Free The Fifth Season by Kerry B. Collison Page B

have given an undertaking that they will endeavor to prevent any further violence against the minority communities.’
    Carruthers knew then it would be futile pursuing the matter unless further incidents occurred. He seemed satisfied, then steered the conversation towards other matters relating to the U.S. Defence Aid programs responsible for funding the ongoing training of Kopassus soldiers in the United States.
    They remained in conference for another hour, after which the Defense Intelligence Agency Attaché returned to the United States Embassy where his written recommendations concerning General Praboyo were encoded, and electronically mailed to his Director in Washington. For the moment, the Indonesian President’s ambitious son-in-law would remain safe.

CHAPTER FOUR
    Jakarta – January, 1998
    The President’s daughter
    Tuti Suhapto reflected upon her marriage to Praboyo and decided that she had never really been in love with the man, and now accepted that had their union not been arranged by her dear, departed mother, then she would most probably have found another, and more caring suitor to marry.
    Tuti recalled her first meeting with the young officer, and how she had admired his proud bearing and confidence, interpreting his arrogance as bravado. It seemed that he was not to be intimidated by her surroundings, and this particularly pleased Tuti, accustomed to earlier beaus who all seemed betrayed by their nervousness whenever her parents appeared.
    Her father had served the nation as President for more than thirty years. Tuti recognized that when she first commenced dating, being a member of this select household virtually endowed her with the opportunity to select any man of her choosing. As this thought crossed her mind, she looked at the row of photographs which had been placed along the living-room shelves and frowned. In all but two of these, the handsome Javanese features evident in the elegantly framed pictures were those of her husband’s and, as Tuti’s forehead wrinkled even further, she was swept by waves of loneliness, then anger, because of Praboyo’s capricious ways and blatant indifference to her pain.
    Knowledge of his promiscuous behavior had set the Jakarta circles chattering. Even amongst her closest friends there were few who enjoyed the courage to expose Praboyo’s extra marital relationships to Tuti. This task willingly fell to her brother Timmy whom, she recalled angrily, actually relished in relaying some anecdote that was circulating, concerning her husband’s most recent conquests. Tuti had endeavored to discover the whereabouts of her husband’s current attention, but had been unsuccessful. This had only added to her frustration and anger, and the temptation to reveal Praboyo’s transgressions to the President grew daily. But Tuti knew that she would never inform her father as to her husband’s indiscretions, for he would be saddened by her inability to keep her man in line.
    Instead, Tuti decided to continue with her search for Praboyo’s latest beau, and deal with her in a manner which would at least discourage others from offering their favors too freely to Major General Praboyo.
    Tuti wondered what would happen to their considerable joint wealth if they were to separate, even divorce. These thoughts brought another frown and immediately she attempted to recall which of the larger enterprises they controlled were majority owned by her husband. Annoyed that Praboyo enjoyed considerably more wealth than she thought should be his entitlement, Tuti decided to speak to her eldest brother concerning her demise. Perhaps he could help force her husband to toe the line.
    Tuti preferred not to discuss her problems with Nuri, her older sister.
    As first born, she had enjoyed a special relationship with their parents and, once their mother had passed away, this sister had assumed many of their mother’s duties, including that of