The Story on the Slope of Mount Merapi

7

Demang Wiryoboga sits in a carved teak chair while chewing his favorite alot jang. Next to him stood Lampitan. After finishing his chewing, Demang Wiryoboga turned towards Suto Lumpang who was then upright in front of him near the stairs.

"That story you heard, do you believe it Suto Lumpang?" asked Demang Wiryoboga and then took another piece of jenang alot.

"I... Of course I don't believe it." replied Suto Lumpang.

"Good! Then why did you bother coming here?"

"Ki Demang, what I believe is not the same as what the population believes. They forced to dismantle the grave in the Cengkar Lemah..."

"Suto Lumpang! Your department is the bekel of this academy! Rightly so...?!" Ki Demang Wiryoboga's voice was heard starting to get inflamed.

"Betul Ki Demang," said Suto Lumpang.

"Well, then it's your duty to make the population not to think crazy believing what Ki Dadap's niece and wife said! You didn't do that, instead came here without a juntrungan! You should have prevented the residents from going to Lemah Cengkar, especially if you dismantle the cemetery!"

"I... If I don't tell you right away, lest the problem could be..."

"Suto Lumpang! You've been a bekel for almost seven years. Tell me who allowed you to get that post?! Let's answer!"

"It's all because of Ki Demang's power." replied Suto Lumpang.

"Do you still want to have that title Suto?!" ask Demang Wiryoboga.

"Sure Ki Demang. Of course I want it."

"Then get your feet up from here. Go to Lemah Cengkar and do anything. The important thing is that the population does not think that Ki Dadap's death has anything to do with me! Stop them from dismantling the grave! You heard it was Suto...?"

"I heard Ki Demang. It's just... How do I do it? What should I tell the people...?"

"Foolish bekel!" the one who snapped was Lampitan.

"That's your business! Don't ask Ki Demang!"

Suto Lumpang bow his head. After saluting by bowing a few times this bekel immediately leave the residence of Ki Demang Wiryoboga and drive his horse to the cemetery of Lemah Cengkar.

As soon as Suto Lumpang passed, Demang Wiryoboga turned to Lampitan. "There's a new job for you!"

"Just tell Ki Demang. I'll do it soon!" answer the constable.

"Kidnap Ki Dadap's nephew and kill him!"

"Well Ki Demang!" answer Lampitan and leave the place.

When Suto Lemah Cengkar arrived at the cemetery, the cemetery was excavated and Ki Dadap's body was seen lying in the grave. Although some of his face was dirty by the wet red soil and there was a pool of blood but everyone who witnessed was very familiar and made sure that the person in the tomb was indeed the corpse of Ki Dadap.

On the edge of the gaping grave hole Nyai Rukmi felt the ground she was treading like a collapse. She screamed and then cried. Hugging the frightened Arya Gading this woman stepped staggering, swept by two people. It was then that Suto Lumpang got off his horse and faced off against Nyai Rukmi.

"Ki bekel..," said Nyai Rukmi with a vibrating voice. "Everyone has witnessed the truth of my nephew's words. All eyes saw that the corpse in the pit was my husband's corpse! There was blood all over his body. His chest is a gaping wound! A sign that he was stabbed with a kris!"

Suto Lumpang doesn't know what to do. Finally, looking around, he shouted to the crowd to return to the city.

"If the corpse in the hole is known as your husband Nyai, but this business has not been completed. Still needs to be searched and proven who killed Ki Dadap! You all go back to the academy!"

The voice of the crowd who muttered even half of them were cursing at the sign that they did not like to hear the words and saw the attitude of the bekel.

"Ivory is definitely right! The body in the hole is obviously Ki Dadap's body! What other evidence is needed?!" saying someone.

"What must be done is to report this incident to the Duke of Jipang!" another said in a loud voice.

Suto Lumpang glared and snapped. "Reporting is my responsibility! None of you dare to go before me! All back to the school! Three men remain here to put the tomb back in!"

Just now the bekel said so suddenly there were two horses driven into the cemetery. The rider deliberately drove towards the crowd until they scattered fear of being hit. These two horsemen were wearing all-dark clothes. Their faces and heads were covered with dark cloths.

While everyone, including Ki Bekel did not know what the two horsemen were about to do, suddenly one of them lunged to the left where Ki Dadap's wife and son were. Very fast movement of this one horseman. I knew Ivory had been robbed and taken away.

"ivory! My niece was kidnapped!" yell Nyai Rukmi.

The residents of the Kedungtuban academy gaped. They only realized when they heard Nyai Rukmi's scream. Some of them were trying to catch up. Even Ki bekel after being surprised for a while immediately jumped onto the back of his horse. But the second horseman quickly passed by. He not only blocks but uses a stick to hit. Two men were hit by a blow. Ki bekel recklessly tried to jump the horseman. However, the tip of the handle of the branch on his stomach makes this bekel fall to the ground. His stomach seemed to be stirred while his back seemed to break his bones.

"fine kidnapper!" yell Ki bekel. From behind his shirt he pulled out a small knife.

This sharp weapon was then thrown towards the horseman who had poked his stomach with a row of rocks. It turned out that the person who was attacked from behind had quite a high intelligence. As soon as he heard a rustling sound behind him, without reducing the speed of the horse he was racing and completely without turning his head he tilted his body to the left. The tip of the knife only passed a inch from his body. Two of the horsemen, one of whom narrowed Ivory's body in his left hand a moment later vanished at the end of the cemetery. Now there was only the sound of the crowd screaming and the roaring screams of Nyai Rukmi who had lost her nephew.

In a silent valley two people whose faces and heads were covered in dark cloths were stopping their respective horses.

The horsemen at the back looked across the valley. Then his left hand opened the cover of his face and head. It turned out that he was none other than Lampitan, the constable and right-hand man Demang Wiryoboga. Once again he looked around, watching and putting up an ear. Then his head was lowered.

The person in front got off his horse, stepping towards a waru tree. He turned to Lampitan and asked, "Me or you did it...?"

"I'm a pajineman who has been separated to the north coast of Java. Regularly kill big people, famous people – people who have an important position. Is it worth it you told me to smear the hand killing that snot boy! Do it yourself!”

“ For that you get paid!" lampitan replied. Then he throws the clasp in his left hand towards the person who is still narrowing the Ivory.

"Hit his head! Finished our business!"

The person under the tree welcomes the cast. Ivory body then dropped at the foot of the tree. Falling on the hard ground made Ivory roar and so open his eyes he was surprised to find himself in a place that was all foreign. On the left, he saw the body of Lampitan.

In front of him was a man whose head and face were covered with a dark cloth. This man held a bone in his right hand. His left hand pulled off the black cloth that covered his head. It looked as if one very black face was wearing powder from charcoal soot. The solitude of human looks is increased again because it has two sunken cheeks and a pair of large eyes. This sinister look seemed to grin with a large and untidy arrangement of his teeth.

Ivory screamed in fear at this terrible look. Then suddenly he saw the black sunken stick in his right hand towards his head. The child screamed again while closing both of his palms to his face. The tip of the cantaloupe roared towards the Ivory forehead. The boy screamed again.

"Wuttt...!" Hmhp...!"

A small twig along one finger darting near the waru tree directly hit the end of the cantaloupe that will hit the Ivory's head. The end of the broken shell is being hardened itself apart from the grip of the black-faced and concave person. His palms felt hot and hot. The lampitan was startled, jumping down from his horse and gazing around. He didn't see anyone at all.

"Who's meddling in our affairs!" shouted the sunken face very angry.

Just now he was shouting so suddenly an object flew towards him and a plaque, this thing hit his mouth until he cried out in pain. When looking down, it turned out that the object that just hit his face was a small twig as big as an adult's little finger!

"Don't you dare to play! Dare to be rude to me Kebo Peteng!" the sunken face again shouted furiously.

But a moment later they were startled again by the clanging sound of people cutting down trees. This is a new oddity, after many successive strange events. At that time, though the sun had not yet sunk, its light was so weak that it could no longer penetrate the thick leaves of the great trees that were growing to fill every inch of the valley, until the atmosphere became a bit dark. At such times, it is not uncommon for a blandong to cut down a tree.

Especially in the middle of the valley forest that is rarely touched by human hands. Those who seek wood, whether firewood or to make houses, will not cut down wood in the thick jungle. There are many wild and wild stars in it. But the voice kept sounding. It's getting clearer for longer.

It became increasingly apparent that the source of the sound was not so far away. More surprisingly, the clanging sound of the felled tree, like a spinning – round filled the eardrum and caused strange swishings in the chest. Under such circumstances, the atmosphere turned silent. The sound of the clanging of the cut down tree became clearer as if it filled the entire jungle. The sound is so simple in all directions that it is very difficult to know exactly the source of the sound.

A moment later the voice became a little bit away and more slowly as well. But meanwhile followed by the buzzing of a new voice that should also not be possible. In the midst of the wildly dense jungle, and overwhelmed by the atmosphere of the murderous air, echoed a chatter echoed with a beautiful voice. The chat was so enchanting, that Lampitan and Kebo Peteng were stunned - stunned to hear it.

The lamp is secretly feeling bad. But his attitude was calmer than Kebo Peteng's.

"Kebo Peteng, approaching here..," Lampitan said half a whisper. As the sunken face approached, Lampitan whispered, "There's a clever man playing us. Be careful..."

"Don't a clever man, demon or demon pandaI'm not afraid. I'm gonna crack his head, I'm gonna wipe his skin and I'm gonna bake him!" answer Kebo Peteng. Both of his fists were tightly clenched.

“ Let's see the form of that person, but be careful Kebo Peteng “

As promised, they immediately jumped north while Lampitan grabbed Ivory's body and put the fainted boy on the left shoulder. They both suspected that from the north the source of the sound had come.

But after some distance they infiltrated into the forest, all they found was a scar on the tree of a giant tree. Even though they only met his mark, it was already quite thrilling for them. Because according to their hearing, when the sound of cutting down the tree was just a moment, while what they saw the mark was extraordinary. A giant tree of more than four adults was injured by almost half. While picking up the wood from the log, the hunkers scattered not necessarily direction. Really awesome. Especially when beside the tree, all they found was a yellow bamboo along half a fathom that stuck it almost to the back of the big tree.

”Excellent,” hissing Lampitan.

Kebo Peteng nodded in trembles.

”I cannot suppose what strength has helped that man, so that he can do so admirably using only a piece of yellow bamboo.”

Lamp. He seems to be thinking hard. Finally after being considered back and forth he decided to leave the place and undo his intention of killing Ivory.

“ Kebo Peteng, we better leave this place. Let this boy throw us in the middle of this forest. Of course he will not gradually live on the prey of panther beetle or bitten by a snake bandotan that is still so much in this place “

“Lampitan, how about Demang Wiryoboga? Are you going to be in charge?”

“Don't be a fool Kebo Peteng, do you want to risk your life for a few gold pieces? Surely not, right?! Our lives are more than a few goldfish“

Finished saying those words, immediately with agility Lampitan jumped and disappeared among the dense forest. Having previously thrown Ivory body over the thicket. Kebo Peteng who saw Lampitan darting away did not waste a long time. The person with a titan face and sunken face was following where the direction of Lampitan flashed vanished.

Just now the two people left suddenly from the top of the thick-leaved preh tree seemed to slide a body figure lightly. The person who came down from this tree was wearing long white clothes resembling a robe. His head wears a wide caping. From under the caping protrudes his hair gray sign he is an elderly man.

"Olala... This little boy is going to be patented. What harm!! what sin! a man talking said.

"Ngger, let's carry. Then you come with me...!" The man bowed.his right hand was tucked under the waist of Ivory which was still lying on the ground in a state of fainting.

"Hupph!" People talking exclaim.

Ivory body that was lying on the ground is now as related to darting up and bukk.. fell right over the left shoulder of people packing!