He has slain six women, four men, five children,
six-and-fiftygoats and nineteen head of cattle. Or perhaps the Rajah himself might
come, and that wouldbe much worse. Tell me then about this Soonya whom you call a
priestess, saidthe babu. All the villagers took sticks and ran to beat the
jungle.
Hemight even die; and who would be blamed for it?
Some of them even admitted they were too scared. Ill have to wait here at the
stationuntil he shows up. Do you have anintuition that you trust against the
evidence of all your senses? Ive had better luck than I expected, he
answered.
His stare was lynx-like when the babu
entered.
The babu climbed in and the cart creaked. I want to
see Kutchdullub,and I want to shoot a tiger.
Then he studied the note before he openedit. But
Syed-Suraj was a lot too shrewdly cautious toaccept an official position. Tell us
more about the dok-i-tar who skins eyes sothat blind men see.
Ive had better luck than I expected, he answered.
Was it not I who received areward for rescuing a Prince in mid-stream? He will also
take a note for twenty-five percent more than hereally lends you. And it was one of
us who swam into thestream and saved him.
But the Sikh had snatched at
opportunity.
He had keen eyes and a look of self-assurance,
butthere was something sinister about him. So does that man, said the babu with a
backward motion of hishead, but sane people dont let him.
The secret of all the crimes there ever were,is
self-importance. India speaks more than fifty languages, but cantexplain
itself.
Sit in the mudthou fool, and pray for miracles! The
zenana hummed with malice, like a wasps nest being smokedout.