Padamsing just knew he was with someone he could trust. His morale had recovered from being rock-bottom by now being able to get the other people to carry on with the good work. ‘To be perfectly honest I did rather exaggerate,’ he said with a lop-sided grin. ‘I changed a company going to Kelantan to a battalion and a leave party to a mutinying battalion. Nothing else. Your brother had put so much pressure on me to get concrete results within days when that was, quite frankly, impossible so that was the only way I could manage to give him an answer. He had threatened me if I didn’t, said I was bound to the Party. That phone call I had with a Captain Rance, you won’t know him but he’s on board, would have been a God-send had I believed in a God – which I still don’t?’ he added, with a rueful chuckle. ‘I hoped that by the time there was any reaction to my telling your brother something that was not yet quite true it would be true enough.’
Ah Fat inwardly gulped at such naivety but, being the splendid actor he had become, said, ‘Yes, that was a wise thing to do, especially as your other Party workers were not as far forward as you, were they?
The renegade shook his head. ‘No, sadly not. You are quite right,’ he said with a sigh.
Ah Fat blessed his inspired guess as he got up to leave, thanking the prisoner once more as he did.
‘Is there anything you can do for me when we reach India?’ he was asked, almost pleadingly.
Ah Fat shook his head. ‘All I can say is that I don’t know why you are in this cell. It is nothing to do with me. Provided you have only offended the British military and not us, there’s nothing to worry about.’
He took the chair outside and thanked the Corporal for it. Jason had been in earshot but unseen. They went up to his cabin where Ah Fat gave him the list.
‘You’ve done well. You probably realise this is a great victory for us…’ He was interrupted by the Tannoy announcing, ‘Attention please, attention please. Will the OC Troops report to the Purser’s Office.’ The message was repeated.
Jason mopped his brow. ‘Only just in time. As my father used to say: “just in time: born in the vestry”’ and left the cabin with the list of names in his pocket.
***
Lieutenant Colonel Heron, a thickset, affable man with wavy black hair, penetrating blue eyes and hawk-like features, was at the Purser’s Office when Jason arrived and saluted him. ‘Great to see you sir,’
‘Yes, and you too, Rance. I was indeed surprised to get your phone call yesterday. I was elated to have contact with one of my old battalion and intensely intrigued at such an unusual invitation.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I have an hour. I’d like to wander around the troops but I expect you’ll want to tell me why I’m here first. It may take some time so let’s go to the lounge, have a coffee and a talk.’
Before moving off he thanked the purser and Jason led him to the lounge and ordered two coffees. ‘Nothing stronger, sir?’
‘No, coffee’s fine – and, yes, a bun of sorts won’t go amiss.’ They took their cups and ‘buns of sorts’ to a corner and sat down. Jason looked around, making sure there were no eavesdroppers. He first told his one-time CO that, although he had phoned from the Nepalese consulate, he had not mentioned it lest the two Nepalis be embarrassed when they met him. He then plunged into his story.
James Heron listened intently, only interrupting when the background to a point was unknown to him. It took more time than he had expected to explain and, at the end, Jason dramatically produced the list of the other six renegades. ‘Take this, sir. I’ve already come to think of any action you take as the start of our version of Operation Tipping Point.’
‘My, but you have done a good job of work, Jason. I congratulate you wholeheartedly. You must have some most valuable sources to know what was debated in the Politburo.’
‘Sir, you know my background from when you were my CO. Is there any need to ask more?’ He shook his head.
‘Yes, quite right. I shouldn’t have asked. But talking of background, I was always impressed by your ability in the jungle. What do you put that down to?’
‘Sir, apart from experience in walking and working in it from an early age, I always plan for three aspects: a firm base, an alternative and a reserve. That way I’m hardly ever lost or at a disadvantage.’
James Heron nodded his appreciation. Jason continued ‘and knowing, as the good book puts it, which roots, fruits and shoots are poisonous and which are not when one has run out of rations and is hungry.’
His late CO smiled broadly as Jason added, ‘and finally, as the late Grant Taylor said when he was chasing Al Capone, “there are two kinds of gun men, the quick and the dead”.’
The Defence Attaché shook his head, grinning broadly at such unexpected wisdom. ‘What else have you to add before I go off?’ He looked at his watch. ‘Just time to walk round the decks and see if there’s anyone I recognise.’
‘Before we do that, sir, I’ll ask you in case I forget: may I presume what I think you will do with that list?’
James Heron chuckled. ‘Knowing you, that’s what I expected you to do.’
Jason looked slightly embarrassed, grinned and said, ‘Get the list to the correct people in Singapore and Malaya – and Hong Kong as the unit of one of those names is there – warn Calcutta that the passengers on this boat are a normal leave party, just in case they might have had an alert. And, this will be up to you, sir, let the War Office know as well, also mentioning the King of Nepal’s concern.’
‘No worry there either, the FARELF Int boffins will do that in any case. Are you going back to Singapore?’
‘Yes, sir. I am OC Troops for the return voyage also.’
‘Well, I’ll see if I can’t meet on your way back and give you any reactions from my report. One thing I do know is that the Int boys will be after your source like a pack of dogs after a bitch on heat to hear what you managed to do in Calcutta.’
‘Colonel, you can help me here. Just tell them, from me regarding sources, “no names, no pack drill”.’
The Colonel stood up. ‘Now that is what I call a really, really valuable visit and I am truly grateful for all your efforts.’
‘And I, too, sir, for your coming to take the load off my shoulders. Now, a quick wander round the decks.’
One person the ex-CO knew was his chief clerk, Gurkha Captain Hemlal Rai, fluent in English. He was renowned for having killed three leopards near his home village before enlisting. Lithe and strong, he had an unusual aptitude for walking more easily on sloping ground than on the flat. When annoyed, his eyes had no pity in them. During their few words he said that he had had a letter from home saying that there was a man-eating leopard waiting to be shot. ‘So instead of two-footed shikar, four-footed for a change,’ said with a characteristically charming smile on his face.
‘Mind you don’t come a cropper!”
‘No worry, sir. My brother, Jaslal Rai, a sergeant in 1/10 GR, is also going on leave and we’ll be together.’
‘Well, best of luck. I am pleased we were able to meet up again.’ He looked round for Jason. ‘It really is time to go.’
Jason escorted the DA as far as the gangway, saluted him and watched him until he was out of sight.
***
Before they docked at Calcutta Jason and Ah Fat put their heads together once more in the hope of making a joint plan. ‘What neither of us must not forget,’ said Jason ‘is that, to me anyway, it seems as if the idea of the Gurkhas having to be disbanded is nothing but a very large red herring. Yet, however tenuous or strong such a link might be, the spider – if indeed he does exist and does operate in Calcutta – will be in the dark about Padamsing’s unintended confession so, whatever else, the mysterious spider in his equally mysterious web will have no idea whatsoever of your Politburo’s idea.’
Ah Fat nodded his head emphatically. ‘True enough, so true that if I play my cards correctly I can either ignore going to the Mystery Man altogether or…’
‘Telling him a load of nonsense so getting him to waste time in following false trails and I don’t know what else,’ Jason interrupted excitedly.
