A Feast In Exile

by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

PART III SANAT JI MANI Chapter 8

  A map was spread out on the table, and Hasin Dahele leaned over it, a short rod in his hand which he used for a pointer. "This is where we can cross the Narmanda; there is a bridge that has been used by merchants and caravans for decades. " His reception room was empty but for the two of them and a pair of Guards at the far end of the room; it was late afternoon and the day was beginning to cool, with a breeze wandering in through the open windows.

  "You will not find it easy to take your entire army over a single bridge; it is a bottleneck, one that puts you at a tactical disadvantage and could expose your army to all manner of assault that would sunder your numbers and lead to their defeat," said Sanat Ji Mani. "You have pushed your territory to the south bank of the Narmanda; be content with that, and with the recognition of other Rajputs that your claim to this territory is not to be questioned. You have shown that your army is strong-why weaken it with hard campaigning and fighting?" He turned away from the map. "Rajput, you will have opposition waiting for you if you insist on waging war. "

  "Do not tell me again to seek peace; peace will not bring me what I am destined to achieve-what I deserve, and well you know it," said the Rajput, standing up and glaring at Sanat Ji Mani. "I rely upon your advice because I know you have experience of conquest. "

  "And I have found it to be a devastation and a waste," said Sanat Ji Mani emphatically.

  "Because you have no army to lead; it would be different if you did, I do not doubt," said Hasin Dahele, unconvinced. "If I put you at my side, in the van of my army, you will soon learn to love victory. "

  "I have no wish to fight with you, or any other army," said Sanat Ji Mani, thinking back to the many campaigns he had fought, and how little difference winning or losing had made. "Battle has brought me nothing but pain and loss, as it will bring them to you. "

  "The Gods have shown otherwise," said Hasin Dahele. "If I ignore Their course, I will lose more than war will cost me. "

  "How can you know?" Sanat Ji Mani persisted. "You have not put your gods to the test. "

  "No man may do that and be unscathed," said the Rajput brusquely. "They are not your gods; They are mighty. "

  Sanat Ji Mani indicated the regions marked on the map. "All the other Rajputs say the same thing, no doubt. You have my advice, however little it may be worth to you. You may use it or not: you rule here. "

  "And you do not wish to rule?" The Rajput was incredulous. "You, of all men?"

  This time Sanat Ji Mani spoke directly. "Whatever you may think me, I have no wish for war, or conquest. "

  Hasin Dahele laughed aloud. "You still persist in your game: very well, you are nothing but a traveler on the roads, not quite a pilgrim and not quite a beggar. You are only a foreigner, a stranger in my country. Your plight is that of hundreds of others. " He sighed. "I grow weary of this dissimulation, so I must prove that I can do all that you might do, had you the army to support you. When I have shown myself worthy, you will recognize my power and you will ride beside me in your right identity. "

  "My identity is Sanat Ji Mani," he said, knowing it was only one of many names he had used over the centuries, and that his name was the least of his secrets. "How can I be more than that? How do you think I have deceived you? Why should I wish to?" He waited for the answer, his senses alert, hoping that the Rajput had learned nothing of his true nature, for that would mean imprisonment at the least, and would expose Tulsi to greater danger than was already the case.

  "You came here an outcast, as you yourself have admitted," said Hasin Dahele with feigned patience. "A limping outcast, a foreigner, not young, who is exiled, coming from the north, from outside of Delhi. We all know what happened after Delhi. All the world knows how the men of Timur-i rebelled. Your servant was enough to give you away. "

  "Tulsi? How?" Sanat Ji Mani fought off the sudden fear that gripped him. "What has she to do with it?"

  "She, too, is a foreigner, from Timur-i's army. " The Rajput grinned as if he had made a point.

  "Yes," said Sanat Ji Mani impatiently. "You knew that from the day I came here. "

  "And why was that? How could I know to look for you, and the woman with you? Why did I send my Guards to seek you out? You did not think it strange that I should ask my men to bring you to my palace, for my protection?" the Rajput asked, answering his own questions before Sanat Ji Mani could speak. "Vayu Ede said you were coming. Alvars are visionaries, and he has brought his vision to me. Because of him I expected you to be here, and here you are. "

  "Vayu Ede is a most capable man," said Sanat Ji Mani warily, "but he and I have never met until I came here; he did not visit me in Delhi. He was not with Timur-i's army. I did not know why you brought me here, and no one has been willing to tell me, although I have asked. You have told me before that Vayu Ede has visions, but what has that to do with me?"

  "He promised you would come," said Hasin Dahele. "He said you would make me Ruler of the World. "

  "I?" Sanat Ji Mani shook his head. "I am an outcast as we both know. How can I do this thing?"

  "You persist in your obstinacy," said Hasin Dahele, scowling.

  "I have tried to maintain myself," Sanat Ji Mani corrected. "I have never represented myself as more than I am. "

  Hasin Dahele paced down the room, away from the trestle-table where the map was laid out. "Why do you not declare yourself? I have waited for months, and you have not been willing to reveal who and what you are. "

  "I am an exile. I wish to reach Chaul so that I might find a ship to carry me and Tulsi Kil across the Arabian Sea," said Sanat Ji Mani.

  "And from there, to go to the western-most holdings of Timur-i, no doubt," said Hasin Dahele smugly.

  "Why should I do that, if I am fortunate enough to get away from here?" he asked. "You have assumed things about me that are untrue. "

  "If you say they are, then I must accept it, for a while yet," said Hasin Dahele, sounding petulant. "You are a most difficult man, Sanat Ji Mani. "

  "It is not my intention to be," he said.

  A vagrant gust of wind lifted the edge of the map, raising it into the air and skidding it along the trestle-table. Both men turned to look at it; Hasin Dahele hurried to put his hand on it to keep it from dropping to the floor. "You must come and give me the benefit of your experience," he said as he laid his sword on the map. "I am not done with you yet, or with planning. "

  "I have told you as much as I can," said Sanat Ji Mani. "If you want to extend your war, you must do it on your own counsel. "

  "There must be more fighting," said the Rajput as he studied the map again. "I cannot gain control of the coast if I do not act, and without acting, I might as well surrender to Deogir. "

  "Can you not keep within your region and govern it with care?" Sanat Ji Mani asked quietly.

  "Would you do that, if Beragar were yours? Or would you fight? Would you broaden its frontiers? Would you try to bring it glory?" His challenge was hot-tempered and impetuous. "I cannot believe that you, of all men, would be content with half-measures when there is so much more to be had. "

  Sanat Ji Mani did not move from where he stood, six paces away from the Rajput, "I would seek to make Beragar prosperous, to secure its frontiers and to establish trade contracts with the other Rajputs whose lands abut on Beragar. I would make treaties to ensure peace and I would strive to avoid battles. That way all benefit, the people of Beragar most especially. "

  "You expect me to believe that?" Hasin Dahele exclaimed, rounding on him. "How can you speak so slightingly of me?"

  "I intend no slight," said Sanat Ji Mani. "I am trying to keep you from damaging your people and yourself. "

  "By recommending being satisfied with what I have? You have the audacity to declare peace?" The Rajput was incredulous. "You have ruled an empire and you begrudge me
one. "

  "I have not ruled an empire," Sanat Ji Mani said softly but with such intensity of feeling that the air seemed to shake with his words.

  "Of course you have. It might not be as vast as you wish, but you have made your own," said Hasin Dahele.

  "And what empire is this?" Sanat Ji Mani asked, appalled at what he was hearing.

  "Why, your empire. Timur-i Lenkh's Empire," said Hasin Dahele in exasperation, and nodded fiercely.

  "Timur-i's Empire?" Sanat Ji Mani repeated, dumbfounded.

  "Have you another empire besides?" Hasin Dahele demanded. "Do not pretend innocence. I have known from the first. "

  "Known what from the first? this ridiculous notion?" Sanat Ji Mani still could not believe what he had heard.

  "I was content to keep my knowledge to myself," said Hasin Dahlele, doing his best to excuse himself. "You cozened it out of me. "

  Sanat Ji Mani stood, transfixed by the ludicrous implications of this misconception. "Timur-i Lenkh? Why do you suppose that I-What has that to do with-" But even as he asked, he became cognizant of what the Rajput had assumed; much of his experience here, so puzzling before, now made a perplexing kind of sense: he knew what Vayu Ede had meant when he said I know who you are, which he had not been able to figure out until this moment. "How could you imagine I am Timur-i? That is what you believe, is it?"

  "Of course. You need not deny who you are. I know you. " Now that he had divulged his conviction, Hasin Dahele became less pugnacious. "I knew before you came that you would be here. "

  "But I am not Timur-i; I have never claimed to be," said Sanat Ji Mani, trying to keep his emotions in check. He spoke carefully, levelly. "How could I be? Timur-i is sixty-four, and he stains his hair with walnut juice. I am nothing like him. I am from the West, from mountains called the Carpathians. I lived in Delhi for a number of years, in the Foreigners' Quarter, and was taken prisoner by Timur-i when he sacked the city, as many others were. That is how I came to travel with his army; it was not any choice of mine. " He spoke calmly, patiently, as if to a recalcitrant child. "Timur-i is a Turkish-Mongol. I am from other blood. "

  "You limp," said Hasin Dahele as if that settled the matter.

  "I had a staple put through my foot to ensure I would not escape," said Sanat Ji Mani.

  "Which you have conveniently lost," said Hasin Dahele. "I know those staples. How could you remove it?"

  Sanat Ji Mani thought, trying to provide an answer. "It was done after Tulsi and I were separated from Timur-i's army. "

  "How? What smith pulled it out?" Hasin Dahele shook his head. "Enough mendacity. "

  "I do not lie. I am not Timur-i," said Sanat Ji Mani, realizing as he spoke that all protests were useless.

  "It is to be expected that you will not want others to know who you are," said Hasin Dahele at his most reasonable. "I knew you would deny the truth; you must do so until you are satisfied that I am capable of succeeding you in conquering the world. I am willing to wait for your countenance. You need to be-"

  Sanat Ji Mani dared to interrupt him. "I am not Timur-i. Believe this: in the West, I am called Franczesco Ragoczy of Saint-Germain. I have no army to command, and no empire. My country, from which I am exiled, is in Hungarian, Polish, and Wallachian hands, with the Ottomans of Turkey struggling to gain a foot-hold there. "

  "You must have a tale to tell, so that you can continue to refuse to acknowledge who you are," said Hasin Dahele. "I cannot force you to admit me to your confidences, not yet. And I will keep your secret. "

  "This is my confidence. I have no secret. " Sanat Ji Mani's compelling dark eyes rested on the Rajput. "I am telling you the truth. "

  "I will show you that I deserve your heritage, and you will own me your heir," said Hasin Dahele, ignoring what Sanat Ji Mani had told him.

  "Look at me," Sanat Ji Mani commanded, and the Rajput looked. "I am not a Turkish-Mongol. My people, some of them, have been called Etruscans," he said, not adding that they were the descendants of his Carpathian-dwelling tribes who had fled westward into Italy many, many centuries ago.

  "You are a foreigner with dark hair and eyes, of middle years, and you limp on your right foot. You have come here, walking the roads and guided by your servant. " Hasin Dahele smiled. "You will tell me, in time. "

  "I have told you," Sanat Ji Mani reiterated. "I am not Timur-i. He has gone back to Samarkand. "

  "Everyone knows that is not so; it is known throughout the world that Timur-i is an exile from his own army," said Hasin Dahele, a bit condescendingly. "He-I will say he rather than you-was overthrown by his jealous officers and left, abandoned, on the road with only one servant to care for him. He has suffered much, and it has taken a toll upon him. His eyes are failing, and so he cannot go abroad in the daylight without someone to lead him, and his skin burns. Of course he would deny who he is so that he would not become a captive, held hostage for his enemies. " He favored Sanat Ji Mani with a serene smile. "Vayu Ede foretold your coming. I had only to set my men to look for you. "

  "And they found the wrong man," said Sanat Ji Mani. "I am not Timur-i. How many times must I say it?"

  "Until you admit it is so, I suppose," said Hasin Dahele. "If you must continue this way, so be it. I will do all that I must to gain your support and acknowledgment. "

  "It will mean nothing," said Sanat Ji Mani.

  Hasin Dahele laughed. "Do as you must. I will continue to plan my campaign, and you will see, when I am done, that I am a worthy successor and that I deserve to inherit your empire and all the world. "

  "I have no empire," Sanat Ji Mani said, knowing it was futile.

  "No, not at present; I understand that. I shall help you to reclaim it," said Hasin Dahele, smiling confidently as he smoothed the surface of the map. "Then you will be pleased to name me your son. "

  "I want no war waged in my name," said Sanat Ji Mani, trying to find some means of turning the Rajput from his disastrous course.

  "Of course not. That would reveal too much, and your army would come against me before I am ready," said Hasin Dahele. "I am going to push back our frontiers and then claim the west coast, and from there I will strike north. And you will come with me. "

  "And Tulsi?" Sanat Ji Mani dared to ask.

  Hasin Dahele considered his answer. "I may permit her to accompany you, if you will give me the benefit of your advice. " He stood still, his brows raised in speculation.

  "I have little useful advice to give," Sanat Ji Mani said. "But if you want my opinions, you are welcome to them, so long as Tulsi is safe. "

  "And you believe she would be safer with you than staying here in the palace?" The Rajput shook his head. "If you want her to be protected, this is a better place than on campaign. "

  "Not for her. Someone has already tried to harm her. " He said this bluntly, taking a chance that the attempt to poison Tulsi did not originate with the Rajput. "

  "What do you mean?" Hasin Dahele asked suspiciously. "Harm her in what way?"

  "Someone attempted to poison her," said Sanat Ji Mani bluntly. "Fortunately she survived. "

  The Rajput's face darkened. "And I was told nothing of this? Why?"

  Sanat Ji Mani took a moment to frame his answer. "If others in this palace believe as you do-that I am Timur-i-although I am not-one of your servants may have wanted to keep you from making common cause with me, and so tried to harm my companion as a way of protecting you. "

  "Or there might have been someone who is a spy for my enemies who sought to put us at odds, someone set to lurk in the palace and ruin the trust between us," said Hasin Dahele promptly. "That is much more likely. " He put the tips of his fingers together. "Since I will have you with me, I will comply with your request and allow the woman to come with you. It will not be liked by many of my officers, but I will not have yo
u distracted by concerns about her, as you might be if you are separated. " He grinned suddenly. "So it is settled. You will campaign with me and I will make sure your companion remains with you. I will want to set out soon, for the rains will come and I must consolidate my gains before they arrive. "

  "It will be difficult to campaign at mid-summer," Sanat Ji Mani warned. "In this part of the world, the weather will work against you. The heat will make for hardships for men and animals alike. "

  "So it might. All the more reason to be away within a week. " His eyes glittered with enthusiasm. "It will be a fine campaign. You will see. "

  Sanat Ji Mani could muster no exuberance at the prospect of war. "It will cost men and lives, animals, supplies and good-will. You will need to have barrels of water among your other supplies, or your men will not be able to fight. "

  "You have lost your zest from months on the road," said Hasin Dahele. "You will regain it once we have triumphed. "

  "And if you do not triumph, what then?" Sanat Ji Mani asked.

  "You will withhold your sanction, and never acknowledge me," said Hasin Dahele in a tone that suggested that this was impossible. "But when I am victorious, you will declare me your rightful heir and Lord of all your Empire, and all lands that I shall add to that Empire. "

  Sanat Ji Mani shook his head. "I cannot do that," he said somberly. "I am not who you think I am, and anything I say in the name of Timur-i would be a lie. "

  "So you have told me already," said Hasin Dahele with a great show of forbearance. "I am willing to wait until I have shown that I am worthy to receive your-"

  "It is not a question of worth," Sanat Ji Mani interrupted. "It is a question of misconstrued belief. You have put your faith in the visions of Vayu Ede, and in this instance, he has led you to error. It may be that he has gifts that reveal other matters of importance, but in this instance, he has stumbled. "

  "I know why you will not admit what we both know is true. Very well, I will abide by your reservations and I will not press you for any more commitment than what you have given. After we cross Narmanda, you will see that your Empire can be expanded and that I am the man who will be able to do it. My Gods have shown their favor by bringing you to me, and I will show my appreciation by enduring your demands. I should not be astonished that you would require more than my pledge to attain your grant of synodite. " Hasin Dahele took a step back from Sanat Ji Mani. "I will convince you. That I vow, before all the Gods Whose influence has brought us to this place. "

  "What if you do not conquer the world?" Sanat Ji Mani proposed as if discussing birds or monkeys. "What then?"

  "I cannot fail. The Gods have mandated my success," said Hasin Dahele. "As they mandated yours. "

  Sanat Ji Mani let the last go unaddressed. "But suppose men, not gods, should fail you: what will you do?"

  "Oh, I will have the soldiers who could not do my bidding cut to pieces by those who obeyed, and their bones scattered to the corners of the earth," said Hasin Dahele with the nonchalance of one who has already decided.

  "You will do the enemy's work for them," said Sanat Ji Mani.

  "I will do the Gods' work," Hasin Dahele corrected him. "If you fail me as well, in triumph, I will have you scraped to death. " He paused. "Do you know how it is done? The condemned is wrapped tightly in a net and everything that protrudes beyond the netting is scraped away with knives; the netting is tightened again, and the scraping is done again, and so on until there is nothing but bones, and then, what is left is dismembered. "

  Sanat Ji Mani listened to this in aghast silence; it would be an agonizing death, for only the destruction or severing of his spine would bring the True Death. "Why would you do this?

  "I would do it if you fail to recognize me as your heir," said the Rajput with great purpose.

  "To what purpose: I am not Timur-i," Sanat Ji Mani said with meticulous pronunciation.

  "You will continue to say so yet a while; it is no more than what I expect," said Hasin Dahele. "I have said I will not object to it, for now. "

  "It will not change with time. I will not be anyone other than Sanat Ji Mani, now or in the future," he said. "You are too set on this tale you have accepted to comprehend that you are mistaken-Vayu Ede is mistaken. "

  "Call yourself what you will, I am going to reclaim and enlarge your Empire and you will one day own me as your heir. " Hasin Dahele gestured his determination. "I have extended my generosity to your companion, to show that I am sincere in my goals. You will have to wait for the brunt of my campaign to see that I have the ability to do what I am sworn-and destined-to do. Neither you nor my soldiers can stop me from gaining what is mine. "

  "I am sure Tulsi and I are grateful," said Sanat Ji Mani, appalled by the Rajput's ferocity, and frustrated by his stubborn adherence to his conviction that Sanat Ji Mani was Timur-i.

  "You are not now, but you will be, in time," said Hasin Dahele. "It may be best that you know now that I am conscious of you and your past. It will make things easier between us. " He smiled with genuine pleasure. "You may want to go to your companion and tell her to prepare for travel. She will want to know that she is to ride with you. "

  "I probably should tell her to make ready," said Sanat Ji Mani with a slight emphasis on should, trying to imagine what Tulsi would say when she learned of the Rajput's beliefs.

  "And assure her that if any more harm should come to her, I will punish the miscreant severely-also any spies that may be in the household. " The Rajput grinned in anticipation. "Do not fret, Sanat Ji Mani, I will earn your high regard yet. "

  "There is no reason to," Sanat Ji Mani said fervently as he put his hands together and bowed.

  "So you say, so you say. " He waved Sanat Ji Mani away. "Well, go tell her that she is to go with us; give my servants a list of what you will require for campaign and it will be tended to. I will speak with you tomorrow evening. " With that, he went back to studying his map.

  Sanat Ji Mani left the reception room and hurried along the corridors to the apartment assigned to him and Tulsi. Every step of the way, he reviewed all that had transpired since they arrived in Devapur, and how puzzling it had been. Now that he understood the preposterous notion the Rajput had regarding him, Sanat Ji Mani realized that he had seriously underestimated their vulnerability. With such expectations of Sanat Ji Mani, there was no doubt that Hasin Dahele would demand his participation in his war, and would not be willing to accept anything less. He was frowning when he entered their room and discovered Tulsi in the middle of her evening exercises.

  She looked up as Sanat Ji Mani came through the door. "More trouble?" she asked as she took her heels from behind her head and got to her feet.

  "In some ways, yes. This is the heart of our trouble. " He closed the door firmly and went across the room to the window. "And many lives are forfeit to the Will of the Rajput. Many lives, many more than ours. "

  "What do you mean? What does the Rajput want now?" Her voice was testy and she strode about the room, her apprehension translating itself into movement.

  "He wants us to go on campaign with him," Sanat Ji Mani said.

  "You expected that," she said, wanting him to reveal what was new in this regard; she had not noticed that Sanat Ji Mani had said us not me.

  "Yes; I did. " He inhaled deeply, the aroma of ginger and jasmine mingling on the evening wind. "And finally I know why. "

  Tulsi waited, then prompted, "Very well-why?"

  "It seems," said Sanat Ji Mani remotely, "that Vayu Ede has had a vision, and Hasin Dahele believes the vision, no matter what I said to him. "

  "And that vision is-" Tulsi said impatiently, pacing back close to him.

  "What it comes down to," said Sanat Ji Mani, "is that Hasin Dahele is convinced I am Timur-i Lenkh. "

  There was silence between them, Tulsi stood
still, and then gave a crack of laughter. "You cannot mean it. Timur-i? You?"

  "I have told him I am not, I have told him where I come from. It does not matter. He has accepted the vision and is certain that all he needs to do is conquer enough territory and I will declare myself to be Timur-i and make him my heir. We are not hostages. We are something far worse. " Speaking this aloud made it seem more preposterous than hearing it from Hasin Dahele; Sanat Ji Mani gave a rueful chuckle. "I think I could have told him my true nature and he would have assumed it was only another ploy to keep from admitting my so-called real identity. "

  "But you would not do that?" Tulsi exclaimed, no hint of humor in her question. "You will not tell him you are a vampire. "

  "Of course not," he said, and added more gently. "I am relieved that you have refused a sixth embrace with me; we have hazard enough around us without that as an addition. I fear we will be under more extreme scrutiny now that the Rajput has informed me of his plans, and it is difficult enough as things are. "

  "I am not ready to-" She broke off, her manner apologetic. "I long for all you can do with me, with the pleasure you bring to my body, and I rejoice in your passion, but I cannot yet accept being made like you. "

  "Then you are right to refuse me," he said, his voice low and kindly. "I want no one to come to my life who is unwilling to have it. "

  "I do not know if I am unwilling," she said. "But I am not ready. "

  Sanat Ji Mani reached out to lay his hand on her shoulder. "Nothing will happen until you are," he promised her.

  She was able to smile a little. "For that reason alone, I may be willing one day, but not now. " Her blue-green eyes shone, partly in amusement, partly with unacknowledged tears. "And if you are supposed to be Timur-i, what must I be?"

  "Apparently there is a story that many believe, that Timur-i has been cast out, abandoned with a single servant-"

  "That tale is an old one," Tulsi scoffed. "I heard it four years ago at least. "

  "And you hear it again now: Hasin Dahele is positive that it is true. " He moved his hand to caress her face. "I should never have brought you into this. "

  "You have apologized before," she said, dismissing his concern.

  "Then I did not know the extent of the misconception under which we were laboring," he told her. "If only I could have discovered this earlier, I would have managed matters differently; I would have found a way to leave this place. " He shook his head. "No. I learned the futility of second-guessing long ago. Had I known the Rajput's state of mind, of course I would have proceeded differently. But I did not know it. "

  "You have said that you suspected you did not know the whole of the situation, that there was more at stake than we assumed," she reminded him. "Does he really think you are Timur-i?"

  "Yes, he really does," said Sanat Ji Mani, his shoulders drooping as if with sudden fatigue. "He will not entertain any other possibility. The more I deny it, the more certain he becomes that it is true. "

  "Then he is mad: he must be mad," she said.

  "Perhaps. What matters is that he is Rajput and he is persuaded that he is destined to conquer all the world. " He took a step back and sat on the edge of their bed. "We are to go with him on campaign. "

  "We-both of us," she said, to be certain she had heard correctly.

  "Yes. I told him I do not want to be separated from you," said Sanat Ji Mani with a quick smile.

  "And he agreed: I wonder why," she said, going quiet.

  "He wants to keep my good opinion, I suspect," said Sanat Ji Mani.

  "Or he wants us both where he can watch us," she said. "We may be hostages after all. "

  "That is another possibility," he agreed, and lay back, staring up at the ceiling. "So we shall make ready. And when we have the opportunity, we shall break away and head for the coast. "

  Tulsi came and stood over him. "Do you think he will permit that to happen?"

  Despite his many reservations, Sanat Ji Mani maintained an optimistic expression as he told her, "I do not believe I will ask his permission. "

  Text of a letter from the merchant Kakar Kers to Vayu Ede.

  To the most venerable and mystical Alvar, Vayu Ede, the submissive greetings of the Toda merchant Kakar Kers, who begs that the poet will read this account with understanding and regard for the intentions it represents.

  In my travels from the coast, I have done as you have requested and taken time to observe other travelers on the roads. I have made note of how many men I have seen, and something of their nature, as you have asked me to do, and I now render the compilation of those observations to you, and ask that you recall your pledge that all customs taxation will be forgiven me for providing this to you. I am willing to do this but it is a risk and therefore I must have some form of recompense for my efforts. In this regard, I must tell you that there are still many men unsettled from the collapse of Delhi, who have been forced by circumstances to go about the roads of the world searching for a place to establish their businesses and families, more than two years ago, but fewer than last year. Those who travel now have fewer resources than those who were abroad last year; on the other hand, the current travelers have brought more things with them, their wealth being in possessions rather than gold, which is an advantage to traders.

  I have been to Cambay and Chaul fairly recently and I can report to you that there is more unrest now in Chaul than there is in Cambay. I have seen stricter discipline in Cambay, and higher taxes being imposed, but nothing so outrageous that merchants will avoid the place. Chaul, on the other hand, has lower taxes but far greater unrest. The situation there is still unresolved and for that reason, if no other, I have been wary of staying there too long, or becoming too heavily committed to trading from that port. I cannot guess what will transpire there in the next year, let alone for five years. I will decide if I am going to trade there again before too many months go by, for if I do not go there, I must select other markets or hurt my business.

  The worshipers of Allah continue to exert their influence, but those following the traditional Gods are more inclined to keep to their own religions. Even those followers of Thomas have made their way as far as Chaul, and have put up their temple for worship. It would be possible for a just ruler to gain support in that place so long as he did not insist on imposing his Gods upon the people, who would not accept such limitation. The region of Chaul has long maintained its independence from the rule of Allah, and have therefore continued to allow many beliefs to be promulgated, so long as they are not exclusionary. Any ruler who did not tolerate these many forms of worship would be doomed from the first. I tell you for the sake of the Rajput, that keeping religion in the hands of the people is essential.

  Also, as I have already informed you, there has been an increase in the flow of goods from north to south as those looking for a safe haven take all their belongings and set out for better climes. I have found many items of unusual design and rarity in market-places that do not often boast the remarkable; these are largely personal or family treasures, unique and prized, the last objects parted with in times of hardship. For that reason, I have spent more time in smaller cities and towns than I have in the past, to see what new merchants might be found in these markets; I want to see what is being offered for sale in these places. The most promising place has been Asirgarh, where I have found ivories and brasses from Delhi and fabrics from Assam and China. This is the result of many merchants coming south, and a shift in the routes traders use. How much this will effect the movement of goods, I cannot say, but for a year or two at least, I would reckon on these smaller markets to flourish while the larger ones are caught up in disputes.

  It is my plan to go eastward until the rains stop me. Wherever I am when they come, there I shall remain until they pass. I will continue to gather intelligence in that place, and upon my return to Devapur, I will again rep
ort to you what I have seen, so that your master, the Rajput, may avail himself of the information. So long as I am excused the greater part of my taxes, I will serve you and the Rajput faithfully. If you should fail to demonstrate your appreciation, I know there are others who would be glad to have access to what I have learned.

  Incidentally, it is rumored that the Rajput is going to cross the Narmanda and press into Deogir territory. If that is the case, be warned that an army is being assembled in the city of Deogir and that the soldiers are well-prepared to hold off any advance against them. For many weeks now there have been plans in motion to double the size of the supplies for the army and to secure all manner of metals and foodstuffs from the surrounding countryside so that the army will not have to forage over-much while on the march. Also, horses and asses are being commandeered from many of the people of Deogir for the purpose of fighting off any invasion. All this has taken place since the Rajput of Beragar pushed his territory back to the Narmanda River, for this has been seen as a sign that he is planning to encroach upon the region of Deogir itself. The Rajput would do better to strike out to the west than to go north, not only because there is more disorder in the west, but because he is expected north of the Narmanda River and not over the mountains to Chaul.

  Submitted with my most sincere devotion to the cause of the Rajput's triumph, and with thanks to the Gods for his advancement, I look forward to the time that I may serve him in a more official capacity, as you have discussed with me, wise poet. I have told this to the scribe Sarojin, who has recorded all accurately, on pain of whipping for any mistakes.

  Kahar Kers

  Merchant