“Messengers to see you, sir. They’re from Agra.”
The door opened, and a frazzled man with a cleft chin leaned out.
“Message, then.” He held out his hand.
Danny cleared his throat. “It’s a verbal report, Corporal.”
The man clenched his jaw and gestured them inside with a sharp flick of his fingers. Danny caught the private’s disappointed look before the door closed on him. No doubt he was starved for gossip.
“Spit it out,” Corporal Fledger ordered, returning to his desk where he resumed organizing his scattered notes.
“Sir,” Danny began, “we have some troubling news. Viceroy Lytton is in danger. We think there may be an attack during tomorrow’s ceremonies.”
Corporal Fledger put his hands on his desk and leaned forward. “And?”
Danny blinked. “And? What do you mean, and?”
“He’s the viceroy. If at least ten people don’t want him dead, he isn’t doing his damn job!”
“But, the Indian rebels—”
“What’s this, unhappy Indians? I’ll alert the papers.” Fledger glowered at Akash. “Listen, boys, tell whoever you work for that I’m far too busy to waste time on conspiracy theories.”
“Sir, if you would just listen—!”
“The viceroy is guarded day and night. The rajas are too greedy to off the likes of him. And, by God, if one mutiny was snuffed out, so will another if it comes to that. Now, kindly leave me to my work.”
They were shooed out of the room and the door was slammed in their faces.
Akash shrugged. “I told you they wouldn’t listen.”
“They have to! Doesn’t he understand?”
“I’m sure he’s heard all manner of threats. It’s their job to expect the worst, after all.”
Danny bit his knuckle, thinking. “We have to do something if Corporal Arsehole won’t. We need to tell the senior officers.”
“And how will we do that? Sneak into the camp?” Akash saw the look in Danny’s eyes and his own widened. “Really?”
“It’s the only option we have left.”
“It isn’t! We can still go to Agra and—”
“Get caught by Zavier again? Absolutely not.”
“If a corporal won’t believe us, what makes you think a colonel or a general will?”
“I don’t know, I just—I just have to do everything I possibly can.” He ran shaking hands through his hair. “First, we need to find a laundry room.”
Danny picked through the washed sepoy uniforms drying on a rack. “This one looks like it should fit you.”
“We can’t just take them.”
Danny snorted. “Says the man who stole from a blacksmith.”
“I only steal what can be given back.” Akash licked his lips, more nervous than Danny had ever seen him. “What if we can’t return these? If the British officers catch me …”
Understanding made Danny grimace. “I’ll take the blame, if it comes to that. Besides, we don’t have much choice.”
Akash grumbled in Hindi as he pulled on the uniform. The closest fitting British uniform Danny could find for himself was tight in the shoulders, and he could see a bit more boot at the ankle than he would have liked. Now that he thought about it, his normal clothes had felt a little uncomfortable lately. Maybe he had grown again. His mother would have a fit.
Danny pulled a cap down low over his eyes. “There, that shouldn’t draw attention.” Danny rummaged through his discarded trousers, drawing out Colton’s cog. Putting it in his new pocket, he nodded to the door. “Now we need a place to think till morning.”
They found an abandoned room that looked to have recently housed a couple of officers. Akash worried that said officers might still be in the city, but after a glance at the empty drawers, Danny rather doubted it.
Hungry, they sat in the dark and murmured plans, all of which made little to no sense.
“But if we find the viceroy himself—”
“What do you think he would do?” Akash asked. “Sit us down and discuss his assassination over tea?”
“It’s what I would do.”
“Of course you would, but you’re not the viceroy. He is very important, and very busy. We’d never be given a private audience, and we have no idea who the rebels in the camp might be. They could be in his personal guard, for all we know.”
Danny chewed on his thumbnail. He could hardly see Akash in the darkness, but he heard him tapping his fingers against his thigh. Daphne did the same thing when she was working through a problem.
“We should have just gone back to Agra and warned the major,” Akash said.
“Yes, and then have the whole cantonment attacked. Brilliant idea.”
Akash sighed. A few minutes of silence crept by, and Danny lay down on the hard bed. He wanted to sleep, but his mind kept whirring, desperately seeking a solution.
“Danny? Maybe … Maybe we should just let it happen.”
Danny slowly sat back up, staring at the dark shape that was Akash. “What are you saying?”
Akash shifted. “I don’t want anyone to die, on either side. But maybe, if an attack is inevitable, we should just let it happen. Maybe it won’t even succeed. Us becoming involved might not change anything.”
When Danny stayed silent, Akash stood and joined him on his bed. “Danny, please listen. Do you know what they call Lytton’s rule? The Black Raj. He’s a man who likes finery—he doesn’t care about the Indian people. Even when a British man killed his Indian coachman, Lytton only fined the man thirty rupees. For killing a man, just because he was Indian.”
“So all the Indians want Lytton dead?”
“No, that … that’s not what I mean.” Akash rubbed his hands against his trouser legs. “All I’m saying is that maybe this is over our heads. We shouldn’t risk ourselves and the others on nothing more than a guess.”
Danny lay down again, nudging Akash off his bed. “You can stay here in the morning, then. I’ll go by myself.”
Akash stood there a moment longer, then returned to his own bed. Danny listened to their combined breathing in the small space.
“I’ll go with you,” Akash finally whispered. “I promised Daphne.”
“That’s not reason enough.”
“And because I’m concerned for you.”
Danny closed his eyes and turned onto his side. “Thank you.”
He hoped he wouldn’t come to regret the decision.
The next morning was chaos. Corporal Fledger barked orders for privates to hurry to the autos, which awaited them outside the city. They would be spending the next two days at the campgrounds. Tomorrow was New Year’s Day and Victoria’s coronation as Empress of India.
“Smith, are you a bloody woman? You don’t need all this for one night! Higgins, fix your damned hair, you look like a fool. You two!”
Danny and Akash, who had tried to sneak past the corporal in the hubbub, froze. The corporal consulted his list, then jerked a thumb over his shoulder.
“Auto four, and be quick about it!”