49 pages • 1 hour read
Anil and Sarath have identified Sailor as a plumbago-graphite miner named Ruwan Kumara. They also determine the dates of his disappearance. Sarath decides to return to Colombo to ensure that they have the best possible evidence to prove that the government is responsible. He will do some research on Sailor’s real name. After five days, however, Anil has not heard from him. She calls Dr. Perera, revealing their discovery and location, but quickly hangs up, fearing she made a mistake.
The next day, officials come to take possession of Sailor’s skeleton and whisk Anil back to Colombo. She presents the facts of her case to a room full of government, military, and other officials but is no longer in control of the evidence itself. Sarath watches this from the rear of the auditorium, interrupting when she begins to make direct accusations toward the government. Sarath asks her questions about the body, including why she believes Sailor’s skeleton was more recent than that of the sixth-century monks found at the same site. He bullies and interrupts her and reminds her that she is working under the auspices of the Sri Lankan government. Sarath then dismisses her, challenging her to date one of the other skeletons from the site.
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By Michael Ondaatje