CHAPTER VIII

hat’sthedamage?”enquiredRonny,afterthemoment’spausethathepermittedhimselfbeforetakingchargeofasituation.TheEurasian,inclinedtobeflustered,ralliedtothesoundofhisvoice,and,everyinchanEnglishman,replied,“Yougivemefiveminutes’time,I’lltakeyouanydamanywhere.” “Frightened,Adela?”Hereleasedherhand. “Notabit.” “Iconsidernottobefrightenedtheheightoffolly,”criedtheNawabBahadurquiterudely. “Well,it’sallovernow,tearsareuseless,”saidRonny,dismounting.“Wehadsomeluckbuttingthattree.” “Allover...ohyes,thedangerispast,letussmokecigarettes,letusdoanythingweplease.Ohyes...enjoyourselves—ohmymercifulGod...”HiswordsdiedintoArabicagain. “Wasn’tthebridge.Weskidded.” “Wedidn’tskid,”saidAdela,whohadseenthecauseoftheaccident,andthoughteveryonemusthaveseenittoo.“Weranintoananimal.” Aloudcrybrokefromtheoldman:histerrorwasdisproportionateandridiculous. “Ananimal?” “Alargeanimalrushedupoutofthedarkontherightandhitus.” “ByJove,she’sright,”Ronnyexclaimed.“Thepaint’sgone.” “ByJove,sir,yourladyisright,”echoedtheEurasian.Justbythehingesofthedoorwasadent,andthedooropenedwithdifficulty. “OfcourseI’mright.Isawitshairybackquiteplainly.” “Isay,Adela,whatwasit?” “Idon’tknowtheanimalsanybetterthanthebirdshere—toobigforagoat.” “Exactly,toobigforagoat...”saidtheoldman. Ronnysaid,“Let’sgointothislet’slookforitstracks.” “Exactlyyouwishtoborrowthiselectrictorch.” TheEnglishpeoplewalkedafewstepsbackintothedarkness,unitedandhappy.Thankstotheiryouthandupbringing,theywerenotupsetbytheaccident.Theytracedbackthewrithingofthetyrestothesourceoftheirdisturbance.Itwasjustaftertheexitfromabridgetheanimalhadprobablycomeupoutofthenullah.Steadyandsmoothranthemarksofthecar,ribbonsneatlynickedwithlozenges,thenallwentmad.Certainlysomeexternalforcehadimpinged,buttheroadhadbeenusedbytoomanyobjectsforanyonetracktobelegible,andthetorchcreatedsuchhighlightsandblackshadowsthattheycouldnotinterpretwhatitrevealed.Moreover,Adelainherexcitementkneltandsweptherskirtsabout,untilitwassheifanyonewhoappearedtohaveattackedthecar.Theincidentwasagreatrelieftothemboth.Theyforgottheirabortivepersonalrelationship,andfeltadventurousastheymuddledaboutinthedust. “Ibelieveitwasabuffalo,”shecalledtotheirhost,whohadnotaccompaniedthem. “Exactly.” “Unlessitwasahyena.” Ronnyapprovedthislastconjecture.Hyenasprowlinnullahsandheadlightsdazzlethem. “Excellent,ahyena,”saidtheIndianwithanangryironyandagestureatthenight.“Mr.Harris!” “Halfamo-ment.Givemetenminutes’time.” “Sahibsayshyena.” “Don’tworryMr.Harris.Hesavedusfromanastysmash.Harris,welldone!” “Asmash,sahib,thatwouldnothavetakenplacehadheobeyedandtakenusGangavatiside,insteadofMarabar.” “Myfaultthat.Itoldhimtocomethiswaybecausetheroad’sbetter.Mr.Lesleyhasmadeitpukkarightuptothehills.” “Ah,nowIbegintounderstand.”Seemingtopullhimselftogether,heapologizedslowlyandelaboratelyfortheaccident.Ronnymurmured,“Notatall,”butapologieswerehisdue,andshouldhavestartedsooner:becauseEnglishpeoplearesocalmatacrisis,itisnottobeassumedthattheyareunimportant.TheNawabBahadurhadnotcomeoutverywell. Atthatmomentalargecarapproachedfromtheoppositedirection.Ronnyadvancedafewstepsdowntheroad,andwithauthorityinhisvoiceandgesturestoppedit.Itboretheinscription“MudkulState”acrossitsbonnet.Allfriskinessandfriendliness,MissDereksatinside. “Mr.Heaslop,MissQuested,whatareyouholdingupaninnocentfemalefor?” “We’vehadabreakdown.” “Buthowputrid!” “Weranintoahyena!” “Howabsolutelyrotten!” “Canyougiveusalift?” “Yes,indeed.” “Takemetoo,”saidtheNawabBahadur. “Heh,whataboutme?”criedMr.Harris. “Nowwhat’sallthis?I’mnotanomnibus,”saidMissDerekwithdecision.“I’veaharmoniumandtwodogsinherewithmeasitis.I’lltakethreeofyouifone’llsitinfrontandnurseapug.Nomore.” “Iwillsitinfront,”saidtheNawabBahadur. “Thenhopin:I’venonotionwhoyouare.” “Hehno,whataboutmydinner?Ican’tbeleftaloneallthenight.”TryingtolookandfeellikeaEuropean,thechauffeurinterposedaggressively.Hestillworeatopi,despitethedarkness,andhisface,towhichtheRulingRacehadcontributedlittlebeyondbadteeth,peeredoutofitpathetically,andseemedtosay,“What’sitallabout?Don’tworrymeso,youblacksandwhites.HereIam,stuckindamIndiasameasyou,andyougottofitmeinbetterthanthis.” “Nussuwillbringyououtsomesuitabledinneruponabicycle,”saidtheNawabBahadur,whohadregainedhisusualdignity.“Ishalldespatchhimwithallpossiblespeed.Meanwhile,repairmycar.” Theyspedoff,andMr.Harris,afterareproachfulglance,squatteddownuponhishams.WhenEnglishandIndianswerebothpresent,hegrewself-conscious,becausehedidnotknowtowhomhebelonged.Foralittlehewasvexedbyoppositecurrentsinhisblood,thentheyblended,andhebelongedtonoonebuthimself. ButMissDerekwasintearingspirits.ShehadsucceededinstealingtheMudkulcar.HerMaharajahwouldbeawfullysick,butshedidn’tmind,hecouldsackherifheliked.“Idon’tbelieveinthesepeoplelettingyoudown,”shesaid.“IfIdidn’tsnatchlikethedevil,Ishouldbenowhere.Hedoesn’twantthecar,sillyfool!Surelyit’stothecreditofhisStateIshouldbeseenaboutinitatChandraporeduringmyleave.Heoughttolookatitthatway.Anyhowhe’sgottolookatitthatway.MyMaharani’sdifferent—myMaharani’sadear.That’sherfoxterrier,poorlittledevil.Ifishedthemoutbothwiththedriver.ImaginetakingdogstoaChiefs’Conference!AssensibleastakingChiefs,perhaps.”Sheshriekedwithlaughter.“Theharmonium—theharmonium’smylittlemistake,Iown.Theyratherhadmeovertheharmonium.Imeantittostoponthetrain.Ohlor’!” Ronnylaughedwithrestraint.HedidnotapproveofEnglishpeopletakingserviceundertheNativeStates,wheretheyobtainacertainamountofinfluence,butattheexpenseofthegeneralprestige.Thehumoroustriumphsofafreelanceareofnoassistancetoanadministrator,andhetoldtheyoungladythatshewouldoutdoIndiansattheirowngameifshewentonmuchlonger. “Theyalwayssackmebeforethathappens,andthenIgetanotherjob.ThewholeofIndiaseetheswithMaharanisandRanisandBegumswhoclamourforsuchasme.” “Really.Ihadnoidea.” “Howcouldyouhaveanyidea,Mr.Heaslop?WhatshouldheknowaboutMaharanis,MissQuested?Nothing.AtleastIshouldhopenot.” “Iunderstandthosebigpeople