‘Yes, I suppose something will have to be done,’ Lum Kwa said. ‘I’ll drop in at Lal Bazaar later, if possible.’

It was noon by the time he reached the shores of the Hooghly. The huge schooner, the Oriental Pearl, had just docked at the port.

On the deck stood coolies from Singapore, Penang and Macao. According to the terms of their contract, they had all been paid an advance for the voyage. This advance had to be returned once they started earning. After the fare and the food were paid for, Yi Kan felt that he was left with very little profit. So he lined up the men on the deck, and forced them to return a part of the advance they had been given. The men were unhappy about this but they did not protest because this was a new place and they knew no one but him.

On the deck, clutching their bundles, stood Ho Han and Ho Yen, curiously taking in their surroundings.

So, this was Calcutta Port!

They stared at the Hooghly Bridge in amazement. They were surprised to see the huge houses along the river, as well as the various boats that lined the shores, and the teeming crowds. It was not as though they had never seen a city, but it had been a long time ago. They no longer remembered how many years had passed since they left that city in South China where Ho Han and Ho Yen had worked from daybreak to sunset as slaves to the butcher. The days, months and years seemed jumbled up.

All they did was slog. There wasn’t time for tears either. Perhaps, if they had stayed on with the meat seller, they would have found freedom. Ho Han might have had his own shop in the Thirteen Factory marketplace. It was because they ran away that they had met with such disaster.

After that first night of horror, they had stayed another three nights at Lintin Island and each night new recruits were brought in. Finally, when there was no more space left at the bottom of the ship, their voyage began. They were given one meal of rice and water every day. There was no air, and no light. In between, the armed guards came and took away the dead and the dying steeped in excretion and vomit.

Ho Han had no idea where they were going. The waves of the South China Sea rocked the ship and caused havoc among the captives. Their insides rattled with every movement. Finally, when the iron lid to their hellhole was opened, it was noon. The men climbed out towards the light, staggering from weakness. The guards with their whips and long muskets made them stand in a row.

Shielding their eyes from the intense sunlight, Ho Han and his companions walked forward, being pushed and ordered by the guards.

‘What place is this?’ they asked.

‘This is the Prince of Wales Island in Penang. This is a British colony,’ someone said.