Translation:Max Havelaar/14

"Come on, Verbrugge, don't go home yet! Have a glass of Madeira? And – yes, this I need to know, Radhen Djaksa, listen!"

Havelaar called that out because all the chiefs, after much bowing, were preparing to return to their homes. Verbrugge too intended to leave the premises, but he returned with the Djaksa.

"Tine, I want to drink a Madeira and Verbrugge too. Djaksa, tell me, what did you say to the Kliwon about my little boy?"

"Mintah ampong, Mr Assistant-Resident, I saw his head because you had spoken."

"But what has his head to do with that? I don't even remember what I talked about."

"Sir, I said to the Kliwon..."

Tine came near, someone talked about her little Max.

"Sir, I said to the Kliwon that the Sienjo was a King's son."

Tine was pleased, she agreed completely!

The Adhipatti looked at the little boy's head, and yes, he saw on top the double whirling hairs, which, according to Javanese superstition, are predestined to wear a crown.

Since the etiquette did not allow the Djaksa to be offered a seat in presence of the Regent, he said good-bye and for some time the others were together without speaking about the "service". But suddenly – and therefore contrary to the etiquette of the people – the Regent asked him to pay the money which he, as a tax collector, owed.

"Why no," said Verbrugge, "Mr Adhipatti knows that it cannot happen before his statement of account has been completed."

Havelaar played with Max, but this did not stop him seeing on the Regent's face that he disliked Verbrugge's reply.

"Come on, Verbrugge, let's not make too many problems," he said. He called a clerk of the office. "Well, pay that now, the account will probably be approved."

The Adhipatti left, and Verbrugge, who revered the statute books, said:

"But Mr Havelaar, that cannot be! The tax-collector's account is still in Serang for investigation. Imagine that something is missing."

"I'll pay the difference," said Havelaar.

Verbrugge did not understand the origin of this obligingness to the tax collector. The clerk soon returned with some papers. Havelaar signed and told him to pay quickly.

"Verbrugge, I'll tell you why I did this. The Regent hasn't got a penny – his secretary told me so, and besides, he asked it so roughly! The case is obvious. He needs the money himself, and the collector will advance it. I'd rather bend a rule, on my own responsibility, than I'd embarrass a man of his rank and age. Besides, Verbrugge, There is in Lebak an awful abuse of authority. Did you know that?"

Verbrugge did not reply.

"I know it," continued Havelaar, "I know it! Didn't Mr Slotering die in November? Well, the next day the Regent called people to cultivate his sawahs – without payment. You should have known that, Verbrugge. Did you know it?"

Verbrugge didn't know it.

"You should have known! I know it," continued Havelaar. "Here are the monthly reports of the districts," he showed the reports he had received during the meeting, "see, I opened nothing. Here you will find reports of the labourers who were called to the capital for statute labour. Well, are those reports correct?"

"I didn't see them yet."

"Neither did I. But I ask whether they are correct. Were last month's reports correct?"

Verbrugge said nothing.

"I'll tell you: they were false. The number of people called to work for the Regent was three times as many as allowed in the conditions of statute labour, and of course one was afraid to mention that in the reports. Is it true what I say?"

Verbrugge said nothing.

"The reports which I received today are also false," Havelaar continued. "The Regent is poor. The Regents of Bogor (Buitenzorg) and Tjiandjoer are members of the family of which he is the chief. The last one only has the rank of Tommongong, while our Regent is Adhipatti, and yet his earnings do not allow him to compete in pomp and circumstance with a simple Dhemang in Preanger, who would hold the stirrup to help his cousins mount, because Lebak is not able to cultivate coffee so it produces no emoluments. Is that true?"

"Yes, that's true."

"He has only his salary, which is discounted for the advance payment that he got from the government when he – did you know that?"

"Yes, I know."

"When he wanted to build a new medsjid, which required a lot of money. Besides, many members of his family – do you know this?"

"Yes, I know."

"many members of his family – who actually do not belong in Lebak, so that the people do not like them - are like a gang of robbers around him and force him to give them money. Is that true?"

"It's the truth," Verbrugge said.

"And when his treasury is empty, and that often happens, they take in his name from the people what they want to have. Is that so?"

"Yes, it is."

"So I am well informed, but more about that later. The Regent is getting old and is afraid of dying, and is now governed by his will to be of service to the clergy. He gives money for pilgrim voyages to Mecca, and they return all kinds of stuff, relics, talismans and djimats. Isn't it so?"

"Yes, It's true."

"Well, that explains why he is so poor. The Dhemang of Parang-Koedjang is his son-in-law. The Regent, being ashamed of his rank, does not dare to take, although it is this Dhemang – but he is not the only one – who courts the Adhipatti by extorting money and possessions from the poor people, and by driving people away from their own rice fields to the Regent's sawahs. And he, well, I like to believe that he wants it otherwise, but his poverty forces him to use these means. Isn't this all true, Verbrugge?"

"Yes, it's true," said Verbrugge, who began to understand more and more that Havelaar had sharp eyes.

"It was obvious," Havelaar continued, "that he had no money, when he started to talk about payment with the collector. You heard this morning that I intend to do my duty. I do not tolerate injustice, by God, I won't tolerate it!"

He jumped up, his tone was completely different from the previous day, when he had sworn the official oath.

"But," he continued, "I want to do my duty delicately. I do not want to know exactly what happened in the past. But everything that happens from today, is my responsibility, and I shall take care of it! I hope to stay here a long time. Do you know, Verbrugge, that we have a very fair vocation? But you also know that all the things I just said, I wanted you to tell me that? I know you just as well as I know those who make garem glap on the Southern shore. You are a fine fellow, I know that too. But why didn't you tell me that there was so much amiss? You have been Assistant-Resident for two months, and you have been Controller for a long time, so you had to know all these things, hadn't you?"

"Mr Havelaar, I have never served under a man like you. You have something special, I'm sorry to say."

"That's all right. I know that I am different, but what does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter that you inform someone about facts and ideas which did not exist previously."

"No! Who had fallen asleep through that cursed official rit which seeks its style in "I have the honour to" and who silences his conscience with the "satisfaction of the government". No, Verbrugge! Do not slander yourself! You need not learn from me. For example, did I tell you something new, this morning, in the Sebah?"

"No, nothing new, but your way of speaking is different from others."

"Yes, my education was a bit neglected: I am an uncareful speaker. But you'd tell me why you resigned to all things that were amiss in Lebak."

"I never had the impression of an initiative. Furthermore, it has never been different in this region."

"Yes, yes, I know that. Not everyone can be a prophet or an apostle – there would not be enough wood to crucify them all! But you do want to help me to change things? Do you want to do your duty?"

"Certainly, in particular with you. But not everyone would be so strict as to require a complete change, you so easily find yourself in the position of someone who tilts at windmills."

"No. Those who love injustice because it is to their advantage will say that there was no injustice, so they can say that you and I are like Don Quixote, and at the same time they keep their own windmills active. But Verbrugge, you should not have waited for me before you did your duty! Mr Slotering was a skilled and honest man. He knew what happened, he disapproved and revolted against it. Look here!"

Havelaar took two sheets from a folder, showed them to Verbrugge and asked:

"Whose handwriting is this?"

"It's Mr Slotering's."

"Right! Well, these are his draft reports, apparently with subjects which he wanted to discuss with the Resident. Here I read, look: 1 About rice culture. 2 About the homes of the village chiefs. 3 About the lease rents, etc.. That's followed by two exclamation points. What did Mr Slotering mean by that?"

"How am I to know?" cried Verbrugge.

"I do know. It means that more lease rents are paid than are delivered to the country's treasury. But here is something that we both know, for it is written in letters, not in signs. Look:
 * 12 About the abuse made by the regents and lesser chiefs of the people (having several homes at the expense of the people), etc.

Is this clear? You see that Mr Slotering was someone with an initiative, so you could have followed him. Here's more:
 * 15 That many persons of the families of native chiefs are mentioned on the payrolls, without taking part in the cultivation, so that the advantages are for them, at the expense of the actual partakers. They also have an unjustified possession of sawah-fields, although these should only belong to those who take part in the cultivation.

Here is another note, written with a pencil. Look, this is very clear:
 * That so many people leave Parang-Koedjang, can only be explained by the extreme abuse that is made of the people

What do you think of that? You may think that I am not so foolish as it seems, when I work with justice. You see that others did it before."

"It's true," said Verbrugge, "Mr Slotering has often talked about it with the Resident."

"What happened then?"

"The Regent was called, and they talked."

"Right. And further?"

"The Regent usually denied everything. So witnesses had to come, but nobody would testify against the Regent. Oh, Mr Havelaar, these things are terribly complicated!"

Reader, long before you have completed this book, you will understand just as well as Verbrugge why things were so complicated.

"Mr Slotering was really annoyed about it," the Controller continued, "he wrote sharp letters to the chiefs."

"I read them, last night," said Havelaar.

"And I often heard him say that he, if nothing changed, if the Resident did not go, he'd go directly to the Governor-General. He also said that to the chiefs at the last Sebah where he presided."

"He would have done a very wrong thing. The Resident was his superior, whom he should not have skipped. And why would he? Can it be assumed that the Resident of Bantam would allow injustice and arbitrariness?"

"Allow - no! But one does not easily bring charges against a chief to the government."

"I bring charges against no-one, whoever, but if it must happen, a chief just as well as anyone else. But, thank God, there is no matter of bringing charges, not yet! Tomorrow I’ll go and see the Regent. I shall inform him about the evil of unlawful authority, in particular when it is about people's possessions. But I expect that everything will be all right, and in the meantime I'll help him with his financial problems. You'll understand now why I ordered the collector to pay that money immediately, won't you? And I intend to suggest the government to acquit him of the advance payment. And you, Verbrugge, I suggest that we do our duty together. As long as it is possible with delicacy, but if needs be, without fear! You are an honest man, I know that, but you are hesitant. Now say what you need to say, advienne que pourra! Throw that hesitancy away, there's a good chap. And now stay with us for lunch, we have Dutch cauliflower in tins – but it's all very plain, for I must be thrifty – I am in financial trouble myself since my voyage to Europe, you know? Come on, Max, my goodness, you're getting heavy!"

And with Max riding on his shoulder he entered, followed by Verbrugge, into the inner gallery, where Tine waited with a laid table, which was, as Havelaar had said, extremely plain! Duclari, who came to ask Verbrugge if he thought to be home for lunch, was also invited, and if you, reader, like a change of subject, you are invited to the next chapter, where I'll tell you what they talked about during lunch.