Show EAST WEST 0 0 0 TALBOT MUNDY SERVICE BY TALBOT MUNDY CHAPTER I 1 moses lafayette oleary tossed his soiled pith helmet to a coolie sweat streamed down his almost liver colored face from a mass of 0 black hair that curled with quite un jorj oriental vigor he looked like a vaudeville irish version of a hindu hind u with without out a turhan turban he squinted toward athe he setting sun the kadur river where it circled the city wall was bloo blood Bloo oll he remarked if I 1 was superstitious he entered captain carl nor woods tent No native servant objected oleary smote the servant he removed a whiskey bottle two long tumblers and a si siphon phon from the icebox ice box at the rear and came out winking at sergeant stoddart who was shirt sleeved sweating muscular and thirsty caught you said stoddart oleary grinned all youre fit to catch is hell and malaria F im m taking pity on you here they sat on cases of surveyors instruments facing each other oleary observed As a sergeant of sappers youre a sap sergeant you believe youre here to find out why the kadur river is all silted up As if nobody knew it sweat wade work catch diseases and draw your pay if you live pretty soon now be sent home on a troopship troop ship to tell the english in the pubs how rule india if you was commander in chiet chief look handsome in a cocked hat ha kid yourself you know a lot dont you said stoddart this is good whiskey sure I 1 know a lot im three men youre only left of one and white at that I 1 draw one third your pay for using three times your brains you only know what youre told all tripe and army regulations hindsight mines foresight youre like all eurasians Eur asians said stoddart bet on all three horses in a three horse race and then set yourself up as a clairvoyant along of having picked the winner the secret of why the kadur river has silted up is uke a dogs bone that he buries in sight of half the county the priests have a diamond mine and critters crit 0 habit they dig by day come nighttime been dumping clay into the river since noahs deluge dont you take the scriptures in vain said oleary noah was a saint which is more than you are stick to your river survey watch out that the dam dont break and learn you what a deluge is your job is to work with a dumpy and tape and a couple 0 poles and set down figures to be stuck away in a file my jobs to look for the reasons 0 things im good at it ill admit said stoddart you could find a drink in the sahara what ayou kid yourself youre here to find out 1 I might risk giving you another drink if you could tell me where the captains heading for this minute easy said stoddart tod dart pass the bottle captain norwood is on his way to the residency to report arrival oleary kept his hand on the bottle what else nothing else regulation routine in case you dont happen to know it and youre an ignorant savage a resident at the court of a maha rajah is an army officer chos no good at soldiering so they put him in the political As a rule hes no good at that either hes a sort of ambassador he attends functions and he keeps out 0 trouble whenever he can they tell me this resident is a clab dabster ster at doing noth nothing ing and keeping it wrapped in cellophane oleary pass edthe bottle well you get your drink but you dont deserve it ill bet my months pay against yours that the captains in trouble already troubles what he came here for did you ever know norwood not to get what hes after theres sc someone imeone else after something said stoddart staring over the rim of his tumbler beyond oleary ill bet you know who he is and ill bet you know what he wants you bleeding ferret what is it better scram oleary answered secrets and sergeants dont mix good stoddart snorted there you go murd murdering ering the kings english as well as not minding your own business you picked up the word scram in the movies movies and you think its clever the trouble with you is moses that you try to talk too many languages but you cant shoot a beeline bee line in one of them talk english 1 I will said oleary you scram ischam that gentleman chos making you so curious is going to have to 0 o talk english too on account 0 my dignity who is hea lies hes the oilcan oil can meaning what asked stoddart he looks greasy enough from the heat but you looked at him so you mean that all right ill educate you after that you scram and learn leam english im keeping him waiting ov 0 purpose on account of your dignity no my dignity is like that bottle bettle nose 0 yours its been punched a time or two but there it is its inseparable and ill be buried with it im keeping him waiting on account 0 his indignity that needs a bit 0 taking notice of so it wont be no secret from him his name is noor dahlam no not baa lamb dahlam hes the oilcan oil can that goes around dripping the lies into the local works to make em grind good and smell rotten and sound scandalous reporter for the local loca 1 paper asked stoddart no hes from the underworld district stoddart grinned seeing hes a friend of yours I 1 might have guessed that youve drunk your drink so scram id like another drink atwould nt be good for you and you know it what you want is in A V sir I 1 might make it a hundred formation well ill tell you kadur city is hot you bet its hot said stoddart its a hundred and five this minute in the shade of my awning but I 1 suppose you mean that its tough au all right said oleary but perhaps lahore goes it one worse 1 I never was in lahore is said stoddart rt why youre still in the army stay away from lahore and maybe get home safe to england with a pension lahore is full 0 women as soon knife you as look at you yes I 1 know what you mean ive heard tell of em and those women 0 lahore said moses oleary are about the square root of one tenth of one per cent as bad as the men this man noor dahlam who is squinting right now at the back 0 my neck is a jewel in the crown of kadura infamy what do you suppose he wants asked stoddart he wants news you sapper re he wants to know why captain catch em alive o carl norwood is in kadur tell him bet your boots and medals ill teu tell him will you give him a drink 1 I will not for the sake of a harmless innocent like you I 1 dont mind letting down my dignity at times but I 1 steal cap tain No whiskey for that buzzard he look like a buzzard he looks fat and good natured moses lafayette oleary took a private swig from t the he bottle inside No tent and then put it away in the chop box with his hands in his trouser pockets for the sake of dignity he strode toward the tree beneath which noor dahlam sat wondering how to broach the subject of his meditations he did not appear to be ba wondering his black turban only partly concealed a philosophers lo forehead his silver brimmed spectacles enhanced the mellow mildness of intelligent dark brown eyes his nose was fleshy shy and good humored his black beard and moustache were well cared for they concealed something his mouth was not in evidence he arose to greet moses oleary and judging by the m movement of his beard bear he smiled but the smile was invisible at close quarters it was evident that his bulk was mostly fat not muscle he fitted flabbily flab bily into a bazaar made black alpaca european suit how ayou do noor dahlam how do you do sir moses oleary straightened himself slightly and drew his right hand from his pocket he had to live up to being addressed as sir by a man of means from the underworld district but it stirred his alertness his suspicion and more than that was already wide awake his voice hardened a trifle sit down noor dahlam hot it no ill stay on my feet ive business to attend to cant spare spare you more than a minute or two how did you know my name sir asked noor mahlab in silky accents that suggested there was something else than silk b beneath it was a quiet agreeable voice unless one listened to it too attentively moses oleary smiled with the tride pride of the expert who needs no praise to justify his self esteem its my job to know things check me you were a lawyer you served a term in prison in Cawn pore for cheating a client you were dis barred and now youre cheating everybody am I 1 right sir im a public relations counselor it is a new profession in india its a new name for an old game said oleary but youve come to the right place im the publicity man a 0 this surveying party what do you want noor gahlani looked bland and innocent his eyes were as kind as the milk of the moon but his mouth remained hidden he wiped thi the sweat off his face with a handkerchief then removed his spectacles and wiped them too before he answered 1 I want nothing mr oleary youre a lucky blokel 1 I came to enquire if UI 1 can be useful if I 1 could have the ear of your officer 2 im it im both ears im his teacher his keeper his nurse his confidential secretary sec retry his father confessor and information man sir it if you are truly in captain norwood No s confidence try me him and me are like the two sides of a rupee and its a two headed rupee hed believe me even if I 1 was to tell him youre honest 1 I could reciprocate mr oleary there are many people to whom it is highly important to know why captain norwood is in kadur have you heard about the survey of the kadur river yes mr oleary but nobody believes that well its the fact were here to run a survey of the kadur river ahl but of what else than the river I 1 am commissioned to offer rupees fifty for correct information and me a poor maril if I 1 a good christian and afraid to take the name of the lord in vain id be critical ov 0 your conscience ayou think its decent to insult my poverty with an offer 0 fifty rupees sir I 1 might make it a hundred have to make it twice that before ill hesitate besides I 1 dont think I 1 need you mr oleary I 1 think you underestimate my value there is nothing that I 1 dont know about the politics of kadur I 1 am the trusted informant of people in very high places high said oleary in the magistrates courts they can call em low places you can go look for another customer captain No decent ah but how about you 1 I know how to take care 0 myself what ayou take me for A tourist sahib I 1 can tell you actual authentic facts about the palace the word sahib was a mistake it stiffened OLe arys feeling of superiority perio rity it spurred him to contemptuous offensive tactics 1 I dont believe you new at the palace TO BE CONTINUED |