River of Smoke - Amitav Ghosh [257]
The day before their departure Neel did a last, solitary round of the enclave, bidding goodbye to Asha-didi and exchanging chin-chins with the linkisters, some of whom had become good friends. His last stop was at the print-shop: Compton led him into the inner courtyard and called for tea and snacks. They talked for a while of the still-unfinished Chrestomathy and then Compton handed him an envelope: ‘Have got one last proof for you, Neel. It is a present.’
‘What is it?’
‘Letter.’
‘But who is it from? And who is the writer?’
‘Letter is from Lin Zexu to Queen of England.’
Neel started in surprise. ‘Commissioner Lin has written a letter to Queen Victoria?’
‘Haih! Translation also has been made and printed. Ho-yih can read later.’
‘I will,’ said Neel, rising to go. ‘Thank you, Compton. Do-jeh!’
Mh sai!
At the door of the print-shop Neel came to a stop. ‘Listen, Compton, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.’
‘Yes, Ah Neel. Me-aa?’
‘That day, when you introduced me to your teacher, Chang Lou-si, you said something that puzzled me.’
‘What was it?’
‘You said that you had found out something about Seth Bahramji – about the bad things he has been responsible for.’
Compton nodded. ‘Yes. We found out because of Ho Lao-kin. You remember? Man who was executed?’
‘Yes.’
‘Before he die he very afraid, pale-face-white-lips, like gwai is after him. He talk a lot, lo-lo-so-so. Say many thing. He tell that it was Mister Moddie who first give him opium – that how he start in the business. That time Mister Moddie have woman here in Canton – aunt of Ho Lao-kin. Later he have son with her, ne? You savvy no-savvy all this, Ah Neel?’
‘I’ve heard something about it. Go on.’
‘This boy, when he grow up, he need work. Ho Lao-kin take him to Macau – help him join smuggler gang. He work for them some years but then he have trouble and want to leave. He ask his father to take to his country, but father say no, must stay here. Then things become very bad for him. Gang boss want to kill him, so he run away, come to Guangzhou, hide with his mother. Gang-men catch Ho Lao-kin and he tell them boy is with mother, on boat. They go there to catch him, but he is gone, ne? Only mother there.’
‘And then?’
‘Then they kill her and leave on boat.’
Compton pursed his lips in disapproval and shook his head: ‘Mister Moddie not good; he have done too much harm. Low-low sek-sek, you should not work for him Ah Neel. Yauh-jyuh – watch out, all who are close to him will suffer for what he has done.’
Neel fell silent as he considered this. ‘Maybe you’re right,’ he said. ‘But you know, Compton, it is also true that amongst those who are close to Seth Bahramji there are very few who do not love him. And I am not one of them – for if there is one thing I know about the Seth it is that he has a large and generous heart. This is what makes him different from the Burnhams and Dents and Ferdoonjees and the rest of them. You mark my words, those men will lose nothing in the end. It is Seth Bahramji who will be the biggest loser – and the reason for that is just this: he has a heart.’
Compton smiled: ‘You are loyal Neel. Sih-sih.’
‘We Achhas are a loyal people – it is perhaps our greatest failing. It is a sin amongst us to break faith with those whose salt we have eaten.’
‘Haih-bo?’ Compton laughed. ‘I will feed you salt when I see you next Neel.’
‘No need,’ said Neel smiling. ‘I have eaten your salt already.’
Compton smiled and bowed.
Joi-gin Ah Neel. Joi-gin Compton. Joi-gin.
*
It was not till later that night, after all his things had been packed, that Neel opened the envelope Compton had given him. He read the Commissioner’s letter to Queen Victoria several times, and then reached for a page of his unfinished Chrestomathy. Turning it over, on impulse, he translated a few passages into Bengali.
‘The Way of Heaven is fairness