The Moghul, page 40
"Ambassador Hawksworth, please forgive my preoccupation these past fewdays." Nadir Sharif was bowing, it seemed, unusually low. "We're notalways privileged to entertain our guests as we might wish.Preparations for today's birthday ceremonies have kept me rushing aboutthe palace. But please, be seated."
Hawksworth's gaze swept the room. It was cavernous, hung with thicktapestries on every wall, and lightly perfumed with rose incense.Before he could reply a bowing servant was proffering a chalice ofPersian wine. As Nadir Sharif watched a glass being poured, his voicecontinued, silken.
"Have you found anything here to pass the time? They tell me you'vedeveloped an interest in the sitar. A marvelous instrument really. Andin my garden. Tell me, what do you think of it?"
"I can't decide." Hawksworth felt his caution rising automatically, asit did any time he found himself alone with Nadir Sharif. "It remindsme of some of the Tudor gardens connected with English castles, butstill it's different. I like the precise geometry of the walkways andhedges, and the running water. It's a soothing place to sit andpractice."
"So you find the Persian garden soothing? It is Persian, you know. Thewhole idea of a symmetrical garden comes from Persia. Not from thisbarbarous wasteland." Nadir Sharif motioned him to a bolster, andpaused until he was seated. "Yes, it's soothing. I agree with you. Butof course, that's one of the purposes of a garden." Nadir Sharif easedhimself against a bolster and accepted a glass of _sharbat_. "Itpleases me that you enjoy my garden. You see, Ambassador, to a man inthe desert, an oasis, a spot of water and green, is like a paradise. Sowe sometimes believe we are creating a bit of Allah's Paradise when wecreate a garden. You know, the Holy Quran itself tells us that Paradisewill be something like a garden."
"But whose idea was it to build Persian gardens here?"
"When the first Moghul conqueror arrived in India, almost a centuryago, he declared the land here around Agra to be particularly barrenand depressing. So he immediately built a Persian garden. But we mustall do our share, so today there are many gardens, all over India. Thegarden, you see, is our tribute to nature."
"But why so geometrical? Your garden uses water, stones, and plants tocreate designs that seem almost like the marble floors of your palace."
"Mathematics, Ambassador, principles of law. Islam is the rule of law.Why do you think we have so many mathematicians? I deliberatelydesigned this garden with calculated geometric divisions. It providesme great satisfaction to impose order on the willfulness of nature."
"But why are the stone pathways all elevated above the level of thegarden? In English gardens they're at ground level and lined withshrubs."
"But surely that's obvious as well. Our gardens are really concealedwaterways, with water constantly flowing from one end to the other. Wemust put the walkways above the water." Nadir Sharif waved his hand."But all of that is merely mechanics. The garden is where we findpeace. It's where we wait to greet the spring, whose arrival wecelebrate at the Persian New Year."
Nadir Sharif strolled to a window and looked out on the garden. "Springin India seems to come up from the south. It's said that buds appeareach day a few _kos _farther north, like a tender army on the march.But we Persians believe that spring must have a haven if she is tostay. And that's another reason we build gardens."
"I don't understand."
"There's a famous poem in Persian, by the poet Farrukhi, about gardensand spring. He once wrote of a place where spring always arrivedfeeling lowly and despised, because there was no land for her savedesert, a place of rocks and thistles. But then a rich man--actually thepatron of Farrukhi, whom he was writing to flatter--built a garden forher and the next year spring came forth from the south and found a homethere." Nadir Sharif smiled. "In fact the poem begins by comparingspring's original arrivals to that of a bankrupt _feringhi's_, whoappeared with no carpet, no livelihood. But after spring discovered thegarden, she brought from the south turquoise for the willows, rubiesfor the rose."
Nadir Sharif smiled. "What do you think of Farrukhi's poem,Ambassador?"
"What do you mean?"
"Curiosity. I was wondering what are the chances that spring will comeagain from the south this year? Did the 'bankrupt _feringhi_ merelycome to see if the garden was ready? Was the first arrival of springfalse, with the real arrival yet to come?"
Hawksworth studied Nadir Sharifs face. "I don't understand what you'retrying to say. But I would like to know if you've spoken to His Majestyabout the _firman_."
"Please believe I mention it daily. I think now he'll soon agree toterms."
"Then there's nothing yet?" Hawksworth set down the glass of wine. "Iassumed that was why you wanted to speak to me. But you just wanted totalk about Persian gardens and Persian poets."
"Ambassador, I'm not a man for idle talk. Surely we know each otherbetter than that." Nadir Sharif turned and banished the servants andeunuchs with a wave of his hand.
"Tell me. I know you met Prince Jadar once. Give me your honestopinion. Do you think he's a clever man?"
Hawksworth nodded noncommittally.
"I can assure you, Ambassador, that he's very clever indeed. Even hisstaunchest detractors would agree on that. And he's also resourceful.Not many here are aware he has a full intelligence network of his own.He does not, of course, have access to the dispatches of the officialcourt reporters in the provinces, the _wakianavis_, or the dispatchesof His Majesty's confidential reporters, the _harkaras_." Nadir Sharifpaused. "At least we do not think he has access to their reports. Butin a way he doesn't really need them. You see, he has his own system ofreporters, which we know he began creating over two years ago. Spieswhose identity is carefully guarded. We do not know any of their names,but we do know he calls them his _swanih-nigars_, and they preparedetailed information on anything in the provinces he asks them to. Hisnetwork is extensive and, I understand, quite effective."
Hawksworth suddenly found himself remembering Shirin, the papers in theobservatory, and wondering . . .
"Naturally he has agents along the southern coast. But at times theycan be a bit too careless about the information they gather. Forexample, a cipher intended for the prince-- sent by one of Jadar'ssecret _swanih-nigars _stationed in Cochin, on the far southern end ofthe Malabar Coast--was just intercepted by a Portuguese shipping agentat the port of Mangalore, down the coast south of Goa. The message wasof great interest to the Portuguese, and they saw fit to forward it tome. What do you suppose the message contained?"
Hawksworth pulled himself alert.
"I have no idea."
"Tell me, Ambassador. The East India Company does trade on Java, am Icorrect?"
"Six years ago the Company established a factory . . . a tradingstation . . . at Bantam, the main port on the island."
"Was there a voyage to Bantam this year?"
"The _Discovery_ was bound for Bantam this year, with cargo fromSurat."
"Ambassador, the time for games is over. Your charade has made thingsvery difficult for those of us who would try to help you." Nadir Sharifstudied Hawksworth deliberately, almost sadly. "It would have beenhelpful if you had told me everything sooner. It's embarrassing that Imust receive my information through captured intelligence, when I'mauthorized to serve as your agent. I'm sure it will not surprise youthat the Portuguese Viceroy, His Excellency, Miguel Vaijantes, is mostdisturbed at the news. There will be consequences."
"What are you talking about?"
"The cipher for Jadar. You could have told me sooner of your king'splans. It would have made all the difference." Nadir Sharif staredcoldly at Hawksworth. "There's no longer any need to pretend you don'tknow. The fleet was sighted off the Malabar Coast, by coastal fishingbarks, only three days ago. Four armed frigates, showing Englishcolors, with a course north by northwest, which means they will standto sea and avoid the Portuguese patrols along the coast. It was only bythe slightest chance that they were seen. And then another accidentthat the cipher intended for Jadar was intercepted. Otherwise no onewould have known. It was very resourceful of your East India Company,Ambassador, to have a second fleet sail up our west coast from theEnglish factory at Java. Unless the Portuguese had intercepted anddecoded Jadar's cipher, they would have been taken completely bysurprise. Now they estimate the English fleet is scheduled to reachSurat within the month. Unless they are met and engaged . . . whichthey most assuredly will be."
