Free The Ravi Lancers by John Masters

philosophy, the method of dan , for surely the act of sending him and so many men to France, as hostages, is a gift, an appeasement.’
    The rajah shifted comfortably, while Krishna tried hard to contain his impatience. The rajah said, ‘Very good. What of bhed ?’
    The Rawal said, ‘ Bhed ... creating a rift in the enemy camp, so weakening him and thus making it difficult for him to win by force. Again, I think that the sending of the Yuvraj, and the regiment’s loyal service in the war, will create this rift. They will ask themselves--Can Hindus really be inferior, as we have believed for so long? Is it not only justice, our own justice, to let them go their own way? How can we hold down and despise those who have volunteered to stand up at our side? Can their civilization, which has its own values but is also able to live and fight by ours, really be dismissed or suppressed? ... Questions such as these, asked in the Christian camp, will carry out the method of bhed .’
    ‘And dand ?’ Krishna said with sarcasm, ‘am I to start killing Englishmen if sam , dan , and bhed fail?’
    ‘It may come to that, Highness,’ the Rawal said equably. ‘As you know , dand --physical force--is only the last resort. Your love of and admiration for European ways will ensure that you, at least, will not resort to physical conflict unless you feel that you have no other recourse ... though I cannot promise the same of all the men who will be accompanying you.’
    ‘I can’t imagine that situation coming to pass,’ Krishna said shortly.
    ‘I can,’ his grandfather said grimly. ‘You are young. There are matters beyond your present imagining. I fear that this war will show them to you in a terrible guise. That is the worst thing about your embassy. You will leave here a young man, happy, unscarred ... and come back old, older than I ... So be it, then.’
    Krishna said, ‘Will you please send the telegram at once, grandfather? There isn’t a moment to be lost.’
    The old man said, ‘We’ll have to think of terms--pay, pensions of men killed or wounded, compensation ..
    Krishna said, ‘I suggest that we ask for exactly the same terms as the Indian Army. It will save much time.’
    ‘Very well,’ the rajah said. ‘Help me up, boy ...’ He embraced his grandson suddenly, and Krishna was surprised to find the old body shaken by a silent sobbing. ‘Vishnu preserve you,’ the rajah muttered. ‘May Vishnu bring wisdom and truth to your soul ... Your mother told me she wanted to see you as soon as you came back.’
    ‘It is late, sir,’ Krishna said doubtfully.
    ‘Not for her,’ the rajah said. ‘Go, boy, lest worse befall--’ Krishna made obeisance to his grandfather, joined his palms to the priest, and hurried out of the temple. It was raining hard now, pools of water lay in the dark square, lashed by the rain, and the lamps at the palace gate flickered in their niches. A sleepy guard admitted him and he ran down the narrow corridors to his widowed mother’s door. He called, ‘Mother, it is Krishna. You wanted to see me?’
    She answered at once. ‘Come, son.’ She was talking almost before he was through the door. ‘Where have you been? What dangers on the road in that devilish machine? Did you win the ca-ricket? How many rupees did you spend in the Hira Mandi?’
    Krishna laughed, hugging her. ‘There, mother, now be quiet a moment. Yes, we won the cricket. Dayal Ram is bringing our team back by train to Pathankot tonight. They ought to be here tomorrow. He visited the Hira Mandi, of course, but I did not, at all. I took an English captain to tea at Faletti’s. Captain Bateman. I met him and his sister in January. And we’re going to the war! ‘
    ‘What war? What are you talking about, son?’
    ‘War in Europe. Grandfather is offering the Lancers to join the Indian Expeditionary Force to France.’
    ‘Oh,’ his mother said. She scratched her chin thoughtfully. ‘You’ve been meeting English women,