1637: The Peacock Throne, стр. 24

Ricky grinned. Bobby had been the best shortstop in the county, and it was still damn hard to catch him off guard.

J.D. turned his head at the movement and chuckled. “Can’t take you boys anywhere.”

“Sure can’t,” Bobby said around his full mouth.

Ricky, glad to hear J.D. laugh even a little, let his grin widen.

John Dexter Ennis, or J.D. to his up-time friends, hadn’t been laughing much since before…Jesus, has it been two years since the pirate attack?

Not that there had been a lot to laugh about lately, what with burying Randy and, in the last few weeks, preparing like mad for the latest expedition. All of them were a bit antsy, having long since been ready to move on, and this meeting was supposed to be the final one before they could pursue the actual mission they’d been sent to India for in the first place.

The world hadn’t seemed so big as a kid growing up in Grantville, not before the Ring of Fire brought them back to this time and changed everything.

Bobby’s date pit bonged as he spat it into the bronze container for the purpose.

It seemed to Ricky that it took a little longer than it should have for their host and the amir to emerge from the broad stair, but he entertained himself eating a mango. Another fruit he might never have known had Grantville stayed put in time and place, mangoes had quickly become his favorite. In fact, he’d decided only last month to see if a couple of the trees could survive transport back to Europe.

Salim and Jadu Das climbed into view, looking as if they’d been deep in conversation about something sensitive.

“Amir Salim. Good to see you!” J.D. said in English. Jadu was among those who’d taught Salim the language in the first place, as the Hindu was a long-term servant of the East India Company in Agra. John approached the pair, offering his hand.

The junior members of the Mission rose, uniformly smiling. As well they should: Amir Salim Gadh Visa Yilmaz had been their guide and champion at court since their arrival, and had served them honestly and well. Not that Salim was just some perfumed pretty, Ricky thought, remembering the blood-drenched man being carried from the gardens of the Taj. Most of the blood had been that of the assassins sent to kill the royals.

Most. Not all.

Almost all of the locals had doubted the sword-cut Afghan would survive his injuries, and even Rodney and Pris had been uncertain if he would recover, given the lack of proper medical facilities or supplies.

“And you, my friend,” Salim returned, taking John’s hand in his own and gesturing with his free hand for everyone to resume their seats.

Once they were all seated and Jadu’s servants had brought more food, talk went from catching up on goings-on at court to the reason they were all here.

“So, is everything prepared, John?” Salim asked.

J.D. nodded, glancing at Jadu. “We think so.”

“I think we are as well prepared as any caravan I have ever been part of.” Jadu Das smiled broadly and continued, “It has been a long time since you rescued me from my tormentors, Salim. I learned my lesson then.” He patted his healthy belly. “Age has made me realize that I like my skin too much to take such great risks with it.”

Salim chuckled. “What route will you use?”

Jadu nodded at Ricky, who pulled a map from the bag beside him and unrolled it. “We plan on using the imperial road rather than barge our way along the river, as it gives us more mobility and better access to some of the markets north of the Jumna and west of the Ganges. With the number of guards we’ve hired, the quality of the Banjaris Jadu has contracted with, and the products we brought to trade with the locals, I think we should be able to purchase all of the opium and saltpeter you require, not to mention other trade goods we might want to bring back.”

“And the other thing?” Salim asked, pulling a jade-hilted dagger from his belt and using the scabbarded weapon to weigh the top of the map down.

Ricky nodded, pulling his gaze from what had to be a fantastically expensive weapon. “We’ll keep our eyes open once we get farther east, try and learn what Grandpa Khan is up to.” He deliberately used the Americanism to confound any possible eavesdroppers—not that he expected any here, but one never knew.

Jadu waggled his head. “I will press my contacts as well. A personal visit from me should make them more amenable to speaking out than a note or verbal message would.”

Salim looked from the map to Ricky and Bobby. “And neither of you has a problem taking your orders from Jadu should there be a fight or some other emergency?”

“No,” they answered at nearly the same instant.

Bobby grinned, shaking his head. “We may have learned some Persian and the local lingo, but there’s no way either of us could manage in all the different languages we’re going to have to use to get this job done.”

Salim looked back at J.D. “May I ask why young Bertram is not going with them? He has learned a great deal, and seems to find languages easy to learn.”

“I am told the emperor has another task for him.” The statement was accompanied by a look that told his friends he didn’t much like the answer.

Salim must have mistook the look for anger because he said, “Meaning no offense, of course.”

John waved a hand. “None taken. It would make sense, and I asked for him, but my wife said it was not going to happen, and I take her word on such things as gospel.”

“It is a wise man that listens to the counsel of his wife,” Jadu Das said. “I, myself, would have lost my fortune many times over had I not heeded my wife’s