Chapter 22-

Glow-worms in a Basket

IT was three weeks before Henry returned to Silent Hill, and when he came back he was still wearing a heavy plaster cast with a steel heel protruding from it.

Many things had happened since he had left. The February course of traming for officers had already begun at Belgaum; the one tucked-ogue had been neatly shot by Sudden Dart; and Jean had left him. She had gone away from Silent Hill to live with her aunt at Poona, and although she had not said anything about leav ing him in the only lettet he had received from her. Henry knew that she would never come back to hun. Somehow, he did not mind.

What he did feel distressed about was what the chief surgeon at the Furopean hospital at Calcutta had told him on the day of his discharge. He was a very tall, bald man with a bony face and a large, luminous head, and he looked at the world mournfully down his long, aquiline nose.

I'm afraid you'll have to nurse that ankle of yours for quite a while. You mustn't... Well, mustn't attempt anything athletic... No exercise, for a long time.

'How long do you think it will take to heal completely?" asked Henry.

Well, I shouldn't like to say. Mr. Win'on. We'll have to take an X-ray or two after the cast is removed. (ily then shall we be in a position to judge.

"Oh.'

'Why don't you look at it this way, Mr. Winton,' said the doctor, attempting a smile which made his long face look even more mourn ful. It's really nothing serious; I mean, you won't develop a limp or anything. It's just... well, it's just enough to keep you out of this damned war, what?-Something his what we used to call a "blighty" in the last war. Why don't you look at it that way, Mr. Winton?

"There is, of course, that way of looking at it," answered Henry.

The head mechanic from the factory had brought his Austin down, and the number one boy was waiting for him on the plat- form at Tinapur railway station. The boy had brought Herman with him.

'How's the old leg. Mr. Wilson? Henderson the station-master inquired.

All right, thank you,' said Henry.

Fine dog you've got there,' said Henderson. "Damn fine animal, Mr. Wilson.

The days went by in a drowsy succession; days of loneliness and ache and vague, unparticularized longings; days of lying in an easy chair all day long with a plaster cast for company and listen- ing to the radio or reading one of the heavy Russian novels of the previous century and going for long drives in the evenings and drinking more whisky than was good for you-while the world round you was slowly but surely coming to grips with a war.

Life became a grey, meaningless blurr, without strife or challenge. without rapture or sorrow, with no discernible patches of light or shade: the elephant god was dead, Eddie Trevor was dead. Jugal Kishore was a tool .n Sudden's hands, and Sudden himself was now merely Nero deflated-kind and understanding and even gentle. Jean had gone, leaving behind no more than a numbness. The humiliation she had made him suffer had been fully avenged; that. at least, was a score paid off with full interest. And if it had left no feeling of triumph, it had left no regrets either.

Ruby Miranda alone stood as a significant landmark in the tur bulent pattern. She had not left him as Jean had done. On the con- trary, Ruby had left Eddie Trevor for his sake; had offered to forsake her own world for his, asking so little, giving so much. It was he who had spurned her; he who had insulted her love, insulted it and doubted it, assuming that it was Ruby who had suggested that Trevor should come to Silent Hill. Now he knew it was not Ruby Miranda; it had been Sudden Dart.

And Henry now knew within himself that he had renounced her love not because he did not reciprocate it, nor even because it was not the love of a white woman, as Jean had taunted him, but through fear, because Sudden had warned him not to get involved with her, fear that his caret; would have ended if he had carried on as he was doing.

That realization left the only major scar on his conscience.

He had not scen Ruby Miranda for neatly two months now. because he had not been to Chinnas, but as the days went by he began to think more and more of her.

Whenever Henry tried to think back to the point in time at which his lite might be sad to have taken a wrong turning, he always me back to the day of the strike when he had decided to Sudden to let him go on leave And analysing his motions of that time, he came to the conclusion that while his request to Sudden was partly prompted by his revulsion to all that happened during the strike itself, h. chief reason for wanting to go on leave was to get away from Ruby Muanda, get away because he no longer trusted himself not to cross what Sudden had referred to as the thin line that separated fun from serious involvement he was deliberately presenting himself from falling in love with Ruby. Now he wished he had given in to his in linations, not prevented himself from crossing the line, he wished he had fallen in love with her, proposed to her, marned her, had children by hui He would have been a happy man to-day, happy and fighting the war and to hell with the lighlands Club and the mensahibs of Chinnat

As the me came for the plaster cast to be removed. Henry's mind once again began to be obsessed by Ruby Muanda But this time his thoughts had little to do with sex It was a puser, nobler wholly composed image of Ruby that he tasted in his mind, not the eager, wanton mistress lym, without clothes on his gun room carpet, bringing out in hini sheer, animal lust, but the formally dressed calm, understanding, dependable woman who had soothed his ruffled nerves with such artistry and derness after his clash of words with Jugal Kishore. And slowly the days once again began to acquite a pupose. As his leg healed. Henry found himself looking forward with increasing eagerness to the day when he would go to Chunnar and see Ruby Muanda for he had made up his mind to ask her to be his wife

Life had acquired a dhamatu simplicts whole future de pended on whether he would forgive hun lor having spurned her

love. He was aware that it he wanted to get married again, there would have to be the formalities of getting a divorce from Jean; but he knew that it could be arranged without much difficulty, if only Ruby would consent to accept him. Everything depended on her.

On 29 February. Dr. Lewis drove down from Chinnar to break the plaster cast on Henry's leg. It was a Saturday, and he stayed over the week-end to see how the leg had healed.

'You'll have to be very careful with that leg for a time? he wained Henry. You must start exercising it from now on, of rare but very gently. Get someone to massage it every day. But don' put much weight on it for a few weeks."

The leg looked bloodless and shrivelled that first day, but that was due to the plaster, the doctor told him. By the next afternoon Henry was already getting used to the feeling of lightness caused by has not having to carry a cast.

When do you think it will be all right. I mean heal completely? Henry asked, that Sunday afternoon while they were having tea It looks fine to me, really good, Dr. Lewis assured him. 'But I should like to wait until we have taken another Xoav. We'll take the photograph and then send it to Calcutta. Let Dr. Simpson see how the bone has set. But it is important that you should start exercising it; but very gently. So that you gradually come to use if more and more."

"Yes, of course."

I suppose you know we have an X-ray set in Chinar now? I got Sudden to fork out the money. We can do the photographs the next time you are up. When are you likely to come?

Will next week-end be all right?"

'Oh. ves; as far as the leg is concerned. Dr Lewis assured him. Make sine you don't come late. I'd like to do the X-ray in the early afternoon."

I'll report to you immediately after lunch,' said Henry.

Over the week, the leg unproved rapidly. On Tuesday Henry took a few tottering steps in the verandah, and by Friday he had been able to walk almost naturally with the help of a stick, and the shakiness of his legs had completely gone. But driving a car was still out of the question, and one of the mechanics from the factory had to be called on to take him up to Chinnar.

He left Silent Hill after an early breakfast on Saturday, and eached the Bindian office just before lunch-time Sudden way standing with las back to the window, looking at an enormou elephant tusk mounted on a 10% wood stand and supported by massive silver plated brackets.

"Come and have a look at the tusk, Hey, Sudden mvited him without looking round. 'Barton's have just set it up. What do you

think?' 'Magnificent, sir' 7hy 've done a wandertal job they alway do. Somehow it didn't sen quite so big on the elephant."

"Yes, they's dece, an' they? Nearly half the length doesn't show Whath side did you say you had got your shot on. Henry?

for a mement, Henry mund went blank. Damn Winch side of th clephant was dat tockburn and himself had derided he had fired his shots at? But Enddu saved him the embarrassment of try. ing to think out W

Must have been on the left sid, sand Sudden, still looking in- tently at the risk i trom of lum and stroking it with his hand. We couldn't check what damage your bullet had done, last year in Iamlung. He was lying on his left side and we couldn't turn lun. over to see.

It was the left said Henry

I thought so How the leg, Henry?

Fine. sir."

Do you think you'll be up to climbing the ladders into the game cottage?"

The game cottage? Certainly said Henry, une sonably exited.

"Something's gone wrong with that moon of ours Doesn't look like a moon any more The animals just don't seem to trust it. We couldn't show a thing to Jock Maclear when he came up last month. I was wondering if you were fit ough to go up and find out what the matter is." Is anyone special coming ar?

His Excellency the Governor of Assam, Sudden sand with a touch of his old pompousness. 'About the end of this month Rather late in the season, of course, but you know whas Governors are. But if your ankle isn't fully healed

It's quite healed, sir: that is can get up to the cottage all night. taking the steps one by one, with someone to help me. I'm not sup posed to jump about on the leg; that's about all."

'You'd better ask Dr. Lewis before you take it on."

'I'll ask him, sir. I'm going to see him this afternoon for an X-tay.

I'm quite sure he'll have no objection."

When Henry left, Sudden was still looking intently at the tusk, as though he were examining it for flaws. Throughout the inter- view he had not once looked at Henry.

The mention of the game cottage had set up a new current of thought in Henry's mind. That was where he had seen Ruby Miranda last, and she had promised to come agam. The game cottage in the midst of the jungle, with its an of pacy, its total seclusion, somehow seemed to be the appropiate setting for his reunion with Ruby Muanda That was where he would ask her to be his wife.

He went up to the Club for an early lunch, feeling light and gay and excited for the first time in many weeks, and hoping to have a word with Ruby Miranda before lunch started. As it happened, the first person he saw when he entered the dining room was Ruby. She was bending over the cold buffet table, pencil and pad in hand. and making some sort of list and talking to the chief steward She turned to look at Henry when she heard the tap-tap of his cane on the wooden floor, and then went on with whatever she was doing. It was only when he said. 'I say. Miss Miranda, could I have a word with you that she looked back agam She dismissed the chief steward with a curt. That will be all, thank vou and came up to Henry's table, smiling She was wearing her dove grey out and skirt.

It was a reassuring smile. It old Henry that everything was going to be all right.

Tertainly nice to see you back Mi Winton," said Ruby.

It's much nicer to see you. Miss Manda

"It's weeks since you were up

It seems months; ages.

'You're looking thin, Mr. Winton, emarked Ruby

And you're looking wonderful, Miss Manda

It was cestamly good to be talking to a woman agam in a woman like Ruby Muanda, making the sort of talk that could always be construed as a kind of sexual by play.

Will you be staying for sonie time? asked Ruby I could give you a nu e corner room. Perhaps to-morrow. To-night I have to sleep in the cottage," said Henry. Call of duty; looking after the moon."

'Moon, Mr. Winton? There's no moon to-night. Amawasya:

don't you know, the night of total darkness?"

I mean the artificial moon. D'you think you could have some cold chicken sent up for my dinner?

"Yes, of course, said Ruby. 'Anything else you would like.

special, Mr. Winton?"

"Yes, please: lemon tarts."

"Certainly, Mr. Winton."

Dinner for two, please, Miss Miranda, said Henry, looking directly into her eyes. I'm expecting a guest, a very special guest."

'Yes, of course.

She was leaning over his table now, and Henry saw with a thrill of delight that she was wearing the sapphire and gold ear-clips he had given her more than a year ago.

Will you come, please, darling? he whispered. 'I've something very special to say to you."

Her face flushed, and she smiled again; and by the way she looked at hum, Henry knew that everything was going to be all right.

Does the keeper know you are going to the game cottage. Mr. Winton? Ruby asked.

What? Oh, Pasupati? No, he doesn't.'

'He'll have to... He'll have to prepare the cottage for you if you are spending the night there....

I shall certainly be spending the night there.'

"Shall I send him word?"

Please, Miss Miranda. And could von also send up a bottle of champagne? whatever vintage the Club prides itself upon.

Ruby's face flushed a deep red once again

'Yes, Mr. Wintou,' she said.

Dr. Lewis looked surprised and he had frowned, but did not object to Henry's going up to the game cottage. He had only warned him that he must go up the steps one by one, and be helped at each step.

And Pasupati had done an excellent job He had taken Henry up carefully, sparing him the slightest exertiou, almost lifting his whole weight at every step. But even so, Henry had felt quite done when they reached the top. The first thing Henry did was to go up to the new porcelain water-filter they had installed as a result of his last inspection, and pour out a glass of water. He noticed that the filter was barely a quarter full.

Why haven't you filled this up?' he asked Pasupati with irrita- tion. You know how hot it is these days."

I didn't know sahib was connng. No one comes up nowadays. I shall bring a ghara of water with your dinner and fill up the filter.'

Henry slumped heavily on the wooden bench in the observation verandah. It was a warm day, even hot, and the light was harsh and bright. There was a sharp breeze in the jungle and the grass all about looked parched and brittle. Even the surface of the salt-lick was covered with deep cracks. Henry had never before seen the forest looking so dry. The sight of Pasupati, thin and bent and breathless, wiping his dripping face with the edge of his shirt, mollified Henry a little.

Thank you very much for helping me up,' said Henry to him. Bahut meherbani, Why don't you have a glass of water from the filter? Don't finish it all, though: I want some with my brandy."

Pasupati smiled his thanks, but declined the drink of water. 'No, sahib, he said. 'Sahib will need it all.

This is quite the first time I have seen the bastard smile, thought Henry. "Why don't you like me, Pasupati?" he asked.

Who am I not to like sahib?" said Pasupati very humbly.

Tell me the truth. Why did you tell the burra-sahib that my big rifle was... that there was some kind of jadoo on it?"

Pasupati looked away, peering into the jungle as though he was examining it for signs of game. You said that to Trevor sahib, tou... that you would not go with him if he took my rifle." Pasupati made no reply to Henry's question. Instead he asked. Burra-laat sahib coming next month?"

' It was extraordinary how they always seemed to know who was coming.

That's right, the Governor, the burra-laat. That's why we're here, to see that the moon behaves all right."

Pasupati grinned again. To-night is amas, no moon,' he said.

It was odd, Henry reflected, that Pasupati should be making the same sort of observation that Ruby had made earlier, about its being a moonless night. 'Bad night, what?' He laughed. 'Bad night to go out?"

Very bad, sahib, bad for mything."

I see you've been polishing all the woodwork, and the furniture here. Whole place reeks of... what is it? paraffin" "Whole cortage varnish when General sahib comic."

You never told me what's wrong with my big ria. Henry per- sisted.

'Big rifle does not fire, sah b."

Damned nonsense' Ir fires beautifully."

That is how Trevor sahib dir.

"Look, I know you're still worked up so it your is hier's being killed by the elephant when he went out anh me. ite A is lame, as you know, and could not un asay I note when the elephant killed him."

"All I know is, big rifle does not fice"

"Who told you?

Jugal Khore babu."

Jugal Khore is 1 har, badmash huse any you beneve his talk?"

" But I know it is the truth, aahib The prof."

"Proof? Ball. Where is it?"

"I will show it; I will show it when times.

Henry was innoyed. And when that me gota come?' he asked.

'Very soon.

It was 1 mistake to speik kindly Indin ervants. He shouldn't have said thank you' to Pasupati, of course, nor engaged him in conversation It was hard to see how theu minds worked.

Now go and report to Miranda Miss s h he mapped. And come hack here with my dutter. Miranda Miss slab is having dinner with me. And bring a ghara of water you lazy lout, why do think the Club pays you forty rupees a mantli you don't you even take the trouble to keep the filter filled"

Jee, sahab,"

And don't go talking blowly nonsense about my big rifle not firing; otherwise... otherwise I'll have vou sacked from here, ekdum; maloom?"

Jee sahib."

'Maybe to-morrow I give you bakheesh- big baksheesh." 

And at the mention of baksheesh Pasupati's sullen scowl had broken into a murthless grimace once more, transforming his black. tight-skinned face with its pronument chalk-white teeth and shitty, Mongoloid eyes into an inhuman, almost evil mask. like the snarl of a wild animal.

He sent Pasupats away just before sundown because he wanted to be alone for the magic moment when the sun went down in the jungle. He duly toasted the setting sun and lay back, alone and in- tensely happy.

Soon it was patch dark. He switched on the artificial moon. The light blinked on and off for several seconds before it came on. It was more like a searchlight than the diffused glow of the imitation moon. Something was clearly wrong with the ground glass pane or the cowling. They would have to have the whole thing taken down, thought Henry, you didn't need a hunter to tell you what was wrong with it. For a moment, Henry found himself wondering why Sudden should have asked him to inspect the light when it was so obviously a job for an electrician He switched off the light and lay down on the bench in the smothering darkness, thinking of Ruby Miranda and counting the minutes to her arrival. After a while he stopped looking at the luminous dial of his watch mak- ing up his mind not to look again until after she had come.

The seconds dragged on interminably, but he did not seem to nund, he was now at the end of his quest He abandoned hunselt to the black, silent night.

What woke him up was the sound of a faint crash somewhere below. He rose with a start and switched on the moon, but could not see anything that might have accounted for the noise It could only be a dried branch falling, somewhere beyond the glow of the light, he decided, and switched off the moon. He helped himself to generous drink and lay down again

1 betame aware of the faint pink glow in the sky exactly at the same instant that he heard the swish swish of the pulley rope jerking viciously in the open window, and his heart gave a sudden leap Ruby Miranda she had come at last He looked at his watch, it was thice minutes to nine. He went shuffling through the pav sage between the bedroom and the bathroom, his heavy walking- stick tapping sharply on the wooden floor of the cottage When he reached the window he looked down and gave a low whistle. There was no answering whistle, but there was a slight tug on the rope. He began to pull up the basket, all of a sudden feeling hungry and thinking of the cold chicken and the champagne. The basket felt surprisingly light.

By the time he came back into the observation verandah, the basket in his hand, the glow in the sky had become deepes, and then with a startling, unbelieving suddenness his nostrils caught the first suspicion of the smell of smoke. He turned and looked. He dropped the basket on the floor and ran back to the window. stumbling awkwardly because he had left his stick behind. Leaning out of the window, he called out. 'Send the boy up. quick. Ruby! I must get down. The forest is on fire. Send Pasupati up to help me!"

There was no answer from below; only the faint stirring of leaves. Pasupati! PASUPATI yelled Henry. 'Come up. Jukli! But even as he was calling he realized that neither Pasupati nor Ruby was there; that he was alone.

Henry came back into the verandah, switched on the artificial moon and took out his torch from his haversack. His heart was pounding like a hammer, but he was confident of being able to go down by himself if he didn't panic. I must keep cool, not panic.

he told himself as he began to climb down the steps of the staircase leading to the cleft of the tree. The staircase was the most dangerous part, with his leg in the state it was; the ladders would be relatively easy. One by one, cautiously and yet with speed, he began to go down the steps, counting them carefully. One two... three... He knew there were eight steps down to the platform.

After that there would be the long, fifteen-foot teakwood ladder connected with the rope ladder farther down. Once he was on the ladder, he knew he would be fairly safe, for he could let himself down rung by rung, his arms supporting most of his weight. He climbed down the eight steps, reached the small platform in the cleft of the tree, and carefully lowered his left foot to feel for the rung of the ladder. A cold fear went running through him as his foot groped uncertainly, lower and lower, hovering over space, realizing with a shock that the ladder was not these; realizing and yet refusing to believe. It was then that Henry knew fear, fear such as he had never known before; a tangible. icy presence not within himself but outside, which he could feel rising like a gigantic dark wave as high as the sky, and coming on and on inexorably, smothering him and rolling him over and over as thougn he were some minute insect. He drew up his foot as though it had touched a snake. He sat down on the platform and flashed his torch into the space below.

It only confirmed what he already knew, that the teakwood ladder from the fork of the tree to the tope ladder below was not there.

So that must have been the ash he had heard earlier in the evening.

And then as though some had pulled out a tuse from the electric box in the golf club must. the artifice Lil moon went out But by that time, it did not in ttter, its sickly yellow light had been overpowered by the ad glow of the fragung all round him and Casting wend shadows in the four t

The smell of paraffin now he came stronger than ever Groggily. Henry clunld the eight ps back into the verandah, and raced madly to the at widos fel med out and taggel vnionsly at the thin khaki and green pulley rups his bras desperately trying to work out how thy he call unlize the rope to lower himself down But what came to h hind wi mely a chaned and smouldering hon which od not hive been more than fifteen feet long Ile tlung away he had rope with in ingy oath and came back into the veran lab dust stumbling over the wicker basket he had pulled up

He peered no he basket king some kit of explanation of what was happening to hem In the spir ading glow of the fire he could see that the basket w pry tupty pt for two bright glow worms stling at the bottom. He this hand into the hidows and me upon gar shaped ubject and he knew without looking it that it was one of the shells of his fourxty five rifle Without looks too, he knew that the cartridge would have dent msp Fr. Ingers ter the lent it withere

So Cockburn's mi had tond the missing artridge He had not given it to (ockburn. The must have given it Pisupati, or was it In Jugal Kishon The swee the bloody bluck wine

Henty look.d inside the basket again, at the two mnocent glow worms flickering blue and red n the half lakes and suddenly. recognizing them to what they went that his hand in once again.

They were not glow-worms, they were the sapphire and gold car clips which he had bought in Calcutta for Ruby Miranda, and which he had seen her wearing that morning.

And that, as far as Henry Winton was concerned, was the moment of truth; bringing with it a fleeting spasm of realization, steadying his mind and restoring cold reason as though for a quick summing up, centring his thoughts on essentials.

So this was, what Ruby Miranda's blushing acquiescence, and Pasupati's mirthless good humour, had meant. And then he found himself sinking into doubt once again, wondering if Sudden too had had a hand in this; Sudden who had sent him to inspect the game cottage moon when he must have known that it was a job for an electrician; Sudden who had so studiedly avoided looking him in the eye throughout their interview that morning. The smell of paraffin was strong in his nostrils, and the flames were leaping all about him.