Détruisez le mal

Chapitre 38

Wendy held Wyatt's hand tightly, as if the end of the world had come and they would be buried in the distant kingdom of Lanna, turning into a pile of bones in the jungle.

I floated merrily inside the cabin, for I had already survived the apocalypse, so I wouldn't mind going through it again. Of course, I was also certain that my friends would land safely this time.

The plane landed.

When Rupert opened his eyes again, he saw another world outside the porthole—the airport was almost entirely paved with gravel, no wonder the planes had to "dance" on the runway. Outside the airport was a vast forest, still dazzlingly green even in winter.

Of course, winter does not exist in the Kingdom of Lanna.

The plane came to a stop on the tarmac, and my friends disembarked one by one with their luggage. Benny was the first to set foot on the land of the Kingdom of Lanna, and a peculiar sensation rose beneath his feet, as if the earth itself were made of a special material. Vera was the second to disembark; she had been so seasick on the plane that she was swaying unsteadily on the ground and had to be supported by Mo Fei from behind.

After all the members of the tour group disembarked, Benny led everyone into the terminal, which was very simple and looked more like a train station in England a hundred years ago.

As we walked into the old passageway of the terminal, a handsome young man came up to us with a smile on his thin face, waving his hands to my tour group.

Benny immediately ran up to him and asked, "Are you Walter?"

“That’s me. Welcome to the Kingdom of Lanna.” The other person continued to smile, which made Benny feel much more at ease. “Are you Benny?”

Benny nodded happily, then introduced Walter to the tour group: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is our guide in the Kingdom of Lanna, Mr. MaungWaSao."

The twenty-six-year-old stood politely before us, wearing a collarless white shirt and black trousers. His hair was black and shiny, and his eyes were distinctive: cute, kind, intelligent, and wise. His London accent in English was so fluent that it immediately won the trust of my friends.

Please call me Walter.

Benny then handed him the CDs. Walter hadn't expected there to be so many CDs; he shook his head in surprise but accepted them nonetheless.

Walter led us to the customs and immigration area. But customs officials everywhere are all the same – cold and indifferent faces. They meticulously compared the names and addresses of my twelve friends with their entry permits, then handwrote them out in a catalog. They didn't use computers, not even a photocopier – utterly bureaucratic.

Esme placed her dog inside her baseball cap, and the puppy slept soundly. Jumarin had brought a scarf in case the puppy was spotted by inspectors. Actually, she didn't need to worry; in the Kingdom of Lanna, it wasn't illegal for dogs to enter the country, and no quarantine was required.

After passing through immigration, they hurriedly left the airport. It was already 7 p.m., and Walter took everyone out for a simple Western meal outside the airport. Because they were all very hungry, everyone ate with great relish and praised Walter for making such a good arrangement.

The tour bus had been waiting for a long time. The new driver, Mr. Qiao, was a dark-skinned, muscular man.

Night fell over the Kingdom of Lanna, with few lights around, only desolate mountains and sky. My friends filed onto the bus, nervously following it towards the unknown city.

Walter and Benny chatted amicably ahead, noticing that everyone was exhausted; the Masseys had fallen fast asleep as soon as they got in the car. Walter didn't announce tomorrow's itinerary, letting them rest first.

The headlights flashed ahead, illuminating a dim road. Those who weren't asleep stared intently ahead, as if they might crash into rocks at any moment.

Berhali sat next to Jumarin, holding her hand tightly.

It was a subtle ambiguity; since yesterday's dinner, he had earned the right to hold her hand.

"Marlene, darling, would you like a mint?"

When Berhali was young, giving someone a mint was a hint for a kiss. Now he doesn't use that ridiculous hint anymore; he can say it directly: a mint is a mint, and a kiss is a kiss.