him to raid the Burmese border at a place where he knew his small band of men would be outnumbered. None of the men returned. After many months, the prince succeeded in persuading the girl to become his wife, but a year later, the officer, who had been taken prisoner, managed to escape and came home. When she heard of his return, the girl went back to him. The prince, in a fit of jealous rage, declared that the man was an impostor, and had him beheaded. The girl was burned alive for adultery.
Van Helsing’s Memorandum
I listened with rapt attention, and when he had finished said, “Yes, those are exactly the circumstances that would create a Pii Krasue – but how long ago was it, and how do you know that it is the same one?”
The Chao Muang was silent for a long time, as though wrestling with himself. Then he said, “The girl was Dau; the prince was me.”
I was stunned. Then, collecting myself, I explained that, just before her body was consumed by the flames, her spirit would have left it and taken possession of another girl – which is why no-one recognised the new Dau. She had come back to take her revenge by killing off his harem one by one – soon she would have started on his minor wives, then it would be the turn of his chief wife – and then…
The Chao Muang interrupted me with profuse thanks for saving him and his household from such a fate, but I stopped him, and reminded him that he was not yet saved. I told him that he must arrange for Dau’s remains to be placed with her husband’s remains in a specially built spirit house, and that the monks should make all the appropriate offerings and say all the necessary prayers.
He gave orders to this effect immediately, and then returned to his profuse thanks. Many were the gifts he offered to me and to Jonathan – including half his harem, land, and a palace in the hills overlooking Chiang Mai!
16 July, 1905 – Jonathan Harker’s Siam Journal
I suspect that my friend, Abraham, is giving me a toned-down version of the events behind my ordeal of the 12th July. I will not push him for more – what I already know is horrifying enough! However, at least one good thing has come of it. My obsession with the ladies of the Orient is over. The thought that my most intense moments of passion were spent with – what was, in effect, a charred corpse – chills me to the bone. From now on, I will be more than satisfied with Mina’s shy, but tender, lovemaking!
On another matter, I received favourable news from Mr Andrews, and was able to offer to His Excellency an arrangement by which he can take his own servants to Whitby. I am delighted to say that he is happy with the compromise and has signed the contract – my senior partnership is assured! However, any future business trips to exotic places will be delegated to my juniors – from now on, all my adventures will be by the fireside!
Van Helsing’s Memorandum
These English! They are such prudes! Just because Jonathan has had one bad experience does not mean that he should reject all future sexual adventures! I certainly shall not do so - and though I traded one of the harem girls for a translator to help me continue my researches into Siamese ethnology - I kept the rest to give me some physical relief from all that brain work!
As for the University of Utrecht – well, that will have to wait as there is a similar opening at the University of Tha Prachan in Bangkok. That way, I shall not be far from my studies – or my girls - and of course, Bangkok has delights of its own to offer.
© Bangkok Byron, 2007. All rights reserved by the author.
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