Jani and the Greater Game (The Multiplicity Series Book 1) by Brown Eric

Author:Brown, Eric [Brown, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Steampunk
Publisher: Solaris
Published: 2014-07-26T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

An accidental meeting –

Jani takes tea with the Reverend Carstairs –

A lucky escape – “You’re speaking in riddles...”

IT WAS TEN o’clock in the morning when Jani slipped from the warehouse and hurried along the busy street. She felt as if everyone who glanced her way knew of her secret, and she wondered how long it might be before the authorities traced her from Delhi.

As she left the warehouse behind her, heading for the main boulevard where the bazaars and stores were to be found, she saw a police jeep – carrying one British officer, with three Indian minions – edging its way through the press of humanity. The moustachioed officer looked impatient as he rapped on the frame of the windscreen with his swagger stick and shouted at the crowd to make way.

The Indian constables eyed the crowd with suspicion, and Jani hurried past, heart thumping.

She expected a harsh cry to arrest her progress – and only breathed a little easier when she turned a corner and hurried across the road towards the mock-Tudor frontage of a Hobson and Jobson department store.

As she was about to climb the three steps to the store’s fan-cooled interior, a shadow crossed the face of the sun and she looked up. She squinted at a great airship passing sedately high above, a police vessel bearing the red, white and blue livery of the union flag on its cigar-shaped envelope.

She could not help but jump to the conclusion that reinforcements had been sent to Dehrakesh. The authorities in Delhi had discovered the remains of the shattered warehouse where she had been held, and traced the progress of the Mech-Man back to Mr Clockwork’s premises. Then they had deduced that Max had been driven by one Anand Doshi, the houseboy of the late Minister of Security whose daughter they desperately sought... From this it was but a short leap of logic to assume that they had questioned Mr Clockwork and found that Anand had delivered Max the Mech-Man to the warehouse in Dehrakesh.

She felt dizzy with panic as she hurried up the steps to the department store.

So flustered was she that she collided with someone who was coming down the steps. She rebounded with a start and looked up to see her surprised expression mirrored on the round, moonlike countenance of an overweight young man in a beige suit, straw hat, and a clerical collar.

“I’m so sorry!” she began.

The young parson reached out, clutched her hand in a bid to steady her, and said, “My fault entirety, Miss. I was miles away.” He raised his hat and smiled pleasantly. “Good day to you...”

Jani returned the nicety and hurried into the shadows of the store.

She found the clothing department and, for the next thirty minutes, worked to calm her nerves as she selected undergarments and a crimson shalwar kameez. The sales assistant attempted to interest her in a green sari which she said would complement the deep brown of her eyes. Jani smiled at the thought of

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