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Show i f fol G Ti1 n m nnn f3 t? j BY TALBOT MUNDY . C TALBOT MUNDY-WNU SERVICE easy man to deal with. Here, now or never." Noor Mahlam's attitude changed subtly. His almost invisible mouth grimaced into a smile behind the hair that usually masked revelation- "Ah, sahib! 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 could safely pay you advance and confidently count upon your testimony." tes-timony." "!fou can cut the fat off the ham," said Moses. "Trot out the meat. What do you want that's worth a thousand rupees of anybody's money? mon-ey? It ain't your money." "Sahib, Miss Harding saw a certain cer-tain person drop from his pocket a packet containing diamonds of great value." "Easy!" said O'Leary. "Easy. Now I get you! You and I can do business. You're a sensible man. The blokes who selected you to proposition prop-osition me picked a winner, they did. Sure. You pay me a thousand rupees; and all I've got to do is to get a haircut and borrow an officer's offi-cer's uniform, and go and make love to the gal. That's simple. She'll fall head over heels in love with me as sure as my name's Moses. Then all I've got to do is teach the lady how to get a British officer in trou-i trou-i , , . . But the man in a red turban, who had been watching the conversation, made a signal. A constable, who had been loitering through the bazaar, ba-zaar, abruptly turned his back and walked away. The man in the red turban rushed at Moses, not showing show-ing his knife until he was almost within stabbing distance. But his tempo was wrong. Perhaps he never nev-er 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 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: "Khabardar hona! Zahr! Watch out. That thing's poisoned. I can smell it. See here now: I'm off to the cock-fights after that, a woman I don't know yet which woman, but she'll be a tiger-cat, so stand by. There'll be others laying for me. Use that knife if you have to. I've got to dig to the bottom of this." Norwood cantered from the Residency Resi-dency toward the guesthouse; to have galloped would have been a bit too noticeable. Even so, he was delayed, near the end of the street that leads toward the teeming section sec-tion of the city. Moses O'Leary stood there watching for him. He looked filthy, and at least partially drunk. But he made signals. It was almost never wise to ignore O'Leary's signals. Norwood drew rein. "Hssst!" said O'Leary. "I've news!" "Quick." "It ain't good news." "Out with it." "It's all over the bloody bazaar that you've taken a bribe from the priests. Say it ain't true!" "What did you say?" "I said what I've told the priest any number o' times: 'I'm a bad man, I am. There's almost nothing I ain't guilty of, one time or another. an-other. But I've this to my credit. I'm the wet and dry nurse to a gentleman.' That's what I 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 I've more news worse than that news." "Keep it. Do as I told you. Hold your tongue. Return to camp and wait for me. I'm going to the palace." When he arrived at the gates he turned his horse over to one of the guards. There were five huge trunks on the veranda and three native servants. serv-ants. Mrs. Harding, looking pale and in a vile temper, reclined on the chaise longue, superintending the packing of the trunks. "Good afternoon. Can I speak to Miss Lynn Harding?" Norwood's voice startled her. The certainty that he had overheard her remarks to the servants increased her anger. She didn't even invite him on to the veranda. "No." "Sorry," said Norwood. "I must. Where is she?" "Must? Oh, well, come in, Captain Norwood. Tell one of these imbeciles imbe-ciles to take the things off that chair." "Is Miss Harding here?" "No. Pray be seated. You may give your message to me." Norwood smiled. "I wish to speak to Miss Lynn Harding alone." Mrs. Harding set her mouth grimly: grim-ly: "I will not even deliver a mes- j sage to her unless I approve the message. I am tired of being used as a mere convenience." "Packing up to go?" asked Norwood. Nor-wood. "Miss Harding going away I with you?" "If not, it will be the last she" will ever see of me. I have received re-ceived an impertinent note from the Maharanee." "Well, I must see Miss Harding before she leaves. I want a statement state-ment from her." "I will have nothing to do with it! Statement? What kind of statement?" state-ment?" Norwood began to look courteously courteous-ly determined. His smile froze slightly: "I didn't come here to consult you," he said, "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 doubt that." "That is your privilege, Captain Norwood. I am also privileged to have my doubts. Rumors reach even me. That babu doctor can no more keep a story to himself than he can diagnose an ailment." "Oh. What has he told you about me?" , J "He appeared to be well informed. Ask him about it if you care to." "I am asking you, Mrs. Harding." "Yes, I heard you. I don't repeat re-peat gossip. I don't wish to be mixed up in it. In all my life, I have never met so many unscrupulous unscrupu-lous persons in one place at the same time. The Maharanee is my hostess at the moment, so I reserve comment about her, beyond saying that she knew I have disapproved Lynn's conduct. She has had the audacity to invite Lynn to stay on with her after I leave. I forbid it, of course. Equally, of course, Lynn will do as she pleases. If Lynn accepts ac-cepts the invitation. I am through with her forever." Norwood's pugnacity broke restraint. re-straint. He stood up. He looked utterly ut-terly unconcerned and good-humored except for the fact that his eyes looked steadily at Aunty Harding's. Hard-ing's. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't betray anger. He spoke quite calmly: "Lynn is a lovely girl. Has anyone any-one ever said that of you, Mrs. Harding?" "Did you come here to insult me?" "No, Mrs. Harding. I am being more polite than perhaps the occasion occa-sion warrants." "Oh. If that is your opinion " He interrupted: "My opinion is this: if Lynn Harding should get into trouble, God Almighty will hold you answerable. There isn't a high-spirited girl in the world who wouldn't " "I won't listen to you." "Sorry to contradict a lady, but you shall listen. It is your clear duty, Mrs. Harding, to have yourself your-self carried to the palace if you can't 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 disas-trous consequences." , "Oh. So you want her out of the way! What has Lynn done to you? I have heard a rumor that you are in trouble. But what authority does that give you to lecture me? Why don't you go to the palace? Aren't you welcome there?" "I have told you what your duty is," said Norwood. "There my own duty ends, as far as you are concerned. con-cerned. Good afternoon, Mrs. Harding." Hard-ing." (TO BE CONTINUED) H rilvrTER IX Continued ' ' 10 Konvood thought a minute. "If ndhia should be Planni"S a coup "onie kind, don't you think he'd , cunning enough to kick up a .oke screen?" 'jundhia is more impetuous than "fining." lne Resident answered, jjjpvood thought again, scowling, hall a minute. Then: :'n'you think hi's sufficiently im- toous to try to kill several birds one stone?" He might be. He's an impatient Lnot at all good at waiting for ut he makes up his mind that wants." K he could prejudice the case 'jlnst the priests, by accusing .jn of having bribed me. And if could break me for taking a .be. And break you for knowing jut it but doing nothing there "uld be a scandal that might dis-"ct dis-"ct attention from whatever else ' might be doing at the moment." 1 concede that," said the Resist Resi-st "But if I report you as jrged with having accepted a . be, can you disprove it? If you : Jd' identify the Brahmin who, you ; put those diamonds into your vfeet without your knowledge, he lld say on the witness stand that j had demanded a bribe, and that .saw some unknown person hand Jo you. How can you prove you "o't know those diamonds were in 3r pocket? Can you?" No," said Norwood. Stay away from the palace. Bet-wait Bet-wait until Rundhia makes the !,1 move." 'You don't believe in taking bulls lie horns." Norwood, I had a premonition moment you arrived, that that -hair of yours would set fire to r.igs. We're in a fine mess. It's you or Rundhia. It breaks i if he can make his accusations d. Witnesses come cheap in Ka-: Ka-: , He could hire them by the n. But if he fails to make it "j, I think I can guarantee you Mall break him." -Hardly fair to me, is it, to com-me com-me to sit still and be shot at?" Tiat do you suggest?" First, I'll write that statement. b I'd like to have a talk with C.s Lynn Harding." CHAPTER X I 'loses Lafayette O'Leary, with a ir in his teeth, wearing a clean :ped shirt and a snow-white solar :e, strolled along the widest et of the bazaar; it was about :-1een feet wide, lined on either d by rows of open shops in which ,'iiias sat cross-legged and ad- td the gracious ways of God, - brings business to people who H patiently. , sacred bull, abominably fat .3 plundering the sacks of grain front of the corn-chandlers' is, blocked O'Leary's way. He "ed the brute. It bellowed with "and plunged into a Cheap Jack i' upsetting tables and trays, i,' Cheap Jack and his family led O'Leary instead of the bull, O'Leary took no notice of such a -as that, beyond tilting the topee :;t further over his right eye. He using his left eye. He had spot-rNoor spot-rNoor Mahlam lurking in a door-.', door-.', and he knew Noor Mahlam "ed for him; he looked as if he been waiting a long time, exiting ex-iting nearly all the philosophy .,i behind that serenely wrinkled yead. fipe your spectacles," said jis. "Don't you recognize me?" ;.ior Mahlam began to answer in .'ernacular. Moses interrupted: r-'Peak English. If you've busi-,; busi-,; with me, I don't want it known t'ver the bazaar. Where's that hundred rupees you promised u are too late," said Noor tlam. ou mean you've spent it?" j'at is a foolish question. If I 1 spent it, I could get more three times as much." Jh-huh?" said Moses. "What do jmean? You were watching for : What do you want?" 'omeone has taken a very much bribe than three hundred ru- :' said Noor Mahlam. "io has?" iomeone. You know him,." on paid it to him?" Others paid it to him, and S were witnesses. But an im- la' witness, who could testify .av'ng seen the bribe in some- n' tunic pocket, would be worth three hundred rupees, but three s that much, or even more ; a thousand. That is a lot of ey." Leary grinned: "You show it le." p10r Mahlam blinked behind his ftaclcs: "You take me for a sim-m- You think I carry fortunes Pocket, to tempt the bazaar es?" J enris for witness," said O'Lea- are cash in advance." ,',or Mahlam blinked again. "If ( W1 come with me-" .', won't." said O'Leary. "I'm an Norwood's voice startled her. ble. Oh, it's crafty! Come on, hand over your thousand rupees." "But, sahib, listen to me." "No. My ears are too full o' your wisdom. They won't hold any more. D'you notice the toe o' my boot? It's just been cobbled. It's hard. It's going to land right in your stomach if you waste any more o' my time. Who's that bloke watching you?" Noor Mahlam turned, stared, blinked and shook his head: "I don't know who he is," he answered. "But I have been told that it is very dangerous to know too much and to refuse generous offers of payment for a very simple little thing that a man of your talents can easily do." "What do you want me to do?" "Invent an excuse to speak to Miss Lynn Harding. Tell her that a reward has been offered for a lost packet of diamonds, which are said to have been dropped by someone near the palace guesthouse veranda. veran-da. 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, for instance?" in-stance?" "Yes, the sergeant would do perfectly. per-fectly. Then there would be two reliable witnesses to what she said, and she would not retract. There would be a thousand rupees for you." "And Captain Norwood?" "That will be his business. It is unfortunate but" "I'm a halfbreed, I am," Moses answered, "and I'm a sinner, if you know what that means. I could use that thousand rupees. But I'd rather rath-er go to hell for pulling out your tongue by the roots than for framing fram-ing my officer. He has his faults, but he's a gentleman and I've kep him out o' trouble for thirteen years. Go and tell that to the Brahmins. Scram!" Noor Mahlam smiled again. There are means," he remarked, "for compelling silence." "Yeah I know," said Moses. You signal that bloke in the red turban, and he sticks a knife in my back. I'll give him the signal and let s see what happens. Here goes!" Somewhere Moses had earned soccer, and learned it well. His right toe landed accurately on the bulge of Noor Mahlam's bel y and almost buried itself. Moses' right ?sT moved eight inches like a piston pis-ton A hook to the jaw staggered Noor Mahlam backwards into a dark doorway, where he lay wn There was no need to waste any more attention on Noor Mahlam. |