These thoughts were very much on Arthur’s mind as he drew up plans for removal of the French threat in Hyderabad, as well as the initial draft of a plan for the invasion of Mysore and the defeat of Tipoo. The difficulties presented by such an operation were the same as those that had faced General Cornwallis when he had attempted to bring Tipoo to heel seven years earlier. Cornwallis had managed to bring his army up to the enemy capital of Seringapatam and lay siege to the heavily fortified city. But then his food supplies had run short and he had been forced to retreat, with the added humiliation of having to abandon his heavy guns.This lack of mobility had bedevilled every attempt by English forces to push into the heart of India, and was the reason why the three presidencies were anchored to the coast and forced to communicate with each other by sea.
Colonel Wellesley, as he called himself now, and his small staff pondered the problem for nearly a month before hitting upon a solution that would be as simple as it was effective, and he at once sought a meeting with his brothers to explain his ideas. The instant he entered the office of the Governor General he sensed the tension.
‘What’s happened?’
Richard gestured to a document lying on the desk between him and Henry. ‘The governor of the French colony on Mauritius has announced a formal alliance with Tipoo. He claims that French soldiers will be sent to Mangalore as soon as possible.’
Arthur leaned over the desk and quickly read through the document. ‘Do you think it’s true?’
‘No doubt about it,’ said Henry. ‘A Portuguese ship came up the Hoogley yesterday.The captain had called in to Mauritius on his way north from the Cape. I interviewed him as soon as I could. He saved me this copy of the proclamation. He also said that he had seen Tipoo’s ambassadors, and that they were given full honours by the French. Rather worrying, don’t you think?’
‘Quite,’ Richard agreed.
Arthur was not so sure, and he sat down for a moment to reflect on the news before he responded. ‘It’s clear that the French aim to establish some kind of base of operations in Mysore, but there’s no chance of capitalising on it for a while at least.’
‘Explain yourself,’ Richard said curtly.
‘As far as we know, the French have no significant land forces in the Indian Ocean at the moment. True?’
Henry nodded.
‘And if France is intending to send an army out to India then why announce it so publicly? Why give us so much warning? It doesn’t make sense.’
Richard frowned and tapped the proclamation.‘So what is the meaning of this? What are they up to?’
‘It seems to me that the Governor of Mauritius is trying to encourage Tipoo to make war on us. It won’t cost France much more than encouraging words and a handful of supplies and advisers. If Tipoo wins the day then France can share in the spoils. If Tipoo is defeated then the French can at least hope that he has inflicted enough damage on us to significantly undermine our reputation.’
Richard smiled. ‘Ah yes, it’s that question of iqbalagain.’
‘Precisely. If our prestige is undermined it might be a long time before we win back the respect of the natives. Long enough at least for the French to gather forces to intervene more decisively.’
‘I see.’ Richard crossed to the window and gazed out across the ramparts towards Calcutta and the Hoogley river. ‘Arthur, are we ready for a war against Tipoo?’
‘No. And we won’t be for some months yet. Our forces are too widely dispersed and we would need time to amass the necessary equipment and supplies to support an army.’
‘When is the earliest that we could be ready to fight?’ asked Henry.
‘Not until next year. Spring, I’d say.’
‘Spring . . .’ Richard sighed and turned away from the window. ‘In the meantime, I think we should move some forces closer to Mysore to show him that we will defend what’s ours.’
‘That would be wise.’
Richard sat down. ‘Now then, to relieve the atmosphere of some of its gloom, I have some good news to relate. Concerning the Nizam.’
‘Oh?’
‘He has agreed terms for a treaty. I’ve persuaded him that a new alliance with England would be in his best interest. In exchange for removing his French officers the Nizam will permit us to increase the number of Company battalions at Hyderabad to six. More than enough to make him comfortable.’
Arthur raised his eyebrows. ‘This is the first I’ve heard of any treaty.’
‘Of course it is,’ said Henry. ‘It’s still a secret. If word of it got out the Nizam’s life would be in danger. Besides, he has yet to sign the treaty.’
Richard wagged a finger at Arthur. ‘The moment the treaty’s concluded I want our men in Hyderabad, and those French officers out. Do you think you can handle the task?’
‘Me?’ Arthur was surprised at the question.There were several officers senior to him who could easily have been offered the job.
‘Why me?’
‘Because you are my brother. I can trust you to keep your lip buttoned. Besides, you need a chance to prove your mettle. It was unfortunate that you were not given command of the Manila expedition, and doubly unfortunate that it was recalled before you had the opportunity to demonstrate your command skills. This time there will be no recall, and if you pull this off then no one can doubt my wisdom in choosing you for other commands in India. Do you understand, Arthur?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then don’t let me down.’
Arthur left the four Company battalions to make camp for the night and rode on to Hyderabad.The treaty with the Nizam had finally been signed and the ruler of Hyderabad was well aware of the approach of the Company reinforcements, even if many of his courtiers and palace officials were not. Before the new-comers entered the city, it was vital that Arthur find out what was waiting for them. Kirkpatrick had sent a trusted agent to meet the advancing column and guide Arthur to the residency without attracting any unwelcome attention. The agent was a hircarrah, a member of an old guild employed in India to carry messages and act as scouts or spies. As they rode up towards the crest of a low hill in the fading light the agent raised his hand to halt Arthur.
‘We must go most carefully from here, sahib.’
‘How far are we from the residency?’
‘Not so far, sahib. I know a safe route. Trust me.’
Arthur stared at the man in the gathering gloom, but the face was old and impassive and did not betray the slightest hint of what the hircarrahwas thinking. There was nothing for it but to trust the man. It was possible that Arthur was being led into a trap, but he was well aware of the guild’s reputation for fair dealing. The scout would have been paid by Kirkpatrick, and would stick to the bargain.
‘Very well.’ Arthur nodded. ‘Let’s go.’
They rode over the crest of the hill and Arthur saw the city of Hyderabad sprawling across the plain below him: a dark mass of buildings and minarets, illuminated here and there by the twinkling of small flames that cast a faint loom about them. The guide led Arthur down the far slope into a dried river bed that looped across the ground towards the city, and their horses’ hooves scraped on the gravel loudly enough to make Arthur wince and glance anxiously into the surrounding shadows to see if they had been detected. But there was only the occasional crack and rustle from the undergrowth betraying the movement of small creatures. Eventually the banks of the river bed levelled out a little as they approached the city outskirts.The air was filled with the braying of goats and deeper bellows of cattle in wicker pens stretching out on either side. The sharp tang of their odour was mixed with the rich earthy smell of manure and Arthur instinctively wrinkled his nose as they rode on, a safe distance from the dark buildings from which the sing-song voices of their inhabitants occasionally sounded.