Nizams Daughters

Hervey was at once diverted by the picture of their signing Selden’s predilections. ‘What Mr Selden needs more than anything is a good physician. The fever has laid him low again; he could barely raise his head this morning.’

‘Well, there’s a lot of talk about ’im ’n them eunuchs. My lass’s folk reckon there’s somethin gooin’ on — fiddles ’n the like.’

Having become tired with the struggle to keep in a walk, Hervey decided they should trot slowly, even though both mares were in a lather. After a minute or so they were settled to a good rhythm, and Johnson felt ready to resume their conversation. ‘’As anybody found out yet about that ’Indoo as was fished out of t’water?’

‘No, not a thing,’ replied Hervey. ‘He was the rajah’s dewan, one of his ministers, that’s all I know.’

‘My lass’s folk say that ’e must ’ave been on the take with them that was fleecing t’sepoys.’

‘Yes, I had heard something of that too. But it’s all speculation. The rajah is loath to speak of it.’

‘What about Mr Selden: doesn’t ’e know owt? Isn’t ’e supposed to know everything that’s gooin’ on?’

‘I’ve not had much opportunity to speak with him on the matter. It’s not our concern, in any case. I want to move on to Haidarabad as soon as we can. There’s a lot about this place that I wouldn’t wish to know.’

‘’As tha got them papers yet for t’duke, sir?’

‘No, not yet. I had hoped by the end of the week, but since Mr Selden is bedded down I fear it will be longer. And those papers, frankly, are part of what I mean by not wanting to know certain things.’

Johnson said nothing, leaving Hervey to his thoughts. Not wanting to know was perhaps the best policy — for both of them. Little was as it appeared. The tryst at the pagoda, for instance: what did that portend? And did Selden know everything? Was it likely that he did, a horse surgeon periodically racked by fever? Selden himself protested he did not, but…

They rode up to a bluff overlooking the approaches to the palace. Hervey liked to dismount here to take in the view. The horses were glad of the rest, too, picking at the dhak for a stem or two that was worth the effort of pulling, while their riders sat on the ground holding the reins — not, however, before Johnson had thrashed about the ground with his whip, as if he were flaying corn.

‘Johnson, I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to pound with quite so much vigour. The thud of the hooves will have been enough to drive anything away.’

‘Tha mustn’t ’ave been close to a snake ’ere yet then. I don’t want one within a ’undred yards of me!’

Hervey blanched at the recollection of the hamadryads. ‘Let us not talk about snakes.’

‘They give me the cold creeps just thinking about ’em.’

‘Enough!’

They sat a full quarter of an hour without a word, taking in the distant views, the horses as content. At length Johnson voiced his thoughts. ‘Can we talk about what we’re gooin’ to do next, sir? It’s not for me to say owt, but…’

Hervey sighed. ‘I’m glad you do say something. I’m glad to have someone who I might speak freely to, for I can’t with any other.’

‘Not with Mr Locke?’

‘Oh, indeed: I should be very happy to share everything with Mr Locke, but I am bound to secrecy in this matter, and I have already had to tell you and the frigate’s captain.’

‘But you could trust Mr Locke. You saw how he fought at them barracks!’

Hervey agreed that there was no-one better to have in a fight: ‘But he drinks so much at times — I could not wholly trust his discretion.’

‘You might booze it, too, if you ’ad ‘is looks.’

‘I’m not making any judgement, Johnson; I am merely observing on his reliability.’

‘Jesus Christ!’ shouted his groom suddenly, springing to his feet and drawing his sabre. He sliced powerfully in one motion straight from the draw to the ground a few yards ahead.

Hervey was up a fraction of a second behind him, catching the Arab’s loose reins. ‘What the devil—’

‘Bastard snake! Bastard, bastard cobra creeping up on us! It could’ve ’ad us both!’

The headless reptile writhed in the short scrub. Johnson sliced it into a further three parts for good measure. ‘They can grow new ’eads, tha knows! Bastard cobras!’

Hervey was not inclined to question him on the regenerative properties of Indian snakes, but he looked as close as he dared — which was not very — before coming to the conclusion that they had been in no real danger. ‘Not a cobra but a rat snake.’

‘Is tha sure?’

‘Moderately. Mr Somervile told me of the difference.’

‘It sounds just as evil as a cobra. Why’s it called a rat snake?’

‘Because they eat rats?’

‘Is tha tellin’ me them’s not poisonous?’

‘That is what I understand; but believe me, Johnson, I would have done the same — only I fancy I would not have been so quick!’

The bluff had lost something of its charm to them, so they gathered up the reins. But as they turned for home Hervey’s eye was caught by activity below, on the approaches to the palace.

‘Looks like somebody important,’ suggested Johnson.

Hervey got into the saddle and took out his telescope: ‘Twenty, I can see. Half a dozen civilians with white faces. And the uniforms behind look the same as those Madras troopers we were with in Guntoor. Now what do you suppose this is about?’

That evening

Hervey rode back at no great pace and took his time bedding Jessye down. He saw no necessity to hurry, for he knew his letter could not yet have reached Madras, let alone elicited a response in the form of a visitation, and so he supposed that here was some initiative by the Company or even by the rajah himself. In either case he wished to be at arm’s length from the proceedings. But how fortunate, he reflected, that he was able to address such a missive to someone with whom there was mutual confidence. Indeed, he owed much, did he not, to that felicitous meeting with Philip Lucie on the Madras foreshore, for, fever apart, he was close to securing the registry documents and he would soon begin making his journey west to see the nizam’s forces. And it was perhaps as well that the nizam had cancelled his visit to Chintal, since he would now be able to observe him first on his own ground — perhaps a fairer gauge.

He went to his apartments, bathed and made ready for dinner with the rajah, to which he and Emma Lucie were invited alone. The rajah had of late become absorbed in a study of the Pentateuch, and Emma Lucie, he supposed, would be well versed in those books. Since the tryst at the pagoda Hervey had observed the rajah’s manner become strange. Indeed, it seemed singularly ill-matched to the hour. Before, he had spoken frequently of the nizam’s daughters; now they appeared to occupy him not in the least. Hervey wondered if money had changed hands at the pagoda, whether the shrivelled figure were an agent of the nizam’s, or a spy of the rajah’s.

Before the appointed time for dinner, however, he was summoned to the rajah’s apartments, where he found the principal members of the party observed from the bluff — the Collector of Guntoor and Cornet Templer. ‘You are acquainted with one another, I understand,’ said the rajah.

All made bows and the usual gestures of greeting. The collector looked pulled-down by the journey, his thinning hair glistening with little beads of perspiration. Cornet Templer, on the contrary, looked enlivened by it, his eager features incapable of concealing his delight at being there.

The rajah resumed. ‘Well, Captain Hervey, it very much seems that we are in peril both where the sun rises and where it sets. The nizam, I learn, is intent on striking in the west, and — from the intelligence which these envoys of the Honourable Company bring — the Pindarees are set to ravage the east of Chintal.’

But the collector looked puzzled by this appreciation. ‘Your Highness, I brought intelligence of the Pindarees on the lower Godavari: why do you say the nizam is intent on striking Chintal? Are you not aware of the Pindaree depredations in his own domain?’

The rajah was not. The rajah knew only of the guns, about which, he revealed, he received daily reports, telling of their seemingly aimless movement about his border with Haidarabad.

The collector said he must explain the situation with the Pindarees at some length, and the rajah bade all sit, ordering his khitmagars to bring refreshment.