About this story
When the convoy is stopped along the road, you and Abdul, a household servant who refuses to let the baby disappear with it, slip into the bazaar with nothing but a shawl, his clothes, and a name to hide. The chapter ends on the road out of the city, carrying him toward Abdul's village and away from Cawnpore.
How it opens
Shellfire had broken the mud wall while fever kept your English mistress unaware of the siege.
Her three-day-old child slept through smoke, hunger, and the collapse that sent you beneath the bed.
Doctor SahibDress the memsahib and prepare for boats to Allahabad within two hours.
The Nana has fired upon us for weeks; why should his written promise become safe today?
Doctor SahibI cannot certify his honor, Tooni, only the order upon which every survivor must act.
Choose
Take the baby's clothes, water, and the mistress's little black book.
Take only the baby's clothes and little black book, then buy fresh milk for the road.