Boris Akunin - Murder on the Leviathan

Gauche presided at the table like the high priest of a secret sect. They were all constantly aware of his presence and followed the expression on his face out of the corners of their eyes, but Gauche appeared not to notice that at all. He assumed the role of a genial philosopher happy to relate his ‘little stories’, while the others listened tensely.

By unspoken agreement, that was only discussed in the saloon and only in the commissioner’s presence. If two Windsorites chanced to meet somewhere in neutral territory - in the music salon, on the deck, in the reading hall - they did not discuss that under any circumstances. And not even in the saloon did they return to the tantalizing subject on every occasion. It usually happened spontaneously, following some entirely unrelated remark.

Today at breakfast, for instance, a general conversation had completely failed to materialize, but now as Clarissa took her seat the discussion was in full swing. She began studying the menu with a bored expression on her face, as though she had forgotten what she had ordered for lunch, but she could already feel that familiar tingle of excitement.

‘The thing that bothers me about the crime,’ Dr Truffo was saying, ‘is the blatant senselessness of it all. Apparently all those people were killed for absolutely nothing. The golden Shiva ended up in the Seine, and the killer was left empty-handed.’

Fandorin rarely participated in these discussions, preferring to remain silent most of the time, but for once even he felt compelled to express an opinion:

‘That is not quite true. The p-perpetrator was left with the shawl.’

‘What shawl?’ asked the doctor, confused.

‘The painted Indian shawl. In which, if we are to believe the newspapers, the killer wrapped the stolen Shiva.’

This joke was greeted with rather nervous laughter.

The doctor spread his hands expressively.

‘But a mere shawl …’

Sweetchild gave a sudden start and lifted his spectacles off his nose, a gesture of his which indicated intense agitation.

‘No, don’t laugh! I made inquiries as to exactly which shawl was stolen. And it is, gentlemen, an extremely unusual piece of material, with a story of its own. Have you ever heard of the Emerald Rajah?’

‘Wasn’t he some kind of legendary Indian nabob?’ asked Clarissa.

‘Not legendary, but quite real, madam. It was the name given to Bagdassar, the ruler of the principality of Brahmapur. The principality is located in a large, fertile valley, surrounded on all sides by mountains. The rajahs trace their line of descent from the great Babur and are adherents of Islam, but that did not prevent them from reigning in peace for three hundred years over a little country in which the majority of the population are Hindus. Despite the difference in religion between the ruling caste and their subjects, the principality never suffered a single rebellion or feud, the rajahs prospered and grew rich and by Bagdassar’s time the house of Brahmapur was regarded as the wealthiest in the whole of India after the Nizams of Hyderabad, whose wealth, as you are no doubt aware, eclipses that of every monarch in the world, including Queen Victoria and the Russian emperor Alexander.’

‘The greatness of our queen does not consist in the extent of her personal fortune, but in the prosperity of her subjects,’

Clarissa remarked primly, stung by the professor’s remark.

‘Undoubtedly,’ agreed Sweetchild, who was already in full spate and not to be halted. ‘However, the wealth of the rajahs of Brahmapur was of a very special kind. They did not hoard gold, they did not stuff trunks to overflowing with silver, they did not build palaces of pink marble. No, for three hundred years these rulers knew only one passion - precious stones. Do you know what the Brahmapur Standard is?’

‘Isn’t it a style of faceting diamonds?’ Dr Truffo asked uncertainly.

‘The Brahmapur Standard is a jewellers’ term which refers to a diamond, sapphire, ruby or emerald that is faceted in a particular manner and is the size of a walnut, which corresponds to one hundred and sixty tandools, in other words eighty carats in weight.’

‘But that is a very large size,’ Renier exclaimed in amazement.

‘Stones as large as that are very rare. If my memory does not deceive me, even the Regent diamond, the glory of the French state jewels, is not very much larger.’

‘No, Lieutenant, the Pitt diamond, also known as the Regent, is almost twice as large,’ the professor corrected him with an air of authority, ‘but eighty carats is still a considerable size, especially if one is dealing with stones of the first water. But can you believe, ladies and gentlemen, that Bagdasssar had five hundred and twelve such stones, and all of absolutely irreproachable quality!’

‘That’s impossible!’ exclaimed Sir Reginald.

Fandorin asked:

‘Why exactly five hundred and t-twelve?’

‘Because of the sacred number eight,’ Sweetchild gladly explained. ‘Five hundred and twelve is eight times eight times eight, that is eight to the power of three, or eight cubed, the so-called “ideal number”. There is here, undoubtedly, some influence from Buddhism, in which the number eight is regarded with particular reverence. In the north-eastern part of India, where Brahmapur lies, religions are intertwined in the most bizarre fashion imaginable. But the most interesting thing of all is where this treasure was kept and how.’

‘And where was it kept?’ Renate Kleber inquired curiously.

‘In a simple clay casket without any adornment whatever. In 1852 I visited Brahmapur as a young archaeologist and met the Rajah Bagdassar. An ancient temple had been discovered in the jungle on the territory of the principality, and the rajah invited me to assess the significance of the find. I carried out the necessary research, and what do you think I discovered? The temple turned out to have been built in the time of King Chandragupta, when …’

‘Stop-stop-stop!’ the commissioner interrupted. ‘You can tell us about archaeology some other time. Let’s get back to the rajah.’

‘Ah yes indeed,’ said the professor, fluttering his eyelashes.

‘That really would be best. Well then, the rajah was pleased with me and as a token of his favour he showed me his legendary casket. Oh, I shall never forget that sight!’ Sweetchild narrowed his eyes as he continued: ‘Imagine a dark dungeon with only a single torch burning in a bronze bracket beside the door.

The rajah and I were alone, his retainers remained outside the massive door, which was protected by a dozen guards. I got no clear impression of the interior of this treasure house, for my eyes had no time to adjust to the semi-darkness. I only heard the clanging of locks as his Highness opened them. Then Bagdassar turned to me and in his hands I saw a cube that was the colour of earth and appeared to be very heavy. It was the size of …’

Sweetchild opened his eyes and looked around. Everyone was sitting and listening with bated breath, and Renate Kleber had even parted her lips like a child. ‘Oh, I don’t know. I suppose about the size of Miss Stamp’s hat, if one were to place that piece of headgear in a square box.’ As though on command, everyone turned and began staring curiously at the diminutive Tyrolean hat decorated with a pheasant’s feather. Clarissa endured this public scrutiny with a dignified smile, in the manner she had been taught as a child. ‘This cube resembled most of all one of the ordinary clay bricks that they use for building in those parts. His Highness later explained to me that the coarse, dull uniformity of the clay surface made a far better foil than gold or ivory for the magnificent glimmering light of the stones. Indeed, I was able to see that for myself when Bagdassar slowly raised a hand studded with rings to the lid of the casket, then opened it with a rapid movement and … I was blinded, ladies and gentlemen!’ The professor’s voice quavered.