"Aren't you?"
"I want only to show you that you need me as much as I—God, that's not true." He laughed desperately.
"That's how it started, but now I don't give a damn about showing you how tame and respectable I could be."
She should pull away, but she couldn't seem to move. "Let me go," she whispered.
His grasp tightened for a brief instant, and then he slowly released her hand. "You see how good I'm being? I didn't want to let you go." He stood up and strode toward the door. "But I'm keeping my promise. The ten minutes are up and I'm leaving." He paused at the french doors to glance back at her. "But it's not over, and you're not going to get rid of me. I'm staying here in Kasanpore until you and Patrick leave."
"That would be a waste of time. I'm not going to change my mind. And what about your Cinnidar?"
"I've worked and waited years for Cinnidar. I can wait a little longer." He smiled. "You're worth it, Jane Barnaby."
The locomotive was already spouting steam, the head lanterns blazing when Ruel bounded into the cab.
"Kartauk?" Jane asked.
"Safely ensconced at Lanpur Gorge." He grinned. "We rigged a lean-to shelter of sorts for him on the embankment, but he was still swearing because he has to wait in the rain for us. I had to assure him Scotland has no monsoons."
She braced herself against the blast of energy Ruel exuded as he stood smiling at her. After a near sleepless night she had told herself she was ready to withstand that magnetism, but it came as a fresh shock. The rain-wet brown slicker he wore was no more glossy than his tawny-streaked hair, and he glowed with the same brilliant beauty as the lanterns on the front of the locomotive. She had an almost irresistible urge to step forward and touch him.
She glanced quickly away from him. "Ian arrived a quarter of an hour ago. He's in the maharajah's car. He said he planned on napping in splendor while we labored. Why are you late?"
"I paid a visit to the palace and requested an audience with Abdar."
Jane's eyes swung back to him. "What?"
He grinned. "And was told by a servant that His Highness had left this morning to go to Narinth." He turned to Li Sung, who was sitting in the engineer's seat. "It seems your misdirection was successful."
"So it would appear," Li Sung said without expression. "But appearances sometimes lie. Who is to know if Abdar did not guess at the deception and is waiting to ambush us somewhere along the track?"
"Very true." Ruel looked at the engine controls. "Are you sure you know how to drive this monster of a locomotive?"
"My father taught me as a boy and I ran supplies up and down the line in Salisbury." He stiffened. "Of course Patrick never considered a Chinese good enough to engineer a passenger train. Perhaps you agree and would prefer to try yourself?"
"No, thank you. I'll be happy to labor at your command."
"An unusual attittude for a white." Li Sung smiled faintly. "I feel quite giddy with delight. We Chinese are not unaccustomed to being allowed such power over round eyes."
"It's time we left." Jane told Ruel, "You can stoke the boiler. I'm going to have to be on the lookout for hazards on the track." She signaled to Li Sung, and a moment later the locomotive pulled out of the station. "Patrick said the tracks were clear all the way to Narinth when he inspected them yesterday, but that doesn't mean something might not have happened in the meantime."
They were forced to stop twice before they reached Sikor Gorge, once to clear a fallen tree from the track, the second time to shoo a water buffalo who stood placidly chewing grass half on, half off the rails.
They slowed as they crossed Sikor Gorge, but once over the raging river Li Sung picked up speed and the locomotive glided smoothly over the tracks.
"Lanpur Gorge is just ahead around the bend," Jane said. "Be on the lookout for Kartauk."
"In this rain he can see the train's lights better than we can see him." Ruel moved over to stand beside her at the window. Through the heavy rain he could catch only glimpses of the yellowish gleam of the Zastu as the train started over Lanpur Bridge. "And you can be sure Kartauk is going to be ready to get out of this rain and jump on board as soon as we slow— What's that?"
Jane heard it too and her heart lurched. "Li Sung!"
"I know." Li Sung's voice was hoarse as he put on more power. "It's only three cars. The thrust may get us across before—"
The locomotive tilted, ground to a halt, jerked side-wise like a snake switching its tail.
"What the hell is happening?" Ruel asked.
"One of the back cars is off the tracks," Jane said. She felt as if the blood were freezing in her veins.
"Abdar!" Ruel swore beneath his breath.
The train jerked again and the cab was suddenly swaying.
"Get her out!" Li Sung snapped to Ruel as he applied the brakes. "The cab's off the track too. I think it's going over."
"Christ!" Ruel picked Jane up and leapt for the side of the track. They hit the bridge with bruising impact and rolled over and over.
The wooden bridge was vibrating beneath them, and between the ties Jane could glimpse the rushing water sixty feet below. This couldn't be happening, she thought frantically. Dear God, why?
"Li Sung!" Jane screamed.
She saw Li Sung at the door of the cab. An instant later he jumped.
Her relief vanished when Li Sung's bad leg folded beneath him as he hit the track. He fell, slipping toward the edge of the bridge.
Ruel muttered something beneath his breath, rolled over, and grabbed Li Sung's left arm at the moment he slid over the side. "Help me," he grated to Li Sung, the muscles of his upper arms distended with strain as he supported the man's weight. "Give me your other hand too."
"No, let me." Jane was immediately beside him, grabbing the hand Li Sung extended. Together they managed to pull him back on the bridge.
"Run!" Ruel leapt to his feet. "Get to the embankment." He whirled away from them. "I have to go see what—" He broke off as he saw the last car, the maharajah's car, teetering back and forth, its sheer weight causing it to seesaw off the bridge and tip toward the gorge. "Ian!"
Ian was in the maharajah's car, Jane remembered in horror. Why hadn't he jumped? She knew less than a minute had passed since she had jumped from the cab, but it seemed an eternity.
"Get off this damn bridge!" Ruel grabbed Jane's arm and pushed her forward toward the safety of the embankment a few yards away.
The heavy door of the maharajah's car was jerked open. Ian stood in the doorway, a bewildered expression on his face. His forehead was bleeding. "Ruel!"
"Ian! Jump!" Ruel ran along the bridge toward the maharajah's car. The bridge was vibrating, the ties spreading like teeth in a gaping, screaming mouth.
Another sound, even more ominous, a creaking of metal on metal. The bridge jerked, throwing Jane to the ground. Her panicky gaze flew back to the maharajah's car. Ruel had also been thrown to his knees a few yards before he reached the car. As she watched, Ian catapulted back into the car as it fell off the bridge and hung over the abyss suspended only by the coupling link to the two cars still on the track. God, let it hold, she prayed desperately. Let Ian get out!
The coupling link held, but gravity and the weight of the car was too great.
"No!" Ruel struggled to his knees, watching helplessly as all three railway cars tumbled slowly off the bridge toward the muddy water sixty feet below.