The King's Madness

By Jonathan Lee

The Lion City -- was this named after proud and haughty lion? or a brave and inquisitive lion cub Jupiter, whose notions of justice, equality, and love may surprise even the most severe male chauvinist. Most people think that polygamy is the pet dream of a male paradise. But who wins and who loses in this paradise? Our young Jupiter faces this dilemma as he grapples with a social system that will ultimately force him into the wilderness. He is destined for greatness. But what is the price he has to pay? And is he willing to pay it? The Singapura legend tells of the founding of the Lion City. This is an alternative narrative that explores which notion of social justice and gender politics is this city founded upon.

We all know that the prince in the Singapura legend was not monogamous. He was polygamous. But it was polygamy reserved only for the few rich and powerful. For every king or prince or minister who had more than one wife, there was one more poor man at the bottom of the social hierarchy who would have no wife. And everyone else in between had only one wife. Everyone else had to be monogamous, That was the zero sum game of gender ratio for our prince and his society.

In contrast, the gender politics of a pride of lion is polygamy without restraint. The king lion drives every other male lion away. His is the winner-takes-all-wives version of polygamy. The question is : does our little lion cub subscribe to this version of polygamy?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Lee
• Release date: Apr 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310825453

Jonathan Lee

I grew up believing that Singapore history starts with Sir Stamford Raffles. That is the official narrative. But I think there is more than meets the eye. There is a hidden history.My writing journey started with a short story : Dinosaur and the Cockroach -- a metaphor for the evolution of politics and leadership approach in Singapore, written at a time when communism was on its death throes and Catholic "activists" were jailed for communist activities. The short story was described as a "political parody". Since then, I have written several short stories. The Lion City is a veiled commentary on gender politics dressed up in the founding legend of Singapura. It begs the question : who benefits from polygamy, and which will make our society stronger : monogamy or polygamy? Sex Lies and Videotape is about sexual relations within a marriage. It begs the question what is the relative merits of nature vs nurture in sexual relations. The Kent Ridge Caper is about gender relationship, and how society tries to calibrate sex into that relationship.Escape to Temasek and Fall of Singapura are my current passion. I have researched, written and edited this two novels for the past five years. It has spawned a documentary film (Hunt for the Red Lion). And I am still researching other aspects of Singapore history. These two novels rub against the grain of Singapore society. It is a re-interpretation of Singapore history. Most of my friends asked : Are these two novels credible? Were there people in Singapore before Stamford Raffles arrived? Were there Chinese in Singapore at that time? Was the lion really red? Was there really a pirate army? Who attacked Palembang? Was there any connection between the boy hero and the death of a princess? Was she really impaled on a public square? Who attacked Singapura? Was it a Majapahit army or a Tai army? And what happened on Forbidden Hill? To answer these questions, I have compiled two Historical Analysis available on my website (www.jonathanleebooks.com).My message for you, the reader : just sit back and enjoy a good read.The important point is : Singapore had a history, where none existed before.Jonathan Lee

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THE KING'S MADNESS

By Jonathan Lee

Copyright 2015 www.jonathanleebooks.com

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THE KING'S MADNESS

Chapter 1

I was my mother’s favourite. I don’t know why. Perhaps it was the comet that splashed across the heavens at the vernal equinox one week before I was born. Perhaps it was my eyes, which opened two days after the labours ended. My mother tried to explain. She named me Jupiter. But I was sceptical.

You see, I was one amongst a set of triplets. So which of us three playful spirits arrived on the wings of the shooting star? And if it was the first-born’s privilege to be bestowed that honour, which of us was born the first? But my mother had no doubt. She believed that my eyes confirmed my status. It was a miracle that my two-day-old eyes could see. It was a sign, the mark of a free spirit that arrived with fire and lightning, eager to impress his will upon a world waiting in awe.

My brother and sister opened their eyes on the eighth and tenth days respectively. By their tardiness, they surrendered their birthrights to me. This taught me early in life about the rewards that await the industrious. My dear siblings! I shall call them Mars – or Mark (to suit your ears); and Venus.

So we were – each to varying degrees – celestial spirits.

We hid in a large crevice in the rock. Outside, the lush golden lalang danced in the hot equatorial sun. They were my standard bearers flapping in the wind. But no one recognised them. My time had not yet come. For now, they were