Chapter 13 Chapter Twelve

When they reached the station, heavy clouds, like mountains from the Old Testament, hung over the valley like mountains.The rainy season in Dir is mainly in winter.Leo had hoped to escape the unpredictable summer rains, but the first heavy rains were upon them. There are few trees in this section of Panzhikola.While the upper parts of the hills are still green, the lower parts of the valleys are bare, with sparse vegetation and exposed brown soil, possibly due to poor soil quality, but more likely the result of deforestation. The road conditions are definitely worse after it rains.But at least they can stay at the inn tonight without worrying about the tent being blown away or a small landslide, or other things that travelers inevitably encounter when traveling in bad weather.

The building structure of the post station is very simple, only a few simple rooms are used as the resting place for the imperial postal staff.Overnight travelers only need to pay one rupee per room for accommodation, plus one rupee for meals. In the Kashmir area, there is a post station every 20 kilometers.Some of Leo's inns had chicken coops and chicken keepers, a few cows and cattle keepers, and a cook who cooked for the passengers.The inn they stayed at this time had no service personnel or livestock, but it was a standard inn in other respects, a one-story bungalow building with a living room in the center, and the other spaces were divided into suites with bathrooms.The porch that surrounds the house is spacious, so that the coolie can have a safe shelter from the wind and rain.

Saihan prepared chicken curry, steamed vegetables and crepes.Leo and Beni dined in the small whitewashed living room. Apart from the tables and chairs, there was only a small shelf on which the passenger register was placed. In addition to signatures, they could also write down their criticisms or opinions on the inn. After dinner, she suggested a game of chess.He agreed, but when he thought that if it weren't for his ignorance, they could have played endless chess and would not have lost so much happiness, he felt that facing the chessboard was a kind of torture. She went down very fast.He admired her ability to scan the chess game, and her intuitive chess skills made his deliberate layout seem cumbersome and slow.

Tonight she played more carelessly than usual.Having said that, in the game before, she not only let him keep all the important pieces, but even killed him with only three pawns. Your right wing has holes, he said.Is that a trap?Or did you not pay attention? A trap, of course, she said. She rested on one hand, and her long eyelashes cast mysterious shadows on her cheeks.She lifts her eyelashes, and his heart misses several beats because of the longing in her eyes. He eats her bishop.oh?Trap or not, you still have to pay the price. She moves queen.please.If you want, just come and get it.

He didn't know that she would also tease her with words.In fact, her words were not intended to be provocative, but coupled with the way she stared at him for a long time, he was in trouble.His defense was too weak, and he couldn't resist the overwhelming desire. He eats the pawns before her fortress.What do you have left? She took the fort and put it down, took the pawn and let it go, took the queen and let it go.Finally, she looked at him again, with nameless anxiety in her eyes.You said you wanted me to stay in London. I think you deserve a place to call home again, he replied cautiously.

Would you like to give me a little motivation? Can he give her motivation?what kind of motivation? Cambridge is only an hour away from London.Maybe we can find a chess club where both men and women can join, and meet up occasionally to play chess. I think it would be better not to, he said at once. His answer seemed to surprise her.She must have thought he would readily agree. What about communication?Her tone became more cautious.In this way, there is no need to meet in person, and you can also play more than a dozen games of chess at the same time. It seems that there is no big deal in the communication game.It's just an occasional letter, no extra words, just a simple chess game mark, so what harm can it do.

However, there can never be only a chess game between them. He could see himself rushing to pick up the mail, throwing the rest of the mail away except hers.He took the letter into the study where the chess board was placed, and locked the door firmly.After making sure that he will not be disturbed, he will linger on the chessboard, savoring her every move, and then think about the counterattack all night, how to move the knight quickly, and then use the fort to block boldly, and the bishop will come out from time to time to disrupt the enemy. When he has all the strategies in mind and every step is clearly written down, ready to mail, he may feel supremely satisfied.But then he will be heartbroken and painful again, that his life has been replaced by such a ridiculous way, everything is so futile and empty.

No. She looked confused.Why? I can not. you can't write? I can't be your friend. She stood up abruptly.He hurriedly stood up.I'm sorry, Bernie. She shook her head, biting her lower lip hard.It is my fault.I thought I thought maybe you wanted a chance to fix it. She never gave people a chance to repent, and what she said this afternoon was tantamount to telling him clearly.Now she is only governed by desire, and once the passion cools down, when they have unavoidable friction again, she will withdraw deeply into her heart again. When we're husband and wife, I'll definitely not wait to take it.

If he had known the inside story at that time, he would have prostrated himself on the ground and begged for forgiveness.He is willing to do anything to make atonement.Even if she had to use castration as the price of forgiveness, he was willing to offer the scalpel himself. It's late, but better than never.isn't it? Some things are just not meant to happen.We were destined not to be together. She took two steps towards him and reached out to grab a lock of his hair.He froze.But she didn't stop, she caressed his ear with her fingers.Then she cupped his cheek and rubbed his lower lip with her thumb.Maybe we were destined not to be together in the past, but people will change and become more mature.

Their previous conversation had made it clear to him that she never changed.She was as determined and unforgiving as ever. He took her hand and put it back. She responded by kissing him, a kiss tinged with desire and bewilderment.He wants her.He wanted to bury her deeply and forget everything. He backed away abruptly.Bernie, please.do not do that. If she hadn't come to him for love that night, perhaps he would have given in and believed that she must have forgiven him, otherwise he would not have offered his body.It's a pity that she came here. At that time, the past was still hidden in her heart like a disease, just like malaria, which was hidden in the patient's body for many years before it broke out in one fell swoop.

Her face fell down.Didn't you say before that you have loved me for so many years?It seems that it is all just empty talk. The sharp knife in his heart twisted. Sometimes love is not enough, he said.Just look at you father and daughter. With the exception of Tao Tao, everyone she ever loved was eventually expelled from her life, forever ignored or completely dismissed by her. What does this have to do with my father? Since you can't forgive his negligence, how can you forgive me who caused you substantial harm? She looked away at the empty wall and didn't speak for a long time.What exactly are you trying to express? We cannot build a new life together.You want a saint, Bernie.What you want is someone like Tao Tao who has never made a mistake and never will, and who will not make you angry or alienate you, who will never test your trust. She looked at him with cold and sad eyes.You're implying that I'm not capable of love. He didn't mean that.However, after talking too much, you will inadvertently reveal your inner thoughts. There are too many heavy burdens between us, and I don't think your love is enough to bear them. To be honest, even he didn't think he could do it. You don't even bother to give us a chance to prove otherwise? Now that you know that the railway track leads to the cliff, will you still take that train?Would you take a cruise ship that's already leaking? I get it, her tone is sad.Sorry for wasting your time.Are you ready to finish this game of chess? It was not long before the storm began to rage, and the whole night was spent in squalls and torrential rains.At dawn the wind finally eased, but the rain was still pouring. Bernie wasn't very active, but that morning she couldn't sit still.Like a wolf in a cage, she kept pacing back and forth in the room, opening and closing the window panels repeatedly, and her irregular and disturbing movements would definitely attract the attention of medical staff if she was in a mental hospital.After making sure no one would hear, she slammed the back of her head against the wall, venting her frustration and heartbreak. The irony is that if the rain had started falling a day earlier, she would have been secretly ecstatic, thinking that even the heavens would prolong their time together.But now she only hoped that this journey would end at this moment, and leave this man's side as soon as possible without delay, anyway, he was determined to clean her from his life, just like a dedicated housekeeper cleans stains from silverware. In the afternoon, the two finally stopped.Beni was ready to go immediately, but Leo insisted on sending a guide to scout out the road first. Due to the lack of vegetation on the hillside, it is likely that a large amount of sand and gravel will be washed onto the road in such heavy rain.he explained. She nodded, turned and went back to the room. benny. She stopped, but didn't look back.What's up? He was silent for a few seconds.fine.Please don't mind. After the clouds dissipated, the sinister sun reappeared.Faint steam rose from the ground.The guide came back earlier than Leo expected, and brought a group of people with him.They were not Dir soldiers, but Indian postal soldiers from Malakan Fortress, carrying sacks of letters and parcels on their way to Chitra Fortress.Leo invited them to drink tea and inquire about news by the way. The Malakan Fortress is located 15 kilometers south of the Chadala River. There are 3,000 soldiers stationed there, guarding the Malakan Pass and the Chadala Chair across the Swat River. In the past few days, rumors have been flying in Malakan City.Because the postal soldiers are Sikhs and Muslims are their old enemies, they treat the mad monk with contempt rather than admiration. If the Swats want to attack Malakan, go ahead, said the oldest soldier.The Indian government army will beat them to pieces, and then they will be safe for a generation. Did the officers know there was unrest?Leo asked. Soldiers say they know.Two days earlier, on July 23, Malakan's administrative officer had officially issued a warning letter, and the army had started emergency drills.However, everyone believed that the rebel army would not attack the pass, and even the warning letter only said that an attack was suspected, but the probability was not high. The Swats invited the British to settle their disputes.They were satisfied with the service the Chadara Hospital served to the common people, their river valleys were verdant and fertile, and the food and supplies of the fortress kept everyone's pockets full.Why would they listen to a lunatic and ruin their fortunes? Leo nodded, glad to hear such a rational and straightforward opinion amidst the raging rumors.Although the Sikh soldiers were inevitably biased, they were based on the closest sources of first-hand information. The soldier then proceeded to describe how calmly the entire army of the fortress had kept their composure, completely oblivious to the possibility of a riot.Apparently, apart from emergency drills, the daily routine of the soldiers was not affected at all.The officers from Fort Chadara and Malakan went to play polo every night, several kilometers from the camp, carrying only unloaded pistols. The soldiers nodded repeatedly to appreciate the calmness of the British officer, but they didn't notice that Leo's smile gradually disappeared.They chatted a bit about the road conditions, which ranged from inconvenient to difficult after the storm.After drinking the tea, the soldier thanked Leo and resumed his journey. They were talking on the porch outside Bernie's room, and she could hear them all through the parting shutters.Then she opened the shutter all the way. Are we leaving?She could hardly contain her anxiety.The soldier went all the way without incident, and we certainly had no problems. It's late today, Bernie. Nonsense, she retorted.We could still walk for four hours, at least for a distance. She seldom speaks in such an intense tone.In fact, he had never seen her so frizzy.She didn't want to cooperate at all, she just wanted to leave immediately. That being the case, what he was going to say next would definitely upset her. I don't think you should hurry. She narrowed her eyes.What's the meaning? He took a deep breath.Have you ever read the account of the Great Indian Revolt of 1857? Of course there is.So what? The current situation reminds me of that time.It was not that the British army was unaware of the uprising, but that those in charge refused to believe that it would really happen.They do not believe that it is possible for a merry slave to rise up against a wise master.It turns out that the master is not so wise, and the slave is not so happy. That was 40 years ago, and the situation is completely different now, she said. There was also fighting around Malakan during the siege of Chitra, after which the Malakan Fortress was built to secure the road to Chitra.Only two short years have passed, and the Swat people will not forget their old enemies so quickly. So, are you criticizing the professional judgment of the officers in Malakan and Chadara?she asked sharply. I know it's arrogant to say that, but I think what they convey by going to polo every day is not confidence, but laziness.If I were a local who intends to rebel, I would be even more eager to see the enemy so stupid. She didn't speak, so he pushed harder.It's better to stay here, this place is safe and comfortable, and inquire when the next batch of messengers arrives from Malakan. But then we are likely to be stuck here for a whole week. There may be unknown dangers ahead, and the situation is imminent.A week's delay is really nothing in comparison. don't want.She gripped the edge of the window panel with one hand until her knuckles turned white.I can't agree more.If it is really dangerous, go to the rear of the front line to be safe.As long as we go south of Malakan, it is none of our business whether the tribes in the Upper Swat Valley decide to rebel or not. But first we must be able to get behind the lines in time.Rather than risk being affected in the flames of war, it is safer to stay in a neutral zone. The officers in Malakan apparently didn't think there would be an exchange of fire, and even if it did, I don't believe how neutral Dill was. The British gave Dir Khan sixty thousand rupees every year.He is not a fool, how could he support the rebellion and save himself a windfall?he said aloud. I believe that with the supreme wisdom of Dir Khan, money will definitely be considered first.But the target of instigation by the crazy monks is the general public.Staying here, won't the radical young people in the surrounding villages vent their anger on us?Here is her rebuttal. Everything happened at the wrong time, he cursed inwardly.If it was because of what happened last night, he said feebly.Then I take back what I said.At this moment, in my mind, your safety is the most important thing.As long as you agree to stay, I can do whatever you want. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew he was wrong.She flushed first, then paler than before.She steps back away from the window.How noble you are, willing to sacrifice yourself to satisfy my greedy desires.Thank you, but no, I don't want to have anything to do with you.And you are wrong, going forward is not necessarily more dangerous than going back or staying behind. he sighed.It's useless to say more, she has made up her mind.He has two options.He could tell her dictatorially that she couldn't get anywhere without his help.Otherwise, you have to try to persuade her in a gentle way, while taking into account her dignity. It's all because he spoke without thinking, and proposed to sell himself in exchange for her cooperation, otherwise he could have used temptation as a tool.Now all he could think about was the gun. Well, let's decide with twenty paces. She was taken aback. But he has gone away.A moment later she heard him enter the station.She ran to the living room to find him. What means? He made no answer, but went into his room, and came out with a gun slung over his shoulder, a steel cup in his hand, and the butt of a pistol protruding from his coat pocket.follow me. They came out of the station, and the coolies looked at them curiously.After walking for nearly 400 meters, he stopped, tied the steel cup to the branch of a small tree, and started walking. When he stopped, she said, it was more than twenty paces away. Forty paces, because a tree doesn't take its twenty paces, he said. After he finished speaking, he loaded the hunting loader, raised the gun and fired, and the steel cup made a loud bang when it was shot. It's your turn. What? Since you insist on going forward and facing danger, it proves that you are capable of defending yourself.You have three chances.As long as I can hit the steel cup, I will arrange to go to Malakan as soon as possible.If we miss a single shot, we will suspend our southbound journey until the unrest is over, or there is evidence that there will be no unrest.Choose your weapon, do you want a shotgun or a pistol? That's ridiculous.I'm not a sharpshooter. Wrong, it's ridiculous that I should give you the chance to decide whether we act or not.In case I'm wrong, there's no rebellion in the Swat Valley, and we've just wasted a week of boredom here.However, if you're wrong and the situation is critical and we're going to lose our lives, then it's really over. Nonsense, the British army in the Swat Valley has been stationed there since the last turmoil.They know the local people very well.In their professional judgment there is nothing to worry about.I'd rather trust their expertise than your gut. Then use the target to decide.Here, your pistol. The gun was indeed hers, a double-bore Damington Delinger.She had completely forgotten that she had the gun.It must have been given to him by the coolie when he was packing away from Rumple Valley, and he has stayed with him ever since. She gripped the pistol, breathed out a breath of righteous indignation, aimed it, and pulled the trigger.The gun flicked in her hand, and the loud noise startled her, but the jingle echo of hitting the steel cup did not appear, only a muffled sound came from somewhere. She shoots again.Still didn't hit. She reached out for bullets, and he said: Please allow me to remind you that this game cannot be fooled.Since you accept the challenge, be willing to bet and admit defeat. She breeches the gun up and reloads.Will you do the same? Of course, he said. asshole.This match was too unfair, it was simply his insidious trick, not only to make her obediently obey, but also to pretend on the surface that things were decided by her. No, I say nothing and don't stay here with you. The weather was very familiar, and she was sweating profusely under the back hat.She took off her hat, feeling the sun sting the nape of her unprotected neck.The river here is wide and the current is fast.There was a rope hanging in mid-air, and a man slid over on a hanging chair. He looked at Benny in surprise. She raised the gun slowly, her eyes fixed on the steel cup.Must succeed.She must hit it.She wanted to leave far more than he wanted to stay.Since they couldn't continue their relationship, this story ended three years ago, and the short finale also came to an end last night.It's time to close the book. She pulled the trigger.First saw the steel cup shake, and then heard a crisp sound.She lowered her arms and stood there for a moment, breathing heavily. Judgment delivered. She turned to him.He still looked at the steel cup in disbelief. Did you just say go as soon as possible?she asked cheerfully. She thought she would set off immediately, but she didn't expect the guide to leave alone after Leo whispered to the guide for a while. Where are they going?He said. To scout the way, he said briefly.At dawn tomorrow, we set off for Malakan. Arrive in a day? Knowing that there may be danger ahead, I can't just take a large group of people on the road as if nothing happened, my conscience can't bear it.But since you want to get behind the lines, I'll get you there as quickly as possible. How far is it from Malacam? About one hundred and ten kilometers. How many times can you change horses on the road? twice. During the journey to Kashmir, horses were changed every ten kilometers.This time they had to ride the same horse for forty kilometers. What about coolies? They stayed here until the guide came back, and then went south together.I'll wait for them in Malacan.Don't worry about your luggage, I will arrange delivery to London. She nods.great. Be prepared, the journey will be tough.Our horses are not fast horses for traveling. We are lucky if we can run ten kilometers in an hour. knew. He sighed and took her arm in both. There is still time to change your mind, Bernie, he said.Wait here in peace, and don't risk testing fate. nothing will happen.Tomorrow night we will arrive in Malakan safe and sound, with aches and pains at best. What if something happens? A chill ran down her spine.Before this moment, the mad monk's rebellion had been nothing to her, because Leo carried everyone's safety on his shoulders.Now the burden is on her shoulders.If anything happens, all the blame will be borne by her. Haven't I already proven my marksmanship is up to it?she says.Now that the matter has been decided, stop doubting and hesitating. He turns and walks away.Hope you're right, he replied.I pray to God you are right.