CHAPTER VI
關燈
小
中
大
on.HeforgotthewholedamnedbusinessoflivingashescurriedoverthebrownplatteroftheMaidan,withtheeveningwindonhisforehead,andtheencirclingtreessoothinghiseyes.TheballshotawaytowardsastraysubalternwhowasalsopractisinghehititbacktoAzizandcalled,“Senditalongagain.”
“Allright.”
Thenew-comerhadsomenotionofwhattodo,buthishorsehadnone,andforceswereequal.Concentratedontheball,theysomehowbecamefondofoneanother,andsmiledwhentheydrewreintorest.Azizlikedsoldiers—theyeitheracceptedyouorsworeatyou,whichwaspreferabletothecivilian’shauteur—andthesubalternlikedanyonewhocouldride.
“Oftenplay?”heasked.
“Never.”
“Let’shaveanotherchukker.”
Ashehit,hishorsebuckedandoffhewent,cried,“OhGod!”andjumpedonagain.“Don’tyoueverfalloff?”
“Plenty.”
“Notyou.”
Theyreinedupagain,thefireofgoodfellowshipintheireyes.Butitcooledwiththeirbodies,forathleticscanonlyraiseatemporaryglow.Nationalitywasreturning,butbeforeitcouldexertitspoisontheyparted,salutingeachother.“Ifonlytheywerealllikethat,”eachthought.
Nowitwassunset.Afewofhisco-religionistshadcometotheMaidan,andwereprayingwiththeirfacestowardsMecca.ABrahminyBullwalkedtowardsthem,andAziz,thoughdisinclinedtoprayhimself,didnotseewhytheyshouldbebotheredwiththeclumsyandidolatrousanimal.Hegaveitatapwithhispolomallet.Ashedidso,avoicefromtheroadhailedhim:itwasDr.PannaLal,returninginhighdistressfromtheCollector’sparty.
“Dr.Aziz,Dr.Aziz,whereyoubeen?Iwaitedtenfullminutes’timeatyourhouse,thenIwent.”
“Iamsoawfullysorry—IwascompelledtogotothePostOffice.”
Oneofhisowncirclewouldhaveacceptedthisasmeaningthathehadchangedhismind,aneventtoocommontomeritcensure.ButDr.Lal,beingoflowextraction,wasnotsurewhetheraninsulthadnotbeenintended,andhewasfurtherannoyedbecauseAzizhadbuffetedtheBrahminyBull.“PostOffice?Doyounotsendyourservants?”hesaid.
“Ihavesofew—myscaleisverysmall.”
“Yourservantspoketome.Isawyourservant.”
“But,Dr.Lal,consider.HowcouldIsendmyservantwhenyouwerecoming:youcome,wego,myhouseisleftalone,myservantcomesbackperhaps,andallmyportablepropertyhasbeencarriedawaybybadcharactersinthemeantime.Wouldyouhavethat?Thecookisdeaf—Icannevercountonmycook—andtheboyisonlyalittleboy.Never,neverdoIandHassanleavethehouseatthesametimetogether.Itismyfixedrule.”Hesaidallthisandmuchmoreoutofcivility,tosaveDr.Lal’sface.Itwasnotofferedastruthandshouldnothavebeencriticizedassuch.Buttheotherdemolishedit—aneasyandignobletask.“Evenifthisso,whatpreventsleavingachitsayingwhereyougo?”andsoon.Azizdetestedillbreeding,a