Lee-Enfield rifles as a ‘mark of his confidence in Your Highness’. The present Viceroy had every trust that that faith would be maintained in these ‘more trying times’.
Fonthill put down the letter with a sigh. With trouble imminent – witness the attack on Chitral two years before – why on earth would the then British Viceroy give 5,000
of the latest
British rifles to a potential enemy? If bribery was needed, why not offer rupees, less instantly convertible into weapons of aggression?
He folded his letter and its enclosure and carefully placed them inside his jacket, called Buckingham and, with a non-commital handshake of thanks to the Commissioner, the two walked back to the hotel. On the way, Simon kept his own counsel and let the young subaltern restrain his obvious curiosity. He had some hard thinking to do.
Alice, of course, had no doubts about how he should reply.
‘For God’s sake, Simon,’ she snorted. ‘It’s ridiculous to expect someone whose knowledge of India and Afghanistan is nearly two decades out of date to undertake this task. You must refuse, of course. Plead old age, influenza, curry stomach or whatever. But you can’t go. Apart from anything else, it will be terribly dangerous. You will be putting your head into the lion’s – or rather the tiger’s – mouth. Surely you must see that?’
Fonthill thought for a moment. ‘Dangerous?’ he repeated eventually. ‘Well, it looks as though anywhere along the Border just now is likely to be dangerous, although things seem comparatively quiet in the south – and, particularly along the Khyber Pass, which is the route we would have to take to Kabul. As I understand it, the Waziris, whose lands line the Pass, possess reasonably good farmland which they wouldn’t want to risk and many of them are ex-sepoys who equally wouldn’t wish to risk their pensions. As for the Amir, I doubt if he would lift a finger, either openly or surreptitiously, against an envoy of the Viceroy. So I think we ought to be safe enough.’
Jenkins had joined them and had sat listening intently.
Simon turned to him. ‘What do you think, 352?’
The Welshman sniffed. ‘It’s up to you, bach sir. You know that. But if it’s a peaceful postin’ I wouldn’t object. Me shoulder’s stillachin’ from firin’ that Lee-Metford, so I wouldn’t be too anxious to go chasin’ a Victoria Cross again just yet awhile. But, either way, if you go, then I go with you.’
‘And so do I,’ said Alice, with conviction.
‘Ah.’ Simon shook his head. ‘Now, that would be out of the question, my love, and you know it.’
‘And why, pray, should it be out of the question? Is this the “feeble woman” argument again? That is tosh and you know that.’
‘I can’t think of a less appropriate description for you, Alice. No. There are two strong points against you accompanying us. The first is that you know how Muslims consider women to be second-class citizens – no, don’t object. Hear me out. For me to bring my wife with me on this mission would be to portray myself either as a rather weak object who could not bear to travel without his spouse or as someone who has seriously misunderstood the purpose of the journey, making it a sort of social occasion.’
Alice opened her mouth to interrupt but Simon held up his hand and continued. ‘The second reason is more important. You are now a working journalist, known to be reporting on the situation out here for one of Britain’s leading newspapers. To take you with me would seriously compromise my position as the Viceroy’s envoy on a confidential mission for him.’
A silence fell on the gathering.
Alice sniffed again. ‘So,’ she said eventually, ‘you mean to go?’
Simon shrugged. ‘I don’t see how I can refuse, to be honest. That
cri de coeur
at the end of his letter – “your country and Queen-Empress need you” – is a bit emotional and penny dreadful, I suppose. The bloody man is blackmailing
Fonthill put down the letter with a sigh. With trouble imminent – witness the attack on Chitral two years before – why on earth would the then British Viceroy give 5,000
of the latest
British rifles to a potential enemy? If bribery was needed, why not offer rupees, less instantly convertible into weapons of aggression?
He folded his letter and its enclosure and carefully placed them inside his jacket, called Buckingham and, with a non-commital handshake of thanks to the Commissioner, the two walked back to the hotel. On the way, Simon kept his own counsel and let the young subaltern restrain his obvious curiosity. He had some hard thinking to do.
Alice, of course, had no doubts about how he should reply.
‘For God’s sake, Simon,’ she snorted. ‘It’s ridiculous to expect someone whose knowledge of India and Afghanistan is nearly two decades out of date to undertake this task. You must refuse, of course. Plead old age, influenza, curry stomach or whatever. But you can’t go. Apart from anything else, it will be terribly dangerous. You will be putting your head into the lion’s – or rather the tiger’s – mouth. Surely you must see that?’
Fonthill thought for a moment. ‘Dangerous?’ he repeated eventually. ‘Well, it looks as though anywhere along the Border just now is likely to be dangerous, although things seem comparatively quiet in the south – and, particularly along the Khyber Pass, which is the route we would have to take to Kabul. As I understand it, the Waziris, whose lands line the Pass, possess reasonably good farmland which they wouldn’t want to risk and many of them are ex-sepoys who equally wouldn’t wish to risk their pensions. As for the Amir, I doubt if he would lift a finger, either openly or surreptitiously, against an envoy of the Viceroy. So I think we ought to be safe enough.’
Jenkins had joined them and had sat listening intently.
Simon turned to him. ‘What do you think, 352?’
The Welshman sniffed. ‘It’s up to you, bach sir. You know that. But if it’s a peaceful postin’ I wouldn’t object. Me shoulder’s stillachin’ from firin’ that Lee-Metford, so I wouldn’t be too anxious to go chasin’ a Victoria Cross again just yet awhile. But, either way, if you go, then I go with you.’
‘And so do I,’ said Alice, with conviction.
‘Ah.’ Simon shook his head. ‘Now, that would be out of the question, my love, and you know it.’
‘And why, pray, should it be out of the question? Is this the “feeble woman” argument again? That is tosh and you know that.’
‘I can’t think of a less appropriate description for you, Alice. No. There are two strong points against you accompanying us. The first is that you know how Muslims consider women to be second-class citizens – no, don’t object. Hear me out. For me to bring my wife with me on this mission would be to portray myself either as a rather weak object who could not bear to travel without his spouse or as someone who has seriously misunderstood the purpose of the journey, making it a sort of social occasion.’
Alice opened her mouth to interrupt but Simon held up his hand and continued. ‘The second reason is more important. You are now a working journalist, known to be reporting on the situation out here for one of Britain’s leading newspapers. To take you with me would seriously compromise my position as the Viceroy’s envoy on a confidential mission for him.’
A silence fell on the gathering.
Alice sniffed again. ‘So,’ she said eventually, ‘you mean to go?’
Simon shrugged. ‘I don’t see how I can refuse, to be honest. That
cri de coeur
at the end of his letter – “your country and Queen-Empress need you” – is a bit emotional and penny dreadful, I suppose. The bloody man is blackmailing
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