The Spiral Road

Oh, back so soon, Jano?

The boat docked right on schedule.

The totoks will be up as soon as they unload.

It never fails.

There's always at least one in a pith helmet.

What did they send us this year?

A little better than average.

There're several seem fairly bright. And one is a gold medal winner.

Took top honors for four straight years.

Really?

Walking next to your friend with the pith helmet,

the tall one, Anton Drager.

Gentlemen, welcome to Batavia. My name is Dr. Kramer.

Dr. Sordjano, our assistant director, you've already met.

Dr. Martens, in charge of our expedition and field service.

Dr. Sanders, resident personnel.

I won't ask you your names now,

one, because I'm not very good at remembering names,

and two, because your arrival brings our service staff

to 341 physicians.

So for the present, I'll address you simply as "doctor."

The rest of the staff will probably refer to you as "totok."

Take no offense. It simply means newcomer.

You will discover there is still much to learn about being a doctor

in this part of the world.

We'll see to it that you learn.

Now...

Doctor.

Doctor.

Dr. Drager.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Please don't apologize.

I can easily understand your interest in our map.

In time, some of you will be assigned to the field,

but for the next six months you will be here on hospital duty.

Dr. Sanders will now show you to your quarters.

Good day, gentlemen.

This way, please, gentlemen.

There's one thing more.

There'll be a dinner at the country club this evening

where you'll meet the staff of the hospital and their families.

8:00. That's all, gentlemen.

And if you'll cooperate just a little, Dr. Drager,

you may find colonial life quite pleasant.

As attractive as you personally make it, Mrs. Kramer,

I didn't come out here to attend dancing school,

or join the country club.

You make it sound like a fate worse than death.

I don't believe in fate.

What do you believe in?

Anton Drager,

and the government health service

and my contract, which, quoting loosely, states,

"in consideration of the monies expended by the government on your behalf,

"you will upon graduation report to the Netherlands East Indies Health Service

"for a period of not less than five years."

Isn't it a little late for regrets?

Oh, I don't believe in regrets either, Mrs. Kramer.

I intend to get full value out of those five years.

Nothing more definite than that?

Very definite.

I want to work with Dr. Jansen.

Oh.

Louise, Sordjano and the usual gang

are hankering for poker. Will you get the wives organized?

Some bridge, perhaps?

Right, darling.

Dr. Drager here has just been telling me something very interesting.

He wants to work with Brits.

And he's quite definite about it.

So you want to work with Dr. Jansen, huh?

Well, I intended to discuss it with you some other time, sir.

Why not now?

Because the answer is no.

You'll be assigned as all the new men are

according to our needs and your qualifications.

But I feel I am qualified, sir.

How do I go about proving it to you?

I don't know that you ever will.

But since it is a unique request, why Brits Jansen?

Because he's top man out here in tropical medicine,

and certainly the world's foremost authority on leprosy.

But isn't it true, sir, that except for a few tracts written almost 20 years ago,

he hasn't recorded anything about his work,

his successes, his failures,

methods of diagnosis, proposals for future research?

Well, now, you're reckoning with the man himself.

We've been after him to do that for a long time.

Then let me work out my five years with him, sir.

Let me get to know what he knows and I'll see that it's done.

I'll do it with him.

Dr. Drager, you intend to leave here at the end of five years?

Yes.

When you step off that boat back home,

you're liable to find tropical medicine is hardly a lucrative field.

But in research, sir?

If a man like Brits Jansen were in Holland right now,

he'd be offered millions for research.

And the same is also possible for a young man who stepped off the boat

wrapped in the aura of Brits Jansen's knowledge.

Dr. Kramer,

I don't intend to get off that boat with just a wrinkled white suit

and the hope of getting over malaria.

Is there anything wrong with that?

Dr. Martens, will you come over here a minute, please?

Who are you sending up to Jansen?

Stappel. He leaves in the morning.

Well, cancel him out. We're sending up a volunteer.

Drager?

That's right.

You can carry on with Dr. Martens.

Good luck.

Thank you, sir.

Your plane leaves at 8:00 in the morning.

Be at the expedition and field office at 7:00.

That's 7:00 sharp.

Oh the dot, doctor.

You're sending a totok to Jansen?

Exactly.

I don't understand.

Marty,

our gold medal winner wants to win some more medals.

If he can get along with Brits, I'll pin one on him myself.

If not, he'll come running back, ready to work and behave himself.

Oh, did you get inoculated? No.

Take care of it at Macassar.

You'll have a couple of hours there before the train leaves for Rokul.

I've had all my shots.

Oh, not for plague, you haven't.

Plague at the leper colony?

Jansen isn't there.

He's three weeks upriver at Rauwatta village.

There. There. He's got a pip of a plague epidemic.

Worst in years.

Oh, we radioed Krasser at Rokul.

Runs the hotel there. He'll outfit you for the trip up.

Well, that does it.

Sixteen anti-plague, the jungle kits, your personal gear,

and that last is the P.G. You.

Those crated tins, the P.G., that's the most important to old Brits,

so you guard it with your life.

All right. On your way. Thank you.

Hey.

I forgot to ask. What's P.G.?

Hi. You the new doc?

Mr. Krasser?

Yeah. Come on in.

They'll take care of that, doc. Come on in.

Hey, doc?

Doctor?

That train still got all its wheels?

Last I saw. Good.

It's taking me out of here tomorrow.

You're a new one, huh?

How are things back home? Changed much?

Depends on how long you've been away.

Ten years. Three of them here. River master.

Bet you'll be glad to get home.

I'm not going.

I thought I was, until three or four days ago.

But now I'm going into Batavia for reassignment.

And don't ask me why I changed my mind. I wouldn't be able to tell you.

Do you like Beethoven, doc?

Take it or leave it.

Well, you better take it.

Well...

Shower's at the end of the hall, doc.

Thanks.

By the way, my name's Drager.

Mine's Harry Frolick. Pleased to meet you.

Why don't you try some food?

Do I sense disapproving advice, doctor?

No. Just a prescription.

You can have a lot more fun with that if you mix it with this.

I'm allergic to advisors and prescribers, my new-found friend.

Here comes the most illustrious prescriber of them all.

Good evening, Harry.

Captain Willem Wattereus of the Salvation Army.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Good evening.

Well, join us.

Bring up your throne in heaven.

I came to say goodbye.

It's very solicitous of you, captain. I'm touched.

They told me you've changed your mind about going home.

That's right. A glorious decision.

I wish you'd reconsider it. You see?

"For he hath clothed me in the garments of salvation

"as a bride adorneth herself with jewels." Isaiah 61:10. Right, captain?

Please, Harry.

Come on, let's sing the song of Solomon.

"Behold, thou art fair, my love.

"Thy lips are like a thread of Scarlet.

"Honey and milk are under thy tongue."

Try it. Taste for yourself, captain.

"A heap of ripe wheat, seated about with lilies..."

That's all, Frolick.

"Fools make mock at sin, but among the righteous there is favor."

That's enough. Your lips are dry, Willem.

The dew of desire is on your brow.