The Elephant Gate

The pair walked out the back door into a sunny green yard. A small fountain with a lotus finial stood off to one side. An overhang provided an area of cool shadow, with an arrangement of comfortable-looking rattan chairs and glass-topped tables. A sunburst mosaic was embedded into the tiled porch.

The captain led Kevin past the fountain to a small shed just in front of a row of natal palms. The palms were against a black wrought-iron fence with a wide cipher-lock gate.

"This is the rear access to my property. The lock number is 6-7-2-3. Be careful of the thorns whenever you are near this area of the yard." He unlocked the gate and swung it out. The other side of the fence was a vast area of green plants in a row.

"These are sesame fields and part of the royal grounds. The barracks and these houses represent the first line of security here. Just past that copse of trees are the horse barn and the equine facility."

Kevin spent a moment squinting in the early sun until he could just make out the shape of a building behind the trees. He nodded as the captain closed the gate. Walking back to the shed, he unlocked it and flicked on a light. Kevin peeked in and gave a quick breath.

Inside were several types of motorcycles, including a four-wheeler. Thadchai smiled at the boy's obvious delight. "Those are not for you to touch," he said sternly, despite his amus.e.m.e.nt.

"The yard maintenance equipment is also in here." He pointed out various hand tools and a single green push-mower. "Khun Mattaya's nephew takes care of the lawn, but occasionally needs help. Assist him when he requests it." After casting a final longing glance at the vehicles, Kevin stepped back so the shed door could be closed.

Continuing around the outer edge of the property, they ended up by the front gate leading to garage area. Once they were through it, the captain pointed out a door in the recesses of the carport.

"I keep vehicle cleaning supplies there." He opened the unlocked door to reveal shelves with buckets and bottles of detergent. A coiled hose rested in a large metal tub on the ground.

"The truck will need to be washed every week. Here are pole brushes to scrub the places you can't reach. "

Once he was sure his young charge understood, they proceeded inside. They walked through each downstairs room, in order to familiarize the boy with the layout.

"The laundry room is behind the kitchen. There is a separate entrance in the back of the house, so if you are particularly dirty, you can go through the mud room and change there. Khun Mattaya has a shelf of clean clothes; I'll make sure she leaves a set for you. Otherwise, there is a laundry shoot in your bathroom."

"What's a laundry shoot?" Kevin asked. They walk upstairs to his room, and the captain pointed out the pull-out door on a wall. It reminded Kevin of the Book Return slot at his library. "Just put your clothes in there and close it. They will travel to the laundry room, and Khun Mattaya will take care of them."

Once they walked back into the hallway, the captain turned to look Kevin in the eye. "I'm going to show you my office, but you must never go in there without me." The room was at the far end of the hallway, next the double doors of the master bedroom.

The door opened to a home office similar to his dad's office, but where that one was messy and covered with rolls of blueprints, the captain's office was neat and organized. Thadchai led the boy over to the fireplace on one of the paneled walls. There was a discreet indentation; he used it to pull out a section of the paneling.

"It's a secret room!" Kevin crowed. It was so cool that he had one, especially like this. It was small but filled with different types of weapons; knives, swords, guns, even rifles. The captain shut the door after a quick view.

"No one knows that this room is here except Khun Mattaya, me, and now you. I wanted to show it to you now, so you don't stumble over it later. Agreed?" He held out his hand, and Kevin solemnly took it.

"I promise not to tell anyone, or come in here by myself."

The captain smiled and ruffled his hair.