"What is my mother doing with that man?" "He's your daddy." "He would have been so proud to see what you are." "Not many of them left now." "I'm sure you'll find good homes for them all." "A riot broke out in Karachi, 47 killed." "And, amongst the dead, Naresh Banerjee." " And what sort of a man is he?" " A nationalist." "I heard you were dead." " Not until our time has come." " Time?" "For what?" "Time to light the fuse." "Are you ready?" "This is your last warning!" "Put down your weapons, and go home peacefully, or we will have no choice but to open fire." "'I, the coroner, do certify that death occurred 'on April the 24th, 1935.'" "With a single round, aim above the crowd." "Prepare to fire." "FIRE!" "'Name of the deceased, Naresh Banerjee.'" "'Cause of death...'" "FIRE!" "You!" "Damn, bloody animals..." "Get away from here!" "Go on, get out!" " 'Who are you trying to reach?" " It's Raworth. - 'I'm so sorry, 'could you please repeat that?" "'" " Raworth." " 'Thank you." "Please wait.'" "Can you hear me?" "Sarah, love?" "'Oh, it's really you!" "'" " You both well?" " 'Yes." "'Not too bad, not really...'" "'You hear him?" "That's your daddy.'" " A boy?" "'Oh, yes, he's a boy all right.'" " Oh, that's him, eh?" " 'Yes." "'Say hello to your daddy.'" "I'm so proud of you, you know." " Yeah, well, you'll be outnumbered." " 'Can't have that.'" " I can't wait to be with you in Delhi." " 'Yes, then home to England.'" "We'll be a proper family." "Now, I know what you're thinking, and just because the baby's come along doesn't mean anyone's going to forget you." "I promised to find you a new home, and that's what I'll do." "Look at me." " That's better." " Yes, uncle." "Will you be all right here, on your own?" "Yes, uncle." "I'll only be a few hours at the picnic." "Wish me luck." " Ah." " Good grief." "Another damned party." "It is the King's Silver Jubilee, sir." "I think we're honour-bound to make a bit of a fuss." "I'm well aware of that, Whelan, but one does feel rather invaded." " Speech all written?" " Oh, almost." "You just speak into it as you would a..." " Yes, yes, yes, thank you." "I've had my fill of advice from Her Excellency." " Gentlemen." " Ah, here he is." " So, we all have copies." " Mm-hm." "Gates open at 13.00 hours," "Simkin and canapes under the bows." "Now, I've no wish to sound the alarm, but if you turn to your second sheet, not only are the Congress nationalists declining to honour the King, the Muslim League have now also decided to boycott." "Your precious Maharajah?" "Will be attending." "Here within the hour." "He'd damn well better." "Thank you, Ronnie." "Here we all are, high water mark in the reign of His Majesty the King, and not one Indian nationalist of note willing to turn out and raise a glass in his name." "Can't you round up the usual crowd of loyalists from the Legislative Assembly?" "As you like." "But one hoped this bill of yours was going to bind us all together," " not drive us further apart." " It's not my bill." "Naturally, it never is, is it, old love, when things don't quite go according to plan." "Ah..." "Whoopsy." "Ah, chaprasi, the wind caught that chap's hat." "We go on, even if it kills us." " Thank you." " You're most welcome, sir." "You know, they're all saying it." "Old Whelan's losing his touch." "I expect you've heard the same." "Mr Keane." "There are one or two names of my own I would like to add to this list." "You need to clear all that with Fitzpatrick in military." "Please have your invitations at hand at the gate." "Thank you very much." " Mr Sahib to collect in person?" " No." "I will give it to him myself." "Thank you, Captain." "Look at them." "Make me sick to my crow." "Will you be joining us today for our own wee celebration?" "Three o'clock." "I'll be there." "You don't mind joining our little protest?" "I wouldn't miss it for the world." "Your invitation." "They will ask you for identification at the gate." "These are your papers." "Your name is Raoul Sahib, you are a clerk with the provincial service." "And what have you here?" "An old suit of mine." "You will have to look the part." "British suit?" "Now... tell me again." "You and I will meet at two o'clock, here in the Bazaar." "We will go to Viceregal Lodge, present the invitation." " The guard on duty knows me." " Good." "And the bomb?" "Oh, I will bring that myself." "And when they all rise for the toast, I will light that fuse." "And then your work is done, Aafrin Dalal." "You and your family will be quite safe from harm." " Medicine?" " Ah, yes." "Here." "Sulphurs." "From the Vicereine's own medical supply." " Oh-ho-ho." "I am honoured." "You first." "See?" "All is well." "Here, let me look." "Kaira's revenge, I call it." "Yes." "Such a long way... from my father's grave to the viceroy's gardens." "And their blood will run red and blue." "And we... we'll live to be free." "Brother, I still have one doubt." "Go on." "Is it not safer to hide the bomb inside the garden now?" "This morning, before the guests arrive?" "That way, it seems to me, there is no risk of detection." " No!" "Nareshtha, we have come so far together, you and I." "Are we brothers or not?" "We cannot go forward now without trust!" "Hm?" "You have to tell me, for God's sake, where is it?" "!" "Where is the bomb?" "Sooni, it's done." "He told me where the bomb is hidden." "But what if he names you as his conspirator?" "Then I'm bound to hang." "Look on the bright side, hm?" "At least you won't have to marry that boy with the eyebrow." "And Daddy?" "What did you say to him?" "I said there was no room for families at the picnic." "What about all the other guests?" "I'm doing all I can." "I know..." "Tomorrow, we will start again." " You two will stay at home." " Where else would I be?" " Sooni," " promise me." " Of course!" "I'm afraid we're not much of a welcoming party." "Oh, you and I are more than a match for any prince, don't you think?" "Uh... what happened to our prince?" "His Highness the Maharajah sends his regrets, memsahib." "He's unfit to travel." "Oh, my husband will be sorry to hear that." "So why send a car?" "It is a present from Maharaja." "He has a gift, for His Majesty King George." "Sir." "Ah, Whelan." "Here it is." "My tribute to the King for the blasted thingummy." " Wireless." "The broadcast, yes, I am familiar with the terms." "Well?" "Sir, you speak for us all." "Yes, yes, yes." "I know you better than that." "Well, remember that Britain is not your only audience today." "All of India will be listening." "And?" "Better we tackle the nationalist threat head on." "There will be pressure for political advances." "We don't hide from that, but the King, the King stands apart." "Yes, above." "That's the message, the King is this constant music, King..." "Makes subjects of us all." "And how poor and comfortless we would feel without him." "Good." "Ah, Munshi!" "Your Excellency, may I have a word?" "Can you believe our precious Maharajah has decided to bugger us about again?" "Are you surprised?" "He's hardly the type of man to be relied on." "Well, I have the uphill task of trying to be his friend." "Never mind all that, sir." "What's this?" "I received this from an acquaintance." "Does he have a name, this acquaintance?" "Not if he can help it." "All right, what's his story?" "He claims there is a device in Simla buried here." "12 pounds of high explosives." "Everybody in the yard." "Now!" "That means all of them!" "What crime against His Royal Majesty have we committed this time, Superintendent?" "McLeod." "We've got information you've got explosives buried here on your estate." "Oh, no." "Parsi!" "Now if may I kindly ask, what is the source of this so-called information?" "Sir!" "Sir!" "What is this?" "What does it mean?" "Can a man not celebrate 25 years of the King?" "A royal milestone, indeed!" "Long live King George!" "Come on!" "Like we practised!" "Long live King George!" "Long live King George." "Long live King George." "Long live King George." "English!" "Only English now for subjects of the Empire!" "I'll tell you what's wrong, child." "Your friend is your enemy." "There is no-one, NO-ONE in this world that you can trust!" "Come here." "Come here." "Where's Mr Raworth?" "He has gone away." "And the baby, has it come?" "Yes." "Yes, it is inevitable." "Do you know what that means?" "Inevitable?" "It means there is no escape." "Now the baby has come and he will be on his way and what will become of you?" "They will find me a home." "Ha!" "No, I am sorry to tell you, my friend, but that man is lying." "There is no home." "And you know what happens to boys that have no home?" "Ravana!" "He will come and he will eat you alive." "You know what Ravana is?" "Let me tell you." "He has ten heads and ten tongues of fire and a bleeding sword and he will swallow you whole without pausing for breath." " What is your name?" " Chota Matthew." "No, your real name." "Akshay." "Is this what you want, Akshay?" "For Ravana to come and stick you with his sword?" "No, of course not." "You want to find a home, yes?" "Are you a good boy?" "Run on the spot and show me." "Keep going." "Now listen." "If you do exactly as I tell you, then I promise I will give you a home." "Sahib?" "Mr Dalal." "It's all right, send him up." "Still dressing, I'm afraid." "Hope you don't mind." "You wait till four o'clock." "One." "Two." "Three." "Four." "I don't know where you got hold of that map, but you can tell your mystery acquaintance the police searched Mr McLeod's premises and found no explosives, no firearms, not so much as a trace of cordite." "But that's not possible." "Tell them to check again." " Am I interrupting?" " Not at all." "Hello, Aafrin." "Mrs Whelan." "Do you have any idea how many threats and false alarms cross my desk every week?" "I think the District Superintendent has enough on his plate..." " No." "I'll go look in on Vivian." "Would you care to tell me what this is about?" "Naresh Banerjee." "Yes, shot dead in Karachi." "He was the one and only Hindu shot dead among 47 Muslims." "You don't find that at all suspicious?" "I assume he was there to foment violence and got caught up in a shooting." "I asked them to send up his death certificate from Sind." "Here." "Yes, his own identity papers." "I can only assume he must have planted them on some corpse." " This is madness." " Whelan, look at the photograph." "This is not Banerjee." "So what happened to him?" "Banerjee is here in Simla." "And I am quite certain he means to strike at the heart of this Jubilee picnic." "He has been planning this for months." "And if the bomb is not here on this map, it is somewhere." "It is somewhere close by." "Who told you?" "As I said, an acquaintance." "No." "No, you'll have to do better than that." "If I'm going to raise the alarm, I need a name." "Who told you?" "Who told you there was a bomb?" "For God's sake, Aafrin." "You can trust me." "Who told you?" "Kaira." "Kaira Das." "You tell them it is a gift for the King." "Say it." "It is a gift for the King." "I met her in Bengal." "Met her?" "We were lovers." "She said for some time that Banerjee had been bragging of his great plan." "I thought nothing of it at first, but when she died, shot, as you know, by his hand, I realised we cannot let this pass." "We must be sure this man is put out of action." "But how do you know that he's here?" "I found him." " What?" " I met him." "And I am due to meet him again in one hour down in the lower bazaar." "You remember everything?" "One hour?" "One hour?" "!" "Aafrin!" "Aafrin!" "This picnic today, I want you to stay home." "What's going on?" "This time tomorrow, if something happens to me..." "You're in trouble, aren't you?" "Just promise... promise you won't think any less of me." "You will never say to yourself, "That man was a liar."" " Aafrin!" " Because I never lied." "Not to you, not one word." "You can trust me." "Club Secretary seeks permission to enter!" " Password?" " Oh." "I don't know." "Kitchener?" "Coffin?" "Reggie?" "Gurkha?" "Kipling?" "Eccles?" "Chorley?" "Chelsea?" "Greedy pig." "It's Phyllis!" "Phyllis." "Damn." "You look jolly nice." "Thank you." "So you've changed your mind, then." "Knew you would." "About coming to the picnic?" "No." "Oh." "May one enquire as to the why?" "Well, sometimes, I think it's better to celebrate these things on your own." "That's all." "Understood." "Well, go on, skedaddle." "Otherwise you'll miss it." "From His Highness the Maharajah of Amritpur." "What on earth?" "Something for the bathroom." "It's a gift for the King." "Really?" "He sends his regrets." "He's not avoiding us, do you suppose?" "Oh, no." "We have His Highness's full support." "On behalf of the Princes and people of India," "I beg to send to His Majesty the King Emperor our respectful and joyful greetings on this auspicious day." "And to express the profound hope... 'that he may be spared many years 'to continue to rule over this great country." "'Loyalty to the King Emperor 'is and always has been 'the abiding faith of the Indian people." "'And while it is impossible 'in these days of change and development 'to expect the many millions of India 'to be free from all the stress and strain 'which comes with the desire for political advance," "'His Majesty the King Emperor can rest assured 'that he is held to be above and apart from such movements, 'and that we are all devotedly loyal 'to the King Emperor's throne and person." "'We gratefully thank him for the constant and abiding interest 'he has always taken 'in the welfare, prosperity and progress 'of all his subjects in India.'" " Travel safe." " Yes, sir, I will try." "And you'll let me know how things go with Miss Prasad's trial?" "I'll do what I can." "And thank you." "For the telephone call." "No, no." "I was glad to." "There's no doubt in my mind you'll be a good father to that child." "You always hope so." "No." "You have what it takes." "Why do you say that?" "Well, the, er... truth is, um..." "If you want the absolute truth, I, er..." "I discovered something quite recently... turns out my father wasn't my mother's husband." "Turns out it was another man altogether." "It's a quite ordinary tale." "It doesn't make it any less shocking." "No." "I honestly don't know why I'm bothering you with all this." "Do you want my advice?" "Ask yourself... does it matter?" "Professionally, it does rather." "And everything else?" "Well, it shouldn't, should it?" "I mean... it's an abstraction." "But when one has the, er..." "I suppose you could call it bad luck, to lose both one's parents at an early age..." "And there are times, dark times, when you honestly think that they're all you've got... and then when it turns out..." ".. it's all... .. a lie..." "What am I to do?" "Well, you could do what I do." "Keep going." "You have your wife." "Your family." "Your friends... your real friends." "You're not alone." "Sometimes I find myself wondering, what was he like, my old man?" "Perhaps he was a bit like you?" "Well?" "Did Banerjee appear?" "No." "We waited, but there was no sign of him." "And the, um... the device?" "The army are still searching." "God's sake!" "Whelan!" "We'll find him." "Now, Roopah, I know you're still getting used to our ways, but it's like this... so, so, so." "Very good, ma'am." " Daddy, give me that cup." " No!" "What can I do?" "Every cup tastes sweeter." "I don't know why we're all making such a fuss when we're not even going anywhere." "Well, we can celebrate just as well here at home." "Mm, quite smart." "Sooni, what time is it?" "Sooni?" "Almost three." "What are you doing, sweetie?" "Nothing!" "Yes?" "You must be one of the sisters." "Shamshad or Sooni?" "Naresh Banerjee." "May I come in?" "No." "No, you may not." "You think you are some hero?" "Your brother betrayed me." "I warned him what I would do." "Get off!" "Get off!" "Help!" "HELP!" "Argh!" "Ah!" "SOONI!" "SOONI!" "Sooni?" " It's all right." "It's all right." " Oh, my girl, my darling girl." "Help!" "We need help here!" "We need some help here." "Help!" "Jaanu!" "Hamaari dikri!" "Help!" "HELP!" "Banerjee!" "Aaah!" "Aargh!" "For food... in a world where many walk in hunger," " for faith in a world..." " News. - .. where many walk in fear, for friends in a world where many walk alone, we give you thanks, O Lord." "Amen." "Here I am, at your mercy." "Tum ne giraftaar kiyaa jaataa hei." "And what a story I have to tell." "Mr Banerjee." "The grand old Duke of York" "He had 10,000 men..." " Get him up." " Sergeant." "On your feet, Banerjee." "Come on." "He marched them up to the top of the hill" "And he marched them..." "Where is it?" "Where's the bomb?" "You tell me and I give you my word," "I will save your life." "Spit it out!" "Aafrin" "Dalal." "Stop." "Stop." " Sergeant!" " Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Argh!" "I don't know why you are making such a fuss." "It was just a graze." "A graze, she says." "A graze that almost killed you." "Ma, give him the cup." "Here you are, Mr MacLeod." "Very kind, Mrs Dalal." "You know, I never thought I would say this, but thank God for the Scottishman." "He saved my girl." "Oh, she saved herself." "She fought like a tiger." "Now that I can believe." "No, it was all thanks to Mr Ian in the end." "Who was the fellow?" "Oh, I hardly saw him." "A maniac." " He's been detained." " Really?" "Has he spoken to the authorities?" "I swear, from this day forward, we're going to live very simply." "If we can." " Mrs Havistock." " I'm so sorry." "I heard the most terrible rumour." "I just wanted know you're all right." "Yes, she is." "From my brother." "I have to go." " Jalebi?" " A bit." "Let her rest." "Come, I'll walk you out." " Goodbye." " Bye." "Bye-bye." "Now get some rest." " Oh, Ma!" " Get some rest." "Look." "What colour is that?" "No husband today?" "Erm..." "Yes, he'll still be at the picnic." "You're the independent type." "I have my moments, I suppose." "Well, I tell you, my eldest daughter's much the same." "I don't know that her mother or I had much say in any of it." "She thinks she's stronger than she is, you see?" "But I look at her now... .. I see the ghost." "Mr Dalal... .. I know you've every right to despise me... .. but your son, Aafrin..." "Alice, I don't know you... .. but I have some experience of my son and there is something... .. that is killing him." "Whether this thing, this freedom you imagine you'll find in each other, or who knows what..." "I beg you, please, just leave us be." "Come on, darling." "Miss Dalal, is she well?" "Is she all right, I mean?" "Yes, she's fine." "Come on, darling." "Let's get you home." "Mummy, where are we going?" "There he is!" "Whelan's been asking for you." "Let's..." "We'll have you toast inside I think." "Dalal, a word." "The man took cyanide." "He died right in front of me." "Did he speak?" "Ralph?" "He said nothing." "Then we have to keep looking." "Tell me." "Tell me you were coerced." "I mean, we've all been there." "Those first years of service." "Stuck out God knows where, working all hours, letters home, learning as you go... .. and then in walks Miss Das, a fine, intelligent woman." "Before you know it, you're caught up in something." "You're trapped, you're threatened into helping these people." "No." "I was not coerced." "Was I ever hard on you?" "Did I ever let you down?" "A few acts of personal kindness." "Do you honestly think for one minute that was the point?" " What was the point?" " I hardly know where the lies began." "It started with a document." "A forged document." "A Congress certificate." " What?" " I should have stopped there, but then there was the man you hanged, the man we both knew to be innocent but you let him die anyway." "Ramu Sood?" "Then why turn to people like Banerjee?" "I did not turn to him." "That man came much later." "He bound himself to us." "Kaira knew." "She saw what he was capable of." "She said I always saw too much good in people." "And you include me in that list?" "Yes." "How very disappointing." "Oh." "Oopsie-daisy." "Four o'clock." "Well, almost." " Time for the toast." " One moment, Mr Keane." "Ralph?" "Pull yourself together." "Come on, sir." "Do you know how often, when times were tough, I would say to myself," ""What would Ralph Whelan do?"" "Because, whether we like it or not, you are my friend." "My good friend." " Am I?" " Yes." "You and all your family." "And I ask you, please, save me as I once saved you." "You wait till four o'clock." "One." "Two." "Three." "Four." "Thank you." "Ladies and gentlemen, pray charge your glasses for the loyal toast." "Tell them it is a gift for the King." "Say it." "It is a gift for the King." "Ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests, on this most auspicious day," "I give you the King Emperor." "The King Emperor." "One." "Two." "Three." "Four." "God save our..." "Boy, wait there." "Oi, you!" "Boy!" "Get away from here!" "Long live our noble King" "God save the King..." "Hello, little man." "What have you got there?" "It is a gift for the King." "Sh." "Our secret." "Nobody must see." "Nobody." "You understand?" "Chota Matthew!" "Send him victorious..." "Chota Matthew!" "You answer when I call you, please." "What's in the box?" "It is a gift for the King." "Long to reign over us" "God save the King." "At the close of this memorable day," "I must speak to my people everywhere... .. yet how can I express what is in my heart?" "As I passed this morning through cheering multitudes to and from St Paul's Cathedral, as I thought there of all that these 25 years have brought to me and to my country and my empire..." "My people and I have come through great trials and difficulties together." "They are not over." "But I am persuaded that, with God's help, they may all be overcome.." ".. if we meet them with confidence, courage and unity."