"Abdar doesn't have the mind of a child."
"No." He smiled sardonically. "But I assure you, there is no one more twisted."
"Toys . . . you make it sound simple."
"Not simple, but possible. Go to Namir on the Street of the Palms, a brilliant craftsman. Tell him to sell you a toy like the ones he occasionally made for Kartauk. Maybe something with an elephant. The maharajah's mad about elephants."
Was it possible Kartauk was right about the maharajah? Eagerness began to surge through Ruel as he remembered what he had heard about the monarch's unreasonable demands, his tantrums and idiosyncracies.
He's not interested in anything but his toy of a railroad.
He likes a bit of flash.
Everything he had heard about the maharajah substantiated Kartauk's claim. The maharajah's self-indulgent behavior and unreasonable demands could certainly have been that of a child.
"Why isn't anyone else aware of this?"
"Perhaps they are, but it's not wise to question the sanity of a ruler who has the power of life and death. It's safer to assume he's merely spoiled than feeble-minded. Besides, not everyone has my great powers of perception."
"If I do send the maharajah a toy, what guarantee will I have he won't merely accept it and then forget I exist?"
"No guarantee. I gave you the key, it's your task to unlock the door. I'll be interested to see how you accomplish it." He scowled. "And stop frowning. I knew I should have waited until tomorrow to tell you. Now you'll be plotting and planning and I'll have a much harder time getting the forehead right."
Chapter 7
I've decided the toy has to be in two parts," Ruel told Ian. "I owe one more day to Kartauk, so will you go to see this Namir tomorrow? I want one of the figures of the toy to be a maharajah, the other an elephant. Tell him he may use his own judgment for the rest as long as the first part of the toy is fascinating enough to intrigue and yet still whet the appetite for the second half."
"Quite a challenge. How much time will he have?"
"Three days. The tracks are due to be joined in another six, and I don't want excitement over the completion of the maharajah's big toy to distract from his interest in this one."
"Isn't it dangerous to withhold something he wants from the maharajah?"
"Probably, but I'm counting on him wanting the other half of the toy more than feeding me to the crocodiles. Besides, he likes the British and I'll make sure to involve Colonel Pickering in the final negotiations."
Ian nodded. "Very well, I'll go see Namir in the morning. I imagine you'll have to pay him fairly well."
"Anything he wants. Who knows? I may not have to. pay the maharajah as much as I thought for Cinnidar. Kartauk had some interesting insights into his character."
"You like Kartauk?"
"He's a keen judge of character. I don't have to like him to appreciate his astuteness."
"But you do like him?" Ian persisted.
"Ian, dammit, I told you—yes, I like him."
"Good. And you like this Li Sung?"
"Well enough." He scowled. "All right, I'm positively brimming with warm and felicitous feelings. Satisfied?"
"Oh, yes, things are going quite nicely."
"I wouldn't have thought you'd be so overjoyed at the prospect of my possible success with the maharajah. If I persuade him to sell me Cinnidar, you know I won't go back to Glenclaren."
"If Cinnidar is best for you, then that's what I want." Ian smiled gently. "Lately I've begun to suspect there's more than gold waiting for you on Cinnidar. I'm not sure it's even the gold you really want. You need roots and a home that you'll love as much as I love Glenclaren. That's all I've ever wanted for you, Ruel."
Christ, Ruel felt as if something hard and tight were breaking up inside him as he looked at his brother. He wanted to reach out and touch him, clap him affectionately on the shoulder as he had done when they were boys together. Everything seemed to be shifting, changing around him since he had come to Kasanpore.
Or was Ian right and it was Ruel who was changing?
No, he couldn't accept that the lessons of a lifetime could be so easily discarded. He may have allowed Jane and Ian to touch him on a certain level, but once he had paid his debt he'd be able to dismiss them from his thoughts and go about his own business.
"I'm glad you're not disappointed," he said in a reserved tone. "Good night, Ian."
Ian smiled again. "Good night, Ruel."
"In four more days we'll be joining the rails," Patrick said. "Lord, and it's about time. I'D be glad to see the last of this foul country. This last week has almost killed me."
"I could come tomorrow and help you," Jane offered.
"I wouldn't think of it," Patrick said. "You just stay here and let me do the work for a change." He stood up and stretched. "I've got to get to bed. I'd forgotten how tired a man gets working the rails."
"But I really want to help, Patrick," she said eagerly. "Remember how it was in the beginning when we worked together in Salisbury?"
"You've done your share. Now let me do mine."
She was disappointed but reluctantly decided not to insist. Patrick had cut his drinking down to less than a quarter of a bottle a day since he had taken over the site from her. If it was responsibility that had made this change in him, she would be foolish to rob him of it. "Well, if you change your mind—" She paused and then said casually, "Since you won't let me help with the construction, I hope you won't mind if I make the trial run to Narinth?"
"Why should I mind?" Patrick yawned. "I'll be glad to stay home and rest my bones after the last week. I've got to take the maharajah and all those highbrow nabobs to Narinth the next day, and he'll probably find a hundred things wrong."
She hadn't expected any other answer but still felt relieved. "Then it's settled. I'll bring Li Sung from Narinth to engineer and I'll ride the fireman seat."
"Whatever you like." Patrick moved toward the bedroom. "It's about time Li Sung came back and did some real work for a change. I bet he's not out in the rain working the rails." He glanced back over his shoulder. "And I noticed our friend MacClaren quit us the minute the rains started. I keep telling him I'm the only one who has the gumption to put up with this foul weather."
"You do? When did you last see him?" she asked with careful casualness.
"Oh, he drops in at the site every day or so for a cup of coffee or a word."
She hadn't known Ruel had gone back to the site after that first afternoon and for an instant felt a completely unreasonable flicker of gratitude. After all, Ruel was not keeping an eye on Patrick for her sake. He wanted the railway completed as fast as possible so that he could get Kartauk out of Kasanpore.
Ruel staring at her across the temple, his gaze searing, demanding, holding.
"Your cheeks are flushed," Patrick said idly. "Are you coming down with something?"