"Isaid no," Learoyd whispered."We’vegot to find Finn and Andre first. We’re the only chance they’ve got. 11
They had to pass the guards on their way to the cell where they were being kept before. They kept their heads down and grunted as they went by.
— You three!" Drakov called out behind them.
They stopped.
"Bloody hell’ "whispered Ortheris.
"Turnand face me when I speak to you!" said Drakov.
They turned slowly, keeping their heads down, as if with great humility.
"Where are the warriors of the host of heaven""
"Whatthe devil is ‘e talkin’ about"" whispered Mulvaney.
"Howthe hell should I know"" Learoyd whispered back. Then, with his head still bowed, he replied in Pushtu,"1 do not know, Your Holiness."
Drakov stood silent for a moment, thinking. "Iam told there are British soldiers being held prisoner here. Take me to them."
"Well, what do you know"" whispered Mulvaney. "We’re goin’ to get our chance at Sayyid bloody Akbar, after all."
Learoyd elbowed him in the ribs. "This way, Your Holiness," he said, bowing low and pointing out the way.
"Lead on," said Drakov.
"Steady, lads," whispered Learoyd. "Steady now."
They walked ahead of Drakov and his guards, heading toward the cell they had recently escaped from. They paused at the door. Drakov stopped in front of it.
"This door is unbolted! What is the meaning of this"" He opened it. "There’s no one inside! Where are the prisoners"" He reached out and jerked Mulvaney’s head up. "You’re not-"
Mulvaney slammed a hard right into his stomach and pushed him into the cell. Learoyd plunged his knife deep into the abdomen of one of the guards while Ortheris kicked another in the groin with all his might and stuck his knife into the other’s chest. Learoyd wrestled briefly with the fourth guard, his hand clamped over his mouth, then slashed his blade across his throat. Ortheris disposed of the one remaining guard, who was on the floor, clutching at his vitals. They quickly dragged the corpses into the cell and shut the door.
Learoyd had Drakov backed up against the stone wall, the point of his Khyber knife against his throat.
"Well, well," said Mulvaney, grinning. "Look what we’ve got ‘ere!"
He had lost his turban in the scuffle, and Drakov stared at him, then at the others. "Who are you men""
"You speak English!" said Ortheris, not so much surprised to hear a Pathan speaking it as he was to hear it spoken so well, without an accent.
"You’re the soldiers," Drakov said. "I commend you on your resourcefulness. Where are the others who were being held with you, a man and a woman""
"Look at this, will you"" Ortheris said. "A knife at ‘is throat an’ Vs dernandin’ answers like a bleedin’ rajah! "
"That’s just what we’re here to find out, Your Holiness," Learoyd said.
"Chris, watch ‘is ‘ands!" cried Mulvaney.
Learoyd quickly batted Drakov’s right hand away from his left wrist. It looked as if he had been reaching for a dagger hidden up his sleeve. Mulvaney quickly stepped up and checked.
"What’s this"" he said, examining the warp disc on Drakov’s wrist. He pulled at it, trying to figure out how to take it off, and managed to yank it loose.
"What is M-said Learoyd.
"Looks like some sort o’ bracelet," said Mulvaney.
"Be careful with it," said Learoyd. "These devils can be tricky. It might have some sort of poisoned needle in it or the like."
Mulvaney flung it away from him and it landed in the far corner of the room. "Right, — he said. "Let’s finish 1m off."
"Don’t be too hasty," Drakov said. "I’m your best chance of finding your friends. As long as I’m alive, you remain alive. If you harm me, they’ll cut you to pieces."
"I’m afraid you’re right," Learoyd said. "Where’d you learn to speak English so well""
Drakov smiled. "You would not belive me if I told you.
" "I say we kill them an’ ‘ave done with it!" "Mulvaney said.
"No, let’s not be rash," Learoyd said."Hehas a point. If we kill him now, we may never get through this alive. He’s our ticket out of here. And he can get us safe passage to Peshawar. Wouldn’t that be something, us ridin’ in with Sayyid Akbar himself" We’d be heroes."
"Live heroes are generally preferable over dead ones," Drakov said.
"You keep shut,"" Learoyd said. "Mulvaney, take him. "
He’s a big one, but he won’t break away from you. Get on, you."
They pushed him out into the corridor. It was filled with heavily armed tribesmen.
"BlasW’ Learoyd said.
"Now aren’t you glad you didn’t kill me"" Drakov said, smiling.
"Tell them to back away!"
"You tell them. You speak the language well enough."
"Iwant it comin’ from you."Learoyd jabbed him with the knife."Now."
Drakov called out to the tribesmen to back away. They did so, slowly, keeping their weapons ready.
"Now ask them where they’ve got the prisoners."
Drakov called out to the tribesmen again. There was a brief silence, then one of the men answered.
"There are no prisoners, Your Holiness. There are only those with you. The others have escaped."
"Escaped"" said Ortheris.
"They’re Iyin’," said Mulvaney. "We never saw ‘em come out. "
"Why don’t you search the other chambers then"" said Drakov. "I’m in no great hurry to go anywhere. I’ll wait. "
"I don’t like this," Ortheris said. "This chap’s actin’ too cocksure of ‘imself. -
"I have nothing to lose," said Drakov. "You don’t dare risk harming me. And as for getting me to Peshawar, you’re dreaming. If you think about it, you’ll see how hopeless your position is."
"We’ll see about that," Learoyd said. "Come on."
They proceeded farther down the hall to check the other chambers. Mulvaney kept a firm grip on Drakov while Learoyd and Ortheris quickly checked the rooms. Each one they came to was empty. There was no sign of Finn and Andre. The tribesmen followed, keeping their distance, alert for any opportunity to attack and rescue their holy man. Among them, his khakis hidden by a long white robe, was Gunga Din.
The British camp was below them, on the plain before the Bedmanai Pass. It was Mohmand territory, the land of the savage tribesmen of the Mamund Valley. After the relief of Chakdarra, Blood had pressed on to put down the revolt of the Mohmands, who though they had been deserted by Sadullah, nevertheless had no shortage of holy men to spur them on in their jehad. The entire frontier situation was unstable, from Chitral to the Khyber Pass. The fever of jehad had spread like a disease, infecting all those tribes except those already pacified by force of arms.
General Blood knew he could not fail to put down the rebellion. It was not enough to defeat Sadullah at the Malakand Pass, nor was it enough to rescue the garrison at Chakdarra. He needed to put down each and every tribe, thwart each and every holy man who incited the mountain people to revolt. Those tribes that had been defeated by him, those khans who had been forced to make peace along his line of march, would remain subjugated only so long as he did not fail. One defeat, one withdrawal, one serious setback, or one recalcitrant tribe not met on its own ground would be interpreted as a sign of weakness, and those khans who had so humbly and respectfully agreed to terms would immediately rise up again, like the embers of a campfire not properly doused would soon erupt in flame.
Finn and Andre stood upon a rise overlooking the British camp. They knew from history that this was one of the most difficult moments in Blood’s campaign. Before him was the Bedmanai Pass, held by the Ghazi followers of Hadda Mullah. Behind him was ground broken by ravines and nullahs, across which retreat would be extremely difficult. He had only one brigade with him. The 2nd Brigade, which had been meant to rendezvous here with him, was still engaged in fighting in the Mamund Valley, twelve miles away. The Ist Brigade was stuck with transport problems on the Panjkora River. A relief division was still miles away, struggling to get through difficult and hostile country. Blood was squarely in the middle at Nawagai.