Devil’s Music

Chapter 164: Song of the Himalayas

Women who brought the food laid out on the tables on both sides of the central table began kneeling and bringing the food in front of Geon and Chaeeun. As the food piled up on the table, Chaeeun's face filled with smiles. While Geon and Chaeeun’s faces brightened, Yeongseok's face crumpled.

Geon, noticing Yeongseok’s disgusted expression, said as if amused, “Brother, were you expecting us to starve? What now? It’s rude not to eat what’s given. Guess we have no choice but to eat.”

Chaeeun, with a mischievous smile, chimed in, “Exactly. The village chief prepared all this for us, not eating would be really rude. Let's eat quickly!”

Chaeeun, holding a spoon and checking for Timo's cue, saw him signal with a smile to start eating. Chaeeun then brought her hands together, bowed her head slightly, and began eating. She laughed continuously, tasting this and that, and urged Geon to try the food as well.

“Geon, try this. Is this goat meat? It’s really tender and tasty. Wow, this is the first time I’m eating something other than the bread given by the Sherpa uncle we met this morning. Maybe it’s because I’m hungry, but it’s really delicious!”

As Chaeeun fed Geon, she laughed. Geon, tasting the food offered by Chaeeun, eventually found himself burying his face in the bowl and scooping up the food to eat. Timo, seeing the two of them, continued to order more food to be brought out, then started instructing the staff to serve food as well. The first woman to approach Yeongseok with a plate of various foods offered it to him. After Yeongseok put his hands together and bowed to accept the plate, several women approached with the same plate, offering food to all the staff.

The staff, who had only been filming Geon and Chaeeun eating, began to eat voraciously, perhaps due to hunger, upon Yeongseok’s cue.

“Eat, we’re all starving here. Let’s eat and then continue. Just make sure to handle the handheld camera well.”

Once Yeongseok gave his permission, the staff began to devour the food as if possessed. However, being professionals, they continued to monitor the situation even while eating, especially checking the camera monitors whenever Chaeeun and Geon had a conversation.

After filling his stomach, Geon supported his body with his arms, leaned back, and looked satisfied though bloated, unlike Chaeeun. Despite her small stature, it was dubious how much food she could ingest, as she ate a lot and for a long time. Geon, watching Chaeeun with a smile, approached the musicians who had been playing throughout the meal.

The musicians, having been instructed by Timo beforehand, did not stop playing as Geon approached. Geon stood in front of them, listening to their performance, then turning to Timo, who had come up beside him, asked, “Could I see their sheet music?”

Timo nodded and replied, “Yes, you can.”

Geon, with a bright smile, asked, “Could I borrow some paper and a pen?”

Timo immediately instructed a servant nearby, “Bring paper and a pen.”

As soon as the words were uttered, a servant darted into the house and quickly returned, presenting Timo with a few sheets of paper and a pen. Timo courteously handed them to Geon, who received them with both hands politely. Geon then casually sat down on the carpet where the musicians were seated. The musicians glanced at him but did not stop their performance.

Seeing Geon start to write something, the camera director crammed the remaining rice into his mouth and ran over with the ENG camera. Seeing this, Yeongseok quickly brought a bowl to his mouth and started shoveling food in. The staff also quickened their pace of eating.

Geon, crouching down, began to write down the sheet music, then pondered deeply. Eventually, he lay on the carpet, writing down the music as everyone watched. The musicians, continuing to play, occasionally glanced curiously at the sheet music Geon was sketching. After a while, Geon, holding three sheets of music, asked Timo, “Could you ask if there are any notes on this sheet music that can’t be played with a bansuri or a sarangi?”

Timo nodded and relayed to the musicians, “The Deva asks if there are notes that cannot be played on your instruments.”

The musicians hastily stopped playing, kneeled, and after scrutinizing the sheet music while lying prostrate, shook their heads. Timo, after observing them, told Geon, “They say it can be played.”

Geon, with a bright expression, handed the sheet music to the musicians, saying, “Could you please play this?”

The musicians, receiving the sheet music with respect, looked to Timo, who said, “The Deva requests you to play.”

The musicians, touched, kneeled before Geon and quietly brought their hands together, bowing. They placed a sheet of music on the floor and began to memorize it. Seeing this, Geon went to get the J 200 he had left beside Chaeeun. Chaeeun, still greasy-lipped from eating, asked, “Why? Are you going to play? Do you know these instruments?”

Geon, taking the J 200 out of its case, smiled, “No, I don’t know much. Just what I heard them play earlier.”

“And you drew a sheet music for them? What for? Is it an existing piece?”

“No, just something that came to mind while I was here, listening to the sounds of those instruments.”

As Geon moved towards the musicians with the guitar, Chaeeun, holding a goat leg, muttered in a daze, “You came up with sheet music just by hearing those instruments for the first time today?”

Geon sat quietly on a low stone ledge, softly plucking the strings of his J-200 as the musicians memorized their scores. Observing Geon lost in thought with his eyes closed, Timo placed a finger to his lips amidst the bustling servants still serving food, instantly quieting the surroundings. Feeling the sudden shift in atmosphere, the camera directors rose to gather around Geon, beginning their shoot.

Yeongseok, looking down at Geon envisioning the scene, thought, "This show is going to be a hit. It’s not going exactly as planned, but just the trailer will cause a stir. Geon, mistaken for a god in Nepal, will definitely please the boss."

Soon, the musicians stood, each taking their instrument to start rehearsing. As the first beautiful notes of the bansuri flute filled the air, the working women's eyes widened. Sarangi joined midway, as if sneaking into the performance, followed by the entrance of the dhamphu. After two practices, the skilled musicians looked towards Geon, awaiting his direction as if ready.

Geon, watching them, smiled and took off his shoes to sit in the middle of the carpet. Though they didn't speak the same language, their shared love for music united them, sharing smiles. When Geon gestured to the bansuri player to begin, a mournful yet beautiful melody flowed from the flute.

As the exquisite sound played, villagers, who had gathered one by one at Timo’s house from the start of the rehearsal, began to close their eyes and feel the music. The bansuri’s sound was as compassionate and gentle as Brahma's lamenting gaze over the Himalayas, witnessing the sorrows of the human world. The mournful melody felt like their deity shedding tears over them, prompting the villagers to sit and pray.

Then, the sarangi entered with a melody resembling a blend of violin and cello, evoking sadness. It soared over the calm beat of the dhamphu, sounding like Brahma’s voice speaking to humanity. Timo, too, seemed intoxicated by the spiritual enlightenment of the music, standing still with his eyes closed and head tilted skyward.

A guitar’s arpeggio then seamlessly joined over the traditional instruments, harmonizing with the bansuri’s melody but in a chord three steps lower, echoing across the night sky. More villagers knelt at the front gate of Timo’s house, their numbers growing as they prayed.

More people climbed the hill outside Timo's house, kneeling and praying together.

Yeongseok, startled, tapped the shoulders of two camera directors, directing them to film the people praying at the gate and on the hill. Chaeun dropped the food she was holding, her eyes wide and trembling slightly.

Geon, with his eyes closed, began to sing.

"From the village Deurali, atop the world's roof,

Thank you, God, for daily bread and a comfortable bed."

Geon's voice wasn't gentle as the morning; it resonated deeply, nearly reaching the lowest tones a human could produce, akin to a Tibetan monk's chant. The hands of those praying trembled, and Timo, still looking skyward, knelt to the ground, tears forming in his eyes.

"Deurali, Deurali, may blessings of love and courtesy converge in this village.

Deurali, Deurali, may blessings of love and courtesy converge in this village."

As Geon's voice echoed again, those kneeling bowed to touch their foreheads to the ground. Unseen by Geon, the last lyrics he sung were:

"May blessings come to this beautiful village, touching the sky."

Though the song ended, the performance continued. Suddenly, the villagers lying on the ground began to chant in a low tone, as if praying, harmoniously blending with the musicians. They murmured the same words throughout the ongoing performance.

Yeongseok, eyes wide in astonishment, turned to Simba, shaking slightly, and asked, "What are the people saying?"

Simba, gazing at Geon and then back at the people, replied in a trembling voice, "‘May blessings come to this beautiful village, touching the sky.’ They're repeating his words. Even those who don’t speak English are following along. How is this possible..."

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