Assuming you had any, that was. Only, now your sorrows are such that I’ll have to share the bottle with me self Do you want me to leave, or shall I hang on.”
Christopher, who was beginning to feel nauseous again, shook his head.
“It’s all right. I’d like you to stay. What’s the “real stuff”?”
“Ah!” said Cormac, drawing a half-pint flask from his other pocket.
“Poteen. Irish whiskey, made from spuds. I’ve a friend in Newry sends
me a wee bottle every now and again. I don’t suppose there’s another
drop of this stuff anywhere between here and the
Belfast ferry.”
Northern Irish that was the accent. Probably Belfast, but
Christopher couldn’t be sure. He’d never heard of Newry. There were a lot of them in India: the ruled ruling the ruled. Perhaps that was what the Empire was all about, after a fashion.
“It’s a funny thing,” Cormac continued, ‘but, to tell you the truth, Kalimpong’s not normally a place you’d expect to be set upon. There’s plenty of thievery, of course, but they’ll not knock a man out as a rule. In all my years here, I’ve never come across a case of it. A knockout in an argument, sure. But never in a robbery.
When I saw him bending over you, I felt sure I’d come across a
Thug about to make a sacrifice of you. Cheers! Sldintef
Cormac raised the flask and put its mouth to his lips. He swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and shivered.
“God, I needed that,” he gasped.
“Just what the doctor ordered.
Mind you,” he went on, replacing the stopper, ‘it’s a bit rough. It’d ; burn your gob off, as my dear departed Da used to say. Can’t be doing me any good.”
“There are no Thugs in India any longer,” muttered Christopher.
“There haven’t been any for nearly a century. That’s almost a hundred years.”
“Ay, I know well enough. But don’t go telling that to your wee friend up on the hill. He’s a firm believer in them.
“The heathen in his blindness Bows down to wood and stone” that’s his ‘ favourite song, and he sings it morning, noon, and night. As, no doubt, you know by now.”
“How did you know I was at the orphanage tonight?”
“Ah,” replied Cormac, unscrewing his stopper again.
“There’s ‘ not much that passes unobserved in Kalimpong. Sister Campbell made it her business to find out who you were and what you were I up to. I think she was put out to discover you’d been with the t Carpenters. It’s not often she gets invited there herself. Mind you, it’s even less often I get invited. Unless one of the wee’uns is taken poorly. And what qualifies as “poorly” up there would be next to fatal anywhere else.”
“And just what made you come here tonight to see me?”
Christopher asked. As his faculties were returning, so were his instincts for suspicion.
“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure,” said Cormac.
“Maybe if you’d lived up in the Black Hole as long as I have you’d understand. I got back from Peshok earlier this evening. The first thing that confronted me here was Sister Campbell with a face like cold whey telling me about this disreputable-looking character who’d been asking after me. Then I heard a wee rumour that Lady Carpenter hadn’t been all that impressed by your appearance either, but that you’d been extended the supreme honour by her good man. So, to tell you the truth, I was curious. I thought I’d come and have a look at you. Good thing I did. Sldinte.r “You don’t suppose I could have a drop of your “real stuff”, do you?” Christopher asked.
Cormac tried to look medical and severe, but he had lost the knack.
“Ah, well, you’re not supposed to have any strong drink along with those wee pills you’ve taken. But, then, I don’t imagine a wee smidgeon will do you much harm. To tell you the truth, it’ll probably do you
Christopher, who was beginning to feel nauseous again, shook his head.
“It’s all right. I’d like you to stay. What’s the “real stuff”?”
“Ah!” said Cormac, drawing a half-pint flask from his other pocket.
“Poteen. Irish whiskey, made from spuds. I’ve a friend in Newry sends
me a wee bottle every now and again. I don’t suppose there’s another
drop of this stuff anywhere between here and the
Belfast ferry.”
Northern Irish that was the accent. Probably Belfast, but
Christopher couldn’t be sure. He’d never heard of Newry. There were a lot of them in India: the ruled ruling the ruled. Perhaps that was what the Empire was all about, after a fashion.
“It’s a funny thing,” Cormac continued, ‘but, to tell you the truth, Kalimpong’s not normally a place you’d expect to be set upon. There’s plenty of thievery, of course, but they’ll not knock a man out as a rule. In all my years here, I’ve never come across a case of it. A knockout in an argument, sure. But never in a robbery.
When I saw him bending over you, I felt sure I’d come across a
Thug about to make a sacrifice of you. Cheers! Sldintef
Cormac raised the flask and put its mouth to his lips. He swallowed hard, closed his eyes, and shivered.
“God, I needed that,” he gasped.
“Just what the doctor ordered.
Mind you,” he went on, replacing the stopper, ‘it’s a bit rough. It’d ; burn your gob off, as my dear departed Da used to say. Can’t be doing me any good.”
“There are no Thugs in India any longer,” muttered Christopher.
“There haven’t been any for nearly a century. That’s almost a hundred years.”
“Ay, I know well enough. But don’t go telling that to your wee friend up on the hill. He’s a firm believer in them.
“The heathen in his blindness Bows down to wood and stone” that’s his ‘ favourite song, and he sings it morning, noon, and night. As, no doubt, you know by now.”
“How did you know I was at the orphanage tonight?”
“Ah,” replied Cormac, unscrewing his stopper again.
“There’s ‘ not much that passes unobserved in Kalimpong. Sister Campbell made it her business to find out who you were and what you were I up to. I think she was put out to discover you’d been with the t Carpenters. It’s not often she gets invited there herself. Mind you, it’s even less often I get invited. Unless one of the wee’uns is taken poorly. And what qualifies as “poorly” up there would be next to fatal anywhere else.”
“And just what made you come here tonight to see me?”
Christopher asked. As his faculties were returning, so were his instincts for suspicion.
“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure,” said Cormac.
“Maybe if you’d lived up in the Black Hole as long as I have you’d understand. I got back from Peshok earlier this evening. The first thing that confronted me here was Sister Campbell with a face like cold whey telling me about this disreputable-looking character who’d been asking after me. Then I heard a wee rumour that Lady Carpenter hadn’t been all that impressed by your appearance either, but that you’d been extended the supreme honour by her good man. So, to tell you the truth, I was curious. I thought I’d come and have a look at you. Good thing I did. Sldinte.r “You don’t suppose I could have a drop of your “real stuff”, do you?” Christopher asked.
Cormac tried to look medical and severe, but he had lost the knack.
“Ah, well, you’re not supposed to have any strong drink along with those wee pills you’ve taken. But, then, I don’t imagine a wee smidgeon will do you much harm. To tell you the truth, it’ll probably do you
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