‘Something is amiss, Ho Yen,’ said Ho Han.

‘What do you mean?’ the others asked anxiously.

‘Why did the man take money for each one of us? He had said he didn’t need money!’

‘What’s the problem? Why are you making so much noise?’ the man who brought them asked, coming forward.

‘Why have you taken money from that man?’ Ho Han asked.

‘What is wrong? Shouldn’t I have taken money?’

‘I can understand your language,’ Ho Han said. ‘Why have you taken money for us?’

‘You will understand later. Now go below, I say.’

‘You have to tell us before we go,’ Ho Han insisted as the others too came forward. The man’s face was flushed with anger. The faces of the guards hardened, too.

‘I said I’ll tell you later. Go down, or else –’

‘Or else what?’ Ho Han stared at him.

Out of nowhere a guard hit him with the butt of his gun. Ho Han fell to the floor. The man thundered at the group, ‘Shut up, you! I asked you to go below. Not a word more. Go below, I said.’

Two of the guards pulled Ho Han up and pushed him and the others down the stairs. The man who had brought them there stood watching indifferently. All glow of kindness and magnanimity was gone.

Utter darkness enveloped the insides of the ship. The air was heavy with the stink of sweat, vomit and excretion. Ho Han and the others looked around. They knew immediately that there were people there with them. Their breath created strange ghostly waves. In the eerie silence, the people below looked wide-eyed at the young men who had been forced down from above, clutching their small bundles to their chests.

After a few moments of unbearable silence, a tired and agonized voice spoke from a corner of the dark hole.

‘Why on earth did you all come here?’

The newcomers were in a quandary. In a trembling voice, one of them said, ‘We are going to a distant place to work.’

‘That man has lied to you. He is a wicked man. A cheat.’

‘But we all have written agreements!’

‘He has sold us all.’

‘We will have to work there as slaves. For the last five days we have been imprisoned here. Not once have we been allowed out.’

The truth dawned on them suddenly. Their cries further distressed those already imprisoned, making them sob and bemoan their fate.

‘They have bought us from our masters,’ someone wept.

‘They gagged me and brought me here forcibly, beating me all the way. Look at the wounds on my body. Look!’

‘I wanted to get married, but I didn’t have enough money. I thought I’d work hard and save money so that I could come back and marry. But now we will not live to come back. None of us will return alive!’

‘We are poor and have no land to cultivate. I thought I’d work hard and return with loads of money. I dreamt of buying land and keeping my parents in comfort. I have a wife and children. I’ll never ever get to see them again,’ a man wailed.