“I’m not sure you should be moving,” said Roper. “We tried to find a doctor to look at you but there was nobody at the clinic.”

“It’s all right, Mr. Roper,” said Siri. “I’m a doctor. And I think what I most need right now is a glass of rum and bed rest. Lots of both.”

“Of course,” said Roper.

The visitors filed out of the room and the owner returned with a bottle of rum. But Siri was already asleep. It was late when he woke up. Daeng, still dressed, was holding on to him and she was awake. He could see the small ember of a mosquito coil reflected in her eyes. A storm raged outside the room.

“I fell asleep,” he said.

“Almost as soon as everyone left.”

“I suddenly felt exhausted.”

“You got blown up.”

“Right. The details are a bit fuzzy. Would you like to talk me through it?”

She manipulated him into a spoon position. He didn’t groan so she was sure there were no serious injuries.

“We came back to the guesthouse,” she said. “You were unlocking the door but I noticed scratch marks around the handle. I heard a pin drop. I threw myself at you.”

“As you always have.”

“I need to give you a quick seminar on booby traps at this juncture,” she said. “There are indoor booby traps and outdoor booby traps. If our door had opened outward, the attacker would only need to fasten a grenade to something in the room that didn’t move and tie the string from the grenade pin to the inside door handle. The victim opens the door, pulls out the pin, steps inside, and bam! You wouldn’t be here listening to this.”

“I feel I need to thank the gods for indoor booby traps,” said Siri.

“The indoor booby trap is more complicated,” said Daeng. “You duct-tape the grenade to the floor facing away from the door. You find a length of cane or a chopstick. You tape one end to the door and the other to the grenade pin. Thus, when you open the door, you push the stick, which pushes the pin out of the grenade. This is much better for us.”

“Why?”

“Because the doorframe takes the bulk of the force of the explosion. You feel the blast. It knocks you off your feet but you’re not hit by twenty kilograms of teak.”

“Just by a flying wife.”

“Exactly.”

“I assume you’ve learned this from experience.”

“Terrorist school.”

“Where do the two thugs fit in?” Siri asked.

“Ah, right. This might be a little violent for your taste.”

“I’ll chance it.”