The Moghul Part 55

Jadar slipped the dagger into his other hand with a quick twist and tossed it atop one of the bundles. "But this meeting must be held in trust. I ask that you leave your weapon beside mine."

Hawksworth hesitated, then slowly reached into his boot and withdrew a small stiletto, the Portuguese knife left at the observatory. As he dropped it beside Jadar's weapon, he noticed the prince's knife was missing half its handle.

Jadar smiled. "You know, Captain, if I killed you here, now, there would be no witness to the deed, save your Christian G.o.d."

"Do you plan to try?"

"I do not 'try' to do anything, Captain." Jadar opened his hand to reveal that a dagger remained. It was the other side of his original knife, which had been two blades fitted to appear as one. "What I do, Captain, is merely a matter of what I decide to do. Right now I have serious misgivings about your intentions in India."

Jadar's blade glinted in the lamplight as he moved toward Hawksworth.

"Is this your greeting for any who refuse to salaam?"

Hawksworth took a step backward toward the door, feinted toward his boot, and rose with a c.o.c.ked pistol leveled directly at Jadar. "What game is this?"

The prince exploded with laughter, and before Hawksworth caught the quick motion of his arm, the knife thudded deeply into the wooden door behind him.

"Well done, Captain. Very well done." Jadar beamed in appreciation.

"You are, as I suspected, truly without the smallest shred of Rajput honor. Put away your pistol. I think we can talk. And by the way, there are twenty matchlocks trained on you right now." He waved toward the vaulted ceiling of the crypt, where dark musket barrels were visible through slits in the carved decoration. He barked a command in Urdu and the barrels slowly withdrew.

"Why don't we talk about releasing me and my chest to travel on to Agra." Hawksworth lowered the pistol, but kept it still c.o.c.ked, in his hand.

"Agra, you say? Captain, there are already Europeans in Agra." Jadar leaned against one of the bundles. "Portuguese. They've been there many years. How many more Christians can India endure? You infidel Europeans are beginning to annoy me more than I can tell you."

"What do you mean?" Hawksworth tried to read Jadar's eyes, remembering Shirin's story of the Persians and Portuguese both hating the prince.

"Tell me about your English ships, Captain." Jadar seemed not to hear Hawksworth's question. "Tell me how you defeated the Portuguese so easily."

"English frigates are better designed than the Portugals' galleons. And English seamen are better gunners and sailors."

"Words, Captain. Easy words. Perhaps the Portuguese allowed themselves to be defeated. This one time. Waiting for a bigger prize. How can you know?"

"Is that what the Portugals say happened?"

"I asked you."

"A well-manned English frigate is the match of any two galleons."

"Then how many of your 'frigates' would it take to blockade the port at Goa?"

Hawksworth saw a small flicker in Jadar's eyes as the prince waited for the answer. "I think a dozen could do it. If we caught their fleet in the harbor, before they could put out to sea."

"Christians typically exaggerate their strength. How many would it really take? Five times what you've said? Ten times?"

"I said it depends on seamanship. And surprise."

"Christians always seem to have answers. Particularly when there is no answer." Jadar turned and pointed to the stacks of bundles. "By the way, do you know what the caravan carried, Captain?"

"I doubt very much it was lead. So it's probably silver." Hawksworth marveled at the way Jadar seemed to lead the conversation, always getting what he wanted before what he wanted had become obvious. And then quickly moving on.

"Your 'probably' is exactly right. And do you know why it carried silver?"

"You have a long supply line. You needed to buy supplies and arms."

"I see you don't think like a Moghul after all." Jadar moved closer, studying Hawksworth's eyes. "Why bother to buy what I could easily take? No, my Christian captain, or amba.s.sador, or spy, I needed men.

What is it about human character that allows men to be bought like so many _nautch_ girls?"

"Not every man is born to wealth." Hawksworth glared directly at Jadar, beginning to find the conversation growing sinister.

"And few men are without a price, Captain. I think I could even find yours if I looked enough for it." Jadar paused reflectively for a moment, then continued. "Tell me, should I be pleased with your presence here?"

"You have no reason not to be. My only mission here is to open trade between our kings."

"You know your 'mission' has brought about many deaths since you landed in India. The most recent were the deaths of forty of my best men."

"I didn't order the attack on the caravan. Those men's lives are on the head of whoever did." Hawksworth stopped, and as he looked at Jadar something clicked in his mind. Something about the attack that had bothered him ever since.

"Your caravan was attacked by bandits, Captain. Who could order them to do anything? But the men I provided as escort gave their lives protecting you."

"Those men were murdered. They never had a chance."

Hawksworth's mind was racing. Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle began to fall together. Everything fit. Vasant Rao had been too nervous. He must have known the attack was coming, but not when. It was all a game.

Some deadly serious war game. And none of the other men knew.

"But I think I have an idea who did order the attack." Hawksworth continued, glaring at Jadar. "And you do too."

"Your Rajputs guards were growing careless, Captain. They made a foolish mistake. What commander can afford men who make mistakes? Even if they are Rajputs. All men grow complacent if they are never tested."

"It was vicious."

"It was discipline. Security has improved considerably here since that incident." Jadar continued evenly, ignoring the look on Hawksworth's face. "The only real difficulties that night were caused by you. It was very imprudent of you to kill one of the bandits with a pistol. They were instructed merely to disarm you. You were completely safe. But after your rash killing it became much more difficult for me to try to rescue you. And after the eclipse, it actually become impossible."

Jadar wanted to ask Hawksworth what had really happened, but he suppressed the impulse. "Still, after your first mistake, you appear to have handled yourself reasonably well. That's why we're having this talk."

"In a dungeon? Surrounded by muskets?"

"In a room surrounded by silver. More, I suspect, than you have ever known. How many sailing ships, your 'frigates,' could be bought with this much silver?"

"I don't know exactly. I do know English frigates are not for sale."

"Come, Captain. Would you have me believe your king never has allies who share a common cause? That he never aids those who war against his enemies?"

"Allies have been known to become enemies. If they grow too ambitious.

Just who would your frigates, a.s.suming you had them and the trained seamen to man them, be used against? The Portugals? Or against the English eventually?"

"Sometimes, unfortunately, an ally becomes a tyrant, forcing you to act in your own interest. I know it all too well." Jadar was silent for a moment, then he smiled smoothly. "But tell me about your plans when you reach Agra. You'll have no frigates there. What do you hope to gain?"

"Open trade. That and nothing more. England wants no war with the Portugals."

"Truly? I believe they may think otherwise. Time will tell. There may be changes in Agra soon. The Christian Portuguese may find their time has run out. If that happens, what will you do?"