Veils of Silk(133)

"Exactly." She scowled. "And he planted the idea with both Hindu and Muslim holy men that if such a gun was issued, it would be a deliberate attempt by the British to break caste so that soldiers could then be converted to Christianity.''

Ian frowned. "Twenty years ago a rumor like that wouldn't have done much damage, but the number of missionaries and zealous Christian administrators is increasing all the time. Many of them would like to abandon the policy of religious tolerance and try to turn this into a Christian nation."

"That will never happen," Laura said flatly. "Hinduism is too much a part of the fabric of Indian life and culture."

"You and I know that, as does any European in India who pays attention to the society around him, but there are enough zealots to make Pyotr's rumors devastating. Is there anything else?"

She looked at the notes again. "Apparently Pyotr heard that British officials are considering a law that a princely state could not pass to an adopted son, only an heir of the body. If there isn't one, the Sirkar will annex the state. Pyotr mentioned the possibility to every native prince he met."

"So that's where Rajiv Singh got the idea. Just today he told me that such a policy is in the wind. Fear that Dharjistan will be annexed increases his resentment of the Sirkar. Pyotr did his work well." Ian shook his head. "I wish your uncle hadn't been so damned clever. Is there anything else?"

"I'm afraid so," Laura said. "In Afghanistan, he learned of a minor pass through the mountains near the Khyber Pass. It's very narrow, scarcely more than a goat track, so it's used only by local Pathan tribesmen. Because the pass is little known, it's not guarded like the Khyber. Pyotr speculated that when the time came, the Afghans could invade through that pass and be in India before the British knew they were coming."

"Bloody, bloody hell," Ian swore. "New rifles and cartridges haven't been issued, but the other conditions have been met. If Rajiv Singh wants to strike at the Sirkar, now is the perfect time." Briefly he outlined the news from Afghanistan. "There was something about his mood this morning that makes me think he's ready to move."

Laura's face paled when she heard the news. "You think the Afghans might follow up their victory by coming down onto the plains and joining Pyotr's jihad?"

"They'll never have a better chance." Ian analyzed the plan, looking for the weak link that might head off the enterprise before it could begin. "Is there any hint of where that mysterious pass might be?"

"There's a rough set of directions that could probably be followed by someone actually in the mountains. And a name—Shpola. Does that mean anything to you?"

"There's a village by that name between the Khyber Pass and Jallalabad, so one end of Pyotr's pass is probably near there," he replied. "I'll ask Zafir if he's heard of it."

She shivered. "The time is ripe. The Afghans victorious and angry. Turbulence in the Punjab, so the leaders there might be happy to turn the attention of the army outward."

"And Rajiv Singh ready, willing, and able to serve as the spearhead," Ian finished. "The slaughter of a British army has proved that the Sirkar isn't impregnable, and that becomes another important factor. In the East, there's a belief in iqbal. If that belief falters, the jackals will close in."

"What is iqbal?"

"Preordained good fortune. One's luck, one's fate," he explained. "If it looks like the British star is faltering, everyone who has ever had a grievance—every landlord who was ever stopped from squeezing murderous rents, every prince who has ever lost power, every man who has ever suffered from the Sirkar's greed, or felt that his religion was being threatened—they'll join together in a hunting pack that could slaughter every European in India."

Laura's face went white. "You think it could come to that?"

"I'm afraid so. There are only a few thousand Europeans compared to tens of millions of Indians. We survive here only because our rule is acceptable to most of the people we govern. But that could change, especially if someone as clever as Rajiv Singh acts on the plan that Pyotr developed." Ian frowned in thought. "Was your uncle only interested in getting rid of the British? I would have guessed his ultimate goal would be Russian domination."

"I'm sure it was," she answered. "There's a hint that he had a double game in mind—persuade Rajiv Singh to lead a rebellion and hope the coalition fell apart after victory. Then the Russians could move in."

"That could easily happen, given the tension that exists among Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs," Ian said. "Without a common enemy to fight, the leaders could end up at each other's throats after destroying the Sirkar. I think your uncle underestimated Rajiv Singh's ability to hold the different groups together, but I would rather not find out for sure."