Part 36 (1/2)
”Nay, it is short!” hissed Darya Khan ”Take the two ears, or hold it by the jawbone! Hold it high in both hands!”
King obeyed, without looking at the thing, and Is to face the crowd, rose on tiptoe and filled his lungs for the effort of his life
”The head of Cappitin Attleystan King-infidel kaffir-British arrficer!” he howled
”Good!” the crowd bellowed ”Good! Throw it!”
The crowd's roar and the roof's echoes combined until pandemonium
”Throw it to the as softly and as sweetly, as if she coaxed a child Yet her voice carried
He lowered the head, but instead of looking at it he looked up at her He thought she was enjoying herself and his predica
”Throw it to them, Kurram Khan!” she purred ”It is the custom!”
”Throw it! Throw it!” the crowd thundered
He turned the ghastly thing until it lay face-upward in his hands, and so at last he saw it He caught his breath, and only the horn-riht, saved him from self-betrayal The cavern seemed to sway, but he recovered and his orked swiftly If Yasn
”Throw it! Throw it! Throw it!”
The croas growing i their arms to draw attention to themselves, and he wondered what the ultimate end of the head would be, if he obeyed and threw it to the Yasht disobey
He looked past her toward the river There were no guards near enough to prevent what he intended; but he had to bear in uards had rifles, and if he acted too suddenly one of theht shoot at hies, those guards, in a land where a the head before hi all the while a little toward the crowd as if et nearer before he threw
He was e before Yasrew suspicions first and yelled Then King hurried, for he did not believe Yasain command of any situation But she saw fit to stand still and watch
He reached the river and stood there Noas in no hurry at all, for it stood to reason that unless Yasmini very much desired him to be kept alive he would have been shot dead already For a ot to bark and snarl
His next h he was careful to avoid the least suggestion of mummery (for then the croould have suspected disloyalty to Islam, and the ”Hills” are very, very pious, and very suspicious of all foreign ritual)
He did a thoughtful siasp because of its very unexpectedness He held the head in both hands, threw it far out into the river and stood to watch it sink Then, without visible emotion of any kind, he walked back stolidly to face Yase end, with shoulders a little ht to be, and chin a shade too high, for there never was a man who could act quite perfectly
”Thou fool!” Yash lips that did not move
She betrayed a flash of teer's, but followed it instantly with her loveliest smile Like to like, however, the cro the flash of temper and took its cue froreeted an approving murmur
”Slay him!” advised the roof in a whisper, in one of its phonetic tricks
”This is a darbar!” Yas voice ”My darbar, for I summoned it! Did I invite anypack is silent