Characters
Bound from Calcutta to the island of Mauritius, the Ibis carries a truly diverse cargo of passengers. As they cross the Black Waters, their old ties are swept away and they become jahaj-bhais or ship-brothers, bound together by the dangers of their new fate.
Deeti hails from a poor village of opium growers on the banks of the Ganges, with her husband Hukam Singh and little daughter Kabutri. When her opium-addicted husband takes a turn for the worse, she lives in perpetual fear of his unscrupulous, lascivious brother Chandan Singh. If Chandan cannot have his way with her he is determined to see her burn on her husband's funeral pyre. But Deeti has long held a secret attraction to Kalua, a low-caste Oxen driver, who she once helped out of trouble. Just when it seems that Chandan will get the better of her, Kalua comes to her rescue. Kalua confesses a love equal to hers, and together they flee the wrath of Deeti's in-laws, finding refuge as coolies aboard ship.
Though he is the son of an American freedwoman and her white master, Zachary Reid's black heritage is not physically apparent. Thus he is able to secure a job on the Ibis as ship's carpenter, where his youthful dynamism soon sees him promoted to Second Mate. He is given a leg-up by Serang Ali, head of the lascars, the Asian sailors who crew the ship. Ali harbours a paternal affection for Zachary. But while Zachary holds the respect of Ali and his crew, the same cannot be said of his First Mate. Tough-as-nails east-ender Jack Crowle resents Zachary a soft-hearted upstart. As resentments bubble, Crowle determines to topple Zachary by any means necessary. No reassuring intervention seems likely from the ship's captain, Chillingworth. Once a great sailor, his opium habit now largely keeps him below deck, leaving the Mates to battle it out unsupervised.
As an upper-caste, landowning Raja, Neel Rattan has led a closeted life of luxury. But, as the costs of his lifestyle, the upkeep of his estates, and his dependents spiral out of control, he falls into debt. His main creditor is Benjamin Burnham. The son of a Liverpool timber merchant, Burnham has risen through the ranks and made his fortune trading opium. Business-savvy, puritanical and iron-willed, Burnham will stop at nothing to secure Neel's land. He contrives to have his debtor thrown into jail. When Neel is cruelly sentenced to transportation to Mauritius's penal settlement, he must kiss goodbye to his former glory. More heartbreakingly he must also learn to live without his sensual mistress Elokeshi, his obedient wife Rani Malati, and, most distressingly, his only son Raj Rattan. His new companion is to be Ah Fatt a half-Parsee, half-Chinese opium addict. On first sight Ah Fatt seems almost bestial, wracked by the throes of withdrawal. But as Ah Fatt masters his addiction, an unlikely friendship is forged in the cramped confines of their cell.
As master of a whole fleet, Burnham himself is not making this particular voyage to Mauritius. But, unbeknownst to him, his young ward Paulette Lambert is. Daughter of a liberal French widower living in Calcutta, Paulette has been brought up unconventionally. Not only allowed to wear a sari and learn Bengali, she has been raised side by side with Jodu, the Indian son of her wet-nurse. Jodu is now like a brother to her. On her impoverished father's death they have lost touch as Jodu is left to fend for himself while Paulette is granted sanctuary at the Burnhams.
Adapting to her new household's strict regime is a struggle for Paulette but she tries hard. Until, one day, the threat of an arranged marriage with Burnham's decrepit crony Judge Kendalbushe, impels her to flee; that, and Burnham's bizarre peccadilloes towards her, which are becoming increasingly out of hand. She decides that her best means of escape is to stow away aboard the Ibis.
She has recently been reunited with Jodu and she turns first to him. Having lost touch for a year Jodu has recently sought out Paulette to break her the news of his mother, her wet-nurse's, death. As his arrival coincides with the readying of the Ibis, Jodu signs up as a ship's-hand since he is no longer tied down by family responsibilities. Paulette attempts a two-pronged persuasion attack on Jodu and Zachary, who she has recently met through the Burnhams and with whom there is an immediate spark of mutual attraction. Neither Jodu nor Zachary will countenance her scheme so, capitalising on her quasi-Indian upbringing, she plots to smuggle herself on board the Ibis disguised as an Indian coolie. Once on board, she must carefully disguise her true identity from both Jodu and Zarchary.
To execute her scheme she turns to Baboo Nob Kissin. This fastidious and strange little man is Burnham's accountant. While he is loath to help Paulette, he is in the midst of machinations against Burnham and needs all the ammunition he can get. When he quizzes Paulette as to why she is on the run, she hints at Burnham's peccadilloes and promises more damning information in return for his help. He agrees to help by posing as her uncle on board. Baboo made sure to secure himself a place on board having decided to is key to the realisation of a bizarre and elaborate spiritual fantasy which he has recently concocted. He has convinced himself that his body will play host to his long-deceased spiritual guide, Ma Taramony. Under her guidance he hopes to covertly adopt the convict Neel as his spiritual son, while keeping an awe-inspired eye on Zachary, who he has a sneaking suspicion is the embodiment of Krishna.
Among the host of coolies on board, one in particular captures Paulette's attention. Munia is a teenage girl on the run. Charming, naïve and flirtatious, there is every risk of her getting into hot water again. So Paulette decides to take Munia under her wing. Her advice is soon needed as Munia embarks on an intense flirtation with Jodu. With her a coolie, him a sailor, her a Hindu, him a Muslim, their liaison is fraught with danger.
The Ibis seems a vessel steeped in fate. And this is no more apparent than in the case of Deeti. Having escaped death at the hand of her brother-in-law, her fortune seems to improve. She earns the respect of the coolies and is soon seen by them as their bhauji or big sister, while her love with Kalua has blossomed and she has become pregnant again.
However, fate takes cruel twists. The most feared man on the ship is Bhyro Singh the leader of the regiment posted to keep order on board. The minute she sees him, Deeti recognises her husband's uncle. He was the man who orchestrated her unhappy match with Hukam. And, since her narrow escape from Chandan, he has been on the warpath, determined to hunt her down and have her killed to restore the family's honour.
Hiding behind the veil of her sari, Deeti believes she has gone unnoticed during the voyage. Then, one day, Munia is caught with Jodu and all hell breaks loose. Munia is dragged away by the guards. The coolies' beg Deeti, their bhauji, to mediate with the guards to save the girl. Deeti is told by the guards that she can have access to Munia if she goes by herself. But, when she walks past the guards into the cabin, she sees she has walked into a trap: Bhyro Singh is waiting for her. As the leader of the coolies stands face to face with her mortal enemy, the leader of the guards, the very ecosystem of the Ibis is brought to the brink of chaos.
“The Language of Sea of Poppies: The Ibis Chrestomathy” is available as a pdf download.