RANI: (Genuinely.) Hai! He killed the cows.
LAWRENCE: (Apologetically.) I’m afraid so.
RANI: No!
LAL SINGH: What sacrilege!
LAWRENCE: I’m extremely sorry.
LAL SINGH: He butchered Mother Cow!
LAWRENCE: It’s most unfortunate.
RANI: Then what happened?
LAWRENCE: The citizens of the area reacted as expected and our men were barely able to make it alive to the barracks.
(Pause.)
If you wish, the young officer and I will make a public apology to the citizens of Lahore tomorrow morning.
RANI: (Sharply.) That’s the least you can do.
LAWRENCE: (Apologetically.) If there’s anything else we can do, I’d be happy to …
LAL SINGH: The young man will have to come to trial.
LAWRENCE: (Firmly.) I’m afraid that may not be possible. He can only be tried according to the rules of the Honourable Company. However, I intend to deal with him as severely as I can. Please rest assured that this will not happen again.
(Pause.)
I have a request.
RANI: The Angrez has no lack of requests.
LAWRENCE: (Unperturbed.) I request you to arrange for a special guard around the Shah’ alami area and the Residency tonight.
RANI: Anything else?
LAWRENCE: No, thank you. Good night!
(Exit.)
LAL SINGH: (Furious.) The son of a pig! I’m going to burn the Residency tonight.
RANI: (Calmly.) No, my sparrow, I’ll handle him.
(Pause. She smiles.)
LAL SINGH: Why do you smile?
RANI: You know, my sparrow, I like our Resident. (More to herself.)
Yes, I like him. He has something …
LAL SINGH: (Muttering.) That’s not surprising.
RANI: (Sharply.) What do you mean?
LAL SINGH: (Appeasing.) You know what I mean.
(She slaps him.)
RANI: If you’re jealous, at least be civilized about it. (Sensuously.) Our Resident is full of fire.
(Suddenly.)
What’s your lackey doing in the hall?
LAL SINGH: Who? Tej Singh?
RANI: Yes, I can see him at the door. He’s trying his best to hear what we are saying.
LAL SINGH: Rani Sahiba, I beg of you to be more polite to the ministers and the officials of the Darbar. Tej Singh is the Commander-in-Chief of our army, and …
RANI: They’re all lackeys! I’m tired. Good night. (Exit.)
(Enter Tej Singh from the opposite side.)
TEJ SINGH: (Laughing.) Ho, ho, ho!
LAL SINGH: What are you laughing about, you son of an owl!
TEJ SINGH: The way she slapped you. Ho, ho, ho!
LAL SINGH: Shut up, you owl. She called you a lackey.
TEJ SINGH: (Hurt.) Did she?
(Pause.)
LAL SINGH: The Angrez Resident is clever—perhaps too clever for his own good. He might upset our plans.
TEJ SINGH: (Proudly.) I can teach him a lesson.
LAL SINGH: You can’t, you peasant. Do you realize who he is? He is the victorious army’s Governor. Besides, he can take on ten of your kind.
TEJ SINGH: (Hurt.) Yes?
LAL SINGH: To make matters worse, someone’s been talking to the boy.
TEJ SINGH: Who?
LAL SINGH: You village peasant, why don’t you think for yourself? Do you think I have all the answers? Sometimes I think your mother forgot to feed you her milk.
TEJ SINGH: (Undaunted.) Is it the Angrez?
LAL SINGH: No. He’s different; he wouldn’t do this. (Suddenly in a whisper.) Anyhow our work may be easy. The Angrez is going to make a public apology in the Shah’ alami Gate tomorrow. Perhaps that is the time to act.
TEJ SINGH: (Impressed.) You are clever, Wazir Sahib.
LAL SINGH: Shh!
Act One Scene 3
The Residency at Lahore, an hour later. Lawrence’s young men, including Sher Singh, are lounging about in the Common Room waiting for him. A punkah is swaying lazily overhead.
LUMSDEN: Are you going to the nautch tonight, Abbot?
ABBOT: (Yawning.) The nautch girls sing too long. By the time it gets interesting I’m half asleep.
LUMSDEN: Pretty awful business if you ask me.
ABBOT: How’s your black wench, Lumsden?
LUMSDEN: Not good.
EDWARDES: Oh?
LUMSDEN: She is pregnant.
ABBOT: So soon.
SHER SINGH: (Laughing.) Ha, ha, That’s what happens. First there is woman, then there are children. Ha, ha.
LUMSDEN: (Snubbing.) Shut up, funny man.
SHER SINGH: (Quietly.) I didn’t mean any offence.
LUMSDEN: You can’t afford to offend us. Don’t forget that you are a native, funny man.
EDWARDES: Don’t, Lumsden.
LUMSDEN: Natives should speak only when spoken to.
SHER SINGH: (Getting up.) Are you trying to provoke me?
EDWARDES: (Appeasing.) All right, Sher Singh. Enough, Lumsden. No one’s going anywhere tonight.
(Pause.)
You’ve landed us into a fine mess with that silly cow, eh Lumsden.
ABBOT: I’m not sure if I wouldn’t have done the same thing.
EDWARDES: For God’s sake, he could have let the damn cow pass.
LUMSDEN: It was blocking the road.
ABBOT: Anyway, why in heaven’s name are the niggers so touchy about cows?
LUMSDEN: I don’t know. You should have seen them though. They rose out of the earth and swarmed behind us like bees as we ran here.
ABBOT: Why didn’t you fire on them?
LUMSDEN: We were running for our lives …
EDWARDES: I don’t understand. If the cow was blocking the road you could have pushed it.
SHER SINGH: (Bursting out.) Ha ha ha! I can see him pushing a cow off the road.
LUMSDEN: Shut up, black man.
EDWARDES: Don’t bully him, Lumsden.
SHER SINGH: (Getting up.) No one’s going to bully me. Mr Lumsden obviously doesn’t know the wrath of a Sardar.
(Sher Singh knocks Lumsden down. There is a scuffle. Edwardes and Abbot try to break it up. Sound of footsteps, and the two hurriedly come apart. Enter Henry Lawrence. All promptly come to attention. Lawrence looks about silently, blank expression on his face. Long pause.)
LAWRENCE: (Quietly.) What’s happening?
SHER SINGH: (Cheerfully.) Oh, we were having a friendly wrestling match.
LAWRENCE: (Quietly.) I don’t think it is the place or the time for physical exercise.
(Pause.)
Come here, Mr Lumsden.
(Lumsden steps forward. Lawrence looks at him, then slaps him hard on his cheek.)
You did it deliberately.
LUMSDEN: No, sir.
LAWRENCE: Yes, you did. You killed the cow deliberately and perversely.
LUMSDEN: It was blocking my
