Tent of Shaista Khan
The faint smell of corruption greeted Ricky’s nose on entering the tent, but there was no sign of Asaf Khan or his corpse.
Shaista Khan was in his father’s position on a slightly raised dais at the other end of the tent’s largest chamber, and waved them forward without comment. There were only a few of Shaista Khan’s favored sowar present, and all of them were studiously ignoring the presence of Ricky and his companions. A quick glance confirmed that none of the bevy of usual attendants were around.
Making this as private an audience as we’re ever going to get. I hope he isn’t going to have us killed for advising them to wean his father off of the opium. I assume Mughal malpractice suits are prosecuted a little more harshly here than they ever were back up-time.
Ricky glanced at Jadu for guidance, but the merchant had already stepped forward to bow before Shaista Khan.
With a nervous glance at one another, Ricky and Bobby followed suit.
Shaista Khan gestured for them to be seated, the expressive face drawn and, if Ricky was any judge, sad.
“Our condolences on the passing of your father. He was a great man and will be missed by all who knew him,” Jadu said cautiously.
Shaista Khan accepted the merchant’s condolences but quickly moved on: “We have little time to settle our business, Jadu Das. I accept the conditions set forth in the documents you provided and will be henceforth supporting Dara Shikoh as the rightful emperor of India.”
What conditions? I didn’t know we’d presented any offers for there to be conditions?
Ricky looked a question at Bobby, who gave a tiny shake of his head. They both shifted their gaze to Jadu and tried to divine what the hell the down-timers were talking about.
“Indeed,” Shaista continued, unaware or ignoring the consternation his answer had sparked in the up-timers, “I look forward to seeing my intended once more. We have a great deal of catching up to do, but for now I must see to my father’s funeral arrangements.” He paused, seemed to consider, then asked, “Will you be staying with us as we march to support Dara or riding ahead to report to him of our arrival?”
Jadu bowed his head. “We are at a disadvantage at this moment because I do not have a great deal of intelligence regarding how things stand in the greater political arena.”
“Gwalior Fort has fallen—or rather, been handed over to Aurangzeb’s forces.”
Jadu’s dismay was evident despite the man’s excellent self-control. “When was this?”
“Not a week.” A sad smile appeared from behind the beard. “It seems my cousins are in a hurry to discover who should rule.”
Ricky tried to mentally calculate exactly how far away Gwalior Fort was from Agra, but couldn’t.
Jadu waggled his head. “By the time we could return with our goods, it is likely Red Fort will be besieged. I would hate to travel all that way only to be taken prisoner and my goods seized.”
“And I would hate for you to be taken, what with you bearing word of my plans.”
“We could ride ahead,” Ricky suggested, gesturing at Bobby.
Shaista looked at the up-timers and waggled his head. “I did not know you up-timers could ride so well.”
“So well?” Ricky asked, confused.
“Aurangzeb’s army is certain to have many outriders, among them the best light cavalry in the world: Maratha, Persian, Afghan, Turkic, every man of them born in the saddle, or as close as makes no difference. And they will have superior mounts as well as remounts.”
Jadu leapt into the momentary pause: “And I am loath to leave my baggage unprotected.” He waggled his head. “Did you know, Shaista Khan, that my friends almost single-handedly fought off a bandit attack on our way here?”
Shaista looked from the two younger men to Jadu. “I did not.”
“A local zamindar thought to obtain my goods. These fine men sent his entire troop packing, those few that remained after they started shooting, that is.”
Why is Jadu talking us up? We only did for a couple of the guys.
Another slight smile. “They do not look like sowar.”
“No, they do not. Indeed, I believe you’ll not find a bandy-legged horseman among the up-timers. They’re bad riders, but veritable demons in a fight. That said, I think we’ll travel with you, if that is acceptable?”
“It is. We are mere weeks from Agra.”
“You will proceed with your foot and baggage?”
“Of course,” Shaista Khan said, a slow smile spreading across bearded lips, “How could I be sure you, your wares, and your friends could keep up, otherwise?”
Jadu bowed.
“Now, if you will excuse me? I must see to the arrangements…” Shaista Khan let the statement trail off, his smile fading to a grim line and eyes welling with tears.
“Of course,” Jadu said, forestalling any responses from his companions.
* * *
“What the hell is going on, Jadu?” Bobby asked as soon as they were clear of Shaista Khan’s tent.
Jadu motioned him to silence but Bobby wasn’t having any of it. “I walked in there thinking that maybe we would be killed for having changed the old man’s treatment, only to find out you’ve been running some kind of game behind our backs.”
Ricky saw Jadu frown but wasn’t about to stop Bobby asking the hard questions.
“Jadu, what is going on?” Bobby asked again.
“Salim asked me to arrange certain diplomatic niceties on behalf of Dara Shikoh,” Jadu explained. “I was not to inform anyone what I was about. That included you, my friends. I am sorry that duty required that I remain silent, but I had promised to keep silent.”
“Salim? Why wouldn’t he trust us to know?”
Jadu sighed. “I do not know. I can guess that there was some concern that one of your companions in Agra might have spoken out of turn and thereby allowed Dara’s enemies to know what it was we are
