Brothers of the Blade by Garry Douglas Kilworth

Author:Garry Douglas Kilworth
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: War & Military, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯), Fiction
ISBN: 9781472104052
Publisher: Robinson
Published: 2012-08-20T00:00:00+00:00

20

They were gathered in Crossman’s bungalow, a small but adequate dwelling which had come – to Gwilliams’ great disgust – with a manservant. This cook-bearer was at that moment making them mango drinks in the small kitchen off the back of the building. They had clustered on the veranda, the room behind them being stifling hot. On hearing of the arrival of newcomers, flies had come in their thousands from surrounding areas to greet them. King was at the moment engaged in a wholesale slaughter which did not seem to reduce the numbers of the unwanted visitors in the least. Around his chair, like a spilt box of dried blackcurrants, were the bodies of the dead. King still wielded his swat, becoming adept at hitting flies in the air, as well as those which had settled on arms, legs and furniture.

‘We’re to receive orders to go north-west, to a place known as Piwar,’ Crossman said. ‘To assess the danger of an uprising amongst the hill tribes. We leave in the morning. You may have heard on the grapevine that there’s been trouble all over India – outbreaks in Aligarh, Mainpuri, Etawah, Bulandshar, Nasirabad, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur and many of the smaller stations. In others, Lahore, Agra, Lucknow, Peshawar – as you know – native regiments have been disarmed. But many British officers are refusing to disband their regiments, believing they will remain loyal. We all hope that’s the case, but we must prepare for the worst.’

Sergeant King rose from his wicker chair, which had been protesting noisily with each violent movement of his body as he attacked the enemy.

‘I’ll go and get the men ready,’ he said. ‘We’ll probably need to purchase another set of camels – ours need a rest.’

‘Stay where you are, Sergeant.’

The sergeant blinked and sat back down again.

Jack explained, ‘We’re not taking your retinue, King. This is a proper military expedition, not a mapmaking jaunt.’

‘Very funny,’ muttered Gwilliams. ‘Retinue. King. Yes, a humorous note has entered the proceedings.’

‘What?’ cried a hurt Sergeant King, predictably. ‘Why can’t they come anyway?’

‘Because,’ the lieutenant explained, ‘I say so.’ He had never thought he would use those words – words which he had treated with contempt when he had been a private and on the other end of them – but they saved a lot a time. ‘Speed is important. It’s vital. They’ll slow us up. Do as you’re told for once in your life, Sergeant, or I shall get very cross.’

‘. . . man,’ said Gwilliams, grinning.

‘And that’s enough from you too, Corporal. This is a serious business. I’ve just been briefed by Colonel Hawke. There’s been a full-scale mutiny at Meerut. Several regiments of the Bengal army have shot their officers, and others, set fire to barracks and bungalows, and then – gathering a lot of badmashes on the way – set out for Delhi. So far as I can gather they’ve got control of Delhi and whole families are being cut down. The plight of our people in Delhi is dire.

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