"Tomorrow."
"I said I'll think aboutit," she said curtly. "Stop pushing me."
"I have to push. I'vewasted too much time already." His mockery had been replaced by bleakness."When I get your Kartauk out of Kasanpore, the odds are Abdar will makecertain I don't get another chance at the maharajah. I have to have that billof sale before we leave."
"Bill of sale?"
"I'm going to buy a pieceof property from the maharajah."
She stared at himincredulously. "You did all this for a piece of property?"
"A very special piece ofproperty. I want to see Kartauk tomorrow and ask him—"
They had rounded the bend. Theroar of the water racing through Lanpur Gorge drowned out the rest of hissentence.
The water was running evenfaster here than in Sikor Gorge, she noticed anxiously. This branch of theZastu received the drainoff from the hills, and yellow-brown water wasexploding through the gorge past the flat rocks bordering the steep banks as ifshot from a pistol.
"They seem to be holdingfirm enough," Ruel shouted over the roar, his gaze on the two steel postssupporting the bridge over the gorge. "You must have built strongfoundations to resist this flood."
"Of course I did."
"Then why were youworried?"
"I wasn't worried. I justwanted to check to be sure. Patrick should reach the gorge and start laying thetrack on the bridge in the next two days."
"Then what happens?"
"We join the track fromNarinth ten miles beyond the gorge."
"And you'refinished?"
"Patrick will ridehorseback along the track from the gorge to Narinth, examining it for anydamage. Then we do a trial run in the train to Narinth and back again. The nextday we officially turn the train over to the maharajah." Her lipstightened grimly. "And get our money at last." She turned away andstarted back the way they had come.
"Tomorrow?" Ruelasked as he fell into step with her. "I need to see Kartauk."
He was persistent as the deviland would probably continue to plague her until he got his way. Why was shewasting her strength resisting? she wondered impatiently. As he had said, itwould be safer to assure his loyalty with self-interest. "Be at the bungalowtomorrow morning at nine."
"Am I mistaken, or havewe been going around in circles since we left the city gates?" Ruel asked.
"You're notmistaken," Jane said as she pushed aside the wet foliage overhanging thepath. "Your friend, Pachtal, may still be watching me, and if we didn'tlose him in the bazaar, I want to make sure he won't be able to followus."
"Or that I would never beable to find my way back here," Ruel added shrewdly. "Are we going togo through this maze again on the way back to the city?"
"Of course." Shegave him a level glance. "I'm not a fool to take you at your word untilyou prove yourself. I have no intention of sacrificing Kartauk to yourambitions."
He suddenly chuckled."Good for you. When you agreed to take me here yesterday, I was a littledisappointed in you. It always pays to be cautious of Greeks bearinggifts."
"Or Scots," she saiddryly. She glanced hurriedly away from him and strode ahead into the underbrushat the side of the path. "The temple is just ahead.",
"Temple?"
"An abandoned Buddhisttemple." She added deliberately, "One of many in the area that wereleft deserted hundreds of years ago."
"You're warning me that Icouldn't describe it accurately to Abdar if I chose?" He nodded solemnly."Kind of you to save me the bother."
"You find thisamusing?"
His smile disappeared."Actually, I'm taking all this with great gravity, but it never hurts tolaugh at little things. You'll find that out as you grow older."
