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danger, he worried about being cheated! The absurdity of it countered
some of her own fear. "I think not," she said, shaking her head. "I
have seen this boy bargain like the sharpest old woman; it is more
likely that he will leave the merchants feeling they have been
bested! No, you tell him what is a fair price for a thing, and he
will get that price, or better."
Gupta relaxed. "Then there is no need for any of this household to
leave, except for the children to go to school."
"The children wear English clothing at school; they look no different
than any other children," Maya pointed out. "There are the Vellechio
boys, the Italians, who are darker than they. I do not think that the
thugee will haunt every day school in the city on the chance that
they might see a child of the homeland. So long as we hide among the
English, it will be harder for them to find us."
"Except that you, who tend the sick at the Fleet-" again Gupta's face
darkened.
"I will walk veiled by day, or take the omnibus as near as I may, and
Tom brings me home by night,"
she said firmly. "There are none among the sick that I tend that
would betray me, even should the thugee have the English to ask
them."
Gupta sighed. "That is true. And there are many among your sick who
will protect you, walking where I may not-and a thousand eyes and
ears, should you ask for them."
She laughed at his exaggeration. "Not a thousand, Gupta, but enough.
Especially among the children."
"And who looks at a child? Yet a child sees everything." Now Gupta
smiled, at last. "I did well to confess to you, mem sahib. You, too,
are a warrior, with a warrior's heart. You find weapons to your hand
when you need them."
"And I will not scruple to use any and all of them," she replied
firmly. "You may be sure that I will begin tonight, and go on
tomorrow, sending the warning out amongst my 'eyes and ears.' "
Gupta bowed his head to her, an act of respect that touched her
profoundly. "Then I will leave you to your work, mem sahib," he said,
rising. "Shall I have my son bring food to you here, or in your
office?"
"My office, please," she replied, though she made no move to rise as
he left. She looked around at her circle of pets; all of them watched
her closely. They acted as if they had been listening to the entire
conversation, and anxiously awaited her reaction.
Pets. I'm not so sure now, that "pets" are all they are, she thought,
noting the look of their eyes, the expressive postures of their
bodies. The owl, Nisha, sat side by side with the falcon, their
bodies so close that their wings touched. They seldom perched that
closely together, but tonight it appeared, to her at least, as if
they were telling her that they, too, were warriors in her service,
and would stand sentry by night and day. The mongooses sat alertly on
either side of her feet, and when she glanced down at them, they
looked up. Their faces were easier to read; she had seen that look on
them before. The hunt was up, and they would not let another enemy
slip past them, having unaccountably failed once before. The neck
hackles of Rajah the peacock bristled aggressively; she had seen him
kill serpents in India, and his own talons could be formidable; she
had the sense that he was not the decorative creature he had feigned
to be.
Rhadi's eyes flashed; he flew to her shoulder as Charan leaped into
her lap. "Love you!" the parrot exclaimed, as a declaration, and not
an endearment. Then, astonishingly, "Watch for you! Fight for you!
All! All! Shivani bad! We guard!"
Charan balled his little fists and nodded emphatically, even as
Maya's mouth dropped open in shock. Reflex-ively, she looked at the
others. As she met the eyes of each in turn, each one nodded, slowly
and deliberately.
These-are not pets. Even as she thought that, she wondered just what
they were. Or perhaps, what Surya had made them. . . .
They all clustered closely around until they touched her, the owl and
the falcon swooping down to land on the arms of her chair, the
peacock nestling in against her right leg, the mongooses jumping up
into the chair to share her lap with Charan. Then Charan reached up,
touched her cheek with his little black "hand" and turned her face so
that she looked into his eyes.
And all that she could see were his eyes. She felt as if she were
falling into them, but how could she be afraid? She had known him
from her birth; he had shared her cradle, her playtime, her very
food. He was her friend and companion. They trusted each other with a
surety past words.
We are-briefly-more than we seem, little healer.
The words flowed into her mind. For this moment, astonishment, fear,
any other thought or emotion that might interfere with this
communication was held at bay, so that she could hear what they
needed to say to her. A strength so great that it could easily crush
her if it cared to cradled her instead, and dropped its words gently
into her open heart.
This is not our land, and you are only half our child, but you are in
our charge, the words went on. We will fight for you and stand guard
over you. Charan's face took on a solemnity and wisdom mingled with a
hint of great mischief; Nisha's feathers were as white as snow. Rajah
spread his fan for her, the parrot's eyes flashed, and the two
mongooses sat erect, small but proud warriors, their large eyes
bright with intelligence. But you, too, may come to a place where you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]