Naamah's Curse - Jacqueline Carey [217]
“Everyone is here,” I said. “But Hasan Dar is very ill, my lady.”
“Ah, no!” Spotting his litter, Amrita hurried over and dropped to her knees beside it. Pradeep hurried after her with a length of silk for her to kneel on, but she ignored it, reaching into the litter to take Hasan’s hand. “No, no, my friend,” she chided him. “This is no good! You must get well.”
His eyelids cracked open and a faint smile lifted his parched lips. “Now that you have commanded it, I’m sure I shall, highness.”
Amrita rose. “Let us make haste to the palace,” she said to Pradeep. “Did you tell the physician to meet us in the barracks?”
He bowed. “I did, highness.”
“Good.” She gave a brisk nod, then turned to address the servants of Kurugiri. “If you wish, places for all of you will be found in my household. I find we are quite shorthanded since taking in the Falconer’s harem.”
All save one of them looked profoundly relieved. I don’t think they had let themselves believe until that moment.
Only Sudhakar was not gazing at the Rani with gratitude. He was not gazing at the Rani at all, but kneeling and touching his brow to the ground. “Highness?” he asked in a muffled voice. “You know what I am.”
“Yes,” Amrita said firmly. “You are the young man who assisted Bao-ji tirelessly in tending to my injured warriors. You are the young man who offered to tend to the dead with honor.” Stooping, she put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a little shake. “And there is a place in my household for you, too. Perhaps you would like to be my physician’s apprentice, eh?”
A great shudder racked him, and he gave a single hoarse sob. The Rani straightened. Sudhakar knelt upright, gazing at her lovely face. She smiled at him. Bowing his head once more, he reached out with trembling hands and touched her bare feet in respect and gratitude. “Thank you, highness,” he whispered.
In my mind, Jagrati’s dark laughter fell silent.
“Yes, yes.” Amrita patted his head. “Only let us hurry, shall we? For Hasan Dar’s sake.”
Sudhakar leapt to his feet, his face shining. “Yes, highness!”
It wasn’t really possible to hurry through the crowded, narrow streets of Bhaktipur, especially with hundreds of folk turned out to observe the royal procession and the last of the returning heroes, but we did our best. When they saw the litters and the injured men within them, the Bhaktipuri people called out blessings, laying garlands of dried flowers on them. By the time we reached the palace, Hasan Dar was half-buried beneath a carpet of blossoms.
One by one, the wounded guards were transported by their bearers into the barracks. Amrita gazed after them, worried.
“Do you think they’ll be all right, Bao-ji?” Ravindra asked. “All of them?”
“I am worried about Hasan Dar, young highness,” Bao said honestly. “But he is strong, and a fighter.” He smiled at Ravindra. “And your mother has ordered him to get well. I know he wishes to obey her.”
“Mama-ji said you saved many lives,” Ravindra said in a respectful tone.
“I tried.” Bao stretched out his hands, regarding them. “My mentor Master Lo could have done better, much better. But I did my best.”
“That is all anyone can do,” Ravindra said with dignity, his small face very serious beneath his purple turban. “I think you did very well indeed.”
Amrita gave me a sparkling sidelong glance, and I smiled back at her, thinking that these two were truly very good for one another. “Come!” She clapped her hands together. “Let us leave the horses to the stablehands and the treasure to the porters, and get everyone inside. You must all be very tired and hungry after your journey.”
To be sure, I was.
It was a relief, a blessed relief, to be back in this place where I had found sanctuary after a long ordeal; and with the shadow of the threat of Kurugiri’s assassins lifted,