The Case Of The Missing Golden Bird Mask - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Good thing Carmen got the museum blueprints from her dad.”

ASK, AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE.

YOU’RE KIDDING! THAT WAS FAST!

THIS IS IT, GUYS, OUR FIRST REAL MISSION. NO MORE PLAYING AROUND; WE NEED A PLAN.

ERR... I’VE SEEN IT ON TV.

OKAY PUI YEEN AND WT, READY FOR ACT ONE? BREAK A LEG!

MAN, I SURE HOPE NOT!

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YOU STAY HERE, WT. I’LL GO INSIDE.

DON’T MIND IF I DO!

HELP! HELP! UNCLE! MY BROTHER IS CHOKING OUTSIDE!

CALM DOWN. WHERE IS HE?

JUST OUTSIDE! PLEASE, UNCLE! PLEASE HURRY!

I’LL GO WITH HER TO TAKE A LOOK, SIVA.

ALL RIGHT THEN… LET’S GO, SIVA. EVERYONE’S LEFT THE MUSEUM ANYWAY.

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BUT, ERR… MY BROTHER’S A BIT ON THE PLUMP SIDE… I THINK IT’LL TAKE THE BOTH OF YOU TO LIFT HIM…

AH! THERE! C’MON PRABHASH, WE NEED TO FIND THE BROOM CLOSET CLOSEST TO THE RAPA-NUI EXHIBITION.

RIGHT BEHIND YA, ZAK.

GOOD THING CARMEN GOT THE MUSEUM BLUEPRINTS FROM HER DAD.

WELCOME BACK, GUYS, AND GOOD WORK! MISSION ONE ACCOMPLISHED.

YEAH. NOW TO INFORM HER WE’RE IN. CAN’T BELIEVE THEY REALLY MADE IT IN!

THEIR PARENTS’D BETTER NOT COME OVER TO CHECK IF WE’RE REALLY DOING OUR ‘PROJECT’, OR WE’D BE TOAST!

I HOPE THEY’LL BE OKAY…

WELL, I’D SAY WE ARE DOING OUR PROJECT. KINDA… SORTA…

ZAK JUST CALLED ME -- THEY’RE ALREADY IN POSITION. NOW THEY’RE WAITING FOR DARKNESS TO FALL BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH MISSION TWO.

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RIGHT, TIME CHECK: 8 PM. IT’S SHOWTIME, MY BABIES! HEH HEH…

ARE YOU SURE THAT’LL WORK?

YOU BET. I’VE TESTED IT A FEW TIMES AT HOME.

CAN YOU SMS CARMEN AND GET HER TO SWITCH ON THE MONITORS? I’M GOING TO FIX THE SPY CAM ON THESE.

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GOTCHA. AND I’VE GOT THE PHONE MONITOR READY FOR US TO NAVIGATE TOO.

GOOD… NOW FOR THE HELICOPTER TO STRUT ITS STUFF…

I HATE TO SAY ‘I TOLD YA SO’, BUT THAT WENT PERFECTLY, DIDN’T IT?

OKAY, YOU HAVE EXACTLY 20 SECONDS TO MAKE IT TO THE ELECTRICAL MAINS AND SHUT DOWN THE POWER.

ALL RIGHT… HERE GOES!

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NOW FOR THE INFRA-RED GOGGLES…

DARN IT, HOW DID THEY GET HERE SO QUICKLY?! IT HASN’T EVEN BEEN 10 SECONDS YET!

C’MON ZAK, WE’VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!

NO TIME TO EXPLAIN! LET’S GO!

WHAT HAPPENED?

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THERE’S THAT VAN AGAIN! AFTER THEM!

SHEESH, NO NEED TO BE SNIPPY. LET’S GET BACK TO HQ FOR NOW.

MAN… WE LOST THEM…

HELLO? TWO WHEELS VERSUS FOUR? LEGS VERSUS ENGINE? NEED I GO ON?

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SOMEONE BEAT US TO IT. THE SECURITY GUARDS.

WHAT HAPPENED, GUYS? WHERE’S THE TABLET?

WHAT SECURITY GUARDS?

THE MUSEUM GUARDS - I SAW THEM WITH MY OWN EYES! AND THEY DROVE AWAY IN THE SAME VAN AS THE ONE WE SAW THE OTHER DAY AT KIKI’S. IT’S GOT TO BE A CONSPIRACY!

ME NEITHER. IT WAS TOO FAST, WE COULDN’T SEE ANYTHING.

DID YOU SEE THE LICENSE PLATE? OR REMEMBER ANY FEATURES ON THE VAN?

NOPE. I JUST KNOW IT’S WHITE.

THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO MIGHT KNOW SOMETHING NOW ARE THAT PRIEST AND THE LADY CURATOR FROM THE MUSEUM. PUI YEEN, COULD YOU GO SEE HER TOMORROW?

AFRAID NOT, WT. WE NEED YOU TO RESEARCH THAT TABLET. SEE IF YOU CAN FIND A PICTURE OF IT ON THE INTERNET.

OOH, CAN I GO WITH HER?

SO… WHAT NOW?

I’LL PAY A VISIT TO THE RAPA-NUI EMBASSY TO DO SOME INFO DIGGING. ZAK AND PRABHASH, SEE THE PRIEST AND ASK HIM IF HE KNOWS ANYTHING. LET’S MEET BACK HERE TOMORROW AT 1500 HOURS. IT’S GETTING LATE…

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HI THERE, KUIMI!

WE’RE STILL DOING OUR PROJECT, AND WE GOT REALLY STUMPED BY SOMETHING. CAN I ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS?

OH HI! WHAT A SURPRISE! HOW CAN I HELP YOU TODAY?

SURE, FIRE AWAY.

I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PAST KINGS OF RAPA-NUI. WHO WERE THEY, AND WHO GAVE THEM THEIR POWERS?

WHAT ABOUT THE MASK?

WELL, FOR A START, THE FIRST KING OF RAPA-NUI WAS CALLED THE CHOSEN ONE.

WHO CHOSE HIM?

ACCORDING TO LEGEND, HE WAS CHOSEN BY THE SUPREME GOD HIMSELF, MAKE-MAKE.

HOW WOULD THE POWER BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEXT KING, THEN? IS IT HEREDITARY OR WILL IT BE DECIDED BY MAKE-MAKE?

FROM THEN ON, IT’S HEREDITARY. TO TRANSFER POWER TO THE HEIR, A CORONATION CEREMONY HAS TO BE HELD NEAR A VOLCANO, UNDER A BRIGHT MOONLIGHT.

THE MASK HOLDS THE KEY TO THE POWER, THUS THE HOLDER OF THE MASK IS ALSO THE HOLDER OF THE POWER. IT NEEDS TO BE PLACED OVER THE HEAD OF THE PERSON TO BE CORONATED. GOSH… WHO DO YOU THINK COULD’VE STOLEN IT? MANY PEOPLE - BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME WHO THINK THAT POWER SHOULD NOT BE RETAINED BY ONLY ONE TRIBE.

WELL, THANKS KUIMI. YOU’VE BEEN A GREAT HELP!

GOOD JOB, SLOWCOACH! YOU’RE THE LAST TO ARRIVE!

GOOD, WE’RE ALL HERE. LET’S GET STARTED. ZAK AND PRABHASH, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

ZIP. NADA. THE CHIEF PRIEST IS ONE CLUELESS NUT. HE DOESN’T SEEM TO KNOW A THING AT ALL.

I HAD NO LUCK AT THE EMBASSY EITHER. THEY’RE REALLY VERY PROTECTIVE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR KING.

HOW ABOUT YOU, PUI YEEN?

SO I GUESS THOSE WHO STOLE THE MASK AND TABLET WILL HAVE TO SMUGGLE THEM BACK TO RAPA-NUI… UNLESS…

THE CURATOR TOLD ME THAT ANY TRANSFER OF POWER HAS TO BE DONE NEAR A VOLCANO UNDER A FULL MOON.

SENTOSA!!

WAIT A MINUTE… IT’S FULL MOON TONIGHT! IT’LL BE THE PERFECT TIME! LET’S SCRAMBLE, GUYS. GET YOUR GEAR, AND MEET UP AT 9 PM! BUT… WHAT ARE WE GONNA TELL OUR PARENTS?

WE COULD ALWAYS SAY WE’RE SLEEPING OVER AT WT’S TO COMPLETE OUR PROJECT. HOW ABOUT THAT? BUT WT WILL HAVE TO STAY HERE AND COVER FOR US IF THEY CALL. PUI YEEN TOO.

GLADLY!

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YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN. AND IT’S WORSE WHEN IT’S CLOSED DOWN.

WOW, THIS PLACE IS SPOOKY AT NIGHT…

SHH! CAN’T RISK GETTING CAUGHT! QUIET, AND KEEP YOUR FOCUS, GUYS.

NOTHING’S HAPPENING. DO YOU THINK WE’VE BEEN HAD?

LET’S WAIT TILL AFTER THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT.

SIGH… WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!

I GUESS THERE MUST’VE BEEN OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CEREMONY THAT KUIMI DIDN’T KNOW OF…

At 12.30 am, after a fruitless wait, the trio leave Sentosa and return to MI-V headquarters.

At the hospital…

GLAD TO SEE YOU’RE AWAKE, KIKI. BUT I’M AFRAID WE HAVE BAD NEWS…

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IT’S OKAY, I’VE ALREADY HEARD. THE TABLET’S GONE TOO, RIGHT?

YES… WE’RE SORRY WE LET THAT HAPPEN… NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT IS EITHER. THE GUYS WHEN TO SENTOSA’S VOLCANOLAND, THINKING IT MIGHT BE THERE… WHAT A SILLY IDEA.

SENTOSA?! HOW EVER DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT?!

IT WAS KUIMI, THE CURATOR FROM THE MUSEUM. SHE TOLD ME THIS WEIRD TALE ABOUT THE CORONATION TAKING PLACE NEAR A VOLCANO, AND THE PLACING OF THE MASK OVER THE HEAD OF THE FUTURE KING, BLAH BLAH BLAH.

THAT’S STRANGE. NO ONE OUTSIDE THE ROYAL FAMILY - WELL, EXCEPT MY CHIEF PRIEST - KNOWS ABOUT THAT DETAIL.

HMM… I WONDER WHERE SHE GOT THAT PIECE OF INFORMATION THEN. OH, BY THE WAY, WE’D LIKE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT A PICTURE.

WHICH ONE?

THE ONE YOU MENTIONED, PLACING THE MASK OVER THE HEAD. I WAS VERY YOUNG WHEN I WAS CORONATED, BUT I DON’T REMEMBER BEING ANYWHERE NEAR A VOLCANO.

IT DOES LOOK LIKE THE TABLET… BUT IT’S PRETTY BLURRED. WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?

THE DETAILS OF OUR CEREMONIES ARE WELLGUARDED, BECAUSE NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN READ RAPA-NUI WRITING - NOT EVEN BY LOOKING AT THE TABLET. WHAT PICTURE, CARMEN?

SHOW HIM, WT.

I GOT THIS RARE IMAGE OF THE SACRED TABLET - OR AT LEAST I THINK SO. COULD YOU CONFIRM IT?

I DID A COMPREHENSIVE SEARCH AND FINALLY FOUND THIS IMAGE FROM THE SITE THAT BELONGS TO RAPA-NUI’S GOVERNMENT ARCHIVES.

PERHAPS YOU CAN TRANSLATE IT AND WE CAN GO ON WITH THE INVESTIGATIONS FROM THERE?

IT SAYS HERE… ‘IN AN OPEN SPACE, UNDER A SHOWER OF STARS AND A FULL MOON, EIGHT STATUES ARE TO BE LINED UP WITH FOUR ON EACH SIDE FORMING A PATHWAY FACING THE EAST. THE PERSON TO BE CORONATED MUST WEAR THE MASK AND STAND BETWEEN THE TWO ROWS OF STATUES.’ THE REST ARE CHANTS TO BE READ BY THE CHIEF PRIEST. HE HAS TO CHANT THEM UNDER THE BRIGHT MOONLIGHT WHILE… WHILE PACING TO… AND FRO ON THE…

KIKI?! I’LL GO GET THE NURSE!

I THINK VISITING HOUR’S OVER FOR THE PRINCE. YOU SHOULD ALL LEAVE NOW.

YOU’VE GOT TO TRY DECIPHERING THE TABLET, PUI YEEN. WE’RE ALL COUNTING ON YOU NOW.

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WELL, I CAN TRY, BUT RAPA-NUI WRITING ISN’T QUITE LIKE OTHER ANCIENT LANGUAGES. THE SCRIPT IS KNOWN AS RONGORONGO OR KO HAU RONGO RONGO. RONGORONGO IS THE SCRIPT USED BY THE ROYALTY.

WHOA, WHAT A MOUTHFUL!

THEY HAVE OTHER MINOR SCRIPTS AS WELL, LIKE TA’U AND MAMA, BUT ALL OF THEM ARE READ IN REVERSE BOUSTROPHEDON FASHION.

BOU… BOUSTRO… WHA…?

IT’S ‘BOUSTROPHEDON’, PRAHBASH. AN ANCIENT WAY OF WRITING MANUSCRIPTS AND INSCRIPTIONS. IT’S FASCINATING, REALLY. THE WRITING GOES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, THEN YOU HAVE TO TURN THE TEXT AROUND, AND READ THE NEXT LINE UPSIDE DOWN. THEN TURN IT AGAIN TO READ THE THIRD LINE.

YOU’RE AMAZING, PUI YEEN. I’M SURE YOU’LL BE A GREAT RESEARCHER ONE DAY.

WOW! HOW DO YOU KNOW ALL THIS?!

ARCHAEOLOGY’S MY FAVOURITE SUBJECT. I’VE READ ABOUT AND RESEARCHED MANY ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS, FROM THEIR CULTURE TO HOW THEY COMMUNICATE.

THANKS, CARMEN. THIS WILL TAKE SOME TIME. THERE’VE BEEN MANY ATTEMPTS TO DECIPHER RONGORONGO, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO ONE’S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING A FULL TRANSLATION.

I DON’T THINK THEY’D BE ABLE TO READ BEYOND WHAT’S ALREADY KNOWN…

AND THE PRIEST IS PRETTY CLUELESS, REMEMBER? HE WON’T BE MUCH HELP THERE.

CAN’T WE GET SOMEONE FROM THE EMBASSY OR EVEN THE PRIEST TO DECIPHER IT FOR US?

UH OH… BAD NEWS, PUI YEEN. THAT WAS FROM THE HOSPITAL. THE NURSE TOLD ME THAT KIKI’S GETTING WEAKER. IN FACT, HE’S BEEN ADMITTED INTO INTENSIVE CARE.

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GUYS… I DON’T THINK I CAN DO THIS…

C’MON PUI YEEN, WE HAVE FAITH IN YOU!

WELL… THIS WORD KEEPS COMING UP - ‘SACRED SOIL’ - BUT I CAN’T LINK IT TO ANYTHING HERE IN SINGAPORE…

AH! YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, ZAK! THAT’S IT!

HMM… YOU DO KNOW THAT SINGAPORE USED TO BE A KINGDOM UNDER SRI TRI BUANA, THE KING OF SUMATRA… RIGHT?

SOME STUDIES SAY THAT THE ORIGINAL POLYNESIANS CAME FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA. THEY REACHED THE ISLANDS OF TONGA AND SAMOA, AND FROM THERE, THEY MOVED FURTHER EAST TO AROUND THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS.

THEN THEY SPLIT IN TWO DIRECTIONS - SOUTHEAST TO EASTER ISLAND AND NORTH TO HAWAII.

THE LAST PHASES OF THE MOVEMENT WERE TO THE SOCIETY ISLANDS, AND FROM THERE, TO NEW ZEALAND.

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MY DAD TOLD ME ABOUT THE LEGEND OF A PLACE CALLED BUKIT LARANGAN OR FORBIDDEN HILL. SRI TRI BUANA RESIDED THERE, AND THE LOCAL SETTLERS WERE WARY OF ASCENDING THAT HILL AS THEY BELIEVED IT WAS THE SITE OF PALACES BUILT BY THEIR ANCESTRAL KINGS. SO THE SACRED SOIL COULD REFER TO THIS FORBIDDEN HILL… OR, FORT CANNING, AS WE NOW CALL IT!

GREAT WORK, GUYS! I THINK WE’RE GETTING CLOSER!

ZAK COULD BE RIGHT… BUT HOW CAN WE CONFIRM THIS?

WELL I’M GLAD SOMEBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT. IT’S ALL MUMBO-JUMBO TO ME.

ERR… THE LIBRARY?

THERE’S NO TIME, AND I DON’T THINK WE CAN GET ANY SOLID LEADS THERE. SINGAPORE’S HISTORY BEFORE THAT TIME WAS MOSTLY ORAL. IF WE WANNA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS, WE NEED TO GO TO PULAU UBIN.

PULAU UBIN?! AT THIS HOUR?!

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