CHAPTER VII

echattered,defeatedateverymovebyanopponentwhowouldnotevenadmitthatamovehadbeenmade,andfurtherthaneverfromdiscoveringwhat,ifanything,wasextraordinaryabouttheMarabarCaves. IntothisRonnydropped. Withanannoyancehetooknotroubletoconceal,hecalledfromthegarden:“What’shappenedtoFielding?Where’smymother?” “Goodevening!”sherepliedcoolly. “Iwantyouandmotheratonce.There’stobepolo.” “Ithoughttherewastobenopolo.” “Everything’saltered.Somesoldiermenhavecomein.ComealongandI’lltellyouaboutit.” “Yourmotherwillreturnshortly,sir,”saidProfessorGodbole,whohadrisenwithdeference.“Thereisbutlittletoseeatourpoorcollege.” Ronnytooknonotice,butcontinuedtoaddresshisremarkstoAdelahehadhurriedawayfromhisworktotakehertoseethepolo,becausehethoughtitwouldgiveherpleasure.Hedidnotmeantoberudetothetwomen,buttheonlylinkhecouldbeconsciousofwithanIndianwastheofficial,andneitherhappenedtobehissubordinate.Asprivateindividualsheforgotthem. UnfortunatelyAzizwasinnomoodtobeforgotten.Hewouldnotgiveupthesecureandintimatenoteofthelasthour.HehadnotrisenwithGodbole,andnow,offensivelyfriendly,calledfromhisseat,“Comealongupandjoinus,Mr.Heaslopsitdowntillyourmotherturnsup.” RonnyrepliedbyorderingoneofFielding’sservantstofetchhismasteratonce. “Hemaynotunderstandthat.Allowme——”Azizrepeatedtheorderidiomatically. Ronnywastemptedtoretortheknewthetypeheknewallthetypes,andthiswasthespoiltWesternized.ButhewasaservantoftheGovernment,itwashisjobtoavoid“incidents,”sohesaidnothing,andignoredtheprovocationthatAzizcontinuedtooffer.Azizwasprovocative.Everythinghesaidhadanimpertinentflavourorjarred.Hiswingswerefailing,butherefusedtofallwithoutastruggle.HedidnotmeantobeimpertinenttoMr.Heaslop,whohadneverdonehimharm,butherewasanAnglo-Indianwhomustbecomeamanbeforecomfortcouldberegained.HedidnotmeantobegreasilyconfidentialtoMissQuested,onlytoenlisthersupportnortobeloudandjollytowardsProfessorGodbole.Astrangequartette—heflutteringtotheground,shepuzzledbythesuddenugliness,Ronnyfuming,theBrahmanobservingallthree,butwithdowncasteyesandhandsfolded,asifnothingwasnoticeable.Ascenefromaplay,thoughtFielding,whonowsawthemfromthedistanceacrossthegardengroupedamongthebluepillarsofhisbeautifulhall. “Don’ttroubletocome,mother,”Ronnycalled“we’rejuststarting.”ThenhehurriedtoFielding,drewhimasideandsaidwithpseudo-heartiness,“Isay,oldman,doexcuseme,butIthinkperhapsyououghtn’ttohaveleftMissQuestedalone.” “I’msorry,what’sup?”repliedFielding,alsotryingtobegenial. “Well...I’mthesun-driedbureaucrat,nodoubtstill,Idon’tliketoseeanEnglishgirlleftsmokingwithtwoIndians.” “Shestopped,asshesmokes,byherownwish,oldman.” “Yes,that’sallrightinEngland.” “Ireallycan’tseetheharm.” “Ifyoucan’tsee,youcan’tsee....Can’tyouseethatfellow’sabounder?” Azizflamboyant,waspatronizingMrs.Moore. “Heisn’tabounder,”protestedFielding.“Hisnervesareonedge,that’sall.” “Whatshouldhaveupsethispreciousnerves?” “Idon’tknow.HewasallrightwhenIleft.” “Well,it’snothingI’vesaid,”saidRonnyreassuringly.“Ineverevenspoketohim.” “Ohwell,comealongnow,andtakeyourladiesawaythecatastropheover.” “Fielding...don’tthinkI’mtakingitbadly,oranythingofthatsort....Isupposeyouwon’tcomeontothepolowithus?Weshouldallbedelighted.” “I’mafraidIcan’t,thanksallthesame.I’mawfullysorryyoufeelI’vebeenremiss.Ididn’tmeantobe.” Sotheleave-takingbegan.Everyonewascrossorwretched.Itwasasifirritationexudedfromtheverysoil.CouldonehavebeensopettyonaScotchmoororanItalianalp?Fieldingwonderedafterwards.ThereseemednoreserveoftranquillitytodrawuponinIndia. Eithernone,orelsetranquillityswallowedupeverything,asitappearedtodoforProfessorGodbole.HerewasAzizallshoddyandodious,Mrs.MooreandMissQuestedbothsilly,andhehimselfandHeaslopbothdecorousonthesurface,butdetestablereally,anddetestingeachother. “Good-bye,Mr.Fielding,andthankyousomuch....WhatlovelyCollegebuildings!” “Good-bye,Mrs.Moore.” “Good-bye,Mr.Fielding.Suchaninterestingafternoon....” “Good-bye,MissQuested.” “Good-bye,Dr.Aziz.” “Good-bye,Mrs.Moore.” “Good-bye,Dr.Aziz.” “Good-bye,MissQuested.”Hepumpedherhandupanddowntoshowthathefeltatease.“You’lljollyjollywellnotforgetthosecaves,won’tyou?I’llfixthewholeshowupinajiffy.” “Thankyou... Inspiredbythedeviltoafinaleffort,headded,“WhatashameyouleaveIndiasosoon!Oh,doreconsideryourdecision,dostay.” “Good-bye,ProfessorGodbole,”shecontinued,suddenlyagitated.“It’sashameweneverheardyousing.” “Imaysingnow,”hereplied,anddid. Histhinvoicerose,andgaveoutonesoundafteranother.Attimesthereseemedrhythm,attimestherewastheillusionofaWesternmelody.Buttheear,baffledrepeatedly,soonlostanyclue,andwanderedinamazeofnoises,noneharshorunpleasant,noneintelligible.Itwasthesongofanunknownbird.Onlytheservantsunderstoodit.Theybegantowhispertooneanother.Themanwhowasgatheringwaterchestnutcamenakedoutofthetank,hislipspartedwithdelight,disclosinghisscarlettongue.Thesoundscontinuedandceasedafterafewmomentsascasuallyastheyhadbegun—apparentlyhalfthroughabar,anduponthesubdominant. “Thankssomuch:whatwasthat?”askedFielding. “Iwillexplainindetail.Itwasareligioussong.Iplacedmyselfinthepositionofamilkmaiden.IsaytoShriKrishna,‘Come!cometomeonly.’Thegodrefusestocome.Igrowhumbleandsay:‘Donotcometomeonly.MultiplyyourselfintoahundredKrishnas,andletonegotoeachofmyhundredcompanions,butone,OLordoftheUniverse,cometome.’Herefusestocome.Thisisrepeatedseveraltimes.Thesongiscomposedinaragaappropriatetothepresenthour,whichistheevening.” “ButHecomesinsomeothersong,Ihope?”saidMrs.Mooregently. “Ohno,herefusestocome,”repeatedGodbole,perhapsnotunderstandingherquestion.“IsaytoHim,Come,come,come,come,come,come.Heneglectstocome.” Ronny’sstepshaddiedaway,andtherewasamomentofabsolutesilence.Norippledisturbedthewater,noleafstirred.