Between Tradition and Modernity 3

At the Colonel’s house, the mood of the four girls was rather tense. Lavinia seemed more upset by the fact that someone had entered her property than by the actual abduction of Daisy, and she also seemed not to approve the fact that Lilly and Marguerite talked to Nesrin as if she was equal, even allowing her to share the table with them as they had their tea and impatiently waited for Blacksmith’s and Sayana’s return.

Though they were expecting someone, all four gasped when there was a knock at the door. Lavinia, though nervous, reached for the rifle, and Nesrin had grabbed a knife from the kitchen when Lilly carefully peeked through the window.

»It isn’t Sayana and Blacksmith! It’s two women!«

Lavinia handed the rifle to Marguerite and also looked. On the veranda stood two Indian women in their traditional saris. She frowned, but since they didn’t look threatening, she made Nesrin open the door.

The two slightly bowed towards her and the smaller one asked:

»Good Morning, Mam Sahib! Are you Miss Lavinia, the daughter of Sahib Colonel Arbuckle?«

»I am«, Lavinia replied in a drawling voice, still feeling a bit suspicious. Now, the women once again bowed, and the one who seemed to do the talking added:

»We must bid for forgiveness, Mam Sahib! We haven’t expected your arrival before today! Oh dear, did you have to stay on your own?«

It turned out that the two were maids sent by the Government, on postal advice from the Colonel, to assure that Lavinia had some service at the house. A relieved Lavinia let the two in, hoping that now, things would turn to normal. The smaller Indian looked at the other girls.

»Oh, you are having guests, Mam Sahib?«

»Hm, yes, Countess Marguerite and Miss Lilliana van Bergen! They got shipwrecked and-«

Lavinia stopped in the middle of the word when she noticed the two having a quick conversation in Hindi. She looked at Nesrin who just shrugged. Just because of her darker complexion, Lavinia seemed to assume she was Indian, too, though she had told her she was from Iran, and though Hindi and Persian had a few words in common, she couldn’t understand the two maids either.

The smaller one now turned to the girls again whilst her colleague closed the door. Before Lavinia could say something about this new arbitrariness, the smaller one drew a small revolver and pointed at the four.

»Wha-what-?«, Lavinia croaked whilst the taller woman now grabbed the rifle from the corner, positioning herself at the door. The smaller one smiled sardonically, and, still aiming at the girls,she said:

»The good news is that you will no longer have to stay in this house, and you will go on an interesting trip! Also, we decided that we also don’t have to separate you from your friends!«

***

On their way back to the house, Blacksmith repeatedly was about to speak to Sayana, but he didn’t know how to start the conversation. He had expressed his gratitude, but he was afraid she would somehow sense what else affected his mind: the fact that he was more or less responsible for Daisy’s abduction, because these stupid gangsters had mixed her up with Sayana.

Sayana also didn’t start a conversation, for she wanted to see how the situation developed. She could feel Blacksmith’s insecurity, and also that his aggressive and repulsive feelings had ceased. Still, she was sure he was an offspring of Nyala, though in her eyes, he was white. However, she decided to wait until they had reached the house, so they could work out a plan how to find Daisy.

They entered the garden, only now realizing that it was bright morning now. Blacksmith yawned and said something in English. When Sayana asked him what he had just said, he answered in French:

»I just expressed my hope that a nice cup of coffee is waiting for us!«

He grinned a bit shyly, and she also smiled.

»Your French is better than that of Lavinia! Even I can hear that!«

»Miss Lavinia«, he corrected her reflexively, but didn’t mention she had once again used his first name. Then, he cleared his throat and added:

»I never asked for your name!«

»Sayana! It’s from a part of Africa you call Guinea!«

She noticed how a small muscle in his face twitched on her mentioning of Guinea, and she looked directly at his eyes.

»Have you got any relation to Africa, Johnny?«

Blacksmith cleared his throat again and massaged his neck. Then, he turned towards the door.

»We better introduce our return now! The Ladies are sure frightened!«

He knocked and clearly said his name. There was no reaction, and Blacksmith frowned. He then drew his revolver and made Sayana hide behind his back before he carefully opened the door.

His precaution seemed superfluous, as the lobby was empty, as was the adjacent living room. There were also no signs of a fight, but Sayana suddenly grabbed his hand. Blacksmith didn’t twitch back, and he lowered his voice as he said:

»Stay right behind me!«

Sayana obeyed as he now began to look through the rooms one by one. She could feel that this man was brave, and that he would try to protect her, no matter what she had sensed before. Suddenly, she heard a faint noise.

»Mmhhmmmm!«

The sound came from behind Lavinia’s bedroom, and Blacksmith hesitated for a moment. Entering a woman’s bedroom was highly inappropriate. On the other hand, the faint humming sounded as if it was produced by a woman.

»I am coming in!«, he announced; then, he pushed the door open.

»Uuhhmmmmm! Mmhhmmmm!«

»By Jove!«

Blacksmith looked at the floor in front of the bed. Here, a rolled up carpet was lying, with a scarf tied around it. On one end, he saw a pair of naked feet protrude, the big toes tied together with a piece of cord, and on the other end, he noticed some black hair.

Blacksmith bent over the rolled carpet and pulled on the knots in the scarf. When it came loose, he pushed at it, and the carpet unrolled, accompanied by another moan from the girl inside. Blacksmith wanted to say something, but his jaw dropped at the sight.

He saw Nesrin, lying on her back, and she was stark naked, except for something very brief with white and purple stripes covering her crotch. Her ample breasts seemed to point directly at him, and he was torn between staring at her and politely turning his head.

»Mhmmmm! Mph!«

Nesrin reminded him that freeing her was also an option. She was blushing all over, but most of all, she was relieved that rescue was close.

Blacksmith spun around when someone touched his back, but it was just Sayana, handing him a kitchen knife.

»Free her arms, I’ll ungag her!«

The Lieutenant obeyed, forcing himself to concentrate on Nesrin’s arms and not on her barely covered butt. She was tied at wrists and elbows, and he carefully sawed the thongs crushing her elbow joints together whilst Sayana undid the scarf tied over Nesrin’s mouth and nose.

Nesrin let out a sigh of relief when at the same time, the scarf came off, allowing her to breathe freely through her nose, and she could also relax her shoulders as the elbow tie was cut. Sayana picked on a second scarf covering her mouth whilst Blacksmith freed her wrists. When her hands were free, Nesrin crossed her arms in front of her boobs, though Blacksmith had seen her already.

Indeed, the Lieutenant still was quite nervous as he turned for the girl’s bound legs. They were bound above and below the knees and at her ankles, and to cut these ropes, he had to not only look at her bare legs, but also had to touch them. Blacksmith’s experience with the other sex consisted of very few visits to brothels (just enough his comrades didn’t question his masculinity), but this was somehow much more intense.

Beneath the cloth, yet another scarf was tied between Nesrin’s teeth, and Sayana could see that her mouth was stuffed to the bursting, too. She removed the cleave gag, then picked an edge of the sodden wad and pulled whilst Blacksmith had calmed down as he had worked down Nesrin’s legs. To him, the fact that she had painted her toenails was fascinating, and he admired her toes for a few seconds before he cut the final rope. He then looked up, trying to avoid her boobs, and saw Sayana pull a large, crumpled cloth from her oral cavity. Nesrin panted, and some drool ran down her chin.

Once Sayana had draped a blanket over her shoulders, the girl sobbingly told them about the two women that had stripped, tied and gagged her before forcing the other three to follow them at gunpoint. They had also left an envelope that Blacksmith read to the girls, warning him not to call the authorities and to wait for further instructions instead.

»What is this all about? First, they kidnap Daisy, then all the others! Please, Lieutenant, can’t you do something?«

Blacksmith wiped over his forehead, feeling the tingle of guilt in his neck. He could have told them that the abduction of Daisy had nothing to do with those of the others, but he still had the hope to get out of this without losing his reputation completely. Slowly, he rose from the ground.

»Indeed, I might know someone who might help us in this situation! However, I can’t get there with you on my side!«

»I will not stay here alone!«, Nesrin insisted, and so, they agreed upon Blacksmith waiting in the living room whilst Sayana and Nesrin chose something to wear from Lavinia’s wardrobe. The Lieutenant didn’t say anything against it, and so, after some time, Nesrin appeared, wearing a white dress that didn’t fit well, as Lavinia was taller and less busty than her. In addition, she had put on stockings, a chemise and an underskirt, but left the corset away. Sayana looked even stranger, wearing a silky white bathrobe over a frilly nightgown. Blacksmith sighed. Bombay was a big city, with people from all ethnicities. So, these two wouldn’t raise too much attention if they would stay at a crowded place not too far from the »Golden Dragon«.

Blacksmith’s plan was simple: making Harry release Daisy, in a way she wouldn’t be able to tell he had been involved in her abduction. Then, they could focus on Lavinia and the others, for once the kidnappers made their next move, he could perhaps track them down, save the girls and get out of the whole affair as the hero of the day.

»Just wait for me, I’ll be back in an hour!«, Blacksmith announced as they had reached the place. Here, with hundreds of people around, Sayana and Nesrin would be safe. Blacksmith then approached the »Golden Dragon«.

***

»Mph!«

Lilly moaned when the coach hit a bump, immediately causing the woman opposite to her to point at her with her vicious looking dagger. At the same time, she put her index finger to her lips.

Once the smaller one had trussed up Nesrin, forcing the others to watch, guarded by the other woman, they had been forced to leave the house. The rifle had been left behind, but the smaller woman still had the revolver, and the other, who had gathered a basket from Lavinia’s room, had shown them her gun, to prevent them from trying to do anything.

Not that there had been any chance. Right in front of the garden, a coach had waited for them, and they had been forced to get inside and to sit down, followed by the two women. Here, they had quickly been restrained simply, but efficiently: each got her wrists tied in front of her body, then raised and fixed to a ring above the head. Their ankles were also tied and bound to rings in the floor, so they had to keep the uncomfortable position. Lavinia protested, and the taller woman reached for the basket, producing a scarf and one of the silk stockings. Her companion drew her dagger and held it to Lavinia’s throat, forcing her to keep her mouth open as the other slowly, but thoroughly stuffed the scarf inside her mouth and secured it with the stocking. Both Lilly and Marguerite were gagged similarly, and then, the taller one left the coach, whilst the smaller one controlled that the curtains were closed before she sat down, placing the dagger on her lap. Moments later, the coach started.

Lilly could hear the sounds of the awakening city around her, but at the same time, the noise of the coach’s wheels on the unpaved ground drowned all sound that could have emerged from inside. In addition, the woman kept an eye on them, always intervening if one of them moaned too loud, tried to pick on her bonds, or squirmed in her seat. Except for occasional scolding, she said nothing.

She looked at Lavinia who tried to hide her panic behind a mask of calmness. Obviously, she also had no idea what this was all about. Perhaps, it was just abduction for profit, and the kidnappers had considered that Marguerite and she were lucrative prey, too. Lilly shuddered by the thought what would happen if they found out that, even if they would believe their fake backgrounds, they would not get money from them.

The coach stopped, and now, their captor also drew her revolver and held the blade close to the panting Lavinia’s throat as they heard the other woman talk to a man, most likely the guard at the city’s gate. After some time, the trip went on, and the Indian lowered her weapon and patted Lavinia’s cheek, smiling sardonically.

»Good girl!«

Then, she seemed to have noticed something, for she rose and began to brush over Lavinia’s face, ignoring her muffled protests. She caressed the redhead’s ears, but then, she just removed her earrings, followed by Lavinia’s necklace.

»After all, I need some proof for your father that I indeed have you in my clutches!«

Lavinia mmphed, and the woman put her hand on her knee. Then, gleefully slowly, she gathered her skirt, revealing Lavinia’s stocking-clad knee.

»Or do you think he would recognize your underwear, too? Then, you may keep the jewellery, in exchange for your clothes!«

She giggled as Lavinia’s cheeks turned crimson red.

***

Lieutenant John Blacksmith was an average chess player, but he had been sure that his gambit was successful when he entered the »Golden Dragon« and was welcomed by the infamous Harry himself who led him into his private office. He had not insisted on Blacksmith taking off his revolver or sabre, but he was sure that Harry had met some precautions for his life, though he couldn’t see them right now.

Harry, whose real name was known to the authorities, but hardly ever used, was an Indian of about 50 who seemed to prefer English suits to his traditional clothing. All in all, he could be called a friend of the British rulers, as he, being born into an inferior cast, had profited from them. He was obviously wealthy, and the cigar he offered to Blacksmith was easily worth ten Shilling.

»Now, Lieutenant, how can I help you?«

Blacksmith wasn’t sure whether the other knew why his batman had been at the »Golden Dragon« the day before. Harry sure was busy running his empire and could not keep track of any criminal activity. So, he began:

»Yesterday, I sent my batman here, to ask for a favour that might raise a few eyebrows if it came to the knowledge of my superiors!«

Harry’s face showed no emotion, forcing Blacksmith to explain that he had paid one of Harry’s henchmen to let a maid disappear for a few days. He left it to Harry’s phantasy why he had asked for that. If the Indian considered that he had tried to cover an inappropriate affair, he could live with that assumption.

»Anyway, your men got the wrong woman! And now, I want-«

»Lieutenant, these are not actually ›my men‹! I have to admit that my business includes some kinds of bad habits – opium, prostitution, gambling, you name it! However, I see no need in putting my fingers into ordinary crimes, like the abduction of a maid!«

He seemed almost indignant, but Blacksmith also believed him. A man like Harry would not risk his reputation for the five Pound Blacksmith had paid for Sayana’s abduction. However, it was an open secret that among his men some also were some, freelancers so to say, that could be hired for what Harry called »ordinary crimes«. Of course, they had to make sure that their activities did not endanger Harry’s business.

»And how about the abduction of three white Ladies?«

Blacksmith’s question came out of the blue, as he hoped to provoke a reaction. It did, but either Harry was an excellent actor, or his surprise was real.

»What are you talking about, Lieutenant?«

Since the news would reach Harry sooner or later anyway, Blacksmith told him about the abduction of Miss Lavinia Arbuckle and two of her female guests. Harry seemed seriously shocked, as he called in his assistant and gave some orders in Hindi. Since Blacksmith knew the language, he understood that Harry gave order to get him any information on the subject they could get.

»Lieutenant, you see me shocked! I hope you understand that I would never even think of such an atrocious crime, nor allow any of my men to participate in it!«

He knew that such words sounded hypocritical from the mouth of someone like him, and so, he added with a grim smile:

»Aside from moral implications, such an act would be stupid! Her father, Colonel Arbuckle, is neither really wealthy, nor important enough to justify such an action! If I were involved in this, I would risk tens of thousands of Pounds to win maybe 200! And I can assure you that I have more influential men on my payroll than an ordinary Colonel, with all due respect!«

It felt strange to associate Harry and honesty, but to Blacksmith, the Indian’s words sounded plausible. He was most likely not involved in Lavinia’s abduction, and none of his men would have dared to commit such a crime either. So, he came back on his original subject:

»There is still the maid! After all, I paid for something I didn’t even get!«

Harry went for his cabinet and rummaged through a drawer.

»Lieutenant, what you just told me, about Miss Arbuckle’s abduction, acquires my fullest attention! So, I would recommend you to just let it outrun its course! You paid for a three day’s absence of your maid, so, the wrong one will return soon! In the meantime, I hope you will accept this little compensation for your discomfort!«

Harry handed him two five Pound notes. Blacksmith grew angry and reflexively reached for his holster, but in the corner of his eye, he could see that behind a curtain a man was waiting for him to make a false move. So, he oppressed his anger, took the money and left the »Golden Dragon«.

»If they keep their word, and Daisy returns within a few days, maybe I will get out of this and maybe, I will even be able to still look at myself in the mirror again! However, if something happens to her, it will be my fault!«

***

At the same time, Daisy had come to the conclusion that panicking would only cause her to get exhausted sooner. So, she was lying on her pile of blankets, trying to cope with being chained and gagged in a dungeon where the only sounds seemed to come from her.

For the moment, her situation was tolerable. The neck chain allowed her to lie down without getting too tight, and her hand and foot cuffs left her enough mobility to not only stretch her limbs, but also to lower her panties and crouch over the hole to relieve herself. If she draped one of the blankets over her body, she wouldn’t freeze, and the three hoses still contained what she guessed were some five litres of tea. Also, the candle looked as if it would provide her with light for some more hours.

She had to fight down memories about what she once had read about ancient punishments: sometimes, women who were condemned to death had been locked inside tiny cells, with some food and water. Thus, the authorities were not responsible for their immediate deaths.

»Who would want to see me dead anyway? I have only been in this century for some day now!«

The other question was, of course, why someone had found a reason to kidnap her within that short time. She wondered if Lilly, Nesrin and the others were locked in similar cells, too, but no matter how hard she had concentrated, she hadn’t been able to hear anything. If she stretched her body, she could touch the bars with her toes, but the sound had been dissuasively faint and so, she had stopped tapping against the iron bars.

»Now, what will be if the candle has burned down, and the hoses are empty?«

The answer was simple: Daisy would sit in complete darkness, and sooner or later, she would starve, if nobody would come for her. She once again felt for her restraints, but they were made of solid steel. The end of the neck chain was fixed to the rock of the cave, and the leather straps of her gag were too tight to even loosen it a bit.

The leather plug in her mouth made her drool, and so, Daisy felt thirsty again. She reached for one of the hoses and turned onto her back, trying to drink through the small opening in her gag without spilling too much of the precious liquid. Then, as she stared at the hose, she suddenly petrified.

»Mmhmmm?«

The whole hose was made of sewn leather, except for the spout that consisted of wood. And this spout was wrapped with some wire. Daisy picked on it, and she was able to unwrap it. It was thick wire, some eight inches long.

»Now, even if I am not successful, I have something to pass the time!«, she thought as she tried to bend the wire before poking into the keyhole of her neck chain.

***

Blacksmith had returned to the yard, told Nesrin and Sayana that he hadn’t been able to achieve anything, and they had returned to the Colonel’s house, hoping that there would at least be a new message from the kidnappers. There was none, and so, they sat down in the living room, where Blacksmith stared at the door.

»According to my – informant, it’s neither about money nor blackmailing! And it all happened because of my foolery!«

His hands clawed so hard into the armrests that his knuckles turned white, and Sayana just wanted to soothe him as she took his hand. Then, however, her grip tightened, and she stared at him with disbelief.

»Johnny? What is it? What are you hiding?«

Blacksmith freed his hand, but Sayana still looked at him with sparkling eyes. She reached out, and Blacksmith, maybe just because he didn’t want to seem like a coward, allowed her to take his hand again.

Sayana took it in both her hands, and she closed her eyes and panted as she seemed to concentrate on something. Nesrin, who was watching the two, didn’t dare to utter a sound. Sayana had supernatural powers, and if they were showing now, it would perhaps lead them somewhere.

After some time, she opened her eyes. In a calm voice, she then said:

»You know Nyala! You are her – grandson?«

Blacksmith took a few deep breaths; then, as if he accepted his defeat, he nodded.

»Her great-great-grandson, actually! But – how can you know?«

»She’s her elder sister!«, Nesrin blurted. A moment later, she realized how ridiculous this sounded, but obviously, Blacksmith had no problem in coping with even more supernatural things. He just fell down on his easy chair again, and when Nesrin offered him the bottle of gin, he took a long sip. When he put the bottle down, his hands trembled slightly, but he seemed controlled enough to ask Sayana what this was all about.

»When I last saw Nyala, she was taken away by a pirate – by a man they called ›Little John‹!«

»This must have been around 1720«, Nesrin assisted, again wondering how strange this sounded if spoken out. Blacksmith, however, just responded:

»A man named ›Little John‹, though he was said to be a giant of a man! Well, he and Nyala settled down in Barbados, where he worked in his old profession again – as a blacksmith!«

»John Blacksmith«, Nesrin whispered, and the Lieutenant nodded with a grim smile.

»I am named after him, it seems!«

He continued to tell them that he and Nyala had founded a family and lived in modest prosperity until they had died from old age somewhere in the 1770ies. Sayana cried, both from grief to hear that her little sister was dead, and from relief that she had lived a long and obviously happy life. Blacksmith, however, continued to talk, looking at the ceiling:

»Times were hard for a mixed-race couple back then, and they still are! My grandfather still couldn’t hide his black ancestry, and he quite often told me that the others used to call him ›Nigger Boy‹ when he was a child! So, I took this as a warning to not mention my family’s past!«

He had balled his fists, and Nesrin could see how he was gritting his teeth. She touched his arm, and breathed:

»I-it’s all right now!«

»Nothing is all right!«

His outburst made Nesrin shriek, and Blacksmith panted and took another sip from the gin. Then, staring at the two women as if he had to commit a crime, he croaked:

»Nothing is all right! It’s even worse!«

The two just waited, and so, the Lieutenant continued with his confession:

»When I was a boy, my family was rich enough to send me to England, to attend school. I wasn’t good enough for a scholarship, though, and so, I attended the Army, being allowed to start as an ensign to the Royal Army’s Officer’s Corpse!«

Here, some had looked down on him because of his humble origin, but at least, the other Whites had considered him one of their own, and since he had distinguished himself during the Crimean War, and been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, a promising career seemed to lie upon him.

»And then, yesterday, you suddenly approached in front of me, a naked black woman talking about my great-great-grandmother! It seemed that my past had risen from the grave, to ruin everything I had achieved!«

He once again drank before he continued to confess that he had arranged Sayana’s abduction – just for a few days, until he would have followed the Colonel to Kharabad, allowing his comrades to forget about the incident on the ship. But then, the criminals he had hired had kidnapped Daisy instead.

»And now, Miss Lavinia and the others have disappeared, too! And if I hadn’t accidentally shot Caleb, in a commotion caused by my actions, he and I would have been there to protect them, as I had promised to the Colonel!«

He buried his face in his hands, and it was clear that he was fighting to oppress his tears. Sayana rose and once again, she took his arms. Gently, she pulled them from his chair. Blacksmith was eight inches taller than her, but it seemed as if Sayana was talking to a boy:

»Johnny, you have made a mistake, but what happened to Lavinia, Lilly and Marguerite isn’t your fault! Now, how about you man up, and we see how we can save them?«

Blacksmith scoffed.

»You sound like my grandmother!«

Now, Sayana smiled.

»Well, she’s my grand-niece!«

They hugged, and Nesrin let them have their moment, also taking a little sip of the gin before they would plan what to do next.

***

After a trip of about an hour of enforced silence, the coach slowed down, then bumped over an uneven path, only to come to a complete halt little later. The woman peeked through the curtains and then, she stepped out of the door, and Lilly could hear her talk with some other people. After a few moments, she returned for her prisoners.

»You may now rest a little before we continue our journey! However, we will have to take a few precautions. Now, listen, Ladies: outside of the coach are two of my men, each of them armed with a rifle!«

She said something in Hindi, and two Indian faces appeared, a bearded one, and one that was dominated by a surprisingly friendly grin. As the woman had said, each of them held a rifle, and they both looked as if they knew how to use it.

»Now, I will cut your ties, but you are not allowed to touch your gags! Instead, you will take off your shoes and then step out of the coach, where you will be given something to drink! Nod if you understood!«

Lilly nodded, seeing no point in being defiant. Reluctantly, Lavinia did the same, and Marguerite, who hadn’t understood what the Indian woman had said, just nodded because her companions did so. The Indian woman smiled.

Then, she cut Lilly’s bonds, and she resisted the urge to pull the cloth from between her teeth and to spit out the dreadful scarf. Instead, she opened the laces of her bootees and took them off before stepping out of the coach. She blinked at the bright sun, and then noticed they were on a little sandy place surrounded by rocks. She could feel pebbles under her soles, and she realized that without shoes, she wouldn’t be able to run very fast if she tried an escape.

The two men were standing a few yards away, holding their rifles, and the taller woman held something Lilly couldn’t see clearly without her glasses. She guessed that it was a canteen, containing the promised water.

Marguerite now staggered out of the coach, and she and Lilly quickly hugged. Last came Lavinia who stood beside them, trying to stand straight and to remain calm. The Indian woman now positioned herself in a way she could face all three of her captives, and again, she showed her friendly, but sardonic smile.

»Now, as promised, you will be allowed to drink, one by one. Please, don’t try to talk or scream, or we would have to punish you severely! In addition, there is no one around who could hear you, except for me and my men. Once you have quenched your thirst, we will continue our trip – though it might be less convenient than it has been until now!«

***