CHAPTER VII
關燈
小
中
大
equietedhimsomewhat,butitremainedhisafternoon.TheBrahman,politeandenigmatic,didnotimpedehiseloquence,andevenapplaudedit.Hetookhisteaatalittledistancefromtheoutcasts,fromalowtableplacedslightlybehindhim,towhichhestretchedback,andasitwereencounteredfoodbyaccidentallfeignedindifferencetoProfessorGodbole’stea.Hewaselderlyandwizenwithagreymoustacheandgrey-blueeyes,andhiscomplexionwasasfairasaEuropean’s.Heworeaturbanthatlookedlikepalepurplemacaroni,coat,waistcoat,dhoti,sockswithclocks.Theclocksmatchedtheturban,andhiswholeappearancesuggestedharmony—asifhehadreconciledtheproductsofEastandWest,mentalaswellasphysical,andcouldneverbediscomposed.Theladieswereinterestedinhim,andhopedthathewouldsupplementDr.Azizbysayingsomethingaboutreligion.Butheonlyate—ateandate,smiling,neverlettinghiseyescatchsightofhishand.
LeavingtheMogulEmperors,Azizturnedtotopicsthatcoulddistressnoone.Hedescribedtheripeningofthemangoes,andhowinhisboyhoodheusedtorunoutintheRainstoabigmangogrovebelongingtoanuncleandgorgethere.“Thenbackwithwaterstreamingoveryouandperhapsratherapaininside.ButIdidnotmind.Allmyfriendswerepainingwithme.WehaveaproverbinUrdu:‘Whatdoesunhappinessmatterwhenweareallunhappytogether?’whichcomesinconvenientlyaftermangoes.MissQuested,dowaitformangoes.WhynotsettlealtogetherinIndia?”
“I’mafraidIcan’tdothat,”saidAdela.Shemadetheremarkwithoutthinkingwhatitmeant.Toher,astothethreemen,itseemedinkeywiththerestoftheconversation,andnotforseveralminutes—indeed,notforhalfanhour—didsherealizethatitwasanimportantremark,andoughttohavebeenmadeinthefirstplacetoRonny.
“Visitorslikeyouaretoorare.”
“Theyareindeed,”saidProfessorGodbole.“Suchaffabilityisseldomseen.Butwhatcanweoffertodetainthem?”
“Mangoes,mangoes.”
Theylaughed.“EvenmangoescanbegotinEnglandnow,”putinFielding.“Theyshiptheminice-coldrooms.YoucanmakeIndiainEnglandapparently,justasyoucanmakeEnglandinIndia.”
“Frightfullyexpensiveinbothcases,”saidthegirl.
“Isupposeso.”
“Andnasty.”
Butthehostwouldn’tallowtheconversationtotakethisheavyturn.Heturnedtotheoldlady,wholookedflusteredandputout—hecouldnotimaginewhy—andaskedaboutherownplans.SherepliedthatsheshouldliketoseeovertheCollege.Everyoneimmediatelyrose,withtheexceptionofProfessorGodbole,whowasfinishingabanana.
“Don’tyoucometoo,Adelayoudislikeinstitutions.”
“Yes,thatisso,”saidMissQuested,andsatdownagain.
Azizhesitated.Hisaudiencewassplittingup.Themorefamiliarhalfwasgoing,butthemoreattentiveremained.Reflectingthatitwasan“unconventional”afternoon,hestopped.
Talkwentonasbefore.Couldoneofferthevisitorsunripemangoesinafool?“Ispeaknowasadoctor:no.”Thentheoldmansaid,“ButIwillsendyouupafewhealthysweets.Iwillgivemyselfthatpleasure.”
“MissQuested,ProfessorGodbole’ssweetsaredelicious,”saidAzizsadly,forhewantedtosendsweetstooandhadnowifetocookthem.“TheywillgiveyouarealIndiantreat.Ah,inmypoorpositionIcangiveyounothing.”
“Idon’tknowwhyyousaythat,whenyouhavesokindlyaskedustoyourhouse.”
Hethoughtagainofhisbungalowwithhorror.Goodheavens,thestupidgirlhadtakenhimathisword!Whatwashetodo?“Yes,allthatissettled,”hecried.
“IinviteyoualltoseemeintheMarabarCaves.”
“Ishallbedelighted.”
“Oh,thatisamostmagnificententertainmentcomparedtomypoorsweets.ButhasnotMissQuestedvisitedourcavesalready?”
“No.I’venotevenheardofthem.”
“Notheardofthem?”bothcried.“TheMarabarCavesintheMarabarHills?”
“Wehearnothinginterestingupattheclub.Onlytennisandridiculousgossip.”
Theoldmanwassilent,perhapsfeelingthatitwasunseemlyofhertocriticizeherrace,perhapsfearingthatifheagreedshewouldreporthimfordisloyalty.Buttheyoungmanutteredarapid“Iknow.”
“Thentellmeeverythingyouwill,orIshallneverunderstandIndia.AretheythehillsIsometimesseeintheevening?Whatarethesecaves?”
Azizundertooktoexplain,butitpresentlyappearedthathehadnevervisitedthecaveshimself—hadalwaysbeen“meaning”togo,butworkorprivatebusinesshadpreventedhim,andtheyweresofar.ProfessorGodbolechaffedhimpleasantly.“Mydearyoungsir,thepotandthekettle!Haveyoueverheardofthatusefulproverb?”
“Aretheylargecaves?”sheasked.
“No,notlarge.”
“Dodescribethem,ProfessorGodbole.”
“Itwillbeagreathonour.”Hedrewuphischairandanexpressionoftensioncameoverhisface.Takingthecigarettebox,sheofferedtohimandtoAziz,andlitupherself.Afteranimpressivepausehesaid:“Thereisanentranceintherockwhichyouenter,andthroughtheentranceisthecave.”
“SomethinglikethecavesatElephanta?”
“Ohno,notatallatElephantatherearesculpturesofSivaandParvati.TherearenosculpturesatMarabar.”
“Theyareimmenselyholy,nodoubt,”saidAziz,tohelponthenarrative.
“Ohno,ohno.”
“Still,theyareornamentedinsomeway.”
“Ohno.”
“Well,whyaretheysofamous?WealltalkofthefamousMarabarCaves.Perhapsthatisouremptybrag.”
“No,Ishouldnotquitesaythat.”
“Describethemtothislady,then.”
“Itwillbeagreatpleasure.”Heforewentthepleasure,andAzizrealizedthathewaskeepingbacksomethingaboutthecaves.Herealizedbecauseheoftensufferedfromsimilarinhibitionshimself.Sometimes,totheexasperationofMajorCallendar,hewouldpassovertheonerelevantfactinaposition,todwellonthehundredirrelevant.TheMajoraccusedhimofdisingenuousness,andwasroughlyright,butonlyroughly.Itwasratherthatapowerhecouldn’tcontrolcapriciouslysilencedhismind.Godbolehadbeensilencednownodoubtnotwillingly,hewasconcealingsomething.Handledsubtly,hemightregaincontrolandannouncethattheMarabarCaveswere—fullofstalactites,perhapsAzizleduptothis,buttheyweren’t.
Thedialogueremainedlightandfriendly,andAdelahadnoconceptionofitsunderdrift.ShedidnotknowthatthecomparativelysimplemindoftheMohammedanwasencounteringAncientNight.Azizplayedathrillinggame.Hewashandlingahumantoythatrefusedtowork—heknewthatmuch.Ifitworked,neitherhenorProfessorGodbolewouldbetheleastadvantaged,buttheattemptenthralledhimandwasakintoabstractthought.Onh