Flood of Fire (50 page)

At first the coast was only a distant smudge on the horizon, but when its contours began to take shape, maps and telescopes were fetched so that the salient features could be identified. Standing by the binnacle Mr Doughty raised a fingertip and turned it in a northeasterly direction. ‘That over there, is the island of Hong Kong!'

On the starboard side of the quarter-deck, Shireen's knuckles whitened on the gunwale as she leant forward, straining to look ahead.

‘Here.'Jogging Shireen's elbow, Freddie held out a spyglass: ‘Here, with this you will see better, lah. Hong Kong is that one – tallest and biggest of those islands, over there.'

The distant peaks were wreathed in cloud but the slopes below were treeless, strangely barren. The island seemed to be sparsely inhabited; the only dwellings to be seen were a few clusters of houses on the shore.

A lump rose to Shireen's throat as she stared at the windswept massif: so this was where Bahram had found his resting-place? This was where his journey had ended – this forbidding eyrie of an island, so far from his native Gujarat? The weather-battered desolation of the place created an aching melancholy in her: she tried and failed to envision Bahram's grave, lying amidst those slopes.

She turned to Zadig Bey, who was standing beside her. ‘Do you think we'll be able to visit my husband's grave today?'

Zadig scratched his chin. ‘I don't know if it'll be possible today, Bibiji,' he said. ‘I must first find my friend Robin Chinnery, to make sure that arrangements have been made for your accommodation in Macau. But we will go to Hong Kong as soon as possible, I promise.'

*

‘And you see that promontory, abeam of the larboard bow?' boomed Mr Doughty, pointing in a north-westerly direction. ‘Somewhere there lies Macau!'

Down on the maindeck, Raju raised a hand to shade his eyes as he peered ahead: Macau was where his journey would end; this was where he would be reunited with his father!

Excitement and anticipation bubbled up in him until they could no longer be contained. ‘Look!' he said to Dicky. ‘That's where I am going – Macau! That's where my uncle is!'

Dicky pulled a face. ‘Lucky bastard!' he said enviously. ‘How is it that you civvy buggers have all these bloody uncles, and aunts, and fathers, and mothers?'

The fifer spat overboard, into the foam-flecked sea. ‘We Lower Orphanage fellows, we don't have even one bloody relative.'

Although Dicky's tone was jocular there was an edge to it that made Raju wilt: the pleasure with which he had been looking forward to leaving the ship now gave way to a guilty unease for having so joyfully welcomed the prospect of abandoning his friend. Turning away in confusion, Raju went down to the cubicle and began to gather his meagre belongings together. He was stuffing them into his ditty-bag when Zachary came in.

‘So this is it I guess, eh kid-mutt? You and I will soon be going our own ways?'

‘Yes, sir.' Raju shyly held out his hand. ‘Thank you for bringing me with you, sir. If not for you I wouldn't be here.'

Zachary smiled as he shook the boy's hand. ‘You're a good lad, kid-mutt,' he said. ‘I hope things work out well for you.'

A minute later, the ship's bell began to ring, announcing the sighting of the fleet.

They went racing back to the deck to find that a mass of Union
Jacks had appeared on the waters ahead, at the western edge of the Pearl River estuary.

The grandeur of the landscape made the fleet look even more impressive than at Singapore: its masts, flags and pennants were so thickly bunched together that it was as if a great fortress had arisen out of the water.

Twenty warships were at anchor there, including three seventy-four-gun men-o'-war,
Wellesley, Melville
and
Blenheim
; two forty-four-gun frigates,
Druid
and
Blonde
and no fewer than four steamers. Clustered around them were twenty-six transport and supply vessels with names like
Futty Salaam, Hooghly, Rahmany, Sulimany, Rustomjee Cowasjee
and
Nazareth Shah
. And everywhere in the channel, circling ravenously around the ships of the fleet, were bumboats – hundreds of them, bedecked with a vast array of wares: vegetables, meat, fruit, souvenirs.

Guarding the fleet's southern flank was a twenty-eight-gun frigate,
Alligator
. No sooner had the
Hind
drawn level with the frigate than her towropes were tossed off: in her present state she was in no condition to wend her way through those crowded waters to join her sister vessel, the
Ibis
, which was a good distance away.

Even before the
Hind
had dropped anchor, cutters, lighters and bumboats were converging on her from every direction.

*

The
Hind
's cargo of opium was large enough that it took a good few hours to offload it into a longboat. By the time Zachary stepped into the boat, to escort the cargo to the
Ibis
, it was well past noon.

The air was as heavy as a hot compress: the torpid stillness of the afternoon had created a steamy haze so that the towering masts of the anchored frigates shimmered like trees in a fog.

Zachary was sitting in the stern of the longboat, facing forward: rounding the prow of a sloop-o'-war he caught sight of a large daub of orange, sitting perched in the bows of a fast-moving gig.

In a few minutes the splash of colour resolved itself into a familiar shape and form.

‘Baboo Nob Kissin?'

‘Master Zikri!' cried the gomusta. ‘Is it you?'

The gomusta, overjoyed, made an attempt to rise to his feet, almost overturning the gig. Sinking quickly back to the bench, he
cried: ‘Master Zikri, you will live a hundred years! For you only I was going to look – it is a very urgent matter!'

‘What is it, Baboo?'

‘Captain Chillingworth is laid down with severe indispositions: one day stool is like porridge next day like curds. Tongue has also become black and furry, like bandicoot's tail. He has been evacuated to Manila. In his absence I am glad to intimate an auspicious news: in lieu of himself Mr Chillingworth has appointed you captain of
Ibis
!'

‘Me? Captain?' Zachary narrowed his eyes. ‘Are you ironizing me, Baboo?'

‘Hai, hai!'
Shaking his head solemnly, Baboo Nob Kissin bit his tongue. ‘I would never treat such a matter, with levitation. Look – I can prove to you that I am not laughing in my sleeve.' Baboo Nob Kissin drew out a sealed letter and handed it over: ‘Here is authorization-chitty, issued by Mr Chillingworth. It is most fortunate that you have arrived today. You must join duty now only. Departure has been preponed – we must set sail tomorrow.'

As Zachary was examining the letter, Baboo Nob Kissin lowered his voice and leant a little closer. ‘One secret I will impart: all this was my idea – I only told Captain Chillingworth that you are suitable for captain's job. Now see how nicely everything has worked out? You will be able to sell your own opium and Mr Burnham's also. Soon you will be making money, fist over wrist!'

Amazed by yet another unexpected upturn in his fortunes, Zachary was still staring at the letter. ‘Holy gollation, Baboo! I don't know what to say.'

The gomusta in the meantime had bethought himself of another matter: ‘And what about the boy, Raju? I hope he did not create botherations?'

‘No, not at all. He's waiting on the
Hind
– he's got his things packed and is all ready to go off to his uncle.'

At this a scowl appeared on the Baboo's face. ‘Regarding that matter unfortunately a problem has risen up. Raju's uncle has absconded from Macau – he has gone upcountry and is not reachable. Never mind. I will explain everything to Raju.'

‘I left him on the
Hind
– you'll find him there.'

As the boats were pulling apart, a thought struck Zachary
and he turned around, cupping his hands around his mouth: ‘Baboo, what about the letter I sent with you? For Miss Paulette Lambert?'

‘She has received it, Master Zikri!' the gomusta shouted back. ‘Not to worry – it has been delivered into her hands!'

*

Shortly after the
Hind
's arrival Captain Mee and the subalterns left for the
Wellesley
, to meet with Colonel Burrell and Commodore Bremer. Kesri was not sorry to see the officers go: their departure left him free at last to give his attention to those who needed it most – the sepoys and camp-followers.

The events of the last few days – the lightning strike, the dismasting, the deaths and injuries – had reduced many of the boys and men to a state where they seemed unable to absorb, or even notice, what was happening around them. Nor did their numbness dissipate on arrival: many of them began to drift about the decks in a kind of trance, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings and listening bemusedly to the clamour that was rising from the circling bumboats.

They needed to be taken in hand, Kesri knew, but before he could do anything about it a team of surgeons and medical attendants arrived, to oversee the evacuation of the wounded, and in the confusion of the moment Kesri forgot to order the men to go below. This was an unfortunate omission; later he would curse himself for having allowed the men to witness the evacuation.

Very few of the evacuees were in a condition to use the usual facilities for debarkation. Neither the side-ladders nor even the swing-lift would serve for the seriously injured so a special crane was set up to winch them down to the waiting boats in a hanging litter.

The agonized screams of the injured fifers, as they were transferred from their pallets to the litter, were harrowing enough to listen to; worse by far was what happened when it came time for the injured punditji to be moved. He was carried out of the infirmary in an immobile condition, lying prone on a pallet. When his litter was hoisted off the deck, he sat suddenly erect, like a puppet jerked up by the tug of a string. Raking the maindeck with wild,
bloodshot eyes, he uttered a bone-chilling shriek, calling out the name of the god of death, Yamaraj.

By the time his litter reached the boat the punditji was dead.

*

Soon after the
Hind
dropped anchor Zadig hired a sampan and went off to look for Robin Chinnery. He was gone for what seemed to Shireen an inordinately long time. But just as she was beginning to worry, he returned, full of good cheer.

Everything was settled, he told Shireen;. the house that Robin had found for Shireen, in Macau, was ready and waiting.

Shireen gave a sigh of relief. ‘That is very good news, Zadig Bey. I hope you thanked Robin for me? I was beginning to think that something had gone wrong.'

Zadig was quick to apologize: it had taken him a long time to locate the
Redruth
, he said, and he had found Robin in a great state – it turned out that he was preparing to sail northwards, with the British fleet.

‘But why?' said Shireen in surprise. ‘Has he joined the navy?'

This drew a great guffaw from Zadig. ‘No, Bibiji, Robin is the least martial of men. He is actually going along as an artist. He tells me that it is quite the thing nowadays for armies to be accompanied by painters so that their exploits and victories can be recorded for posterity. A colonel has invited him and it is too good an opportunity to be refused. Robin will set sail tomorrow.'

‘What a pity,' said Shireen in disappointment. ‘I would have liked to meet him.'

‘He would have liked to meet you too, Bibiji. In Canton, during the opium crisis, he was often at Bahram-bhai's house. He wanted to offer his condolences but unfortunately there's no time today. He will come to see you when he returns: in the meantime he sends you his salaams. So does his friend, Paulette.'

‘She was there too?'

‘Yes, Bibiji – and she too will come to see you some day. She was at Hong Kong you know, when Bahram's body was found.'

‘Oh?' said Shireen. ‘I didn't know that. What an odd coincidence.'

‘No, Bibiji, not really. Paulette spends a lot of time on the island.'

Zadig turned to point in the direction of Hong Kong. ‘Do you see that tall mountain over there? That is where Paulette's guardian,
Mr Penrose, has set up a nursery, for his collection of plants. Since Mr Penrose is rather infirm, it is Paulette who takes care of it: she goes there every day.'

‘On her own?'

‘Yes, Bibiji, she often goes on her own. She dresses up in breeches and a jacket and no one gives her any trouble. She was up there that day when Bahram died. The nursery has a very good view of the bay and the shore: Paulette noticed a great commotion and came hurrying down to the beach below the nursery. And there she found Vico, the munshi and some lascars from the
Anahita
gathered around Bahram's body.'

Shireen fell silent, resting her eyes on the looming island. ‘I would like to talk to her, Zadig Bey.'

‘I'm sure an opportunity will arise soon enough, Bibiji. She too is keen to meet you.'

*

Down in the shadows of the dimly lit cubicle, Raju listened numbly as Baboo Nob Kissin gave him the news: his father was no longer in Macau; he had gone off to Canton to take a job; he could not be contacted because the Pearl River was under blockade; even to try to send a message was fraught with risk, since it might bring down suspicion on his head – nonetheless, attempts would be made …

After listening for a while Raju broke in:
Apni chithi likhechhilen na?
You had written a letter to him, hadn't you? You had told him I was coming?

Yes, of course I had, said Baboo Nob Kissin. But my letter must not have reached him. He must have left Macau before it arrived. He was gone by the time I reached the coast; I have not been able to reach him since.

The explanation was lost on Raju, who turned on Baboo Nob Kissin as though he were personally to blame: But why? Why did he leave? Why didn't he wait?