CHAPTER IX

Azizfellillasheforetold—slightlyill.Threedayslaterhelayabedinhisbungalow,pretendingtobeveryill.Itwasatouchoffever,whichhewouldhaveneglectediftherewasanythingimportantatthehospital.Nowandthenhegroanedandthoughtheshoulddie,butdidnotthinksoforlong,andaverylittledivertedhim.ItwasSunday,alwaysanequivocaldayintheEast,andanexcuseforslacking.Hecouldhearchurchbellsashedrowsed,bothfromthecivilstationandfromthemissionariesoutbeyondtheslaughterhouse—differentbellsandrungwithdifferentintent,foronesetwascallingfirmlytoAnglo-India,andtheotherfeeblytomankind.Hedidnotobjecttothefirstsettheotherheignored,knowingtheirinefficiency.OldMr.GraysfordandyoungMr.Sorleymadeconvertsduringafamine,becausetheydistributedfoodbutwhentimesimprovedtheywerenaturallyleftaloneagain,andthoughsurprisedandaggrievedeachtimethishappened,theyneverlearntwisdom.“NoEnglishmanunderstandsusexceptMr.Fielding,”hethought“buthowshallIseehimagain?Ifheenteredthisroomthedisgraceofitwouldkillme.”HecalledtoHassantoclearup,butHassan,whowastestinghiswagesbyringingthemonthestepoftheverandah,founditpossiblenottohearhimheardanddidn’thear,justasAzizhadcalledandhadn’tcalled.“That’sIndiaallover...howlikeus...thereweare...”Hedozedagain,andhisthoughtswanderedoverthevariedsurfaceoflife. Graduallytheysteadieduponacertainspot—theBottomlessPitaccordingtomissionaries,buthehadneverregardeditasmorethanadimple.Yes,hedidwanttospendaneveningwithsomegirls,singingandallthat,thevaguejollitythatwouldculminateinvoluptuousness.Yes,thatwaswhathedidwant.Howcoulditbemanaged?IfMajorCallendarhadbeenanIndian,hewouldhaverememberedwhatyoungmenare,andgrantedtwoorthreedays’leavetoCalcuttawithoutaskingquestions.ButtheMajorassumedeitherthathissubordinatesweremadeofice,orthattheyrepairedtotheChandraporebazaars—disgustingideasboth.ItwasonlyMr.Fieldingwho—— “Hassan!” Theservantcamerunning. “Lookatthoseflies,brother”andhepointedtothehorriblemassthathungfromtheceiling.Thenucleuswasawirewhichhadbeeninsertedasahomagetoelectricity.Electricityhadpaidnoattention,andacolonyofeye-flieshadcomeinsteadandblackenedthecoilswiththeirbodies. “Huzoor,thoseareflies.” “Good,good,theyare,excellent,butwhyhaveIcalledyou?” “Todrivethemelsewhere,”saidHassan,afterpainfulthought. “Drivenelsewhere,theyalwaysreturn.” “Huzoor.” “Youmustmakesomearrangementagainstfliesthatiswhyyouaremyservant,”saidAzizgently. Hassanwouldcallthelittleboytoborrowthestep-ladderfromMahmoudAli’shousehewouldorderthecooktolightthePrimusstoveandheatwaterhewouldpersonallyascendthestepswithabucketinhisarms,anddiptheendofthecoilintoit. “Good,verygood.Nowwhathaveyoutodo?” “Killflies.” “Good.Doit.” Hassanwithdrew,theplanalmostlodgedinhishead,andbegantolookforthelittleboy.Notfindinghim,hisstepsgrewslower,andhestolebacktohispostontheverandah,butdidnotgoontestinghisrupees,incasehismasterheardthemclink.OntwitteredtheSundaybellstheEasthadreturnedtotheEastviathesuburbsofEngland,andhadbecomeridiculousduringthedetour. Azizcontinuedtothinkaboutbeautifulwomen. Hismindherewashardanddirect,thoughnotbrutal.Hehadlearntallheneededconcerninghisownconstitutionmanyyearsago,thankstothesocialorderintowhichhehadbeenborn,andwhenhecametostudymedicinehewasrepelledbythepedantryandfusswithwhichEuropetabulatesthefactsofsex.Scienceseemedtodiscusseverythingfromthewrongend.Itdidn’tinterprethisexperienceswhenhefoundtheminaGermanmanual,becausebybeingtheretheyceasedtobehisexperiences.Whathehadbeentoldbyhisfatherormotherorhadpickedupfromservants—itwasinformationofthatsortthathefounduseful,andhandedonasoccasionofferedtoothers. Buthemustnotbringanydisgraceonhischildrenbysomesillyescapade.Imagineifitgotaboutthathewasnotrespectable!Hisprofessionalpositiontoomustbeconsidered,whateverMajorCallendarthought.Azizupheldtheproprieties,thoughhedidnotinvestthemwithanymoralhalo,anditwasherethathechieflydifferedfromanEnglishman.Hisconventionsweresocial.Thereisnoharmindeceivingsocietyaslongasshedoesnotfindyouout,becauseitisonlywhenshefindsyouou