Hawksworth waited anxiously by the rear entryway of the _Diwan-
i-Khas _and watched the three Jesuits file silently through the
tapestried archway beside him. Father Alvarez Sarmento, imperious in
his freshly laundered black habit, moved directly to the silver railing
that circled the throne. The old priest's eyes seemed to fairly glow in
triumph. Behind him trailed Father Pinheiro and the pudgy father
Francisco da Silva, their attempts at poise marred by shifting, anxious
glances of disquiet. Hawksworth studied all three and puzzled even more
what could be afoot.
Over a week had passed since the death of Samad, and since that day he
had no longer been invited to Arangbar's evenings in the _Diwan-i-
Khas_. Even his requests for an audience had been ignored. Before the
poet's death, it had been possible for him to believe that the
absurdity of Samad and Shirin's arrest would eventually _Resolve_
itself, that the nightmare would fade into reality and bring their
release. But the killing of Samad had blotted out that illusion. When
he saw Arangbar, presiding high above the square, signal the Sufi's
death, he had realized finally the nightmare was all too real. Since
that time he had spent the sleepless nights alone, distraught, counting
the passage of each hour as he awaited news Shirin was also dead. In
his mind he had conceived a dozen stratagems to try to save her, a
dozen arguments, threats, bargains for her release, but nothing could
be done if he was denied even an audience with the Moghul.
That they should have tasted so much, only to lose it all. He found
himself aware, for the first time ever, how much he could want, could
need, a woman like Shirin beside him. With her, life itself seemed
renewed. She was like no other he had ever known: strong, beautiful,
self-willed. He had found himself admiring the last most of all, even
though he still found it startling. But the love he had known with her
in his arms now only made the despair deeper. Nothing was left. Now
there was only abiding sorrow, loss beyond healing. She had given him
something he had never known, something he realized--for the first time
ever--he no longer wanted to live without. He would have taken her place
a hundred times over, but even that seemed impossible.
Then, that morning, hope had appeared, almost a miracle., A sudden,
urgent message had been delivered, instructing him to appear once more
in the _Diwan-i-Khas_. It almost certainly meant Arangbar had received
word of the English fleet. If Shirin were still alive, and there had
been no news of her death, it must mean that the Moghul was uncertain
about her guilt: he was not a man who normally waited to act. And if
she was alive, all things again became possible . . .
He had asked himself again and again over the past week why he had
suddenly been forgotten by Arangbar. He finally concluded it was the
distracting turmoil that had gripped Agra and the court since Samad's
death.
The Sufi's last words had been repeated throughout the city, and
already there were rumors of impending calamity: the bazaars were alive
with talk of a Persian Safavid invasion from the northwest, a rebellion
among the Imperial guards, an impending holocaust that would burn all
Agra to ash, a universal plague. The streets had an apocalyptic air,
with omens foreseen in every temple.
Another reason for Arangbar's preoccupation could be the rumors from
the south. Word was sweeping Agra that Prince Jadar and his army had
been savaged by the Deccani forces and were now retreating northward,
with Malik Ambar in pursuit. If this story were true, then the
Abyssinian's defeat of Jadar must have been overwhelming, since rebels
did not normally pursue Moghul forces. But this story was still merely
rumor. There had been no actual reports of any engagements in the
south.
Jadar's possible defeat, so the talk in Agra went, had gone very
heavily with Arangbar, and accounted for his increasing dependence on
opium and wine. Those who had seen him reported the Moghul was growing
noticeably weaker. And as his strength waned, so too did his authority.
Ever since the night of the wedding, Queen Janahara had been moving to
assume more and more of the prerogatives of power. Arangbar already
seemed to be becoming a figurehead. The only sanctuary she had not yet
invaded was the _Diwan-i-Khas_.
Those evening gatherings Arangbar still ruled like a god, and the
unusual note he had sent to Hawksworth was worded almost more like an
order than an invitation. It confirmed vividly the reports that
Arangbar was growing more erratic by the day.
Around Hawksworth sat the usual assembly of Arangbar's closest
advisers, men whose perpetually smiling faces he had come to know well
over the past weeks. Prominent among them as always was Nadir Sharif,
who now seemed to be avoiding Hawksworth's glance. Also in attendance
was a special contingent of Rajput guards, in Imperial turbans and
tunics. Hawksworth could never remember having seen these particular
guards in the _Diwan-i-Khas _before.
When the last official had arrived, the Rajput guards moved across the
doorway and the kettledrum was sounded. Moments later the tapestry
behind the throne was pushed aside by two eunuchs and Arangbar emerged
into the light. He stumbled momentarily on the edge of a carpet, then
recovered his balance and took his seat on the white marble throne. His
dull eyes glistened against the lamplight as the men in the room
dropped to _teslim_. For the first time he seemed more annoyed than
amused when Hawksworth failed to bow to the carpet. He glared at him
for a long moment and then spoke to Nadir Sharif, who stood waiting by
his side. The prime minister turned to the room.
"Ambassador Hawksworth, His Majesty commands you to come forward."
It was abrupt language rarely heard in the _Diwan-i-Khas_, and the room
immediately fell silent. Hawksworth rose and tightened his belt,
feeling his apprehension rising. As he neared the throne, he found
himself seeing not Arangbar's expressionless gaze, but the face of
Shirin as she waited for help.
"Inglish, stand there." He pointed to the side of the throne opposite
the Jesuits. "Tell me, any fresh news of your king's fleet?"
Hawksworth felt his heart explode, realizing there was no arrival--and
no possibility of using King James's presents to bargain for Shirin. "I
expect it any day, Your Majesty. Possibly the winds have been against
them."
"The winds." Arangbar turned to Father Sarmento, his voice sarcastic.
"Do you think the winds have been against them, Padre?"
"Undoubtedly, Majesty." Sarmento could not suppress a
malicious smile. "The winds of truth. They have been arrested in a gale
of deception."
"I object, Your Majesty, to this Papist's innuendos." Hawksworth felt
himself suddenly bristle. "An Englishman does not accept insults from a
Portugal."
"You will listen quietly to what you are about to hear, Inglish, or you
will be removed by my guards." Arangbar again turned to Father
Sarmento. "Padre, repeat to the Inglish conspirator what you told me
this afternoon."
"May it please Your Majesty, not only is the English a heretic before
God and the Holy Church, he is also a liar." Sarmento paused with the
dramatic timing of a practiced orator. " There is no English fleet."
Hawksworth stared at the Jesuit in speechless dismay. His entire being
seemed to crash down about him as Sarmento continued.
"Because of the foresight of His Excellency, Miguel Vaijantes, Viceroy
of Goa, we have now uncovered the truth, Your Majesty. After his
patrols encountered no English merchantmen, either north or south, he
began to grow suspicious. He ordered his personal guards to find and
detain the man who claimed to have intercepted Jadar's cipher reporting
the fleet. The traitor was found, not surprisingly, in a Goan brothel,
where he had been for many days, spending more money than such a man
could normally earn in a lifetime. He was brought to the palace and
interrogated on the _strappado_." Sarmento turned triumphantly to
Hawksworth. "Where he readily admitted being paid to bring a false
report."
"And who do you believe paid him?"
"On that His Excellency is still uncertain, Your Majesty. He was paid
by agents in the south."
"But who does the Viceroy believe paid the money?"
"The coins were assayed and traced to the mint at Surat, Your Majesty.
They were part of a special minting that took place just before the
English, Hawksworth, left the city. The assay also revealed they were a
debased alloy, slightly lower in silver content than is normal,
although not enough to be readily detectable. Similar coins have begun
to be used throughout the Deccan. Reportedly they were given out
recently by Prince Jadar as back pay to the troops of certain
_mansabdars_.'"
"Who were the coins minted for?"
"The Shahbandar at Surat, Mirza Nuruddin, claims to have misplaced the
records for this particular minting. However, he maintains the lower
silver content was probably due to a minter's oversight. The former
governor of Surat, Mukarrab Khan, is returning to the city to
investigate. The minting run appears to have been approximately fifty
lakhs of rupees. But the actual silver content was only forty-nine
lakhs of rupees." He paused for breath. "The Shahbandar says he has no
idea what could have happened to the other lakh's worth of silver
bullion authorized to be used in the minting."
"That's not so difficult to explain, knowing Mirza Nuruddin." Arangbar
seemed to be talking to himself. Then he glanced again at Sarmento. "Of
course, the discrepancy would probably never have been detected if the
coins given to the traitor had not been melted down and assayed. The
question remains who ordered him paid?" Arangbar turned to Hawksworth,
who stood with his mind churning, refusing to accept the consequences
of what he was hearing. It meant the end of everything. "Perhaps the
Inglish ambassador can help explain it."
"I have no idea why there was a false report, Majesty. I believed it
too."
"Did you, Inglish?" Arangbar glared down drunkenly from his throne. "Or
did you plot this with Prince Jadar when you met with him in Burhanpur?
Did you and he conspire together to deceive me, exchanging bribes in
the pocket of the prince with some of this debased silver coin for his
help in a ruse you thought would produce a _firman _when brought to my
ears?"
"I gave nothing to the prince, Majesty. And I asked nothing from him.
That is the truth."
"The truth from you is not always easy to obtain, Inglish. Your
deceptions have distressed me very much. And, curiously enough. Her
Majesty even more. There is no fleet, Inglish. Instead there are lies,
by you and, I'm beginning to suspect now, by my own son. I no longer
have any idea what he is doing in the south. But I fear his arrogance
has brought ruin to his army. I am recalling him to Agra, immediately,
for an inquiry, and I am hereby ordering you to leave India."
Hawksworth noticed Nadir Sharif shoot a troubled glance toward the
Jesuits.
"May it please Your Majesty, neither I nor my king have had anything to
do with the reports of the fleet, whether true or false. There will be
other voyages and soon. My king has promised it, and he is a sovereign
who honors his word."
"Your Inglish king posts a conspirator and a traitor to my court. He
will never have a _firman _from my hand, no matter how many voyages he
may send."
"If there is indeed no fleet now, then I agree Your Majesty has been
deceived. But I have been also. We have both been used by those around
us, for purposes unknown. But my king would not knowingly play false
with Your Majesty. Nor would I. Those who would deceive you, whoever
they may be, sit much closer to Your Majesty's throne."
"It is not your place, Inglish, to tell me mine is a court of liars.
Your forgeries in India are ended. You will be gone from Agra within
the week, or I will not answer for your life. After that you no longer
may use the title of ambassador. You will be treated as the conspirator
you are. And as of this moment you are stripped of your title of khan."
He motioned to the Rajput guards. "Take him away."
Hawksworth turned to see Father Sarmento beaming.
"Alas it seems we soon must part, Ambassador. May God in His mercy
grant you a pleasant and speedy journey. Should you wish to travel
through Goa, I can give you a letter to His Excellency, Miguel
Vaijantes, requesting safe passage on a westbound galleon."
"Damn your Viceroy." As Hawksworth turned back toward Arangbar, he felt
rough hands close about his arms. Before he could speak, he was being
guided through the rear doorway and into the long gallery leading to
the public square.
"Majesty." Nadir Sharif watched the curtains close behind
Hawksworth, then rose and moved closer to the throne. "May it please
you, the Englishman unfortunately remains my guest. At least for a few
more days. As his host I feel a trifling obligation to see he finds his
way home safely. I ask leave to excuse myself for a few moments to
ensure he finds a palanquin."
"As you wish." Arangbar was watching a eunuch bring in a box of opium.
When Nadir Sharif moved toward the doorway, Father Pinheiro rose
unobtrusively and slipped out behind him. As the Jesuit moved into the
hallway, he appeared not to hurry, but his brisk walk brought him
alongside the prime minister midway down the corridor.
"Have you told Her Majesty, as we agreed?"
"Told her what?" Nadir Sharif did not break his pace or remove his eyes
from Hawksworth, still being led by the guards several yards ahead.
"About the ship that would be seized."
Nadir Sharif stopped as though hit by an arrow. "But surely you'll not
take the vessel now! Didn't you see that the Englishman has been
ordered out of Agra? He's finished. There'll certainly be no trading
_firman _for him now, or ever."
"But the warships were dispatched from Surat day before yesterday, just
before the pigeons arrived from Goa with the word of the hoax. His
Excellency, Miguel Vaijantes', message revoking their order to sail
arrived a day too late. They were already at sea. The Indian ship may
have already been seized."
Nadir Sharif inspected him with astonishment. "Your Viceroy must be
mad. To take the vessel now? There's no purpose in it. His Majesty will
be most annoyed."
"But you were the one who suggested it!" The Jesuit's voice rose,
quivering in dismay. "You said that bold measures were for bold men.
Those were your words. His Excellency agreed it would be a decisive
stroke of firmness."
"And what does Father Sarmento think of this folly?"
"Father Sarmento does not yet know. I thought it best not to inform
him." Pinheiro's eyes were despairing. "What did Her Majesty, Queen
Janahara, say about the plan?"
"What do you mean?"
"We agreed you would tell her."
"I've not forgotten our agreement. I've been watching carefully for the
right moment."
"She does not even know!" Pinheiro seized his arm and stared at him
incredulously. "But I told His Excellency you would-"
"I planned to tell her any day. The time was approaching. But now,
given what has happened . . ." Then he smiled and touched the Jesuit's
arm lightly. "But I think she can still bring reason to His Majesty. It
can all be readily explained as a misunderstanding."
"But you must tell her immediately." Pinheiro's shock was growing. "If
she hears of it before you've explained, she'll think --"
"Of course. But there's no reason yet for concern." Nadir Sharif smiled
again. "I assure you it all can be handled very routinely. But please
tell His Excellency, Miguel Vaijantes, not to do anything else this
ill-advised for at least a week. I can only excuse so much at one
time."
As Nadir Sharif turned to continue down the corridor, Pinheiro reached
out and seized his arm again. "You must also do one other thing. You
must make sure the Englishman is removed from Agra immediately. We both
know His Majesty may well forget by tomorrow that he has ordered him
gone."
"This time I doubt very much His Majesty will forget. It will only be a
matter of days, in any case." Nadir Sharif turned and smiled. "And
remember what I told you, that as far as His Majesty is concerned, I
know nothing about your Viceroy's impetuous act. But I do advise you to
inform Father Sarmento, before he hears it in open _durbar_."
"He'll be furious. He'll probably order me back to Goa."
"I doubt it. I'm sure he knows your value here." Nadir Sharif turned
without another word and hurried on down the corridor.
Ahead of him Hawksworth was being led by the guards through the marble
archways. As they reached the end, facing the doorway leading to the
courtyard stairs, he turned one last time and stared back, seeing Nadir
Sharif for the first time.
"What do you want now? My money or my life? Or both?"
"I merely came to see you safely home, Ambassador." Nadir Sharif waved
the guards back toward the _Diwan-i-Khas_, and they bowed with relief
as they turned to retreat. "And to offer my condolences."
"And no doubt to cozen me as well. I intend to find out who played me
false. Even if it's Jadar. Somebody has hell to pay."
"That would be most unwise, Ambassador. I'm afraid we were all a bit
too credulous. I readily confess even I had begun to believe your
story."
"It wasn't 'my story'! I knew nothing about . . ."
"But you never denied it, Ambassador. Surely you knew the truth all
along. The truth is always wisest. That's my cardinal rule in life."
"But it could have been true. It was entirely possible. Why didn't you
explain that to Arangbar? You're still supposed to be my agent."
"That would be rather difficult for His Majesty to believe, given what
really happened. But I do suppose it's possible." Nadir Sharif patted
Hawksworth's shoulder. "I'll see if there's anything I can do. But in
the meantime, I suggest you begin preparations to leave. His Majesty
was unusually disturbed tonight."
"He's disturbed over a lot of things, most of which have little to do
with me."
"If you mean the matter of the prince, I assure you it's alarming to us
all. No one is certain what has happened in the south. In fact, you
were one of the last men to see Prince Jadar. He seems almost to have
disappeared. All sorts of rumors are working their way to the court.
Where it will end no one can any longer even guess." Nadir Sharif
followed Hawksworth out into the open square of the _Diwan-i-Am_.
"Incidentally, Ambassador, did you yourself know anything about the
fifty lakhs of silver coin spoken of tonight?"