‘Vico must have taken it in,’ said Zadig. ‘But he never uttered a word about it to me.’
All of this was completely incomprehensible to Shireen. ‘‘But why would there be a ladder there? Do you think there was some foul play?’
‘No,’ said Zadig, with a shake of his head. ‘If there had been foul play the ladder would not have been left hanging. And anyway there was no sign of a struggle in the cabin or on Bahram-bhai’s body.’
‘But what happened then?’ said Shireen. ‘Why would there be a ladder hanging out of his window? What was its purpose? To climb up or go down?’
Nobody said a word, so Shireen turned again to Freddie: ‘You know the answer, don’t you, Freddie? Tell me what the ladder was for, please.’
Freddie did not answer at once: his eyes were closed and he seemed almost to be in a trance. When he spoke again his voice was very soft.
‘I think Father went down the ladder because someone call him.’
‘Who?’
‘My mother.’
‘Your mother?’ cried Shireen. ‘But that’s impossible. Hadn’t she died some years before?’
Freddie shook his head: ‘Did not die, lah, my mother,’ he said. ‘Was murdered, ne? By men who came looking for me. She help me get away and did not tell them where I went. So they stabbed her and threw in the river — the Pearl River. There was no funeral, nothing, so she is still in the river, still in the water, this water that we are on. I see her sometimes, she has not found rest, so she comes to me. That night, when Father come here from Canton, in this ship, I think she come to him too and call him away. He went down the ladder to go to her. I have seen it so in my dreams, lah.’
‘No!’ Shireen’s head was spinning already, and it began to turn even faster now as she jerked it violently from side to side. ‘No! I cannot believe it. I will not believe it.’
Then all of a sudden, everything went dark.
*
The fuss on the quarter-deck was loud enough to cause Kesri some concern. He kept a careful eye on it and when he saw a prone body being carried away he realized that there was no reason for undue alarm: a lady had swooned and was being taken inside.
Shortly afterwards he spotted a memsahib in a black dress and bonnet coming towards him. He did not make too much of it; several sahibs and memsahibs had already approached him with complimentary words about his squad of sepoys: he assumed that this missy-mem was going to do the same.
But when she came face to face with him she said nothing; she just stood there silently, staring.
Thinking that she was unsure of whether he understood English, Kesri said: ‘Good evening, memsah’b.’
That was when she began to speak — and not in English but Hindustani.
It is true, isn’t it, she said, that you are Deeti’s brother? I can see it in your face, your eyes. She used to draw pictures of you. I saw one once, she had drawn you holding a bundook.
Now Kesri too lost his tongue for a moment. When he regained it, all he could say was: How did you know? How did you know about Deeti — that she is my sister?
Mr Reid told me, said Paulette. I was on the ship too, you know — the Ibis. Your sister was my friend; we talked a lot, especially in the last days, before we reached Mauritius.
You were with her? Kesri shook his head incredulously. Did Deeti tell you why she ran away from her village after her husband’s death?
Yes, she told me all about it.
Kesri was seized with panic now, thinking that there might not be enough time to hear the whole story.
Tell me; tell me what Deeti said. I have been waiting so long to hear — tell me everything.
*
The twilight had turned to darkness now so Raju did not see Baboo Nob Kissin’s saffron-clad figure until it was almost on top of him.
Here, boy! Come aside — I have to talk to you.
Leading Raju to the bulwark, Baboo Nob Kissin knelt to whisper into his ear: Raju, listen, this is very important. Among the guests at this party there are some friends of your father’s. They might be able to help you find him.
Who are they? said Raju.
Did you see a memsah’b in a black dress and a bonnet? Her name is Paulette Lambert — she knows your father. She was on the Ibis too and she has met him here in China as well. And you may have seen also a man in a Chinese robe? He too is your father’s friend. If anyone can get a message to your father it is he. You should talk to him.
Raju looked around the maindeck and saw no sign of either.
Where are they?
I think they went inside, said Baboo Nob Kissin. They went to see how Mrs Moddie is doing.
The gomusta raised a finger to point to a gangway that led astern: Go and have a look over there; that’s where they’ll be.
Raju set off without another word. Threading his way through the guests, he circled around until he reached the gangway that led to the cabins at the rear of the vessel.
This part of the ship was empty and silent; the gangway was dimly lit, by a few, flickering lamps.
Keeping to one side, Raju made his way slowly forward. There were cabins to the right and to the left of the gangway, but the doors were all shut. Only one door was ajar and it was at the far end; above it was a sign that said ‘Owner’s Suite’.
Creeping up to the entrance, Raju put his eye to the crack in the doorway. There seemed to be a lot of old furniture inside; there was a draught blowing through and it pushed the door a little further ajar, as if to invite Raju in. After hesitating for a minute, Raju stepped through the doorway.
Moonlight was flowing in through the windows, one of which was wide open. Raju saw now, to his great surprise, that someone was sitting by the window, in a chair: all Raju could see of him was a turbaned head, silhouetted against the moolight.
To Raju’s relief it seemed that the man had not noticed his presence. Holding his breath, he took a step backwards, thinking that he had better leave while he could.
But just as he was about to slip away the turbaned head turned to look in his direction: the silvery moonlight gave Raju a glimpse of a man with a broad, square face and a clipped beard.
‘Sorry, sir,’ said Raju apologetically. ‘I didn’t know you were here.’
To his relief, there was no torrent of abuse as he had half-expected: the man only smiled silently.
Mumbling another ‘Sorry, sir,’ Raju ducked out. Pulling the door shut behind him, he turned around to find that two figures, a man and a woman, had stepped out of one of the cabins that lined the gangway. The man was dressed in a Chinese gown and when he caught sight of Raju he said: ‘Hello? Who are you, eh? And what you doing here?’
Suddenly Raju understood that this was the couple that Baboo Nob Kissin had told him about.
‘I was looking for you, sir,’ he blurted out. ‘And for ma’am too.’
‘You were looking for us?’ said Paulette in surprise. ‘But why?’
Raju stepped quickly towards them. ‘You both know my father,’ he said, lowering his voice. ‘Baboo Nob Kissin told me so.’
‘Who is your father?’
‘His name is Neel.’
Kesri was still recovering from the shock of his meeting with Paulette when Zachary appeared in front of him.
‘Good day there, Sarjeant. Could I have a word with you please?’
‘Yes, Reid-sah’b?’
‘Sarjeant, you remember that evening, on the Hind? How you came to my cabin and asked me questions about your sister?’
‘Yes, Reid-sah’b.’
‘Sarjeant, I need you to return the favour now. I’ve got some questions that I need you to answer.’
‘Questions?’ said Kesri in surprise. ‘For me?’
‘Yes, Sarjeant. You said that you’d been Captain Mee’s orderly twenty years ago — isn’t that right?’