The whispering became a murmuring, and the murmuring grew into
excitable chattering; and by ten o'clock that night all the bazaars
knew that the ancient rites of Juggernaut were to be revived that
night. The bazaars had never heard of Nero, called Ahenobarbus, and
being without companions, they missed the greatness of their august but
hampered regent Umballa.
Always the bazaars heard news before any other part of the city. The
white Mem-sahib was not dead, but had been recaptured while posing as
the zenana physician in an attempt to rescue her sister, the new queen.
Oh, the chief city of Allaha was in the matter of choice and unexpected
amusements unrivaled in all Asia.
Yes, Umballa was not unlike Nero--to keep the populace amused so they
would temporarily forget their burdens.
But why the sudden appearance of soldiers, who stood guard at every
exit, compelling the inmates of the bazaars not to leave their houses?
Ai, ai! Why this secrecy, since they knew what was going to take
place? But the soldiers, ordinarily voluble, maintained grim silence,
and even went so far as to extend the bayonet to all those who tried to
leave the narrow streets.
"An affair of state!" was all the natives could get in answer to their
inquiries. Men came flocking to the roofs. But the moonshine made all
things ghostly. The car of the god Juggernaut was visible, but what
lay in its path could not be seen.
Umballa was not popular that night. But this was a private affair.
Well he knew the ingenuity and resources of his enemies at large.
There would be no rescue this night. Kathlyn Mem-sahib should die;
this time he determined to put fear into the hearts of the others.
Having drunk his king's peg, he was well fortified against any personal
qualms. The passion he had had for Kathlyn was dead, dead as he wanted
her to be.
Whom the gods destroy they first make mad; and Umballa was mad.
The palanquin waited in vain outside the wall of the garden of
brides--waited till a ripple of the news eddied about the conveyance in
the shape of a greatly agitated Lal Singh.
"He is really going to kill her!" he panted. "He lured her to her
sister's side, then captured her. She is to be placed beneath the car
of Juggernaut within an hour. It is to be done secretly. The people
are guarded and held in the bazaars. Ahmed, with an elephant and armed
keepers, will be here shortly. I have warned him. Umballa runs amuck!"
Suddenly they heard voices in the garden, first Umballa's, then
Kathlyn's. Sinister portents to the ears of the listeners, father and
lover and loyal friends. The former were for breaking into the garden
then and there; but a glance through the wicket gate disclosed the fact
that Umballa and Kathlyn were surrounded by fifteen or twenty soldiers.
And they dared not fire at Umballa for fear of hitting Kathlyn.