Show elm elm ha MEME n 11 U BY TALBOT MUNDY 0 0 0 OTA 0 MUNDY SERVICE ERVICE CHAPTER IX continued to 10 norwood thought a minute if 11 should be planning a coup of come kind dont you think hed he be cunning enough to kick up a smoke screen Rund hla hia is more impetuous than cunning the resident anaw answered ered norwood thought though t again scowling I 1 ifor for half a minute then ayou think his h Is sufficiently im pettous to try to kin kill several birds with one stone he might be hes an impatient fellow not abfall at all good at waiting for what he makes up his mind that he wants if he could prejudice the case against the priests by accusing them of having bribed me and if he could break me for taking a bribe and break you tor for knowing I 1 about it but doing nothing there would be a scandal that might dis tract attention from whatever else he might be doing at the theno moment ment 1 I concede that said the resident but if I 1 report you as charged with having accepted a i bribe can you disprove it if you could identify the brahmin who you say put those diamonds into your pocket without your knowledge he would say on the witness stand that you had demanded a bribe and that he saw some unknown person hand jt it to you how can you prove you know those diamonds diamonda were in your pocket can you no said norwood stay away from the palace better wait until makes the first move you dont believe in by the horns hams norwood I 1 had a premonition the moment you arrived that that red hair of yours would set fire to things were in a fine mess its either you or Rund hla hia it breaks you if he can make his accusations good witnesses come cheap in kadur he could hire them by the dozen but it if he falls to make it good I 1 think I 1 can guarantee you au it pan ball break him hardly fair to me is it to compel me to sit still and be shot at what do you suggest suggests 1 11 first ill write writ that statement then id like to have a talk with miss lynn harding CHAPTER X moses lafayette oleary with a cigar in his teeth wearing a clean striped shirt and a snowwhite snow white solar strolled along the widest street of the bazaar it was about fourteen feet wide lined on either hand by rows of open shops in which bannias sat cross legged and admired the gracious ways of god who brings business to people who wait patiently A sacred bull abominably fat from plundering the sacks of grain in front of the corn chandlers chandless shops blocked OLe arys way he kicked the brute it bellowed with rage and plunged into a cheap jack shop upsetting tables and trays the cheap jack and his family abused oleary instead of the bull but oleary took no notice of such a trifle as that beyond tilting the a bit further over his right eye he was using his left eye he had spotted noor dahlam lurking in a doorway and he knew noor dahlam waited for him he looked as if he had bad been waiting a long time exhausting hau sting nearly all the philosophy from behind that serenely wrinkled forehead wipe your spectacles said moses dont you recognize me noor dahlam began to answer in the vernacular moses interrupted speak english it youve busi ness with me I 1 dont want it known all over the bazaar wheres that three hundred rupees you arc promised alsed roe me you are too late said noor dahlam you mean youve spent it that is a foolish question if I 1 had spent 14 it 1 I could get more twice three times as much uh huh said moses what do you mean you were watching for or me what do you want someone has taken a very much bigger bribe than three hundred rupees said noor dahlam who has so someone meone you know him you paid it to him no others paid it to him and there were witnesses but an im partial witness who could testify to having seen the bribe in some ones tunic pocket would be worth not three hundred rupees but three times that much or even more say a thousand that is a lot of 0 money oleary grinned you show it to me noor dahlam blinked behind his spectacles you take me for or a simpleton you think I 1 carry fortunes in my pocket to tempt the bazaar thieves terms tor for witness said oleary are cash in advance noor dahlam blinked again if you will come with me 1 I wont said oleary im an easy man to deal with here now or never noor mallams Mah lams larns attitude changed subtly his almost invisible mouth grimaced into a smile behind the hair that usually masked revelation ah sahib I 1 if it were only you that we must deal with you we could count on you we could trust your intelligence Is such that we i could safely pay you in ih ad advance vatice and confidently count upon your testimony you can cut tho fat off the ham said moses trot out the meat what do you want worth a thousand rupees of money it aint your money sahib miss harding saw a certain person drop from his pocket a packet containing diamonds of great value basyl said oleary easy now I 1 get youl you and I 1 can do business youre a sensible man the blokes who selected you to prop proposition me picked a winner they did sure you pay me a thousand rupees and all ive got to do is to get a haircut and borrow an officers uniform and go and make love to the gal simple shell fall fail head over heels in love with me as sure as my names names moses then all ive got to do Is teach the lady how to get a british in trou brou A I 1 tl I 1 N N I 1 ink i 1 9 w w PT No voice startled her ble oh its crafty come on hand over your thousand rupees but sahib listen tome to me no my ears are too full a 0 your wisdom they wont hold any more ayou notice the toe a 0 my boot its just been cobbled its hard its going to land right in your stomach it if you waste any more a 0 my time chos that bloke watching you noor dahlam turned stared blinked and shook his head 1 I dont know who he is he answered but I 1 have been told that it is very dangerous to know too much and to refuse generous offers of payment tor for a very simple little tiling thing that a man of your talents can easily do what do you want me to doa do invent an excuse to speak to miss lynn harding tell her that a beward has been offered for a lost packet of diamonds which are said to have been dropped by someone near the palace guesthouse veranda should you say it subtly she will answer innocently she will tell you what she saw if you should take a witness with you sergeant stoddart tor for instance yes the i sergeant would wild do perfectly then there would be two reliable witnesses to what she said and she would not retract there would be a th thousand busand rupees for you and captain norwood that will be his business it is unfortunate but im a halfbreed balf hall breed I 1 am moses answered and im a sinner if 11 you know what that means I 1 could use that thousand rupees but id rather go to hell tor for pulling out your tongue by the roots than for framing my officer he has his fa faults tilts but hes a gentleman and ive kep him out a 0 trouble for thirteen years go and tell that to the brahmins Brah mins noor mahlab sin smiled singled fled again there are means he remarked for compelling silence yeah I 1 know said moses you signal that bloke in the red turban and he sticks a knife in my back ill give him the signal and lets see what happens here goesl somewhere moses had learned soccer and learned it well his right toe landed accurately on the bulge of noor near mallams Mah Alah lams belly and almost burled itself moses right fist moved eight inches like a piston A hook to the jaw staggered noor mahlab backwards into a dark doorway where he lay jay writhing there was no need to waste any more attention on noor dahlam but the man in a red turban who had been watching the conversation made asignar a signal A constable who had been loitering through the bazaar abruptly turned his back and walked away the man in the red tu turban I 1 rushed at moses not showing his knife until he was almost within stabbing distance but his tempo was wrong perhaps he never learned soccer certainly he had never learned boxing he carried his chin much too far forward it was an absolutely perfect target for moses toe which very nearly broke broka from the impact the man in the red turban dropped without a groan motionless stunned moses picked up his knife wiped it carefully smelt the blade and ran his thumb gently along the edge A very dirty looking person in a huge soiled white turban and ragged clothing emerged from a doorway and grinned at moses moses handed him the knife anif e Kha bardar honal dahrl watch out that things poisoned I 1 can smelt smell it see here now im oft off to the cock fights after that a woman I 1 dont know yet which woman but shell be a tiger cat so stand by therell be others laying for me use that knife if you have to ive got to dig to the bottom of this norwood cantered from the residency toward the guesthouse to have galloped would have been a bit too noticeable even so he was delayed near the end of the street tha leads toward the teeming section tio n of the city moses oleary stood there watching tor for him Hs he looked filthy and at least par partially bially drunk but he be made signals it was almost never wise to ignore OLe arys signals norwood drew rein said oleary ive newbill quick it aint good news out with it its all over the bloody bazaar that youve taken a bribe from the priests say it aint truel what did you say 1 I said what ive told the priest any number 0 times im a bad man I 1 am ani theres alin almost i 0 st n nothing I 1 aint guilty of one time or anther another ona ana a butine Bu tIve this to my credit im I 1 m the wet and dry nurse to a gentleman said what do you mean by all over the bazaar who told you all the gamblers know it hold your tongue go straight back to the camp wait there for me but ive more news news worse than that news keep it do as I 1 told you hold your tongue return to camp and wait for me im going to the palace when he arrived at ai the gates he turned his horse over to one of th the guards there were five huge trunks on the veranda and three native servants mrs harding looking pale and in a vile temper reclined on the chaise longue superintending super intending the packing of the trunks good afternoon can I 1 speak to miss lynn harding No voice stat startled led her the certainty that he had bad overheard her remarks to the servants increased her anger she even invite him on to the veranda no sorry said norwood 1 I must where Is she must oh well come in captain norwood tell one of these imbe ciles to take the things off that chair Is miss harding here I 1 no pray be seated you may give your message to me norwood smiled 1 I wish to speak to miss lynn harding alone mrs harding set her mouth grimly 1 I will not even deliver a message to her unless I 1 approve the message I 1 am tired of being used as a mere convenience tacking packing up to go asked norwood miss harding going away with you it if not it will be the last she will ever see ot of me I 1 have received an impertinent note from the e well I 1 must see miss harding before she ghe leaves I 1 want a statement from her if i will have nothing to do with statement what kind ot of statement norwood began to look courteously determined his hii smile froze I 1 slightly 1 I come here to consult you he said 1 I want to know what miss lynn harding saw well if you can find her ask her she will very likely not tell you the truth I 1 1 I doubt that that Is bour your privilege captain norwood I 1 am also privileged to have my doubts rumors reach even me that babu doctorman doctor can no more keep a story to himself than he can diagnose an ailment oh what has he told you about me he appeared to bewell be well informed ask him about atif you care to 1 I am asking you mrs harding yes I 1 heard you I 1 dont repeat gossip I 1 dont wish to be mixed up in it in all my life I 1 have never met so many unscrupulous persons in one place at the same time the is my hostess at the momena so I 1 reserve comment about her beyond saying that she knew I 1 have disapproved lynns conduct she has had the audacity auda to invite lynn to stay on Z with her he after I 1 leave I 1 forbid it of course equally of course lynn will do as she pleases if lynn accepts the invitation an I 1 am through with her forever No pugnacity broke restraint he stood up he looked utterly unconcerned and good hu mored mared except for the fact eyes looked steadily at aulty aunty hardings he raise his voice he betray anger lie he spoke quite calmly lynn is a lovely girl H has anyone ever said that hat of you mrs harding did you come here to insult me no mrs harding I 1 am being more polite than perhaps the occasion warrants oh it if that is your opinion he interrupted interrupted my opinion is this if lynn harding should get into trouble god almighty will hold you answerable there a high spirit ed girl in the world who 1 I wont listen to you sorry to contradict a lady but you shall listen it Is your clear duty mrs harding to have yourself carried to the palace it if you can cant it walk oh what on earth for if you can persuade your niece to go away with you tonight that may save not only her but more than one other person from disastrous consequences oh so you want her out of the what has lynn dorie done to you I 1 have heard a rumor that you are in trouble but what atit authority hority does that give you to lecture me why dont you go to the palace arent you welcome there III 1 I have told you what your duty is said norwood there my own duty ends as far as you are concerned good afternoon mrs harding TO BE CONTINUED |