The Deceivers Page #3

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Because once you've eaten it...

you will be hers.

Great goddess...

universal mother...

patron of darkness...

because thou lovest

the burning ground...

I have made a burning ground

of my heart...

so that thou, the dark one...

haunter of the burning ground...

may dance thy eternal dance.

We are thy emissaries, O Great One...

gathered from the reaches of thy kingdom

to do thy bidding...

without question or pause...

to obey thy omens...

Who's that?

- always that we may prosper.

Piroo.

- Always.

He killed the English soldier.

- Hear the supplication of thy servant...

as we invoke thy benediction.

Universal mother...

if this meditated journey of ours...

is befitting in thy sight...

vouchsafe us...

and grant us...

signs of thy approbation.

There is an approver here.

Piroo's right.

For why would Kali not grant us

her blessings?

One of you...

has betrayed us.

Oh. Honor. Great. mighty nawab.

Please stop.

What do you want?

This is a wild place.

May we not travel with you?

You have guards and servants.

As you can see.

we are unprotected.

No. no.

Wait.

Young man...

you like my horse?

Come.

Ah.

See? See how they run?

As if the devil himself

is after them.

Hurry. We have only two hours.

No. Gopal!

There is nothing you can do.

Their deaths are written

on their foreheads.

Perhaps Your Honor would like my son...

to dance for him?

Of course. Come. Dance for us.

Hira Lal.

How bright the stars are shining.

Look. Look.!

Gopal! Help. Gopal!

Gopal!

Piroo. how many times

do I have to tell you?

Look at this!

Hussein.!

Hussein.!

Your stomach is weak.

Gopal the weaver.

Not as weak as your hands. Piroo.

Gopal! Piroo!

My friends-

The tupani.

The tupani.

Be careful. Gopal-ji.

Take this gur and eat it.

It is the sweetness of Kali.

Now you are hers...

and she is yours.

Take this gur.

It is the sweetness of Kali.

Now you are hers...

and she is yours.

Manikwal!

The ruler is a fool and a reprobate.

Still we must pay to cross his domain.

It's the same everywhere.

And the English districts?

Come.

What's happening?

Who knows?

See the justice of our prince!

A thief goes to execution!

Business as usual. I see.

They will tie him to the ground...

and then the elephant will circle him...

always in smaller circles...

till there is no room left...

for the beast to put his foot.

Yes. It is a good omen.

Let's go and watch.

- You go. Piroo.

We will find our quarters.

How long do we stay here?

Until the feast of Divali.

A week.

Then my cousin Feringeea

must sell the nawab's horse...

or at least exchange him

for a less conspicuous beast.

Then the thugs will go to Parsola...

and sell theirjewels to the bankers.

Why do you still pretend -

making notes, marking trees?

This is my record. It shall be introduced

as evidence at the proper time.

What pretense are you talking about?

You have eaten the consecrated sugar.

You are no longer your own man.

You belong to her.

The beloved of Kali.

Let any man once taste that sugar...

and he will be a thug.

Though he has

all the wealth in the world...

anything else is pretense.

But you can't believe that.

You turned your back on Kali.

I thought I did.

But perhaps in recruiting you

I was doing her bidding from the first.

I won't kill.

Not for Kali.

Greetings, Ali, my brother.

You must be with Feringeea's men.

I saw you on the road.

Now I must speak with him.

- Follow me then.

What is your name. my brother?

My name is Gopal -

Gopal the weaver. From Madhya.

Gopal!

Imagine, the raja of Padampur

has kept me in his dungeon for half a year-

And he didn't even know

I was a-a Deceiver.!

So there I sat.

rotting month after month...

in that stupid prison.

Oh. I missed so much of the hunt.

Did you prosper?

I saw the boy astride a beautiful horse.

You must have done well.

Gopal is dead.

Yes.

- I can hardly wait to see my wife.

She'll be so surprised to see me.

Poor woman.

She must suppose herself a widow.

What is your name. my brother?

Gopal.

What did you say your name was?

Gopal?

He was the true Gopal.

I had to do it.

Don't you understand?

I had to. He was Gopal.

Yes. you had to.

Now you are the true Gopal.

We must hide the body. Quickly.

There. under the eaves.

Gopal! Help me!

The saddlebags.

If anyone should ask about the horse.

say you know nothing about it.

After the feast. we'll get rid of the body.

And then you must leave.

Go back to Madhya.

Tell them what you have seen!

I beg you!

Not yet.

Then you will never tell them.

And I will never be safe.

The sahib would have gone back...

but Gopal will not.

His heart is a burning ground.

- Get out of my way.

Gopal!

Do you like Mozart?

Where's William?

You must know.

I told you. he had to go to Gujarat

on company business.

There was some trouble.

He wouldn't tell me.

Your father's furious.

He's ordered William back to Sagthali.

You mean he's ordered you to arrest him.

I could always check. you know...

if he is at Gujarat.

Then check.

I didn't agree with what your father did.

I felt sorry for William.

He's a decent officer.

Better than the rest of us

put together.

But if he's left you -

Ifhe could do that-

- He hasn't left me.

I told you. he went to Gujarat.

You ought to know. Uh. may I?

I've also been requested

to take you back to Sagthali.

You can't stay here.

Are you going to arrest me too?

That's the only way I'm going back.

Mr. Anglesmith.

Good night. Sarah.

Sher Dil. what are you doing here?

I thought -

I saw a light.

I often come down. memsahib...

to see that no one is interfering

with Savage sahib's property.

Even though he cannot speak,

he is more than a son to me, Gopal.

I remember how we killed his father.

I myself put the rumal around his neck.

And then I lifted the boy...

up in my arms...

and I cried out...

"He's mine.

He's mine. "

Come on. my son.

Sleep.

Be quiet.

Why are you frightened. Gopal?

We are safe here.

Look at the nice reward

raja has sent us for his fine horse.

Come.

What's your name?

- Gopal.

Gopal? Haven't we met before?

No. Uh. perhaps. I don't know.

What does it matter?

Nothing at all. Nothing.

Give me a kiss.

Gopal.

Now I am yours...

and you are mine.

Now I am yours. and you are mine.

You have eaten the consecrated sugar.

It is the sweetness of-

- Now I'm yours...

and you're mine.

Now I am yours.

- And you are mine.

Mine.

- Mine.

Mine.

- Mine.

She is yours-

Gopal.!

Promise me you won't kill.

Kill-Kill-

Because thou lovest the burning ground-

- William.

William.

- No one is entitled to go

outside the law.

Gopal is dead.

- You have the gift.

Should I stop now? Should I?

Gopal.!

Now you are truly the beloved of-

Gopal?

William?

Piroo has never trusted you.

He thinks you are an approver.

But the approver was

my own flesh and blood.

Hussein?

He fled... during the night.

He cannot have.

- Don't worry.

We'll find him.

Where can he run?

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