 recorded books presents an unabridged recording of 27 bones by Jonathan Nassau narrated by Dion Graham this book is copyrighted 2004 by Jonathan Nassau this recording is copyrighted 2004 by recorded books the author opens with two quotations the first is from the poem the garden of proserpony by Algernon Swinburne from too much love of living from hope and fear set free we thank with brief Thanksgiving whatever gods may be that no man lives forever that dead men rise up never that even the weirdest river winds somewhere safe to see the second one comes from Alexander Popes Eloise and Abelard see my lips tremble and my eyeballs roll suck my last breath and catch my flying soul and now 27 bones prologue in 1985 in the village of Lola wasi on the island of Pulao Nias 75 kilometers off the western coast of Sumatra a chieftain lies dying or rather sits dying it is still the custom on Lola wasi for a chief to deliver his obligatory deathbed oration sitting up in his elaborately carved wooden marriage bed supported from behind if necessary by one or more of his wives with a skull or the right hand of one of his enemies nearby for him to take with him over the bridge to the next world sometimes a deathbed oration summing up the great man's life and rain as well as the history of the village goes on for days this one started several hours ago but although all around the chieftains house village life continues as usual women boil yams or work the fields men chop wood or feed and groom the pigs which are the primary source and display of wealth in the island economy in the Omo subua or great house neither of the dying chieftains two potential successors has yet stirred from his bedside there is a reason for this fidelity in Lola both succession and inheritance are still conferred the traditional way upon whichever of the heirs manages to be close enough to the chieftain at the ultimate moment to inhale his dying breath which is believed to contain his sofu and fire sample complete ready to continue