The Moghul

with us or will you stay with the prince?"
    "What do you mean?"
    "I understand His Highness is striking camp tomorrow and marching west for the Rajput city of Udaipur. The new maharana there, a distinguished if somewhat renegade Rajput prince named Karan Singh, apparently has offered his lake palace as a refuge for the prince."
    "I don't seem to have much choice. I'm probably no more welcome in Agra right now than you are."
    Nadir Sharif examined him quizzically for a moment. "I'm not sure I understand exactly what you mean." Then he broke into laughter. "Ambassador, surely you don't assume I had anything to do with the tragedy today. The honest truth is I used every means at my command to dissuade the Rajput cavalry from their insidious treachery. They absolutely refused to heed anything I said. In fact, I actually tried to forewarn Her Majesty something just like this might happen."
    "What are you talking about!"
    "Their betrayal was astonishing, and I must tell you frankly, entirely unaccountable. I intend to prepare a complete report for Her Majesty. But this is merely a temporary setback for us, never fear." He turned and bowed lightly to Shirin, acknowledging her for the first time. "I really must be leaving for the Imperial camp now. We've scheduled a war council tonight to plan our next strategy." He smiled. "I feel I should counsel you once again that you've chosen very unsavory company. Prince Jadar is a thorough disgrace to the empire." He bowed lightly once more to Hawksworth, then to Shirin, and turned to remount his elephant. "Good night, Ambassador. Perhaps someday soon we'll drink sharbat together again in Agra."
    Even as he spoke, his elephant rose and began to move out. His last words were drowned by cheering Rajputs.
    "He'll never get away with it." Hawksworth watched incredulously as the elephant began delicately picking its way through the shattered camp.
    "Oh yes he will. You don't know Nadir Sharif as I do."
    Hawksworth turned to stare in bewilderment at Jadar. The prince was standing next to Mumtaz, their faces expressionless. As Nadir Sharif’s elephant disappeared into the dark, Mumtaz said something in Persian and gestured toward Shirin. She replied in the same language and they moved together, embracing.
    "Your face is still fresh as the dawn, though your kohl is the dust of war." Mumtaz's Persian was delicate and laced with poetic allusions. She kissed Shirin, then looked down and noticed her right hand. "And what happened to your thumb?"
    "I had no bow ring. You know we aren't supposed to shoot."
    "Or do anything else except bear sons." Mumtaz flashed a mock frown in the direction of Jadar. "If I would let him, His Highness would treat me like some stupid Arab wet nurse instead of a Persian." She embraced Shirin again and kissed her once more. "I also know you learned to fire a matchlock today."
    "How did you find out?"
    "Some of the Rajputs saw you shoot a Bundella horseman who had breached their lines and reached His Highness' elephant. One of them told my eunuchs." Her voice dropped. "He said you saved His Highness' life. I want to thank you."
    "It was my duty."
    "No, it was your love. I'm sorry I dare not tell His Highness what you did. He must never find out. He's already worried about too many obligations. You saw what just happened tonight with father. I think he's very troubled about what price he may be asked to pay someday for what happened today."
    "I must tell you the English feringhi also shot the Bundella who had mounted His Highness' elephant."
    "Is he the one there?" Mumtaz nodded discreetly toward Hawksworth, who stood uncomprehending, his haggard face and jerkin smeared with smoke. Her voice had risen slightly and now her Persian was lilting again.
    "He's the one."
    Mumtaz scrutinized Hawksworth with a quick flick of her eyes, never looking up. "He's interesting. Truly as striking as I'd heard."
    "I love him more than my life. I wish you could know him." Shirin's Persian was equally as genteel as that of Mumtaz.
    "But is he yet a worthy lover in your bed?" Mumtaz's smile was almost hidden. "I sent your message to father about the Hindu devadasi ."
    Shirin smiled and said nothing.
    "Then you must bring him with us to Udaipur."
    "If His Highness will have us there."
    "I will have you there." She laughed and looked again at Hawksworth. "If you'll tell me sometime what it's like to share your pillow with a feringhi ."
    "Captain Hawksworth." Jadar's martial voice rose above