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Updated: April 30, 2025
Yasmini was up beside him, wedged tightly between him and Hasamurti, so like his own wife, except for a vague Eastern scent she used, that he could not for the life of him speak to her as a stranger. "Listen!" she said excitedly. "I had horses here, there, everywhere in case of need. But Gungadhura sent men and took them all. Now I have only one horse in your stable I must get that tonight.
Yasmini mounted him, followed by Tess and Hasamurti, who took their place behind her in the howdah, one on either side, Hasamurti pushing Tess into her proper place, after which her duty was to keep a royal fan of ostrich plumes gently moving in the air above Yasmini's head.
She, Tess and Hasamurti were the only women there unveiled. She stood two minutes long in silence, smiling down at them while Tess's heart-beats drummed until she lost count, Tess suspecting nervousness because of her own nerves, and not so wildly wrong. "You're not alone," she whispered. "You've a friend behind you two friends!" Then Yasmini spoke. "My Lords."
They clustered round Yasmini as she climbed down from the elephant, and led her into the hall with arms in hers and a thousand phrases of congratulation and glad welcome. "Four queens!" Hasamurti whispered.
Yasmini took her stand close to the gilded door, and Tess and Hasamurti watched the opportunity to come beside her no very easy matter in a room where fifty women jockeyed for recognition and a private word.
"We will all go down together now," Yasmini decided, and promptly she started to lead the way alone. But Hasamurti sprang to her side, and insisted with tears on disguising herself as her mistress and staying behind to provide one slim chance for the rest to escape. "In the dark you will pass for the memsahib," she urged. "The memsahib will pass for a man.
Hasamurti you and the others make ready for the street!" That was a simple matter. In three minutes all five women were back in the room, veiled from head to foot. But the hammering at the front door was repeated, louder than before. Tess wondered whether to hope that the risaldar of the guard had already reported to Gungadhura the lady doctor's visit, or to hope that he had not.
Hand in hand Yasmini in the midst in spotless silken white; Tess and Hasamurti draped in black from head to foot they left the house by a high teak door in the garden wall and started down a road half hidden by lacy shadows. All three wore sandals on bare feet, and Tess was afraid at first of insects. "Have no fear of anything tonight," Yasmini whispered. "The gods are all about us!
"I have none none with me " "I thought of that. I borrowed these for you." With her own hands she put opals around Tess's neck that glowed as if they were alive, and then bracelets on her right arm of heavy, graven gold; then kissed her. "You look lovely! I shall need you tonight! No other human guesses how I need you! You and Hasamurti are to stand close to me until the end.
Almost as soon as the breathless girl could break that evil tidings there came another hammering, and this time Hasamurti went down to answer. Her news was worse. Gungadhura was at the outer gate demanding admission, and threatening to order the guard to break the gate in if refused. "What harm can he do?" demanded Tess. "He won't dare try any violence in front of me. Let us change clothes again."
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