Read Online Mountain of Fire by Radhika Puri - Free Book Online

around,” the old man continued.
    This time Agus’ nod was a little less enthusiastic. “How did you know we were here, Mbah?” Agus decided to change the subject quickly.
    â€œWell, for one, you were shouting a lot,” said Pak Eko. “Yelling at the top of your voices till I was worried you would start another avalanche,” he said.
    The avalanche! Taufan! Her village!
    She spoke up for the first time. “Is everyone okay? Ayah? Ibu?”
    â€œAh, yes. The rocks rolled away from the village. But I think a few chickens got quite a fright,” he said, opening his eyes wide and waving his hands.
    Agus started laughing and Fitri could not help but smile. Pak Eko was nothing like what she had imagined. He was funny! They were talking to the Guardian of the Merapi in the middle of the night in the forest! This was too weird.
    Agus laughed but Fitri was somber when she asked, “There was a man... He caught us.”
    Agus piped up, “Aaaah, yes, he was up to no good. He wanted the treasure and then Fitri hit him like this!” He jabbed his elbow in the air, trying to show Mbah how hard his sister had hit Taufan.
    â€œYes, yes, I know the man,” Pak Eko said. His face became serious. “Greedy and a troublemaker.”
    â€œWhere is he, Mbah?” Fitri asked.
    â€œHe got hit by a boulder. Probably broke his leg. We won’t see him again. The polisi will look after him.”
    Fitri remembered the policeman she had seen Pak Eko talking to earlier in the day and, slowly, something started dawning on her.
    â€œYou knew about Taufan? That’s why you had the policeman in the group?”
    â€œYes, I knew about Taufan. When the two of you found the lost kingdom, I knew it would not be long before he showed up to make trouble. But the avalanche...”
    He paused and wagged his finger at the two of them, his face serious. “Do you have any idea of how lucky the two of you are?”
    Fitri was beginning to feel braver and more confident. She asked, “If you knew about the secret place, why didn’t you tell anyone, Mbah?”
    â€œBecause it is not my adventure. Not my story to tell,” Pak Eko said. “This one here wants to be the one to tell people,” he said pointing at Agus. “Because people must know that Raksasa is a very brave boy. This is his story to tell.”
    Agus went red in the face and looked like he was going to burst with joy.
    Pak Eko got up from the rock he had been sitting on. “Aaah, I am too old for this. To go about saving children who get into trouble in the middle of the night,” he said with the slightest twinkle in his eye.
    â€œWait,” Fitri said. There were too many unanswered questions floating around her head. Pak Eko knew about Taufan; he knew he would show up. How was that possible? “Taufan also said something about our grandmother. What does this have to do with her?”
    â€œThat’s a long story. You should ask your parents, your mother, about her. She is a priestess in the Petuluk tribe. The two of you are a lot like her. You have her gift – her vision – and her bravery.”
    Agus piped up, “You knew our Nenek?”
    â€œYes, I did. Lovely lady and very intelligent.”
    Fitri asked, “What do you mean by her gift? What gift do we have?”
    â€œWell, has the Merapi been telling you things?”
    â€œI don’t know... I’ve been having these weird dreams. They seemed so real... ” She stopped, trying to think of what she should tell the old man. Somehow, she didn’t feel stupid talking about this to Pak Eko. Suddenly she felt like she could tell him anything.
    â€œI think I saw the eruption that buried the kingdom, and then there was another dream where the forest and the village were destroyed. It was horrible.”
    The old man’s face looked grave. “I know. We have made peace with the mountain. It is time to leave