"When the green of the jungle was young when our fathers and their fathers, and their fathers before them were yet unborn, a monster walked this land." "He ate the young, the strong, the old." "The blood of our ancestors poured from the monster's mouth." "It poured like the water in the great river." "No one dared battle with him." "No one but Kali." "Kali." "Kali." "Without fear, as her children are without fear she fought the monster upon this Earth and cut him down." "But from each drop of his blood, a new monster spawned." "And Kali did battle with each new monster and cut them down." "But from their blood, new monsters arose." "To destroy them Kali knew she must kill without spilling any blood." "So she gave our ancestors this sacred cloth, and said, "Kill."" "Kill, kill, kill." "They strangled the monsters." "There was no blood." "And when the last one was strangled Kali left these for her children." "Through the centuries, your children have done your work." "And tonight, we bring you more of your sons to do your bidding." "Tonight, they join us." "Welcome your sons, great Kali whom I have raised for you since their boyhood." "Look upon them with favor as you have looked upon us." "They seek only to serve you, but if they displease you send us an omen that we may know of your displeasure." "Kali embraces her sons." "Kali, Kali, Kali." "When the harvest is gathered, your sons will be ready, great Kali." "Your sons will be ready." "Kali, Kali, Kali." "Come on, wake up, then." "Are we all here?" "All except Captain Lewis, sir." "We'll all suffocate before Lewis turns up." "I invited him to dinner once." "He turned up the following day." "Let's get on with it, colonel." "Very well." "Now, gentlemen?" "We've asked Patel Shari to speak for us." "Patel?" "I am most flattered that my friends should have seen fit to call upon me as their spokesman." "After all, since the honorable East India Company extended its control to this territory, I am the patel the headman in name only." "However, the situation is so grave that I feel obliged to speak as if I were the patel I was, instead of the patel I have become." "Yes, yes, Shari, get on with it." "You are most impatient, colonel." "I'm only anxious to get it over so that we can all get away to somewhere a bit cooler." "Cool, you want, is it?" "We're losing hundreds of pounds" "All right, Burns." "You've agreed to let Patel Shari speak for you." "l know, but I just wanted you" "Then please let him speak." "Thank you, colonel." "It will not take long." "Any sign of Lewis?" "No, sir." "Please, Lewis" "Not now, Dashi, I'm late." "But is there any word?" "No word." "The boy is the only son of my sister." "We're doing all we can." "You must find him." "We'll try." "Burns sahib says the company can find nothing." "Burns sahib" "Mr. Burns is in the meeting now." "If you let me go, I can find out everything he says." "An only son of an only sister." "I know." "My friends are not reluctant to pay for order and stability." "Order and stability facilitate commerce." "They increase commerce." "And this, in turn, increases the taxes and revenues of your company." "All this being the case my friends are most surprised and disappointed with the order and stability of our territory." "Shari's being far too kind, colonel." "Surprised and disappointed?" "We're shocked, absolutely shocked." "One of my shipments to" "Sorry, sir." "One of my shipments to Bhadora has completely disappeared." "Now, I've traveled extensively in India, Colonel Henderson." "And I've never seen a hole large enough to swallow up horses carts of cotton and people." "It's impossible to police the entire area between here and Bhadora." "What does that mean?" "Am I supposed to forget my losses?" "This is nothing new." "You've had disappearances before." "That makes it all right, does it?" "Come to India and disappear." "Now, look here, Burns" "No, you look here." "We're sick of all the talk there's been on this subject." "We don't care what the problems are." "The area to be policed, the number of soldiers you have." "Those are entirely the problems of your company." "I don't ask your company to help me grow my crops." "All we know is the situation is becoming intolerable." "And I won't tolerate it." "If something isn't done soon, I shall put through a report to your headquarters in Bombay." "I think Mr. Burns to be absolutely right, sir." "There you are." "The only possible- l think we'd better let Mr. Burns finish." "Finish l will." "Finish paying my taxes and revenues unless something's done about the situation immediately." "The harvest will be in soon." "Our caravans must be able to proceed without undue molestation." "What do you mean, undue molestation?" "I mean that we accept and expect the occasional robbery but these wholesale disappearances must cease." "l agree." "We all agree with Mr. Burns." "Then there's nothing further to discuss as far as I'm concerned." "Except perhaps we'd all be better off if Patel Shari were headman again." "Mr. Burns, you flatter me too much." "Nonsense." "Maybe you'd get something done." "Good day." "Good day." "Good day, colonel." "Good day." "Good day." "Thank you, gentlemen." "Well?" "It's very easy for Mr. Burns to say he's not interested in our problems." "But there it is." "An almost impossible situation." "The company will find no revenue an even more impossible situation." "Where can a caravan disappear to?" "I mean, totally disappear." "And people." "What was that, Lewis?" "And people, sir." "And people what?" "Disappear." "During my time out here, I don't know how many people have been missing." "And it's the same in every territory, sir." "People disappear in England." "Thousands a year, every year." "How many?" "Reported missing persons in our territory alone last year totaled 1 1 1 9." "I sent you a report on it, sir." "You did?" "l sent it to London, sir." "At your request." "And what did London reply?" "They said they'd be delighted to tell us should anyone on the list appeared in St. James's Street." "Well, Lewis, you seem to be the expert in missing persons." "What do you make of it?" "Have they deserted their families?" "Indians never desert their families, sir, under any circumstances." "Well, where have they gone to?" "And the cotton and silver." "Horses and camels and carts and everything else." "What's happened to them?" "Sir." "Speak up, Lewis." "Might I make a suggestion, sir?" "Providing I can hear it." "Then I suggest that you appoint an officer with a small staff to devote his entire time to finding what does happen." "And that he be relieved of all duties except finding out." "That seems to be the most logical thing to do." "Good idea, Lewis." "is there anything else?" "It's too hot to go on with this today, eh?" "Dismissed." "Catch the big cobra." "He's going." "Catch him." "Come on, catch him." "There, he's gone." "Oh, memsahib." "Come along, girl." "Did you deliver the letter for the master?" "Of course, memsahib." "Safely to the boat itself." "Good." "May I be excused to leave now, memsahib?" "lt is time for Toki's supper." "Certainly, Ram Das." "Come on, Toki, come." "Hello, Harry." "Mary." "Mary." "What is it?" "is anything wrong?" "Wrong?" "Things were never more right." "They had a meeting and put their foot down." "Who?" "Mr." "Burns and the rest of the planters." "They said these wholesale disappearances must cease." "You used to chide me for collecting the statistics of persons missing, remember?" "Of course." "Today, I was called the expert on missing persons." "That's what Colonel Henderson called me, expert." "I suggested that he appoints an officer to devote his whole time to investigating these disappearances, and he agreed." "And, darling, who's the obvious person to employ if not the expert?" "This is going to be wonderful." "Do you know what it means?" "It means I can devote my whole time to this instead of just a few hours stolen after my regular work." "And I will." "There's nothing haphazard about this, Mary, you know." "This is some kind of organized conspiracy." "I know it, and I'll find it out." "May I interrupt you for a moment to remind you of something?" "Why, yes, of course." "What is it?" "That you had contemplated resigning from the company." "Oh, yes." "You sent a letter to London applying for the Lloyd Shipping Company." "You want me to refuse this chance?" "I realize our financial position isn't as good as it might be if I were engaged in private commerce." "And I know I'm not getting any younger." "I know if I'm gonna make a move, now is the time to make it." "But this is something I've been working on for years." "lt's important to me." "Yes, I know." "Dashi stopped me in the street." "He asked me for news of his nephew." "Remember the boy who disappeared with Burns' caravan to Bhadora?" "How many sad-eyed relatives in the last few years have come up to me?" "You think I could take another job for additional money and have these people's faces haunt me all my life?" "Oh, Harry, I know it" "You're being unreasonable and selfish in a way I cannot understand." "Somebody's got to get to the bottom of this." "Thousands and thousands of people are disappearing all over India." "And I am better equipped than anyone for this task." "Do you want me to evade my responsibilities?" "Darling, all I am trying to say is to send the boy to Darudih to intercept the letter before it leaves for London tomorrow." "Ram Das." "Ram Das." "Bless you." "Ram Das." "Good evening, Flood." "Ram Das." "Evening." "He's in here, Harry." "I want you to leave for Darudih and bring back that letter." "Bring it back?" "Yes, get ready now." "l'll give you a note to take with you." "Yes, captain." "Toki." "lt's all right, leave him." "You get ready." "Yes, captain." "Yes?" "Sir, I have a message from Colonel Henderson." "From Henderson." "Wish me luck." "Sir." "Yes?" "The message." "Well, the colonel wants to see me, doesn't he?" "ls that all?" "Yes, sir." "Very well, thank you." "Sir." "What is it, Harry?" "At dawn tomorrow, the colonel wants me to proceed with a detail of men to Feetul to escort a Captain Connaught-Smith to the barracks." "Halt." "Get them." "Search them." "Tie them up." "You stay here with them." "We'll go on and pick up the captain and join you on the way back." "I believe Colonel Henderson mentioned something about dawn." "I'm sorry, Captain Smith, but we" "Captain Connaught-Smith, if you please, captain." "When you're quite cool enough, captain, I'm ready." "Captain sahib!" "Good to see you, Christopher." "How's your father?" "Extremely well, sir." "He sends you his most affectionate regards." "Good, good. I see you've come prepared for everything." "The finest London has to offer." "l may ask to borrow some of this." "Be my pleasure, sir, if you do." "Did you have a good journey?" "Somewhat delayed." "We were engaged in a skirmish with some goats." "What?" "l had two prisoners, colonel." "They escaped, I'm afraid, in the market." "I see." "Let me have a full report." "Well, Christopher, you'll have your first assignment." "I knew you'd be the perfect man to investigate our disappearances." "No sooner do you come than we have two of them." "Nothing very mysterious there." "They were two bandits, and they were allowed to escape." "Of course." "Let's get you settled." "There's so much to talk about." "You're dining with me tonight." "Thank you, sir." "His father and I were at school together." "And Christopher has followed in our footsteps." "Yes, sir." "Tell me about London." "Sir." "Yes?" "About the two men who disappeared." "Make a report and submit it to Captain Connaught-Smith." "It is good to have you with us." "Come, I'll take you to your quarters." "If they decide to rob on their own for themselves it will be dangerous for us." "There will always be the few who act on their own." "Yes, and those few must be punished." "And their punishment displayed before all the others." "That is the only way that the few shall remain a few." "You have sinned against the goddess Kali." "You set out to steal not for sacrifice to our Great Mother, but to fill your own filthy stomachs." "You have allowed the sacred silk to fall into the hands of an unbeliever." "Those that sin against Kali must suffer the pain of never looking upon her face again nor ever speaking her name." "Kali shows mercy only to her loved children." "Kali shows no mercy to the jackals that sin against her." "That was the first I knew about it." "It isn't fair." "You've been here in service for so many years." "They went to the same school." "Isn't there any way of having Henderson's order overruled?" "Well, I could start by learning to play polo." "Seriously, Harry-- -l'm being perfectly serious." "There is absolutely nothing I can do." "Captain sahib, I've-- -l see you have, thank you." "Captain sahib" "Good job." "You got the letter back in time." "Well done." "Captain sahib" "Well done, what more do you want?" "Harry." "Now be off." "Harry, he's trying to tell you something." "What is it?" "l passed a caravan." "A small group of seeming traders traveling from Darudih to Bhadora." "And?" "One of them looked like my brother." "Your brother?" "Yes, captain sahib, my brother who disappeared with my beloved mother and father 1 0 years ago." "I rode back and asked for the boy." "The leader of the caravan said there was no boy in the caravan." "I saw him." "Did you tell them you had seen a boy?" "They denied it, captain sahib." "They had pitched camp." "I could not search their tents." "What makes you so sure it was your brother?" "He was but a child when you saw him last." "The impression of one's own flesh is eternal, captain sahib." "I would like permission to seek the caravan and find my brother." "Why did you not follow them?" "Why did you come back?" "I thought the letter was important and the captain sahib must have it at once." "Thank you." "You're quite sure of this, Ram Das?" "l swear." "How will you find him?" "I shall find him." "You have my permission." "Thank you, captain sahib." "Wait, there are things you must do." "You'll need food and money." "I can only think of my brother." "I pray it is your brother, but don't build your hopes too high." "I've done that a few times and it isn't too pleasant." "Yes, captain sahib." "You can take one of my horses." "l cannot." "You'll never catch them on foot." "When I come back, you will return this to me." "Now, don't be foolish, I trust you." "Please, captain sahib." "All right." "Now, get your food and money." "I have my own food." "If you are not out of my sight in one moment my sword shall test the hardness of your skin." "It will not prove as hard as you have thought." "Start again." "Good day, chosen of the road." "More of a smile, Gopali." "Good day, chosen of the road." "Better." "Good day." "I travel, too, but not so fortunately as you. I travel alone." "One admires and rejoices in the sky and land but people are more pleasant company." "Go away." "I have heard there is great danger along these paths." "Would you not think that the more that travel together, the less danger?" "Gopali." "Your mouth is agile, but let your manner become more pathetic when the refusal continues." "At the last moment, you should be close to tears." "You see, we cannot do the work of the Great Mother unless you can enter the caravan." "Now, watch me." "I am Gopali." "You are the traveler." "Oh, traveler." "Oh, I'm fearful." "Look at me." "Do not send me off to tread alone." "Let me cradle in the bosom of safety, which your number ensures." "In return, I shall water your horses." "I shall prepare your tents." "I will not rise until you have blessed me with your approval." "If you behave like this, Gopali, none will deny you." "No one." "Now, try again." "Again and again." "Let the sun shine favorably on you, travelers." "Good." "It will shine favorably on me if you allow my poor humble person alone and fearful, to find safety in your midst." "I will move no further." "I will remain here and die, food for the vultures if you deny me the hospitality of your company." "My life rests on your words." "Move on, pig." "I will trouble you not, travelers." "I will stay here and die." "They will not deny you, Gopali." "And Kali will not be denied." "Master, master." "What is this disturbance?" "Do they not know that I'm instructing initiates?" "A traveler is approaching." "He is Ram Das from my city." "A servant of the Lewis sahib." "Captain Lewis." "Who is this Captain Lewis?" "He is the Englishman who has been asking so many questions of late." "The one who has the sacred cloth." "An unbeliever has the sacred cloth?" "Yes." "One of these pigs allowed it to fall into the hands of the white man." "Bring this servant to me." "This Captain Lewis must be punished." "Come in." "Oh, it's you." "I suppose Henderson told you I've spent time working on disappearances you've been appointed to investigate." "He mentioned it." "l was disappointed not being offered the assignment myself, as I'm sure you'll appreciate." "The important thing is the job should be done." "I'd like you to have the benefit of what I've been doing." "You can leave them here." "These represent two years of hard work." "I'd like to wish you the very best of luck." "Thank you." "Come in." "Oh, sorry, sahib." "No, come in, come in." "Anything else, Lewis?" "No, there's nothing else." "He says he has lived in the city for 40 years but he has never seen anything." "Tell him to stand up." "Now tell him to close his eyes and walk about the room." "Go on, tell him." "Tell him to keep his eyes closed and continue walking." "Now tell him that no one can live anywhere for 40 years without seeing a great deal." "What has he seen?" "Well?" "He says he has seen 40 harvests and 1 60 changes of season." "There's something I must tell you, it's important." "Evidently, since you omitted to knock." "Something I must tell you in private." "Very well." "Take him out." "Yes, sahib." "Now, what is it?" "I was attacked by men who stole a piece of silk that I picked up from one of the thieves." "Piece of silk, nothing more." "What of it?" "It doesn't seem peculiar that I was attacked just to recover a piece of silk?" "My dear fellow, what does seem peculiar to me is that you burst into my office while I'm conducting an investigation to tell me you've lost a piece of silk." "Experience tells me this silk to be important." "Intelligence tells me otherwise." "May I remind you that for many years, I've worked in lndia-- lt's time you went home." "The sun has obviously affected your mind." "Gentlemen." "l'm sorry, sir. lt was entirely my fault." "I came in to report something I consider to be important." "You had an accident, Lewis?" "Yes." "Well, in a way, sir." "Captain Lewis was robbed, colonel." "Robbed?" "Yes, sir." "What did they take?" "A piece of silk, colonel." "With your permission, colonel, I will return to my quarters to change." "Of course." "l hope he's all right." "A touch of fever perhaps, sir." "He's a good man, Christopher." "A little eccentric, but don't dismiss his opinions too lightly." "Didn't see that, did you, Harry?" "I say, I haven't done so well in years." "My holiday's a success already." "You know, I may not go tiger hunting at all." "I may just stay here and keep on beating you, Harry." "Another game?" "Another game?" "Yes, yes, of course." "Well, Dorothy, what do you think of your old husband now?" "Are you sure you want to continue?" "Of course he's sure, I just asked him." "Pay attention, Dorothy." "Would you like another drink, Sidney?" "Yes, please." "Excellent whiskey." "None for him, though." "I don't want any excuses tomorrow for my success." "Well, I feel like a boy again." "Ram Das?" "Are you all right in there, Mary?" "Harry." "Harry." "That's what Connaught-Smith's here for." "You obviously don't understand what I'm saying, sir." "I'm not senile. I understand." "Someone has cut off the hand of your boy." "Any investigation of the matter will be conducted by Connaught-Smith." "Yes, and judging by his progress, he'll find out absolutely nothing." "You're going too far." "Sir, this is India." "There are cults and religions that stretch back to the beginning of time." "Ram Das was a Hindu." "Had it been his whole body thrown in my house his people would've buried him after their own fashion." "Burning his body on a funeral pyre." "Then carrying his ashes to scatter them across the waters of the sacred Ganges." "Does Connaught-Smith know this?" "No, of course he doesn't." "You can't solve anything, probe into anything behind a desk and bringing people in for questioning, you can't." "I don't need to be reminded that this is India, Lewis." "But I have spent more years of my life in this country than you." "And how have you spent them?" "Looking after the business interests of the company, nothing more." "What effort has the company made to stabilize India beyond what was necessary to conduct its business?" "Would there be inquiry into these disappearances if it didn't threaten the company's business?" "lf you're dissatisfied with this" "My dissatisfaction isn't important, sir." "The Indians are dissatisfied." "Mark my words, before years have gone by they'll express dissatisfaction in a way that won't be pretty." "If you want to discuss company policy, we can continue in the morning." "Good night." "l am not interested in company policy." "But I am interested in investigating the disappearance of my boy, Ram Das." "And I prefer settling the matter right now." "I am being pushed very hard." "I'm trying to keep telling myself you've been with the company for 20 years." "It's getting harder for me to keep telling myself that." "Now, good night." "l don't consider that an answer, sir." "Lewis, I must tell you that I consider your entire behavior tonight both insolent and disrespectful." "I urge you to take hold of yourself." "I urge you and I warn you." "You leave me no alternative but to offer my resignation." "Don't be a fool." "This is no sudden decision." "What has happened has brought matters to a head." "Sleep on it." "See me in the morning." "My request will be the same in the morning, sir." "I shall have to submit your resignation to Bombay." "Of course." "You're making a terrible mistake." "With respect, sir, it is you who are making the terrible mistake." "Hello, darling." "He wouldn't let me look for Ram Das." "Are you feeling better?" "Yes." "What did he say?" "Connaught-Smith." "Well, maybe he's right." "He's not right." "He's not right, Mary, and you know it." "Darling, what would you do?" "What are you going to do?" "l've done it." "I've resigned." "Resigned?" "Effective immediately." "And what are you going to use for money?" "Money?" "Well, we've got a bit." "A very small bit." "Well, something will turn up." "What a time to act on impulse." "The right time and the only time." "When someone you care for has been hurt." "You have such a gift for saying the right thing." "Have I?" "I'm sorry about the money problem, Mary, but we'll manage." "I'll cut down on...." "l'm going to find those butchers, Mary." "You will." "Go away." "Sahib, sahib." "Trinkets, sahib, for the sahib's lovely lady wife." "A brooch, a necklace, a ring, souvenir of happy days in India." "Ten rupees, sahib, reduced from 20." "My boy has a ring like this." "Oh, he has, sahib?" "Purchased at this very place." "Did he tell you how much he paid?" "Did he tell you he paid only 1 rupee?" "He is lying." "He's telling damn lies, sahib." "He did not tell me." "Nine rupees, my last and final offer." "Have you seen anything of Ram Das during these last few days?" "No, sahib." "He's missing, I wondered if you" "Very sad." "Eight rupees?" "I wondered if you had any idea what might have happened to him." "None." "Seven?" "And I'm robbing myself." "Are you not interested in what happens to your own kind?" "I am a merchant, sahib." "He is a servant." "You just can't say you don't care what has happened to him." "He comes here nearly every day." "He's your friend." "He is not our kind." "I am Muslim, he is Hindu." "I am only a beggar, master." "l know nothing, nothing at all." "But you're here all day, every day." "You must see what's going on around you." "I know nothing, master." "Nothing, nothing, nothing." "Thank you." "Thank you, master, thank you." "Do you remember Toki, the little mongoose?" "And do you remember Ram Das, my Indian servant?" "Do you remember him?" "Now, have you seen Ram Das anywhere?" "Did you say something, darling?" "Allah is great, and I am but human." "Allah is with us, there is peace in the land." "I suppose you get to believing it if you keep on repeating it." "Don't be discouraged." "This is only your first day." "Yes, but I see the pattern emerging." "Either they genuinely know nothing or they're just not talking." "Probably they've heard about Ram Das." "Why should they take any chances?" "What are you going to do?" "I've decided to join Sidney on his tiger hunt." "Maybe I can find something out in the jungle." "l take care of myself." "l wish" "There's nothing to be frightened of." "But I don't want you to be alone." "Stay with Dorothy, all right?" "All right." "Here he comes." "Getting pretty close now." "Quiet." "Oh, you fool, you unspeakable idiot." "What do you think you're playing at?" "Mongoose, sahib, mongoose." "Good mind to reload and come down there and.... lt wasn't his fault, Sidney." "You're as bad." "Fancy bringing a damn mongoose on a tiger hunt." "Don't worry." "lt was damn a silly idea." "Plenty more tigers left." "l don't get all that amount of leave." "Toki, Toki, come on." "Your rifle, sahib." "Sidney." "What?" "Come over here a minute." "Look." "Good heavens." "Boy, get the spades." "Look." "There are more bones under it." "Sidney, take a boy." "Go back to Henderson tell him what we've found and ask him to send some troops." "Will you be all right?" "Yes, you hurry up." "There's 30 bodies there and we haven't got them all out yet." "lt's evidently a native cemetery." "ln the middle of nowhere?" "Nowhere to us, somewhere to the natives." "What natives?" "There are no villages." "Then what do you think it is?" "A place where they bury the murdered." "Look." "What?" "Those necks." "What about them?" "Well, they're broken, all of them." "Those bones are so old." "How can you tell they're broken?" "There was one that wasn't so old." "It still had some flesh on it." "Well, it's probably how he died." "He stumbled right here and they buried him." "Those necks are broken. lsn't it--?" "I haven't the time to play in cemeteries." "I still work for the company." "We're closing this up so nobody else stumbles and breaks his neck." "Fill it in." "This is the first chance you've had to do anything." "You coming, Lewis?" "Yes, I'm coming." "lt does seem strange." "Strange?" "is that all you can say?" "Your people don't bury their dead in the middle of the jungle." "Not ordinarily." "There were 30 bodies counted, all of them with their necks broken." "You assume that." "They were broken, all right." "You are certain I may not offer you a drink?" "Ever heard of a cult of stranglers?" "No." "ln myth, perhaps?" "Never." "There are so many cults." "Why not a cult of stranglers?" "Everything is possible." "Look, patel, you might take more interest." "These are your people." "Their bones buried out there in the jungle." "Do not raise your voice to me." "When I was patel, those bones were my responsibility." "Now they're your bones or your company's." "Either of you is welcome to them." "I didn't mean to shout." "The company maintains it's a cemetery." "Then it is a cemetery." "Whoever rules decides the truth." "Why trouble yourself about it?" "Why should I?" "You're right." "Why should I trouble myself about it?" "No one else does." "I think I will have a drink, patel." "It's been a wearing day." "Certainly, captain." "Nobody cares." "Just another example of what's going on." "This pig trying to rob my house." "Thieves are coming into our homes now, colonel." "We'll take care of him, Burns." "A man's not safe in his home and his goods are not safe on the roads." "A fine state, colonel." "I'll question him, sir." "If I may, sir, allow me to question him." "What makes you think you'll be better at it than I?" "For a very good reason that the colonel knows." "My parentage." "Lieutenant Silver is part Indian." "Make him talk, Silver." "Yes, yes, tremble." "Tremble and pray for mercy." "Kali has sent me to you." "You have sinned." "You've set out alone." "Your own greed driving you before the wishes of Kali." "You must be punished." "You must be punished, you dog." "Kali will not rest until you're punished." "You will say that you have killed by yourself that you have robbed by yourself." "And when the rope of the English tightens about your neck and sends you to the world to come, sweet Kali will forgive." "If you say anything else, there will be such horrors as only Kali can give to those who sin against her." "No." "I will do as you say." "This is a hanging, Roberts, isn't it?" "l beg your pardon, sir." "Did you ever see such happy people as that one?" "And those two?" "I'm afraid we all enjoy it a bit, sir." "That's why we're here." "What about the prisoner?" "Does he enjoy it a bit too?" "Look at him." "Well, that is a bit rum, sir." "The crime is murder." "The sentence, death by hanging." "I come to you Great Mother." "All right, Toki, let's see where they go." "Kali's omens are all-powerful." "The howl of a jackal bodes evil." "The howl of a jackal bodes evil." "The call of a crow bodes evil." "The call of a crow bodes evil." "The touch of a lizard bodes evil." "The touch of a lizard bodes evil." "The squeal of a hare bodes evil." "The squeal of a hare bodes evil." "The death of a snake bodes evil." "The death of a snake bodes evil." "Now we have eaten, we prepare your feast, Great Mother." "Mongoose." "Mongoose." "Mongoose." "Cut him loose." "You cannot let him go free." "The death of a snake bodes evil." "Kali is displeased." "Cut him loose." "Great Mother, how have I failed you?" "It's a vast religious organization and their goddess is Kali." "Hold on" "There's no time, sir." "This must sound incredible to you, but I've seen it." "There is a way of corroborating what I told you." "The potter in the market, he's one." "I saw him as clearly as I see you." "We can go into the market." "When you find he's missing, you'll believe me." "Well, at least this is simpler than digging up the jungle." "We've only to go to the marketplace." "The potter." "Not just the potter, there must be thousands living quietly in the city, working." "And the rest of the time they steal and kill?" "The way you talk, captain, the potter must be very rich." "Somebody is very rich if he isn't." "There's something in what you say, Lewis." "It's possible, sir, that he's gone away on a pilgrimage or" "To a meeting of stranglers?" "You're right, Lewis." "Let's have a look." "There you are, sir." "Look." "What did I tell you, sir?" "There he is." "Where?" "They've sent him back." "They sent you back." "This is their mark." "l burn myself, captain sahib." "Burned yourself?" "Have I done something wrong, sir?" "If it's scars you're interested in now, this is a more interesting specimen." "Look, sir, I...." "l'm sorry to have wasted your time, sir." "Children of Kali, the final moment has come." "You have learnt all of our ways, save one." "Only the most sacred remains." "Release the prisoners." "Prepare the sacred cloth." "Now kill." "Gopali." "Kill, Gopali." "My brother." "Kill, kill." "Slit their stomachs so their bodies do not swell and disclose their secret graves." "Your sons are prepared, great Kali." "Your sons have learnt all." "The harvest has been reaped and your sons are ready." "I am most pleased that all of you have accepted my plan to ship all your produce in one caravan." "The size of the caravan will keep its journey safe." "No one will attack a caravan of this dimension." "l hope you're right." "ls all prepared?" "lt'll move out at midnight." "Good." "The cloak of night will cover the caravan's movement out of the city." "We shouldn't wait until the company find out who or what is destroying the caravans?" "How long will you wait?" "The company has made no progress on this matter." "Patel Shari's right." "We've no idea how long this condition will exist." "But I can tell you how long we'll all exist if we can't continue trading." "I pray to God they get there." "I am confident the caravan will reach its appointed destiny." "When this caravan is reported missing the company will send many, many soldiers here." "After this caravan has been disposed of the children of Kali will be silent for many, many months." "This caravan contains all." "After this caravan disappears, they may listen to Captain Lewis." "We cannot run the risk of Lewis remaining alive." "It is settled." "Lewis dies." "His death may arouse enormous suspicion and investigation." "He has spoken of stranglers." "He will die by the sword." "His house will be looted." "Captain Connaught-Smith will pronounce it a robbery." "Connaught-Smith is pleased by the obvious." "It does not tax his dull mind." "To be safe, patel, let us rob and kill Lewis' neighbor as well." "It will then appear that a band of thieves ransacked the area." "Silver speaks sensibly, patel." "So be it." "How is she?" "She's asleep now." "Sidney's dead because of me." "Oh, Harry." "It's true, Mary. lt's me they wanted." "Sidney was just a sacrifice to make it look as though they're robbing everybody." "I need to get them." "Tomorrow, I'll go down to the market and I'll beat the truth out of that potter." "I'll kill him if he doesn't talk." "Colonel." "Yes?" "They've gone." "Look, the place is deserted." "Of course it's deserted." "They're all in the temple." "Today is the Holy Day." "Holy Day?" "Don't I know it." "Trouble we had to get the sepoys to move out to the caravan." "Caravan?" "What caravan?" "The caravan." "All the planters have formed themselves into one group." "Connaught-Smith is leading them." "The death of Mr. Flood has finally unnerved him." "After all, even though he's resigned, he's still an officer in the company as far as the people in the city are concerned." "You're right, Silver." "Go on." "Captain Lewis, what are you going to do?" "Go after them, Silver." "There must be something I can do." "Even if you're right, what can you do?" "l don't know." "All I know is that that caravan's going to be attacked. I want to be there." "l'm coming with you." "Why should you?" "Another soldier won't do any harm, will he?" "Captain, sir, these men ask permission to travel with the caravan too." "More of them?" "We'll soon have every beggar in India with us." "Oh, great leader of the many, the road is perilous." "These tiny sacks are filled with our year's labors." "If we are robbed, great leader, my brother and I, we will have nothing." "And our poor and crippled mother" "Oh, very well." "Fall into line somewhere." "But mind you, keep up." "We're not waiting for anyone." "We will keep up, great leader." "I promise we will." "Halt." "Camp them over there." "Obidah." "Before we journey to do your bidding, Great Mother we sweeten our mouths so you may sweeten our way." "The sacred sugar shall be the sign." "Wake up." "Captain sahib, what is it?" "Wake up." "Wake up!" "Get up." "Get up!" "Great heaven." "Captain sahib." "Anyone else alive?" "Anyone alive?" "Anyone?" "Hold your fire." "Kali." "Kali." "Kali." "Keep a good lookout, Silver." "Yes, sir." "This is where they camped for the night." "They must have moved on." "They haven't moved on." "What do you mean?" "There's no track leading that way." "The tracks lead up here." "into the jungle?" "I don't understand." "They're dead." "Dead?" "They've all been murdered." "Murdered?" "Where are the bodies?" "Buried." "We can soon find out." "Not here, in the jungle." "I said, not here, in the jungle." "Come on, come on." "Come on, hurry." "Give me that spade." "Kali has provided in the past." "Kali has provided in the past." "Kali provides now." "Kali provides now." "Kali will provide in the time to come." "Kali will provide in the time to come." "Now we offer Kali our gift." "The greatest gift of all." "Human flesh." "Ram Das." "Great goddess, you have given a sign." "I understand." "Prepare the funeral pyre." "Kali has told us her wish." "The death of this unbeliever shall be her final reward." "First, the dead." "Then, the living." "Kali demands vengeance for her sons." "Now." "is it too hot for you, colonel?" "Your cook makes an excellent curry." "Lewis sahib is here, patel." "Tell him I'm engaged with...." "Speak, Gopali." "Tell them." "What's this all about?" "How dare you" "Let him speak, sir." "What Captain Lewis has told you is really true." "He is one of them." "He is one of them." "One of what, patel?" "One of what that you had to kill him?" "Yes." "One of what?" "I want you to know I've sent a full report to Bombay." "I'm recommending you for immediate promotion." "Promotion, sir?" "But my resignation." "I...." "l didn't send it." "Thank you, sir." "Aren't you proud, darling?" "Yes." "What is it?" "She's out of there." "Who?" "Kali, the murderess, with her murdering sons." "This is only the beginning, Mary."