Lessons
From
the diary of Lobsang Lu, servant in the household of Admiral The
Honble. Sir Miles Naismith
Monday, 21 June 1875
The seamstress and her assistants came to the bungalow to do the final
fittings for all the ladies. Tattvick said it is because the household
has been invited to the home of the Viceroy for dinner. The Viceroy is
Baron Ambridge. Lord and Lady Ambridge are the parents of Admiral
Naismith. I have heard many tales of their past exploits.
Wooster tried to explain to Mrs. Wooster how the Viceroy used to be an
Admiral, a famous warrior of the seas. But he got the story all muddled
up, and completely forgot the parts about what happened to the
Admiral's wife during the Mutiny. Fortunately, Sir Cosmo and Mrs
Salmalin were able to tell that tale more clearly---how while the navy
was trying to secure the larger port cities, the Jam Sahib of Nawanger
(a staunch ally of the British)
took most of his army to assist in the relief of Lucknow, which was
under siege, leaving his brother to watch over the women and children.
The evil brother, however, wanted the throne for himself, and as his
first move, seized the British Armoury and took the British women and
children hostage.
Lady Ambridge (though I don't believe her husband had yet inherited the
title, so she may have just been Mrs Naismith at the time) took command
of the small number of troops who were still alive and uncaptured. She
led a raid to
rescue the hostages. In the process, she beheaded the evil brother of
the Jam Sahib, which caused his remaining supporters to surrender.
Lady Cowperthwaite enjoyed the tale. She did not feel the same about
the storie printed in this morning's edition of the Bombay Mirror. Miss
Wilhelmina and Lt Pellew international criminal masterminds? How can
anyone think Miss Wilhelmina is capable of anything heinous? Yes, she's
terribly clever. She's fierce and fearless in battle. But that's
battle! Hardly the same thing as skulking about in dark corners,
koshing someone to steal their purse!
And anyone who has talked for more than two minutes with Pellew knows
he could never sit still long enough to run a big organization. He
would much rather work on his maps than manage his personal pocket
money, let alone try to coordinate with "the international lords of
capital." I'm just a sweeper, but even I know that his midshipman
manages his accounts. The rent on his little flat in Port Victoria
would never get paid if Albert didn't look after it.
There were visitors in the morning. One of them brought a message for
me. Li Tsin wishes to speak with me. He says that there are things I
should know before he is put to death. Lady C doesn't want me to go
alone. Inspector MacGreggor said he could be dangerous, and I have no
obligation to go, but if I did, I could be assured there would be
guards present to keep an eye on Li Tsin. Several of the ladies offered
to accompany me. Miss Wilhelmina says they can never let anyone do
anything unsupervised, though she also said that Lady C can be trusted
to let you handle your own business. I said I would like to see Li
Tsin, but yes, I would appreciate it if Lady C and the Inspector were
with me. The meeting was set for tomorrow.
Then while everyone was away at the ceremony where Pellew got his
promotion, we had a disturbance. Turgenov and Owen raised up a terrible
fuss. When I got there, Turgenov claimed that a jackal had slipped into
the house and we had to catch it. While we were looking for it, we
heard a strange noise upstairs, than a loud crash in the garden. I ran
toward the garden.
I met Mr Caine and Stuart and Tattvick, all running from different
parts of the house, just at the door to the garden. We found Master
Galen tangled in some bushes, wearing the strange, feather-covered
waistcoat that Wooster had recently purchased. It had two streaks of
scorch marks down the back, and was torn in dozens of places from the
thorns. Galen said he was unheard, and insisted that we help him find
the kite.
Eventually we learned that he had tried to build his own rocket kite,
tying some sticks together to make a frame, and attaching Wooster's
feather cloak to it for the glide surface. He's launched himself from a
balcony on the upper floor, but the whole thing came apart. The rockets
and the cloak flew into the clouds, and Galen landed in the garden.
When everyone returned to the bungalow and learned the tale, Sir Cosmo
tried to pay Wooster back the cost of the cloak and waistcoat, but
Wooster refused the money. Strangely, Mrs Wooster didn't seem to be
upset at the cost of the loss. I guess she thought the cloak was as
ugly as I did. Or maybe she was just happy that Galen wasn't hurt.
The dinner at the Viceroy's apparently went well.
Tuesday, 22 June 1875
There were more clothes fittings for the ladies. Miss Wilhelmina didn't
have to go to all of them, and had time to work on her secret project
with the children. And most of the household didn't have to attend the
Admiral's dinner, so everyone had time to catch up on their
correspondence or other projects.
The meeting with Li Tsin was not what I expected. I thought Li Tsin was
Wu Chang's brother, which would make him my uncle. Li Tsin always
looked so much older and frailer than Wu Chang, we all assumed that Wu
Chang was the younger brother. But Li Tsin says he is not Wu Chang's
brother. He said he was Wu Chang's eldest son. He is the eldest son,
and I am the youngest. We are brothers.
It seems too fantastic to credit. Yet somehow, once he said it, I knew
he was speaking the truth. Wu Chang, Li Tsin, and I are all descended
from a woman who was raped by a dragon long, long ago. Thus we are all
dragon-born. The gifts of the dragon-born vary greatly. Some, like Wu
Chang, heal quickly from wounds, are nearly impervious to disease, and
age very slowly. Others, such as Li Tsin, have powerful magic talents
and unnaturally honed senses.
It it too early, he said, for my talents to be certain. I told him I
knew the stories, and already had worked most of this out myself.
Still, he wanted to warn me that I was vulnerable to all the weaknesses
of the dragon-born. And that I had other brothers out there, some of
whom would thank me for having helped kill Wu Chang, and others which
would be less pleased. He claimed that he didn't know where any of them
were at the moment.
He claimed he felt no resentment
at me for what had happened, since it was just fate and out of our
hands. He seemed to want me to
say something comforting, or forgiving. His eyes had that longing look.
I don't think he was overly burdened with guilt, because I don't
believe he really cared about any of the people he hurt. I think,
maybe, that he has always felt alone. That he doesn't belong anywhere.
I thanked him for being honest with me. I said that whether he blamed
me or not, it was my decision to help the people who were trying to
stop the man who had killed countless innocent people. I wish it hadn't
come to that, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I told him
that I was sorry that his life had come to this ending. I told him I
hoped he found peace in his next life. Then I told the Inspector I was
ready to go.
During the carriage ride back, I thought of things I could have said.
Such as how can blame or forgiveness even exist if fate takes all
decisions out of our hands? Li Tsin says it was Wu Chang's fate to be
killed by his youngest son, well, if Wu Chang hadn't made so many
enemies, maybe he would have lived for another century and had fifty
more sons after me. Or if instead of becoming a pirate and sailing the
seas killing and stealing, if he had become a monk and stained on the
mainland. He would have never met my mother in Bombay, and I wouldn't
have been born at all.
I think all this talk of fate is just an excuse, so he doesn't have to
feel guilty about all the bad things he's done. Well he did them, and
now he's got to face the consequences. I am grateful he wanted to talk
to me. Not because of the lessons he tried to tell me, but because it
made the lesson of his life quite clear. Live badly, die badly.
Sir Cosmo has been sitting down with Lady C and I each evening to tell
us what he's learned about our mother. He has found confirmation of the
story Professor Peacock told about where the sacred artifacts from the
Kali temple were taken. The Kalipath Temple in Balaghat. Sir Cosmo is
looking into travel arrangement to go there.
Wednesday, 23 June 1875
Lt Wooster nearly sank a ship. Inside a drydock.
I wish I had been there. Miss Wilhelmina tried to tell me the tale, but
it didn't quite make sense. Atlas broke a hatch handle, trapping
himself, Mrs Frazer, Mrs Salmalin, and Miss Pinchingdale in a
watertight compartment. Lt Wooster opened the floodgates. George and
Atlas pried the door open. Lt MacAllistair connected to Sir Cosmo's
yacht's pumps, everyone was rescued, and the ship was only damaged a
little bit.
And something's wrong with the steel used in the hatchways. Wooster has
told at least three different versions of what happened, and none of
them make sense.
Miss Wilhelmina says it all has something to do with Miss Pinchingdale
being engaged to Captain Selwick when she was really in love with Lt
MacAllistair. Miss Wilhelmina also says that she doesn't understand
what MacAllistair sees in Miss Pinchingdale. I don't really know her,
so I couldn't say.
We're all going to Elephanta Island tomorrow to see the cave temples.
There's a vast network of caves that have been carved with images of
goddesses and gods and heroes. It's supposed to be a wonderful sight.
Thursday, 24 June 1875
The caves were very interesting. And so much cooler than being above
ground. The boat ride was entertaining, as the water was just choppy
enough to make it interesting, but not so much to make you
uncomfortable. Despite complaining about boats and water, Mrs Wooster
slept the whole way both times.
Lt Wooster did not come with us. He had a report to write about the
incident yesterday.
Sir Spencer and Mr O'Flaherty went on the "special men's only tour."
I've heard the same story of a Rajah or Prince or Huangdi too fat to
sire an heir told in Singapore, Vizag, Mangalore, Panjim, Kochi,
Rangoon, Sandoway, Bangkok, Chopraya, and even Hai Phong. It's a funny
story, so maybe it's just been spread far and wide and changed to fit
the local culture.
Or maybe it's related to Mr O'Flaherty's idea about what feng shui
means. Though how Mrs Wooster got to mushrooms from that, I don't
understand.
Sir Cosmo has made arrangements for us to take the train to Mhow. We
leave Saturday, will spend a few days in Mhow while the rest of the
arrangements are finished, then we start cross country to Balaghat. We
will probably get to ride elephants!
Friday, 25 June, 1875
Everyone was packing and getting ready to travel.
Which meant Wilhelmina needed to finish the projects. At least enough
to show them off. Some people were getting very nosy.
Lady Cowperthwaite had everyone gather in the side parlor before
dinner. Then the children rode into the room on their clockwork
animals. None of them have their skins, yet, but they can all walk.
Master Galen's peacock looks very odd with the framework for the tail
spreading, and Miss Octavia's hawk's wings squeak a bit when they
unfurl. But Caroline's wolf's jaws snap quite convincingly. Robert's
frog looks odd walking, but when Wilhelmina suggested trying to make it
hop early in the designs he had not liked the idea.
I noticed that even though I know the claws work on Wilhelmina's tiger,
she didn't show them off.
Sir Cosmo is quite pleased with the devices, and spent the rest of the
evening talking with Wilhelmina about the designs.
Saturday, 26 June 1875
Trains are not as interesting and ship at sea.
Sunday, 27 June 1875
Mhow is big and dusty.
Tattvick's parents met us at the station, along with a cousin of Mr
Nahasapeemepetillon and a number of servants he had hired. Tattvick's
family seems verynice. Her father reminds me of that nice Mr Hong back
in Port Victoria that is always giving away free treats to children. I
can't imagine why David has been so nervous to meet him.
We're staying in two houses nearly facing each other across a street.
The group is just too big for any of the houses available in Mhow. We
haven't quite unpacked, and already the ladies are debating whether
there is time to go shopping...
Proceed to Foolishness and floodgates
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Contents this page copyright 2007 by Gene Breshears.
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