The Far Pavilions - Mary Margaret Kaye [607]
A year and more ago Wally, writing to Ash of his latest hero, had said that he did not believe that Cavagnari knew the meaning of fear: an extravagant statement that has been made about many men, and is usually untrue. But in this instance it was no exaggeration. The Envoy had already received a garbled warning from the Amir, who hearing that all was not going well with the pay parade, had hurriedly dispatched a message to Sir Louis urging him not to allow anyone to enter the Mission compound that day. But the message had arrived only minutes before the mob, and far too late to be acted upon, even if there had been any adequate way of keeping them out, which there was not.
The Envoy's first reaction to the tumult in the compound had been anger. It was, he considered, a disgrace that the Afghan authorities should permit the precincts of the British Mission to be invaded in this manner by a horde of undisciplined savages, and he would have to speak sharply about it both to the Amir and Daud Shah. When the looting stopped and the rabble turned their attention to the Residency and began to shout his name, demanding money with uncouth threats and flinging stones at his windows, his anger merely turned to disgust, and as the chupprassis hurried to close the shutters, he withdrew to his bedroom, where William, running up from his office on the ground floor below, found him donning his Political uniform: not the white of the hot weather, but the blue-black frock-coat usually worn in the cold months, complete with gilt buttons, medals, gold braid and narrow gold sword-belt.
Sir Louis appeared to be completely oblivious of the racket below, and seeing the look of cold and disdainful detachment on his face, William was torn between admiration and an odd feeling of panic that had nothing to do with the howling horde outside or the sound of stones rattling like hail against the wooden shutters. He was not normally given to imaginative flights, but as he watched the Envoy shrug himself into his coat it struck him that so might a noble of Louis XVI's day – an ‘Aristo’ – have looked when hearing the screeching of the canaille outside the walls of his château…
William cleared his throat, and raising his voice in order to be heard above the din said hesitantly: ‘Do you mean to… are you going to speak to them, sir? ’
‘Certainly. They are not likely to leave until I do, and we really cannot be expected to put up with this ridiculous form of disturbance any longer.’
‘But… Well, there seem to be an awful lot of them, sir, and –’
‘What has that got to do with it?’ inquired Sir Louis chillingly.
‘Only that we don't know how much they want, and I – I wondered if we'd got enough. Because our own fellows have only just been…’
‘What on earth are you talking about?’ inquired the Envoy, busy adjusting the fastening of his ceremonial sword so that the tassels showed to advantage.
‘Money, sir, rupees. It seems to be what they want, and I presume this means that when it came down to brass tacks there wasn't enough to go round this morning, and that is why –’
He was interrupted again. ‘Money?’ Sir Louis' head came up with a jerk and he glared at his secretary for a moment and then spoke in tones of ice: ‘My dear Jenkyns, if you imagine for one moment that I would even consider allowing myself and the Government I have the honour to represent to be blackmailed – yes, that is the word I mean – blackmailed, by a mob of uncivilized hooligans, I can only say that you are very much mistaken. And so are those stone-throwing yahoos outside. My topi, Amal Din –’
His Afridi orderly stepped smartly forward and handed him the white pith helmet topped by a gilt spike that a Political Officer wore with his official uniform, and as he clapped it firmly on his head, adjusted the gilded strap across his chin and moved to the door, William sprang forward saying desperately: ‘Sir – if you go down there -’
‘My dear boy,’ said Sir Louis impatiently, pausing in the doorway, ‘I am not really in my dotage. I too realize that if I were to go down to them only those