CHAPTER 6
We’ve arrived to Batavia (Jakarta, today), where the Diane picks up the rest of the diplomatic envoy and hobnobs with (real-life) governor Stamford Raffles (no relation to Stamford Bridge), who would soon after go on to establish modern day Singapore.
Things get a bit more fictional from here, with the Diane going on to Pulo Prabang (not a real place), which has orangutans and a spectacular Buddhist temple on top of a mountain paradise. The place also has a Sultan, with and the envoys are competing with a French mission for his favor. As had been hoped, the French mission does include both the traitors Wray and Ledward.
CHAPTER 7
As the French and English envoys battle it out on the diplomatic front, there are all sorts of machinations going on behind the scenes as well. The French have the advantage of having gotten there first, but the English are playing the game a lot better. Meanwhile, Maturin visits the aforementioned mountain paradise, climbing a thousand steps to commune with monks and the various human-friendly fauna.
CHAPTER 8
Maturin returns from this dreamlike earthly paradise to find an armed rising against the French in Prabang, seemingly instigated by the English and succeeding completely. The French have all been kicked out or worse, which could be a problem as their ship has managed to run aground on the other side of the island, which Aubrey discovers on a mapping expedition. (He also finds that one of the ship’s crew is the nephew of his old friend Christy-Pallière, now an Admiral, whom we might remember from some of the early books in this series.)
Maturin also succeeds in his side-quest to take care of Wray and Ledward, and it’s strongly insinuated that he himself had assassinated them both. He then uses his connections with other local men of science to dissect the bodies and get rid of the evidence. Very “Dexter”, that.
Cue the music!
TMILinks
Staying
Roberto Firmino confirms he has no intention to leave: “I love this team, city and fans. I'm here at Liverpool and I want to stay”, tells TNT Brazil. #LFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 31, 2022
Juventus have never opened talks to sign Firmino, not even discussed by agents or clubs despite rumours. pic.twitter.com/X2ZDYysXLY
Record
87,192 at Wembley. Allp-time Uefa tournament record.
— Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) July 31, 2022
Done
Welcome to Nottingham Forest, Orel Mangala. ❤️
— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) July 31, 2022
#NFFC | #PL
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