Dan and Cressie in Bangkok: an open-minded couple, until they share the massage parlor prostitute.
Cressie wears an amulet of Aeshma, the Demon of Wrath from an ancient Middle Eastern religion. How can Aeshma fit into a land where the official religion -- Buddhism -- does not recognize sin as damning a soul to eternal torment?
Cressie claims she visits the most notorious sex tourism city in the world to worship in its many Buddist temples. But why then did she drag Dan to a massage parlor?
Why have her new friend, the beautiful young Prani, stay with them in their hotel room for the rest of their visit?
How well does the Thai buddha amulet Prani wears around her neck get along with Aeshma?
What do Thai wives allegedly do to cheating husbands that so amuses Cressie and Dan?
In this horror short story religions, sexual needs, cross-cultural ignorance, and poor self-images collide to end in tragedy.
Genre: FICTION / HorrorPrani held it out for Cressie's inspection. "Buddha." Her pronunciation strongly accented the second syllable. It had a picture of an old monk in glasses, along with writing Cressie could not read.
"Make good luck," Prani said. "Many Thai people like."
Cressie showed Prani her amulet. "I bought it four years ago in India from an old Parsi. It's a picture of Aeshma, the Demon of Wrath. He is second in evil only to Ahriman, or Shaitan, their evil god. The old Jews knew about Aeshma too, but they called him Asmodeus. He's a famous old demon."
The metal was worn and tarnished, perhaps copper. The size of a quarter, but cut in lopsided, uneven angles. It showed a stick figure with a large angry face and clutching hands.
Prani looked, but refused to touch it. She smiled with obvious overpoliteness. "No good. Prani no like."
"Maybe I'll get a buddha while I'm here."
"Buddha good. Same same Miss Classy have no good."
The conflict between virtue and sin was universal, Cressie thought. Despite working a massage parlor, Prani was a good person. She did not like the picture of Aeshma because she did not know the amulet protected its wearer from evil. Bob was wrong. Thai people did understand sin.
Bob was an old college buddy of Dan's just returned from teaching English for two years in Thailand. He tried to explain Thai culture to them.
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Hindi
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Already translated.
Translated by Flavia Trindad
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Stefano Vazzola
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Portuguese
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Already translated.
Translated by Pedro de Albuquerque Bandarra
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Author review: Done quickly and well. |
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Michael Berríos Castro
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Author review: Translator was fast, and looked up foreign vocabulary in the original English version of the story. |
