Show r I 1 E mom BY TALBOT MUNDY 0 0 0 OTAL 0 MUNDY SERVICE CHAPTER XV continued 11 14 1 I dont get your point what do you reckon to find out asked stoddart time said moses gulban times it like a jockey hes the best judge in all india he times it to the minute if he isn t ready then hell play for time the truck halted in front of a house whose red front door was bolted barred and scrawled in chalk with infamous remarks anent the virtue of its inmates there was an alley a yard wide pitch dark at the farther end into that alley yellow light streamed through a door that was partly ajar there was a faint staccato drumbeat a twang of stringed music the sickly wail of a lute flute and a stench in which sensuous perfume fought with the reek of garbage moses spoke to the truck driver and the truck driver sounded the horn three times then three more then once the dissolute and dirty arty looking person in the big white turban to whom moses gave a captured knife in the bazaar appeared suddenly apparently from nowhere that bloke up to where did he come from stoddart demanded it if looked under the truck know said moses he aint respectable so he dont ride first class like me and you moses whispered to the man who walked down the alley and entered the door Is this your harem arent we going in asked stoddart no break the ladies hearts well wait here and give em a chance this is gulban temporary field headquarters ive sent him a message hell come or he wont if he dont well know the answer what did you tell that bloke to say to him 1 I 1 said that sergeant darts here with information that hell sell for a price and wants a personal interview ter view face to face no go bet youve got your nerve said stoddart be all over the bloody bazaar that im telling secrets why dont you use your own name weve hooked him here he comes said moses keep your hair on now and sit tight say nothing and leave it to me through th the door down the alley and straight to the truck without glancing aside without a moments hesitation came a man of medium height and middle weight who walked like a young god though he was middle aged he was dressed in a tight fitting turban white and loincloth loin cloth and a striped silk semi european jacket he came to the tail of the truck gave one glance at stoddart and stared straight at moses his smile changed outwardly only a little but something happened at the corners of his lips it had changed to a fighting smile merciless malicious youre a dog he remarked remar kea in plain english fancy you giving away secrets moses answered im here to sell em for cash on the nose me and this sergeant know something its hot were splitting fifty fifty how much 1 I will listen you may tell your secret cash on the nose said moses money down or nothing doing gulban smile changed again it conveyed a suggestion of vanity beyond the utmost reach of ordinary mortals he glanced at stoddart then back at moses are you satisfied he asked you have recognized me you c can an truly report that you have seen me in kadur you saw the door I 1 came from very well you may watch me return after that you may go to the devil im fm staying here until my messenger comes out into the street alive said moses 1 I will send him to you gulban answered he is lucky luckier than you are wait and see gulban strode back down the alley and entered the door A moment later the messenger came out looking scared as if he felt murder behind him he ran and crawled in under the truck moses spoke to the driver the truck started for ward because the street was too narrow to turn around in where now asked stoddart back to camp said moses well you drew blank that time it II you feel as foolish as you look think twice before you call m me e a fathead again youve spent a rupee eight annas for nothing and youre not a cent the wiser plus having learned that youre stupider than any other blasted I 1 ever met said moses ive learned earned all I 1 came for gulban as smart as he thinks in some ways hes near as stupid as you all along of his pride oh easy to say but its just talk said stoddart if you ask me youre a liar you learned anything to the extent bat a white ditc man can condescend to a half breed without losing caste weve been fair to middling friends you and I 1 but if you use my name again promiscuous like that ill knock your block off fathead said moses he knows me he know you he came out because he was curious and he told you to go to the devil all you learned fathead you mear mean all you learned I 1 learned that hes ready hes red hot ready ready for what to get norwood hes trigger ready if he hed be playing for time and wed be arguing this minute about the price 0 what well tell him if hell pay you mean hed have bribed us 1 I do not gulban makes promises and he sometimes keeps his promises unless unless what unless someone else can keep em for him with a long knife he can hire that done for five rupees a head so why pay us a thousand can your intellect answer that conundrum figure it out on a board when you get home CHAPTER XVI the was scrupulously fair rather than disguise her trio motive she revealed it she stripped objections to it naked she pretend that was a prince of virtue or a man of his word except when it suited him or when compelled to keep a promise the A 0 0 t 4 A the Alaba ranee believed every word she said believed every word she said but she used arguments that sounded curious even to lynn who was under the spell of the eastern environment lynn later found standing in moonlight in a golden turban and european dinner clothes As a palace door closed behind lynn she too stepped into the moonlight with her face half veiled under the sequined sari it was she who looked oriental dressed according to the Mahar anees wishes run adhia looked like a western athlete in more or less fancy dress and he called lynn a goddess in western terms that any polo playing american gallant might have used you look like miss india you almost give me religion pull away that curtain show your golden hair and lets give all the other goddesses a sight to make them green with envy I 1 lynn uncovered her head and walked beside him in silence 1 I feel fee like a god tonight said Rund hia have you been drinking lynn asked you golden haired iconoclast i your arrow aimed into the heart of my ballooning self esteem you delicious archer I 1 have had five cocktails do 1 seem drunk what sized cocktails measured to my mood exactly then you seem astonishingly sober what have you done about captain norwood lynn lets forget norwood I 1 want to talk to you 1 I cant forget him you and I 1 have wronged him has he answered your letter retorted no but have you forgotten your promise the tell you dont trouble yourself about norwood forget him talk to me 1 I wish to talk about captain norwood he has talked about you I 1 dont mind telling you according accordine Accordi nj to one of the palace servants he told your aunt this afternoon that hes disgusted with you 1 I 1 can believe he is disgusted lynn answered but I 1 cant imagine him saying so to aunty aulty or to anyone else s f let us talk about you said run adhia very well what about me now you have made me speechless have I 1 then perhaps you will listen to me beloved I 1 will glady listen to you in an ecstasy ot of patience and devotion during years which shall flow so fast that well be old before we know iff it i did you get that from a book 1 I never read books when I 1 talk to you my tongue can only stutter miserable hints 0 of f how I 1 feel you make me delirious be good enough to notice that these arms resist impulse he extended his arms toward the moon then dropped them to his sides oh lynn I 1 love you good job I 1 dont love you she answered be A new golden age in kadur interrupted lynn philosophy religion economics and the other muck they made me listen to at school and college left me until you came dry of faith in anything but evil and even evil dying you are my first glimpse of goodness dont you love the she good oh yes she is good past history lynn you are the present and the future one straight look into your blue eyes and I 1 knew what hope means and the higher vision I 1 had never seen it until I 1 saw you sounds good lynn answered what was in the cocktails dont jokel joke lynn im in love I 1 mean every word im saying to you 1 I mean what I 1 say too lynn answered 1 I dont love you what was that noise in the distance it sounded like shooting 1 I hear it said Rund hia they had reached the steps that led to the kiosk on the garden wall it was dark in the walls shadow he was justified in offering his arm to guide her up the steps but he put it around her she could feel fee his she escaped him ran up the steps ahead of him then waited on the wall in full moonlight facing him unafraid there I 1 did you hear that that a rifle shot Rund hia might have been he answered not so easy to tell captain No camp in that direction lynn asked somewhere over there yes possibly a jackall or a stray dog scared his sentries never mind norwood lynn you say you dont love me i I 1 dont believe you why not I 1 told you the plain truth do you think sentries would fire at a dog his would hes crazy lynn I 1 dont believe you because you forgave what I 1 did in the treasure room and because when you hurt me you were sorry also because you are not afraid to be alone with me now lynn you dont know yourself youre do you know yourself she retorted dont you think it strange that they should be shooting at night no most soldiers live in a continual state of false alarm lynn listen to me dont I 1 excite you you did but I 1 saw you and I 1 heard you laugh at captain nor woods ruin you dislike me c oh no you admit I 1 can stir your emotions oh yes I 1 admit that why tell lies about it youre magnetic I 1 almost fell in love with you lynn you are thinking about east and west that hoary old superstition it lingert lingers they tell me in america more tenaciously than anywhere else though even schoolbooks nowadays admit tha we and you are of the same race do you know how many western women have become the wives of indian princes 1 I dont want to know I 1 dont care you are right lynn quite right why should you care it is love not what others have done that crumbles superstitions lynn I 1 lo 10 love e yo you au u I 1 lie to you have you done your best for cap captain norwood have you really done it what have you done never mind I 1 have done st it you swear yes then I 1 will listen you were saying had to recover the train of his thought he turned away from her a moment paced the wall and came back lynn my love for or you may sound selfish I 1 always have been selfish until I 1 met you I 1 have no practice with words that a genuine lover should use but I 1 am genuine for the first time in my life I 1 am unselfish may I 1 tell you ww will you listen if I 1 tell you what my heart tells me yes I 1 will listen Rund hia 0 will you really listen yes Rund hia I 1 would rather listen to almost anything than tha my own thought at the moment you are feeling deser deserted tedy despised lynn answered if captain norwood had answered my letter you are so am I 1 lonely lynn kola hail hai the door is is open enter it is that short step across the threshold that makes you hesitate leap you mean into your arms yes no come lynn no lynn you make me hate myself am I 1 so unappealing to your suddenly he changed his voice he sounded angry are you in love with norwood 1 I hardly know him how could I 1 be I 1 only know that I 1 never felt dirty before in all my life I 1 dont like it Rund hia and I 1 cant forgive you for having crowed over captain No disgrace you and and I 1 I 1 brou brought it on him lynn is that all the matter if I 1 give you my word of honor that I 1 have solved the norwood problem will you listen to me have you solved it if I 1 prove to you before midnight that there is no longer any problem about norwood will you come into my arms speak plainly Rund hia 1 I will lynn face it norwood has no use for you has he answered your letter he has hotl the messenger reported that he tore up your letter without reading it I 1 dont know why you care a damn what happens to him he care what happens to you your aunt care she is leaving you flat lynn interrupted you say captain norwood tore up my letter why you tell me that before to save your feelings however you know now how he feels norwood lynn you are merely hesitating on that damned old superstitious crumbling platform of east is east and west is west that kipling lied about you and I 1 are above all that nonsense lynn beloved come into my arms bowl now I 1 you are lonely so am I 1 lonely see I 1 am waiting for you come here lynn come of your own will be mine ine face things from the inside looking outward you shall be my wife and I 1 swear by my love for you that norwood oh only a promise lynn interrupted 1 I wont believe you about captain norwood until you prove it TO HE BE CONTINUED |