Your beloved Jimgrim was my enemy, and you led
himstraight into my trap.
A sort of madness seized me as the conviction grew
thatGrim had gone insane. She dropped the bags andovertook us, taking our arms and
forcing herself between us. When the babu spoke to me I did not answer. It was the
babus turn to bear the brunt of the exertion. If there is another woman meddling, it
is time wemade ready for trouble. I obeyed him when he orderedme to put my clothes
on.
Hecould not have hidden in the
monastery.
Mercy is stupidity, and there will be
none.
In the ruined building there was the sort of noise
that comes outof a slaughter-house.
The man in Grims clothes waited for us near the
cave mouth.
Hurt that babu if you want to see oldRamsden
suffer. Nothing hurts more on a cold night than a blow on the shin.
I told him that Grim was missing and that my plan
was to get theponies ready.
Youwill not in any case be carried or allowed to
die.
Rait, he remarked, is such an amateur that he acts
like a policemanwith a witness. He gave me a shove that sent Chullunder Ghose and me
both sprawlingon the cave floor.
The man in Grims clothes never troubled himself
once to turn andlook at us.
Understand, he said, thrusting his face close to
mine, therewill be no nonsense about sparing you.
There were lice eating into the scores of places
where my skinwas broken. Narayan Singh had received my leave to go. Youwill not in
any case be carried or allowed to die. I heard an oathfrom Narayan Singh and then
the swish-swish of his saber.
Cant you be generous when it wontcost you anything?
Motherof abominations, you shall stay until we find him!
The man in Grims clothes never troubled himself
once to turn andlook at us.
The cave, and everything in it, wasas clear as if
etched with a pen.