The Baroque Cycle - The Confusion Part 36

"So they keep telling me-what of it?"

"You must understand that the Swapaks are a very ancient subcaste of the Shudra Ahir-the herdsmen of the Vinkhala tribe-which is one of the sixteen branches of the Seventh Division of the Fire Races."

"And?"

"They are divided into two great cla.s.ses, the n.o.ble and the ign.o.ble, the former being divided into thirty-seven subtribes and the latter into ninety-three. The Shudra Ahir were formerly one of the thirty-seven, until after the Third Incarnation of Lord Kalpa, when they came up from Anhalwara by way of Lower Oond, and intermarried with a tribe of degenerated Mulgra.s.sias."

"So?"

"Jack, just to put that in context, you must understand that those people are regarded as Dhangs of the lower subcaste (yet considerably above the Dhoms!) by the Virda, whom they nonetheless abhor. To give you an idea of just how degenerate they were, these Dhangs, in an earlier age, had intermarried with the Kalpa Salkh of Kalapur, of whom almost nothing is known save that not even the ape-men of Hari would allow themselves to be overshadowed by them."

"I am waiting for your point to arrive."

"The point is that the Shudra Ahir have been herdsmen and feeders of livestock since before the breaking of the Three Jade Eggs, and the Swapak, for almost as long, have been-"

"Feeders of bloodsucking insects in animal hospitals that are operated by some other mahajan mahajan of some other caste-yes, I know, it's all been tediously explained to me," said Jack, flinching as a centipede bit through the flesh of his inner thigh and tapped into an artery. "But those Swapak have been a.s.sured of jobs for so many thousands of years that they have become indolent. They make unreasonable demands of the Brahmins who run this place, and lounge around out front all day and night, pestering pa.s.sers-by." of some other caste-yes, I know, it's all been tediously explained to me," said Jack, flinching as a centipede bit through the flesh of his inner thigh and tapped into an artery. "But those Swapak have been a.s.sured of jobs for so many thousands of years that they have become indolent. They make unreasonable demands of the Brahmins who run this place, and lounge around out front all day and night, pestering pa.s.sers-by."

"You sound like a rich Frank complaining about Vagabonds."

"If I were not having my blood sucked out by thousands of vermin, I might take offense-as it is, your j.a.pes and witticisms strike me as more of the same."

Surendranath laughed. "You must forgive me. When I learned that you were earning your keep in this way, I rashly a.s.sumed that you had become a desperate wretch desperate wretch. Now I appreciate that you take pride in your work."

"Compared to those layabouts who are encamped in front, Padraig and I-ouch!-are willing to do this work for a more compet.i.tive rate, and comport ourselves as professionals."

"I very much fear that you will be comporting yourselves as dead men if you do not get out of Ahmadabad," said Surendranath.

Above, Jack heard commands uttered in Gujarati, then the welcome creak of the pulley. The rope came tight and raised him a few inches off the ground. He writhed and shook himself, trying to shed as many of the creatures as he could. "What are you talking about? They don't even step on bugs bugs. What're they going to do to a couple of men? men?"

"Oh, it is not difficult for such people to come to an understanding, Jack, with members of castes that specialize in mayhem."

Jack was now raised up out of the pit and swung round over the floor again. The bug-doctors converged on him with brooms, gently sweeping away the engorged ticks and leeches. Then they let him down and began untying the bonds. As soon as he could, Jack reached up and pulled off the gauze face-mask. Now he was able to get a good look at Surendranath for the first time.

When they'd parted company, outside the customs-house of Surat, more than a year ago, Surendranath, like Jack, had been a s.h.i.+vering wretch, dressed in rags, and still walking slightly bowlegged on account of the thoroughgoing search that was meted out to all who entered the Mogul's realms there, to make sure that they were not secreting Persian Gulf pearls in their rectal orifices.

Today, of course, Jack looked much the same, save that he was covered with bug bites and lying on his belly. But in front of his nose was a pair of fine leather slippers covered with red velvet brocade, and above them, a pair of orange-and-yellow-striped silk breeches, and hanging over those, a long s.h.i.+rt of excellent linen. This was surmounted by the head of Surendranath. He had grown his moustache out but otherwise had a professional shave-which must have cost him dearly, so early in the morning-and he had a sizeable gold ring in his nose, and wore a snow-white turban with an overwrap of wine-colored silk edged in gold.

"It's not my my fault I'm stuck in this f.u.c.king country with no money," Jack said. "Blame it on those pirates." fault I'm stuck in this f.u.c.king country with no money," Jack said. "Blame it on those pirates."

Surendranath snorted. "Jack, when I lose a single rupee I lie awake all night, cursing myself and the man who took it from me. You do not need to urge me to hate the pirates who took our gold!"

"Very well, then."

"But does this mean that other Hindoostanis, belonging to a different caste, speaking a different language, residing at the other end of the subcontinent, must suffer?"

"I have to eat."

"There are other ways for a Frank to make a living in Hind."

"I see those rich Dutchmen in the streets every day. Bully for them. But I can't make a living from trade when I've nothing to my name. Besides-for Christ's sake, you Banyans make even Jews and Armenians seem like nuns nuns in the bazaar." in the bazaar."

"Thank you," Surendranath said modestly.

"Besides, in Surat and all the other treaty ports, there is an astronomical price on my head."

"It is true that, as the result of your dealings with the Viceroy, the House of Hacklheber, and the Duc d'Arcachon, all of Spain, Germany, and France now wish to kill you," Surendranath admitted, helping Jack to his feet.

"You left out the Ottoman Empire."

"But Hind is another world! You have seen only a narrow strip along the coast. There are many opportunities in the interior-"

"Oh, one bug-pit is the same as the next, I'm sure."

"-for a Frank who knows how to use the saber and the musket."

"I'm listening," Jack said. "f.u.c.king bugs!" and then-distracted, as he was, by the peculiar nature of Surendranath's discourse, he slapped a mosquito that had landed on the side of his neck. It was only noticed by Surendranath-who made a sound as if he were regurgitating his own gallbladder-and the boy who was standing next to Jack, holding out his neatly folded clothes. Jack met the boy's eye for a moment; then both looked down at the palm of Jack's hand, where the mosquito lay crumpled in a spot of Jack's, or someone's, blood.

"This lad thinks I've murdered his grandmother now," Jack said. "Could you ask him to shut up?"

But the boy was already saying something, in a bewildered-yet piping and clearly audible-voice. The senior bug-doctor hustled over shouting. Then they all all converged, and to Jack they suddenly all looked every bit as determined and bloodthirsty as their patients. He s.n.a.t.c.hed his clothes. converged, and to Jack they suddenly all looked every bit as determined and bloodthirsty as their patients. He s.n.a.t.c.hed his clothes.

Surendranath did not even try to argue the matter, but grabbed Jack's arm and led him out of the room in a brisk walk that soon turned into a run. For news of Jack's crime had spread, faster than thought, through the echoing galleries of the hospital and out its innumerable holes to the front, and (to guess from the sounds that came back) a hundred or more unemployed Swapaks had taken it as a signal to force their way in and launch a furious manhunt.

The monkeys, birds, lizards, and beasts sensed that something was happening, and began to make noise, which worked in Jack and Surendranath's favor. The Banyan got lost in the darkness of the intestinal-parasite ward almost immediately, but Jack-who'd been skulking in and out of the place for weeks-surged into the fore, and soon enough got them pointed towards an exit; they staged an orderly retreat through the monkey room, opening all of the cage-doors on their way through, which (to put it mildly) created a diversion. It was a diversion that fed on itself, for the monkeys were clever enough to do some cage-opening of their own. Once all of the primates had been set free, they spread out into surrounding wards and began to give less intelligent creatures their freedom.

Meanwhile Jack and Surendranath fell back, taking a little-used route past the tiger's cage. Jack tarried for a moment to scoop up a couple of the big cat's t.u.r.ds.

Then they were out into Ahmadabad's main avenue. This was wider than most European streets were long. Its vastness, combined with blood loss, always gave Jack a momentary fit of disorientation; had he found his way back into the city, or gotten lost in some remote wasteland? The monsoon rains were finished, and this part of Hindoostan had turned into a sort of gutter for draining chalk-dry air out of the middle of Asia. On its way down from Tibet, today's s.h.i.+pment of wind had made a tour of the scenic Thar Desert, and availed itself of a heavy load of souvenir dirt, and elevated its temperature to somewhere between that of a camel's breath and that of a tandoori oven. Now it was coming down Ahmadabad's main street like a yak stampede, leaving no doubt as to why Shah Jahan had named the place Guerdabad: The Habitation of Dust.

This place had been conquered by Shah Jahan's crowd-the Moguls-a while ago, and the Moguls were Mohametans who did not especially care whether Jack killed a mosquito. Disturbing the peace was another matter, and if rioting Swapaks did not qualify as disturbing the peace, then dozens of monkeys pouring out into the streets, some with their arms in slings, others hobbling on crutches, certainly did-especially when they caught wind of a market up the street and began to make for it. They were mostly Hanuman monkeys-flailing, whiptailed ectomorphs who acted as if they owned the place-which, according to Hindoos, they did. But there was an admixture of other primates (notably, an orang-utan recovering from pneumonia) who refused to accord the Hanumans the respect they deserved, and so as they all fought their way upwind toward the market, variously scampering on all fours, waddling on all twos, knuckle-dragging, hopping on lamed feet, swinging from limbs of stately mango-trees, and stampeding over rooftops, they were acting out a sort of running Punch-and-Judy show, flinging coconuts and brandis.h.i.+ng sticks at one another. Bringing up the rear: a four-horned antelope that had been born with six horns, a baby one-horned rhinoceros, and a Bhalu, or honey bear, blind and deaf, but drawn by the scent of sweet things in the market.

A pair of rowzinders rowzinders-Mogul cavalrymen-came riding up, all turbaned and scimitared, black studded s.h.i.+elds dangling from their brawny arms, to see what was the matter. Immediately they were engulfed in angry Swapaks telling their side of the story and demanding that the kotwal kotwal and his retinue of whip-, cudgel-, and mace-brandis.h.i.+ng goons be summoned to favor Jack with a and his retinue of whip-, cudgel-, and mace-brandis.h.i.+ng goons be summoned to favor Jack with a bastinado bastinado, or worse. The Swapaks' protests got them nowhere, as they spoke only Gujarati and the rowzinders rowzinders spoke only Persian. But these Moguls, like conquerors everywhere, had a keen sense of how to profit from local controversies, and their dark eyes were wide open, following the stabbing fingers of the Swapaks, examining the guilty parties. Surendranath was obviously a Banyan, which was to say that he and his lineage had been more or less condemned by G.o.d to engage in foreign trade and make vast amounts of money all their lives. Jack, on the other hand, was a Frank wearing a s.n.a.t.c.h of leather held on by a crusty thong wedged up his b.u.t.t-crack. The numerous scars on his back testified to his having been in trouble before-a nearly inconceivable amount of trouble. The spoke only Persian. But these Moguls, like conquerors everywhere, had a keen sense of how to profit from local controversies, and their dark eyes were wide open, following the stabbing fingers of the Swapaks, examining the guilty parties. Surendranath was obviously a Banyan, which was to say that he and his lineage had been more or less condemned by G.o.d to engage in foreign trade and make vast amounts of money all their lives. Jack, on the other hand, was a Frank wearing a s.n.a.t.c.h of leather held on by a crusty thong wedged up his b.u.t.t-crack. The numerous scars on his back testified to his having been in trouble before-a nearly inconceivable amount of trouble. The rowzinders rowzinders sized the Banyan up as a likely source of sized the Banyan up as a likely source of baksheesh baksheesh, and made gestures at him indicating that he had better stay put for now. Jack they beckoned over.

Jack unfastened his gaze, with reluctance, from the thickening drama in the street. Industrious monkeys had evidently been opening up bird-cages. The entire Flamingo Ward emerged at once. It looked as if a hogshead of fuchsia paint had been spilled down the steps of the hospital. Most of them were in for broken wings, so all they could do was mill around until one of them appointed himself leader and led them away on a random migration into the Habitation of Dust, pursued or accompanied by a couple of j.a.palura lizards making eerie booming noises. This hospital had recently admitted a small colony of bearded vultures who were all suffering from avian cholera, and these now gained the rooftop; wiggled their imposing chin-bristles in the gritty breeze; and deployed their wings, which rumbled and snapped like rugs being shaken. They had been well-fed on a sort of carrion slurry made from patients that had died of natural causes, and so as they took to the air they jetted long spates of meaty diarrhea that fell like shafts of light across the backs of fleeing beasts: a praying mantis the size of a crossbow bolt, a spotted deer with a boa constrictor entwined in its antlers, and a nilgai antelope being pursued by the hospital's world-famous two-legged dog, which, miraculously, could not only run, but had been known to outpace many three-legged dogs.

Jack approached the rowzinders rowzinders from downwind. The crowd of Swapaks parted to make room for him, though a few spat on him as he went by. Others had already forgotten about Jack and were running towards the animals. Jack got into position between the heads of the two from downwind. The crowd of Swapaks parted to make room for him, though a few spat on him as he went by. Others had already forgotten about Jack and were running towards the animals. Jack got into position between the heads of the two rowzinders' rowzinders' horses and then began to protest his innocence in English whilst surrept.i.tiously crumbling a tiger-t.u.r.d in each hand. A distinctive fragrance made the horses extremely nervous all of a sudden. "There now, settle down, you two," Jack said to them, and stroked each on the nose, one with each hand-smearing streaks of tiger s.h.i.+t from their brows all the way down to their flaring nostrils. horses and then began to protest his innocence in English whilst surrept.i.tiously crumbling a tiger-t.u.r.d in each hand. A distinctive fragrance made the horses extremely nervous all of a sudden. "There now, settle down, you two," Jack said to them, and stroked each on the nose, one with each hand-smearing streaks of tiger s.h.i.+t from their brows all the way down to their flaring nostrils.

Then he had to step back to save his own life. Both horses reared up and began slas.h.i.+ng at the air with their front hooves, and it was all the rowzinders rowzinders could do to stay in their saddles. They galloped off screaming in opposite directions. One charged straight through the middle of a crowd of Hanuman monkeys who were carrying hairy arm-loads of coconut-meat, figs, mangoes, jamboleiras, papayas, yellow pears, green bilimbins, red cashews, and p.r.i.c.kly jack-fruit from the dissolving market, pursued by enraged bazaaris who were in turn pursued by a toothless cheetah. A huge Indian bison, as high at the shoulder as Jack was tall, burst out through a rickety wall, shoving a heap of wrecked tables before him, and shambled into the street with a durian fruit dangling from one of his scimitar-like horns. could do to stay in their saddles. They galloped off screaming in opposite directions. One charged straight through the middle of a crowd of Hanuman monkeys who were carrying hairy arm-loads of coconut-meat, figs, mangoes, jamboleiras, papayas, yellow pears, green bilimbins, red cashews, and p.r.i.c.kly jack-fruit from the dissolving market, pursued by enraged bazaaris who were in turn pursued by a toothless cheetah. A huge Indian bison, as high at the shoulder as Jack was tall, burst out through a rickety wall, shoving a heap of wrecked tables before him, and shambled into the street with a durian fruit dangling from one of his scimitar-like horns.

A formation of running men veered around the bison and headed straight for Jack and Surendranath. Jack mastered the impulse to turn and flee from them. There were four men in all, a pair supporting each end of a giant spar of bamboo, thick as a mast and four fathoms long. Suspended from the middle of the bamboo was a sort of mobile balcony, a lacquered platform surrounded by a low gilded bal.u.s.trade and artfully strewn with embroidered cus.h.i.+ons. The device had four legs of carven ebony, which dangled an arm's length above the pavement. When these palanquin-bearers drew near, they broke stride and began to negotiate with each other.

"What tongue is that?" Jack asked.

"Marathi."

"Your palanquin is carried by rebels rebels?"

"Think of it as a merchant-s.h.i.+p. In the parts of Hindoostan where we will be going, they will be her insurance policy."

The bearers were maneuvering the ends of the bamboo so as to bring the palanquin up alongside Surendranath. When they were finished, they set it down on its ebon legs, so close that their master had only to swivel his a.r.s.e a compa.s.s-point to starboard, and sit down. He busied himself for a few moments arranging some glorious floral cus.h.i.+ons against a polished backrest in the stern, then scooted back against them.

"If they they are the insurance policy, what am are the insurance policy, what am I I?"

"You, and any of your Frank comrades you may be able to round up, are the Marines on the quarterdeck."

"Marines are paid at a flat rate-when they are paid at all," Jack observed. "The last last time our merry crew were together, we each had a share." time our merry crew were together, we each had a share."

"How much is your share worth now?"

Jack was not, in general, a sigher of sighs, but now he sighed.

"Take inventory of your BATNA," Surendranath suggested, eyeing Jack's naked and lumpy form, "and meet me in an hour's time at the Caravanserai." And then he uttered words in the Marathi tongue, and the four Marathas (as Marathi-speakers were called) got their shoulders under the bamboo and hoisted the palanquin into the air. They spun the conveyance end-for-end in the middle of the vast street and trotted away.

Jack scratched a bug-bite, then another half an inch to the left, then forced himself to stop, before it got out of hand.

The clouded leopard emerged from the hospital, quiet as fog, and curled up in the middle of the street to blink at goings-on; her enormous protruding fangs shone like twin stars in the firmament of swirling dust.

Bearded vultures were raiding a butcher's shop in the market. One of them pounded up into the air with all the grace of a porter lugging a side of beef up a staircase.

Jack trudged upwind, headed for the Triple Gate: a set of three arches at the end of the street. Behind him he heard a rustling commotion, approaching fast. By the time he could turn round to look, it had already overtaken him: a trio of bustards-long-legged black and white birds-disputing possession of some dripping morsel. They reminded Jack of the ostrich in Vienna. Tears came to his eyes, which astonished and annoyed him. He slapped himself in the face, swung wide around a huge waddling porcupine, and headed briskly for the Tin Darwaza, as the Triple Gate was called hereabouts.

THE T TIN D DARWAZA formed one end of the central square of "The House of h.e.l.l" (as Jahangir, the father of Shah Jahan, affectionately referred to Ahmadabad). This square-the Maidan Shah-ran for perhaps a quarter of a mile to the opposite end, which was walled off by a clutter of towers, balconies, pillars, arches, and toy fortifications: the Palace of the local King, whose name was Terror of the Idolaters. The middle of the square was mostly open so that formed one end of the central square of "The House of h.e.l.l" (as Jahangir, the father of Shah Jahan, affectionately referred to Ahmadabad). This square-the Maidan Shah-ran for perhaps a quarter of a mile to the opposite end, which was walled off by a clutter of towers, balconies, pillars, arches, and toy fortifications: the Palace of the local King, whose name was Terror of the Idolaters. The middle of the square was mostly open so that rowzinders rowzinders could practice their horsemans.h.i.+p and archery there, and parade for the amus.e.m.e.nt of Terror of the Idolaters and his wives. There were a few low undistinguished buildings where the could practice their horsemans.h.i.+p and archery there, and parade for the amus.e.m.e.nt of Terror of the Idolaters and his wives. There were a few low undistinguished buildings where the kotwals kotwals held their tribunals and inflicted the held their tribunals and inflicted the bastinado bastinado on anyone who did not measure up to their standards of conduct. Jack avoided these. on anyone who did not measure up to their standards of conduct. Jack avoided these.

Several Hindoo paG.o.das had once stood around the Maidan Shah, and they still did; but they were mosques now. Jack's knowledge of local history was limited to what he'd picked up by talking to Dutch, French, and English traders. But he gathered that this Shah Jahan fellow had sp.a.w.ned a boy named Aurangzeb and despised him so thoroughly that he had made him King of Gujarat, which meant that he had had to come and reside in "the abode of sickness" (another one of Jahangir's pet names for Ahmadabad) and continually do battle against the Marathas. Later Aurangzeb had returned the favor by forcibly overthrowing his father and tossing him into a prison cell in Agra. But in the meantime he'd had many years to kill in The Abode of Sickness and to hone his already keen dislike of all things Hindoo. So he had slaughtered a cow in the middle of the main Hindoo paG.o.da, defiling it forever, and then gone round with a sledgehammer and knocked the noses off all the idols for good measure. Now it was a mosque. Jack gazed into it as he walked by and saw the usual crowd of fakirs fakirs-perhaps two hundred of them-sitting on the marble pavement with their arms crossed behind their heads. Of these, some were mere novices. Other had been doing it for long enough that their joints had frozen that way. These had begging-bowls in front of them, never without a few rupees, and from time to time junior fakirs fakirs would bring them water or food. would bring them water or food.

Some fakirs fakirs were Hindoos. As their temples had been desecrated, these had no central place to congregate. Instead they were scattered around the Maidan Shah, under trees or in the lee of walls, performing various penances, some of which were more bizarre and some less bizarre than those of the Mohametan were Hindoos. As their temples had been desecrated, these had no central place to congregate. Instead they were scattered around the Maidan Shah, under trees or in the lee of walls, performing various penances, some of which were more bizarre and some less bizarre than those of the Mohametan fakirs fakirs. The common objective of all fakirs fakirs was to get money out of people, and by that definition, Jack and Padraig were was to get money out of people, and by that definition, Jack and Padraig were fakirs fakirs themselves. themselves.

After a few minutes' search Jack found his partner seated between the two rows of trees that lined the Maidan Shah. Coincidentally, Padraig had chosen a spot along the south side of the square, beneath one of the jutting balconies of the Caravanserai. Or perhaps it was no coincidence. This was one of the more beautiful buildings in the city. It attracted the wealthy men who made Ahmadabad work, just as the Damplatz did in Amsterdam. Neither its beauty nor its wealth meant much to Jack and Padraig in their current estate. But when they loitered here they could watch caravans coming in from Lah.o.r.e, Kabul, Kandahar, Agra, and places even farther distant: Chinamen who had brought their silks down from Kashgar over the wastes of Leh, and Armenians who had sallied far to the east from their ghetto in Isfahan, and Turkomans from Bokhara, looking like poorer and shorter versions of the mighty Turks who held sway over Algiers. The Caravanserai reminded them, in other words, that it was possible, at least in theory, to escape "The Thorn Bed" (as Jahangir had referred to Ahmadabad in his Memoirs Memoirs).

Padraig was sitting crosslegged on a s.n.a.t.c.h of rug (or, to be precise, the coa.r.s.e weavings that rugs came wrapped in). He had a captured mouse, a rock, and a bowl. When he saw an approaching pedestrian who looked like a Brahmin, he would pin the mouse down on the ground and then raise the rock as if he intended to smash it. Of course he never actually did did smash the mouse, and neither did Jack, when Jack took his turn. If they smashed the mouse they would not get money from the Brahmin, and they would have to spend valuable time searching for a replacement mouse. But by a.s.siduously smash the mouse, and neither did Jack, when Jack took his turn. If they smashed the mouse they would not get money from the Brahmin, and they would have to spend valuable time searching for a replacement mouse. But by a.s.siduously threatening threatening to smash the mouse all day long, they could collect a few to smash the mouse all day long, they could collect a few paisas paisas in ransom money. in ransom money.

"We've been presented-a.s.suming I am reading the signs correctly-with an opportunity to get ourselves killed for money," Jack announced.

Padraig looked up alertly.

A b.l.o.o.d.y ox femur fell out of the sky and smashed into the pavement, where it shattered. Two bearded vultures plunged down after it and began to squabble over the marrow.

"Here, or somewhere else?" Padraig inquired, watching the vultures coolly.

"Somewhere else."

Padraig let the mouse run away.

THE C CARAVANSERAI SPRAWLED along the southern side of the Maidan Shah, and had many balconies and lodges, all surrounded by delicately carved stone screens, but you got into it through an octagonal porch that was topped with an onion-dome. Four sides of the porch were open to the street and four were archways giving entry to the building itself, or to the yard in the middle, where queues of horses and camels were a.s.sembled or dispersed, and loaded or unloaded. It was in that yard that they found the palanquin of Surendranath. The Banyan himself was negotiating with a one-eyed Pathan for a couple of horses, and when he saw Jack's and Padraig's condition he decided to acquire some clothing for them, too. This turned out to be long tunics over loose breeches, and turbans to protect their heads. along the southern side of the Maidan Shah, and had many balconies and lodges, all surrounded by delicately carved stone screens, but you got into it through an octagonal porch that was topped with an onion-dome. Four sides of the porch were open to the street and four were archways giving entry to the building itself, or to the yard in the middle, where queues of horses and camels were a.s.sembled or dispersed, and loaded or unloaded. It was in that yard that they found the palanquin of Surendranath. The Banyan himself was negotiating with a one-eyed Pathan for a couple of horses, and when he saw Jack's and Padraig's condition he decided to acquire some clothing for them, too. This turned out to be long tunics over loose breeches, and turbans to protect their heads.

"Now that we are out of the bug-feeding business we shall have to let our hair grow back," Jack mused as they rode out of town along the Kathiawar Road, which is to say that they were going a little south of west.

"I could have gotten you European clothes with a little effort, but I did not want to spend any longer than was absolutely necessary in the Place of the Simoom," hollered Surendranath, clutching the bal.u.s.ters of his palanquin as it was slugged by another wind-blast. Leaves of exotic trees, curled and spiked like the sh.e.l.ls of sea-creatures, whipped past their heads and cartwheeled madly down the road. Jack and Padraig, on horses, were flanking Surendranath's palanquin, and three of the Banyan's aides were following behind on foot, leading a couple of a.s.ses laden with baggage.

"With our backs to the wind it is not so bad," said Padraig; but only because he prided himself on making the best of bad situations. Indeed, the street to the Kathiawar Gate was lined with much that would have been scenic, if not for the dust in their eyes: vast gardens of wealthy Banyans and Moguls, mosques, paG.o.das, reservoirs, and wells.

"With our backs to Ahmadabad it will be better," said Surendranath. "Kathiawar is reasonably settled, and we can make do with the usual Charan Charan escort. But when we begin the journey to the northeast, you will have to dress as Europeans, to cow the Marathas." escort. But when we begin the journey to the northeast, you will have to dress as Europeans, to cow the Marathas."

"Northeast...so our destination is Shahjahanabad?" Jack inquired.

"He would prefer to say Delhi," Padraig put in, after Surendranath failed to answer.

"Of course, because he is a Hindoo, and Shahjahanabad is the Mogul name," Jack said. "Leave it to an Irishman."

"The English have given our cities any number of inventive names," Padraig allowed.

"The monsoon season has brought much valuable cargo from the West this year, but all of it lies piled up in warehouses in Surat," said Surendranath. "Shambhaji and his rebels have made the pa.s.sage to Delhi a dangerous one. Now I have heard, from mariners who have sailed far to the south, that there are strange birds in those regions who live on ice floes, and that when these birds become hungry they will congregate on the edge of the floe, desiring the small fish that swim in the water below, but fearing the ravenous predators that lurk in that same water. The hunters are subtle, so there is no way for these birds to know whether one is lying in wait for them. Instead they wait for one bird, who might be exceptionally bold, or exceptionally stupid, to jump in alone. If that bird returns with a belly full of fish, they all jump in. If that bird never comes back, they wait."

"The similitude is clear," Jack said. "The merchants of Surat are like the birds on the ice floe, waiting to see who will be bold, or stupid, enough to attempt the pa.s.sage to Delhi first."

"That merchant will reap incomparably higher profits than the others," Surendranath said encouragingly.

"a.s.suming his caravan actually makes it to Delhi, that is," said Padraig.

SHORTLY THEY Pa.s.sED out through the gate and proceeded south-westwards into Kathiawar, which was a peninsula, a couple of hundred miles square, that projected into the Arabian Sea between the Mouths of the Indus on the west, and the Indian subcontinent on the east. The city of Ahmadabad bestrode a river called Sabarmati that flowed south from there for a few miles and spilled into the Gulf of Cambaye-a long, slender inlet that lay along the east coast of this Kathiawar. out through the gate and proceeded south-westwards into Kathiawar, which was a peninsula, a couple of hundred miles square, that projected into the Arabian Sea between the Mouths of the Indus on the west, and the Indian subcontinent on the east. The city of Ahmadabad bestrode a river called Sabarmati that flowed south from there for a few miles and spilled into the Gulf of Cambaye-a long, slender inlet that lay along the east coast of this Kathiawar.

The weather rapidly calmed down as they climbed up out of the valley of the Sabarmati and entered into the hilly, sporadically forested country that would eventually become the Kathiawar Peninsula. They stopped for a night in one of the open roadside camps that tended to form spontaneously all over Hindoostan, whenever shadows began to stretch and travelers' stomachs began to growl. These reminded Jack of gypsy camps in Christendom, and indeed the people looked a good deal like gypsies and spoke a similar language. The difference was that in Christendom they were wretched Vagabonds, but here they were running the place. Wandering from one part of the camp to the next, Jack could see not only penniless wanderers and fakirs fakirs but also rich Banyans like Surendranath, as well as various Mogul officials. but also rich Banyans like Surendranath, as well as various Mogul officials.

But both of these types-the Banyans and the Moguls-eyed Jack in a way that made him uneasy, and tried to beckon him over. It was just like being in Amsterdam or Liverpool, where solitary males who did not keep their wits about them were liable to be press-ganged. When Jack understood this he disappeared, which was something he had become good at, and made his way back to Surendranath's little camp.

"There are quite a few people hereabouts who look as if they'd like to administer the Intelligence Test to us," he said to Padraig.

Padraig accepted this news with a tiny nod of the head. But Surendranath had overheard them. He had retreated into his palanquin and drawn red curtains around it for privacy, and it was easy to forget he was there.

"What is the Intelligence Test?" he demanded to know, and swept the curtain aside.

"A private joke," said the annoyed Padraig.

But Jack saw good reasons to explain it, and so he said, "Cast your memory back to when Fortune had set us ash.o.r.e in Surat-"

"I remember it every day," said Surendranath.