ELEPHANT MOON by John Sweeney

Author:John Sweeney [John Sweeney]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781909269095
Publisher: Silvertail Books
Published: 2013-11-23T16:00:00+00:00

Shivering in the smudged frock, Grace stumbled back towards the camp. Molly greeted her bearing a chapatti smeared with jam. ‘I couldn’t find the Havildar but I saved you breakfast, Miss.’ The girl made it sound as grand as Eggs Benedict at Claridges.

Then:

‘Miss, who was that man?’

‘A Sergeant Gregory, Molly.’

‘How did he hurt his head, Miss?’

‘I don’t know, Molly.’

Wolfing the chapatti and two sardines, she caught a glimpse of Gregory, sauntering through the trees up a hill towards Rungdot and the front section of the march.

Nearby, the Havildar was loading up Michael, Joseph and three girls with tummy problems onto one elephant.

‘Havildar.’

He turned to lift a girl high up to an elephant, leaving her addressing his massive shoulder. ‘I have a serious complaint to make,’ she went on.

‘Not now, Miss. I’ve got to make sure we get started. We’re half an hour behindhand as it is, and Colonel Sam will have my guts if we’re not out of here as soon as possible.’

‘Sergeant Gregory threatened me.’

‘Sam’s gone ahead, Miss. Let’s talk about it when we’re on our way.’ The big Sikh gestured and, in the distance, far ahead, she just caught a glimpse of a white bandage disappearing into the high bamboo, accompanying the first of the pack elephants.

Her suspicion grew that, faced with the charge of murdering the Jemadar, the sergeant would know how to lie about what had happened. If they ever got to India, there might be question marks raised about Gregory, but she worried that her word against his alone would never be enough to see him hang. And that would mean that Gregory would get away with the murder of the only man she had ever loved.

Emily and Ruby came down from the direction where Grace had last seen the sergeant, giggling to each other.

‘That man, Emily, Ruby. Don’t go anywhere near him,’ said Grace.

Their laughter dried up. ‘Why?’ asked Emily. The challenge was direct and unfriendly.

‘Because I said so.’ It was the very worst thing an adult could say to a teenager, but Grace could think of no other way of putting it, short of telling the girls that she had witnessed him shooting the Jemadar in cold blood.

Emily stared back at her teacher, haughtily. Grace looked to Ruby for support, but the other girl kept her eyes locked on the ground and – was she mistaken? – seemed to be blushing.

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