The Moghul

Sharif inspected him with astonishment. "Your Viceroy must be mad. To take the vessel now? There's no purpose in it. His Majesty will be most annoyed."
    "But you were the one who suggested it!" The Jesuit's voice rose, quivering in dismay. "You said that bold measures were for bold men. Those were your words. His Excellency agreed it would be a decisive stroke of firmness."
    "And what does Father Sarmento think of this folly?"
    "Father Sarmento does not yet know. I thought it best not to inform him." Pinheiro's eyes were despairing. "What did Her Majesty, Queen Janahara, say about the plan?"
    "What do you mean?"
    "We agreed you would tell her."
    "I've not forgotten our agreement. I've been watching carefully for the right moment."
    "She does not even know!" Pinheiro seized his arm and stared at him incredulously. "But I told His Excellency you would--“
    "I planned to tell her any day. The time was approaching. But now, given what has happened . . ." Then he smiled and touched the Jesuit's arm lightly. "But I think she can still bring reason to His Majesty. It can all be readily explained as a misunderstanding."
    "But you must tell her immediately." Pinheiro's shock was growing. "If she hears of it before you've explained, she'll think –-“
    "Of course. But there's no reason yet for concern." Nadir Sharif smiled again. "I assure you it all can be handled very routinely. But please tell His Excellency, Miguel Vaijantes, not to do anything else this ill-advised for at least a week. I can only excuse so much at one time."
    As Nadir Sharif turned to continue down the corridor, Pinheiro reached out and seized his arm again. "You must also do one other thing. You must make sure the Englishman is removed from Agra immediately. We both know His Majesty may well forget by tomorrow that he has ordered him gone."
    "This time I doubt very much His Majesty will forget. It will only be a matter of days, in any case." Nadir Sharif turned and smiled. "And remember what I told you, that as far as His Majesty is concerned, I know nothing about your Viceroy's impetuous act. But I do advise you to inform Father Sarmento, before he hears it in open durbar ."
    "He'll be furious. He'll probably order me back to Goa."
    "I doubt it. I'm sure he knows your value here." Nadir Sharif turned without another word and hurried on down the corridor.
    Ahead of him Hawksworth was being led by the guards through the marble archways. As they reached the end, facing the doorway leading to the courtyard stairs, he turned one last time and stared back, seeing Nadir Sharif for the first time.
    "What do you want now? My money or my life? Or both?"
    "I merely came to see you safely home, Ambassador." Nadir Sharif waved the guards back toward the Diwan-i-Khas , and they bowed with relief as they turned to retreat. "And to offer my condolences."
    "And no doubt to cozen me as well. I intend to find out who played me false. Even if it's Jadar. Somebody has hell to pay."
    "That would be most unwise, Ambassador. I'm afraid we were all a bit too credulous. I readily confess even I had begun to believe your story."
    "It wasn't 'my story'! I knew nothing about . . ."
    "But you never denied it, Ambassador. Surely you knew the truth all along. The truth is always wisest. That's my cardinal rule in life."
    "But it could have been true. It was entirely possible. Why didn't you explain that to Arangbar? You're still supposed to be my agent."
    "That would be rather difficult for His Majesty to believe, given what really happened. But I do suppose it's possible." Nadir Sharif patted Hawksworth's shoulder. "I'll see if there's anything I can do. But in the meantime, I suggest you begin preparations to leave. His Majesty was unusually disturbed tonight."
    "He's disturbed over a lot of things, most of which have little to do with me."
    "If you mean the matter of the prince, I assure you it's alarming to us all. No one is certain what has happened in the south. In fact, you were one of the last men to see Prince Jadar. He seems almost to have disappeared. All sorts of rumors are working their way to the court. Where it will end no one can any longer even guess." Nadir Sharif followed Hawksworth out into the open square of the Diwan-i-Am . "Incidentally, Ambassador, did you yourself know anything about the fifty lakhs of silver coin spoken of tonight?"
    Hawksworth examined him a moment. "Maybe the Shahbandar stole it all."
    "That's hardly an answer, Ambassador. It wasn't, by