Ruel frowned. "Then I'llhave to think about it."
"Think first about how toget him out of here," Jane said.
"I've already decidedabout that."
Her eyes widened. "Youhave?"
"The trial run to Narinththe night before you officially turn the railroad over to the maharajah. Westation Kartauk on the line somewhere outside Kasanpore, pick him up when we'reout of the city, and hide him on the train. We deboard him before we reachNarinth and from there he can make his way to the coast."
Kartauk chuckled. "Veryclever. I can see why you decided to let him help us, Jane."
"It might work," shesaid slowly. "If Abdar doesn't suspect anything."
"Oh, he probably willsuspect. It's our job to misdirect those suspicions."
"How?"
"I'll think of something.I'll have plenty of time to meditate while Kartauk is baring my soul." Hestood up and reached for his slicker. "In the meantime, I think we'dbetter start on our way back to Kasanpore." Ruel smiled. "And not soI can rush immediately to the palace and reveal our friend Kartauk'swhereabouts to Abdar. I thought I'd go see if Patrick is tending to duty."
"But I was goingto—"
"And now I'm goinginstead." He picked up her slicker and put it over her head. "Call ita penance. Don't you think I deserve a penance?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sure youdeserve anything anyone could think of to—"
He interrupted. "Thensend me out in the rain after our charming Patrick." He picked up herwide-brimmed hat and put it on her head, carefully tying the cords beneath herchin. The service gave him an odd, deep, primitive sense of satisfaction, soothingthe abrasive unrest he had known. Suddenly he realized Kartauk was not asperceptive as he believed himself to be. It hadn't been lust ripping at himthis time.Thiswas what he wanted when he had watched her with Li Sung.He had been fiercely resentful of the bond of affection and trust that allowedLi Sung to perform those services instead of him. He quickly turned away andsaid gruffly, "Besides, I'll get a chance to look over the terrain anddecide on the best place to hide Kartauk while waiting for the train."
"How did Jane findyou?" Ruel asked Kartauk.
"Hold your headstill." The goldsmith carefully shaved the plane of the cheek of thewooden statue on the table in front of him. "She didn't find me. I foundher. I was hiding in the bazaar at the time and, when I heard she was inquiringabout a goldsmith to execute the door, I went to her bungalow."
"You took a bigchance."
"I was desperate,"he said simply. "I hadn't been able to work for nearly three weeks and Ifelt as if I were starving to death. I'd had to leave my tools at the palacewhen I bolted and couldn't carve so much as a chess piece. I couldn't stand itany longer." He turned the model so more light would fall on the left sideof the statue. "I might have been able to resist if the door was to beanything but gold. Jane tells me your passion for gold equals my own."
"What else did she tellyou?"
"That you're ambitious,ruthless, and self-serving."
"True."
Kartauk laughed. "Andhonest."
"Did she say that?"
"No, that's my ownjudgment." Kartauk's gaze wandered across the chamber to where Jane and LiSung sat on the floor playing cards. "She appears to be having troubleaccepting you might also have a virtue or two. I didn't disabuse her. She'smuch safer believing only in your satanic qualities."
"You told her Abdar wassearching for you and she still let you do the door?"
He nodded. "I didn'tintend to tell her, but after we met and I realized what she was, I decided thebest course would be to throw myself on her mercy."
"And what is she?"
"A caretaker. She can'thelp herself from nurturing and caring for those in need. Didn't you realizethat?"
"I've never thought aboutit."
Kartauk shot him a shrewdglance. "Or never permitted yourself to think about it?" He didn'twait for a reply. "Anyway, I cast myself under her wing and let her carefor my needs in return for my labor on the door."
