Barbara Cleverly - The Damascened Blade

‘See you in an hour then.’ He put a hand on Joe’s shoulder and his voice lost its briskness. ‘Damned glad you’re back! I’ll go and tell Betty – she’s been worried sick. Now, where’s Grace?’ And he went back to help Grace who was struggling to take her medical case from her horse.

In a few quick strides Joe caught up with Lily Coblenz and neatly placed himself in front of her before she could go through the archway into the guest wing. She looked up at him, resigned and truculent.

‘Into the garden. Now,’ said Joe pointing an imperious finger.

When he was sure they were not being observed he said carefully, ‘I was wondering if you had anything to say before this all gets a bit public? That, you can’t have failed to notice, was the Commissioner’s car in the courtyard. When we appear in front of him with our stories I’d like to think we were saying the same thing.’

‘What were you expecting me to say?’

‘Well, to start with, something on the lines of “Sorry, ” “I apologize for the trouble I’ve caused, ” or even “Aw, shucks!” and, to go on with, an explanation of the precise nature of your “arrangement” with your abductor. And before you tell me it’s none of my business – it certainly is my business! I’ve been placed in the unenviable position of answering for your safety for the duration of your stay. If I feel I am no longer able to fulfil this obligation I shall put you – hog-tied if necessary – in the back seat of Sir John Deane’s motor car ready for delivery back to Peshawar.’

‘I’ve nothing to apologize for! All this and worse would have happened if I’d not been here. Why, you wouldn’t even have known where we were, I’ll bet, if I hadn’t signalled to that plane!’

‘That was you? Ah. That was well done, Lily,’ said Joe, relenting. ‘The pilot noticed your flash and it confirmed other information we had concerning your whereabouts. But Iskander? What have you to reveal?’

‘Nothing. I’ve had no chance to speak to the guy! You know he was sent away from the village!’

‘Not good enough, Lily! Something’s been going on.’

‘Oh, okay then, I suppose you’ll have to know. There was this jirga meeting of the whole tribe – men, that is – and I saw it all. Halima told me what was going on. She’s the Malik’s wife but she’s also Iskander’s sister, bet you didn’t know that! Iskander set himself up against Ramazad. Big mistake! He was outranked, out-talked and then outlawed by Big Chief Serpent Tongue. Well, I felt kind of sorry for the feller. He’s no family apart from Halima and now he hasn’t even a tribe. He doesn’t deserve that, Joe! Now I know these Pathans love their native land but they do travel. It’s not unknown. In fact, they’re all over India and some have even gone to Australia. I sent him a note before he disappeared telling him to meet me back at the fort and discuss… coming back to the States with me,’ she finished defiantly. ‘That’s no mean offer, Joe!’

‘I’m sure it’s not but, tell me, Lily, and I intend to press you on this – on what terms exactly did you envisage Iskander would be accompanying you?’

‘I’ve given that quite a lot of thought,’ she said. ‘And I’m open to suggestions. Bodyguard, companion, adviser on Indian affairs? How does that sound? He could be based in Delhi or even come back to the States with us. Who knows? He’s just the kind of man my father would get along with. He’ll find him a job. Iskander speaks English better than your average American, he’s smart and he’s charming.’ Her eyes narrowed for a second and she added, ‘Besides which, things going as they are – the company expanding into India – it wouldn’t be bad to have someone on the ground who knows how things work. Someone we can be sure will look out for our side because the other side has rejected him. That’s the best kinda loyalty you can get, Joe – the one-way pull kind.’

‘Yes, I see what you mean and I agree, but Lily – this man is no one’s poodle. And we all heard what he had to say about his Pathan nature back there at the river. I think he was trying to warn you, prepare you for his rejection of your offer. And, anyway, there’s probably little we could do to help him in the circumstances. He must be under considerable scrutiny by the powers that operate in this land – after all, he’s guilty of kidnap and abduction times two and though you may be prepared to forgive and forget, Lord Rathmore will be demanding retribution.’

‘Retribution? What kind of retribution?’

‘Very serious, I’m afraid. In fact, if I’d been Iskander, I would have avoided coming back here. He could easily have done that. He is, under British law, guilty of abduction, kidnap, threatening to kill. I think Rathmore could talk this up into a capital charge if he sets his mind to it.’

Lily’s face darkened. ‘Rathmore! He’ll set his mind to it all right! Joe, you’ve got to find a way of fixing him! Can’t you think of something?’

‘I’ll try. It would give me considerable personal satisfaction to nail the man but I’m not hopeful. Men like Rathmore are protected by often unseen and undeclared forces. They do favours for those high up in government and one day they call in those favours. He struts around and behaves as though he were impregnable and I’m sad to say that’s because he very probably is. I think it certain that he has it in his power not only to wreck my career but that of James as well and certainly to see to it that Iskander is either hanged or, at best, put into the deepest dungeon in Peshawar and left there for many years. We’ll find, I think, that in all this he will be supported by Edwin Burroughs. I must say, Lily, I’m not looking forward to this meeting.’

To Joe’s surprise Lily put out a hand and rubbed solicitously at his eyebrow. ‘You’ll think of something, Joe! But no one’s going to pay a whole lot of attention to you if you don’t smarten yourself up a bit and wash off that eye paint or whatever it is. Come on! Let’s hear that Lindsay war cry again – what was it? – “E’en do and spare not!” That’s not bad!’

An hour later, washed and confident in a fresh uniform, Joe ran upstairs and tapped on Lily’s door. She joined him looking cool in a short blue silk dress and a simple sapphire-studded necklace.

‘Not sure what sort of entertainment James has lined up for us – could be anything from court martial to beauty parade,’ she said. ‘But if the Commissioner’s going to be there I thought it couldn’t hurt to go for the angelic look.’

‘You missed by about a mile,’ said Joe, looking at her appreciatively, ‘but don’t worry – he’ll like the result.’ He peered at her face more closely and she swept a concealing hand over her nose.

‘I know! I look simply awful! Ride two days without a sun helmet and see if your nose looks any better!’

‘Before we go down, Lily, there’s something I’d like you to look at with me. What do you say to a little breaking and entering?’

He paused outside James’s room and listened, ear to the door. ‘No sound.’

‘There won’t be. I left my door open because I wanted to hear Betty if she came upstairs. Just to say hullo… They never came up. I guess they stayed down there in the durbar hall. Grace didn’t come up until about half an hour ago – now I wonder what can have detained her downstairs, don’t you, Joe? Telling tales out of school? She went back down five minutes ago. We’re alone up here,’ she finished quietly. ‘How about the ground floor rooms?’

‘They’ve all gone over apart from Rathmore. I heard him still crashing about. I listened shamelessly at the door.’

Joe smiled. Lily knew exactly what he was up to. He pointed in silence to the door of James’s room.