Roofworld (1988), a novel by Christopher Fowler: Summary

The 396-page book was published by Arrow Books in 1989 and first published in 1988. Christopher Fowler is British novelist. Occult, mystery, murder, history, love, betray, and rooftop action: ropewalking, loping, leaping, and swinging on invisible ropes are twisted into unique story.

Roofworld (1988), a novel by Christopher Fowler: summary

A man called Imperator Chymes led an unusual rite, sacrificing a boy with powering the black powder covering his body for impurity of soul. His mouth was full of the sour of black mud, the boy refused to turn about and confront his captors. The light of London streets seemed blurred and muted by the falling rain. The body fell like a burning comet, his body ablaze with electrical fire, and he hit the rain-bloated gutter of the city street below.

Robert Linden worked for a film production company. He was interested on filming an untraceable novel The New Legacy. The novel would be filmed but he hardly found retaining the rights to the book. Robert Linden had got an untraceable book and a dead author, and the only person who can help him has gone missing. Then he called the publisher and giving him author’s agent. The offices of Paul Ashcroft & Associates informed him that Charlotte Endsleigh died recently. The old lady died at her home two weeks earlier, and it seemed she had misfortune to surprise the burglar. She was long divorced, but there was a daughter, Sarah, and by rights all decisions concerning the disposal of Charlotte Endsleigh. Sarah had vanished the day her mother was done in. Nobody mentioned her coming back to town.

The death boy who fell from a Coca-Cola sign was on the news. Stanley Cutt was there, journalist, a tabloid hack. A year earlier, Hargreave’s reputation had suffered badly when Cutt’s newspaper had publicly accused him of mishandling a case. Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hargreave had preliminary diagnosis on the boy, but Sergeant Janice Longbright was stick on waiting for the lab analysis. They found over forty feet of fine nylon tied around his waist and black dust in his mouth. Ian Hargreave studied it couldn’t have been an accident or committing suicide.

Rose Leonard was a former secretary and she enjoyed her new-found hobby. She had intended to set her tripod upon the roof and took some photographs of the curving terrace in the moonlight. The girl from second generation West Indian family was sure that she would graduate to developing her own photographs. The night was clear and cool and she was alone on the rooftops of London. She saw strangest things. Running figures, some loping, some of swinging on invisible ropes, bounding and leaping across the angled rooftops on the other side of the city. She managed the block alone. It’s her who got in troubles if they had vandals. She found them carving things on the floor. She didn’t call the police she Rose feared they came back and gave her a hard time. Charlotte was broke, and she even hardly paid her apartment.

Charlotte’s novel brought Linden to her life. Rose and Robert studied the photographs. They looked like inhuman, she found a girl in her late teens, dark, and attractive, her pale face, and free from make up. It was Sarah. She remembered the girl with black lipstick, purple hair, chalky face, fierce stuff. She had a shouting match with Charlotte. She turned up with a couple of creepy-looking dudes who looked like they were on drugs. Charlotte’s diary was led Linden to Order Roofworld. The group of people carried out its operations in accordance with phases of the moon. It’s headed by the ancient Greek deities.

Sarah told her mother about these people. Charlotte wrote it into a novel. The word of the New Age in her novel has brought the old lady to her death. Nathaniel Zalian was appeared on the note. The doctor was practising physician at a hospital in 1980, but he had to give his resignation request after allegation of malpractice. His case was settled out of court. The divorced man in 1982 was subsequently joined alcoholic rehabilitation program. But he vanished after selling his apartment and closing bank account, and missing drug case.

The city was full of Christmas shoppers. Detective Chief Inspector Ian Hargreave gave his man task of removing second victim’s body from atop railings building. There had connection with the two deaths before. The boy with mouthful of Egyptian silt, raven’s feathers, falling from the roof, chemical elements, a few drug traces. Ian tried to link the murder to ancient Egyptian.  The third body was bald, naked, and of the male gender, it’s only eyes and fingernails showed white. It appeared to have fallen from the sky. Detective Constable Martin Butterworth had entered the force in order to keep peace with his father, the commissioner. Ian assigned him to investigate the three deaths.

Rose and Robert was now a team to find Sarah. The photographs and Charlotte’s notebook led them to some name, Sarah’s friend. Nick from 7N Krewe knew about Michael aka Toad. He gave them a name. Simon said normally a person wouldn’t be allowed to meet with the group just because need to locate someone. The group came from university graduates, Rastafarians, and punk and they were all hundreds. A lot of people below the poverty line were willing to give up what little they had and started over.

Back in the twenties, the Roofworld wasn’t just a way out, but it was a sanctuary for anyone who needed to drop out of sight. There were about thirty of them left and a few day most of them would be gone. Simon, Jay, and Lee ushered them like a new member. They taught Rose and Linden how to using the equipment. In second, Rose was halfway across the space between two buildings. She was exhilarated by her successful crossing and nobody noticed they were up the rooftops. Most of members were taught ropewalk. There was always been a symbolic ceremony for those who wanted to become part of the Roofworld.

The blonde man reached the far side of the roof and sat down on the low concrete lip running around the edge, inviting Rose and Linden did the same. Sarah was her lover and she had done dangerous thing. She had told her mother about New Age. The object she was sworn never to mention to outsiders. Zalian wanted Charlotte’s notebook to discover Sarah’s exact whereabouts.

Finch, the forensic man, studied the body with purely professional interest. Before his death, Nick had been dragged over thighs like cobbles or bricks. There were brick fragments scraping the femur and tibia. Stanley Cutt may have filed some pretty dumb stories in his time. When his informant, Nick, failed to reappear in the arcade the previous night, he had begun to sense that something was seriously wrong. Stan could still smell a powerful story in making. It had taken time and money and even a couple of drug purchases. He had been introduced to member of N7 Krewe in particularly to Nick who had a body of a sickly child. Nick was greedy for money. Stan struggled to release his hands from their binding, knowing now Nick was dead and his death was sure to follow the suit.

Zalian was almost certain that Chymes will try to locate the Roofworld. Under the leadership of Zalian , each day in the Roofworld had taken on different aspects an extraordinary adventure. He had given theme a sense of community and purpose. Zalian had been their teacher, their guide, their friend and adviser. New Age was taken their leaders, their best men and women. They were torturing them, and they would kill them. Just as the Roofworld was an old society rooted in good, but Chymes seemed to honor something much more ancient and evil. Zalian was Sarah’s lover. When Zalian asked for volunteers to infiltrate the New Age, Sarah wanted to go like Toad and Samuel. Sarah was discovered.

Roofworld stole from the major multi international corporations. Lee was one of the best hackers. When long-termers had enough up, they returned to the ground. Roofeters started peaceful and ordered life – the Old Boys network. They fixed up old Boys and Girls with jobs at the multies, as janitors, secretaries, clerks at every level. They just kept their eyes and ears open and reported back to up. In return, Roofworld paid them supplementary wage.

More people became Chymes’s disciples. New Age gave attractive package; free drugs, money, and sex, whatever he felt like offering them. In return was their loyalty. By taking control on Roofworld, New Age would be complete. The twelve key members of Zalian’s order would be sacrificed. The doctor and his Roofworld would be destroyed. Butterworth was sent up to find out what happened. The two orders was at the rooftop’s fighting. Chymes’s body trashed and banged against the wall of the tower and his rival got hurt. The battle ended, the remaining members of the New Age were skulking away like wounded animals, adrift without their leader.

Butterworth gave his final report to Hargreave- a false report. Chymes was a one-time mental patient. He had developed a penchant for climbing tall buildings. His habit of kidnapping random and subsequently took on murdering them on the tops of London landmarks. No gang wars, no rituals killings, just the workings of a deranged maniac. But Hargreave found W. Chymes and by his calculation, Chymes would be approximately one hundred and twenty years old.

He imagined the existence of a centuries-old society whose leaders had taken turns to adopt the mantle of ancient alchemist known as Chymes. He wanted to investigate the matter further, but then thought struck him. If the press ever got this one, they would drag his tarnished reputation. It was too great risk to take. Butterworth was pleased that he had finally figure out what to do with his life. Sarah kindly has granted Linden the rights to her mother’s book. Zalian was at rest now. Sarah and Lee buried him. Five months later, Linden delivered the first draft of Newgate Legacy script to the agent. Rose and Butterworth joined the Roofworld.

Sekapur Sirih

Pada awal halaman sejumlah deretan kata agak sulit dicerna, namun halaman demi halaman berikut makin mudah dipahami. Sejumlah kata kerja dan kata benda yang tidak umum banyak ditemui, membuat karya ini istimewa. Buku bertema okultisme, misteri, dan thriler ini kurang tepat bagi pembaca pemula pembelajar bahasa Inggris. Christopher Fowler adalah novelis berkebangsaan Inggris. Buku sejumlah 396 halaman ini diterbitkan oleh Arrow Book Inggris tahun 1989, sedangkan edisi pertamanya tahun 1988.

Ada secuil ketidakpuasan tersisa, yakni kurang luasnya paparan akan tokoh jahat Chymes, tapi plot ceritanya cukup menarik; membuat penasaran apa sesungguhnya ordo atau perkumpulan Roofworld yang gemar melompat atap gedung, apa motif mereka membunuh para anggotanya, dan dari mana sumber dana untuk bertahan hidup ditambah perlengkapan mahal kegiatan organisasi. Buku ini mengandung kesadisan, darah tertumpah di sepanjang cerita sehingga lebih cocok bagi pembaca cukup umur.

Terjemahan dalam Bahasa Indonesia: Roofworld (Dunia Atap) karya Christopher Fowler

Seorang pekerja rumah produksi film tengah mencari tema untuk film. Robert Linden telah mempelajari sebuah novel unik menurutnya, The Newgate Legacy. Sang pencari ide pun semakin penasaran, sebab penulis baru saja mati terbunuh, ditambah kesulitan mencari Sarah Endsleigh, anak satu-satunya  dari penulis. Pengacara novelis itu sudah mengingatkan, jika novel itu sama sekali tidak laku di pasaran, tapi Robert tetap bersikukuh memasukkan dalam daftar pekerjaannya. Berbekal alamat apartmen mendiang novel, Robert pun berkenalan  dengan pengelola apartemen yang juga tinggal di blok yang sama dengan  Charlotte Endsleigh. Selain pengelola, gadis berkulit gelap, Rose, bisa dibilang nama dari kelas menengah, kini memiliki hobi fotografi.

Wanita muda yang pernah bekerja sebagai sekretaris, senang menuangkan hobinya di atap apartemennya. Secara tidak sengaja, dia menangkap kegiatan aneh dan sempat mengabadikan beberapa gambar pada kamera. Aktifitas ganjil di atap-atap gedung.  Sekelompok orang meloncat, melompat lincah dan cekatan seperti monyet di hutan.

Menurut laporan polisi dan keterangan saksi, Charlotte Endsleigh, telah dibunuh dalam upaya perampokan beberapa hari yang lalu. Rose sendiri ragu, sebab membayar uang apartemen saja wanita tua itu kesulitan. Setelah kematian ibunya, putrinya Sarah sulit ditemukan dan menghilang entah ke mana. Aneh juga, keluarga pewaris membawa beberapa kardus barang berharga mendiang Charlotte, padahal selama ini mereka tidak pernah peduli pada wanita tua itu. Dari apartemen Charlotte, Robert menemukan sebuah diari yang tertinggal, catatan harian yang cukup aneh. Namun setelah disimak banyak mengungkap misteri dan beberapa bagian berkaitan dengan novel yang dibacanya.

Rose dan Robert kian akrab. Robert botak dan terlihat tua dalam usia tiga puluhnya sementara Rose cantik, muda, dalam usianya yang ke dua puluh lima, keduanya terlihat kurang sepadan. Kini mereka tengah berusaha mencari keberadaan Sarah, untuk ijin pengangkatan novel itu menjadi film. Foto hasil jepretan Rose rupanya sangat membantu. Wajah wanita pucat tanpa riasan make-up, dengan rambut ala punk muncul dengan anak punk lainnya dalam foto. Pelompat atap itu ternyata tidak lain adalah Sarah. Keduanya pun mendatangi beberapa anak punk demi mencari teman Sarah.

Dengan petunjuk anak punk yang juga merupakan anggota perkumpulan  itu, Nick seorang anak muda yang lebih tepat dinilai sebagai anak bandal dan bertampang pecandu narkoba, memberi petunjuk nama orang dan nama bar di mana menemukan Sarah atau kawan-kawannya. Robert dan Rose berhasil bertemu Simon. Anak muda itu dengan sukarela dan akrab menceritakan perkumpulan mereka namun dia tetap saja tidak memberitahu di mana keberadaan Sarah. Dalam catatan harian penulis Charlotte, dijelaskan sekilas tentang ordo New Age dengan penjelasan samar.

Berita tentang tiga orang korban jatuh dari atap di kota London menjadi berita besar, di tengah suasana beberapa hari menjelang perayaan Natal pada tahun 1980-an. Di saat mal dipadati para pembelanja, lagu Natal diperdengarkan, riuhnya aktifitas taksi kota metropolitan itu, tiga mayat lelaki muda mati dan terjatuh dari atap. Berita yang mengkuatirkan warga London. Ketiga korban memiliki kesamaan: sama-sama anak muda punk, leher atau tubuhnya sudah dijerat oleh benda metal sebelum dijatuhnya, ditemukan simbol penyembahan Mesir kuno. Tentu saja nurani Detektif Ian Hargreave dan rekannya Janice Longbright membuncah, selain didesak media untuk segera menyelesaikan kasus sadis itu.

Wartawan yang biasa meliput kriminial, Stanley Cutt memberitakan ketiga pembunuhan  dan Ian pun menaruh curiga pada jurnalis itu. Kehadirannya selalu sigap, datang ke tempat kejadian perkara, selalu mendahului polisi. Cutt juga pernah menulis tentang kesalahan Ian Hargreave dalam sebuah kasus, mempermalukan reputasi sang detektif kepala itu.

Rose dan Robert sama-sama berkesimpulan pada penyembahan okultisme. Robert sadar bahwa kumpulan itu berbahaya namun dia dan Rose sudah terlanjur terlibat dan menceburkan diri bergabung dengan ordo Roofworld demi mencari keberadaan Sarah. Nick telah dibunuh dan Simon kawan Sarah hilang diduga dibunuh, dan Lee lelaki berwajah Asia hilang. Kini Robert dan Rose dalam masalah serius, mereka berada di tengah pembunuhan sadis bertolak belakang dengan kehidupan mereka. Kehidupan jauh dari keadaan pembunuhan. Jurnalis Cutt ditemukan mati mengenaskan, seperti si tamak Nick, sebagai nara sumber rahasianya selama ini. New Age tidak memberi ruang bagi mereka bila terlalu jauh bicara tentang ordo mereka.

Dr. Zalian sosok yang disebutkan oleh Charlotte dalam catatan hariannya, tidaklah sejahat yang dibayangkan. Lelaki pirang dan bersahaja menyambut Rose dan Linden sebagai anggota Roofworld. Keduanya telah melalu tes dan dibekali pelatihanan lompat atap gedung sebelum dibaptis menjadi anggota Roofworld. Penuh keyakinan, Linden menuduh Zalian telah membunuh Charlotte.

Dokter praktek pernah berhadapan dengan hukum meyakinkan Linden, kelompoknya sama sekali tidak membunuh wanita penulis itu. Charlotte telah menuliskan ordo New Age pada novelnya, objek yang tidak seharusnya dibeberkan pada publik. Ordo New Age yang dipimpin Chymes bertanggung jawab atas pembunuhan itu. Sarah, gadis punk, adalah kekasih Zalian semasa di Roofworld. Gadis itu bergabung dengan Chymes, diam-diam sebagai mata-mata pada organisasi bentukan Chymes.

Mantan murid dokter itu telah berhianat dengan membuka ordo baru bernama New Age, perkumpulan yang sangat keras dan sadis. Apalagi jika bukan silau kekuasaan, Chymes bertindak gila menyimpang dari semangat Roofworld. Sebagian besar anggota Roofworld telah berpindah pada New Age. Padahal Zalian telah membangun Roofworld dari keruntuhannya, organisasi itu hampir mati setelah lima decade, akan tetapi dokter itu mampu menghidupkannya lagi.

Pendiri awal Roofworld membangun perkumpulan itu karena kekecewaan mereka akan dunia bawah. Anggota mereka sangatlah beragam, dari kaum Rastafarian, punk, sarjana, dan orang-orang di bawah garis kemiskinan. Mereka tidak membunuh. Menikmati kehidupan di atas gedung terasa lepas. Melompat sana-sini tanpa ada yang tahu, anggota mereka sempat ribuan orang pada awal tahun 20-an. Kini Zalian hanya memilki 32 anggota saja dan beberapa hari lagi Roofworld akan mati. Pesaingnya New Age telah menguasai dunia atap.

Chymes menawarkan kebebasan pada anggota New Age, konsumsi narkoba, seks, serta kemewahan yang tidak mereka dapatkan dalam ordo Roofworld. Pendanaannya juga meniru pola Roofworld dengan meretas rekening perusahaan raksasa. Ahli peretas dan semua kaki tangan Roofworld dibajak ordo pesaing. Kaki tangan yang selama ini hidup di antara manusia di bawah; ditempatkan di gedung-gedung bekerja seperti normal, dari satpam hingga penyapu jalan bergabung dengan Chymes. Mereka mengadopsi ritual Mesir kuno dan Yunani kuno. Chymes semakin gila dengan membunuh tiga anak muda, melakukan ritual sadis masyarakat kuno dari masa lalu. Menjerat leher korban dengan kabel, memasukkan lumpur hitam, dan menyuntikkan cairan kimia, hingga menjatuhkan ke jalanan kota London. Seolah New Age menghiraukan keberadaan hukum dan penghuni di London.

Kini Zalian dan Linden menjadi satu tim untuk menyelamatkan Sarah. Pertarungan dengan alat modern terjadi di atap tanpa diketahui orang-orang bawah. Mereka cekatan berjalan di atas kabel, melompat antar gedung. Tidak mudah mengalahkan kelompok New Age karena mereka lebih banyak dan perlengkapan lebih lengkap. Dengan bersusah payah, akhirnya New Age mundur satu persatu setelah pemimpinnya Chymes terbunuh. Banyak korban jatuh termasuk Zalian.

Tidaklah sia-sia, Linden akhirnya mendapat persetujuan dari Sarah untuk proyek pembuatan film. Bahkan gadis itu memberikan hak cipta karya ibunya pada Linden. Rose Leonard memilih menjadi anggota Roofworld. Rupanya detektif muda Butterworth lebih tertarik dengan dunia atap ketimbang menjadi polisi. Niatnya menjadi polisi hanyalah ingin berdamai dengan ayahnya, seorang komisioner. Selepas memberikan laporan palsu atas sejumlah kematian mengenaskan di pusat kota London, atas kejahatan Chymes, detektif bermuka imut mengundurkan diri. Hargreave mempelajari laporan Butterworth dan meragukannya.

Nama Chymes muncul di pangkalan data computer, bila dihitung dia telah berumur seratus dua puluh tahun. Kepala polisi itu hendak menyelidiki lebih lanjut, tapi sesuatu menghentikan pikirannya. Jika kelak wartawan mengetahui sebuah ordo dipimpin oleh orang yang berumur seabad, maka jelas reputasinya akan memburuk. Dia pun memutuskan kasus ditutup, dia tidak mau malu untuk ke dua kalinya.

Anggota Roofworld tersisa bersatu ingin menghidupkan kembali ordo ke jalan benar dan bahkan teman mereka; Lee dan Spice merencanakan bertualang ke menara WTC New York. Rona bahagia terpancar dari Rosi dan Butterworth, keduanya, menemukan kebebasan dalam hidup, semenjak mengenal kehidupan dunia atap.