Different Senses (57 page)

Knowing how bad this could get,
I started towards him but the cops pushed me back with their
weapons. “Shardul!” Damn it, why wouldn’t he answer? “Leave him
alone, for sanity’s sake.”

“Enough!” My father moved in
front of me, and then, with great dignity pushed himself between
the cop with the gun on Shardul, and Shardul himself. He put his
hand on the cop’s rifle and swung it away impatiently. “This man is
an innocent bystander. A respectable lawyer. Stand up, son.” He
helped Shardul to his feet, and dusted his jacket down with his own
hands. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, sir,” Shardul whispered.
My father straightened his lapel and gave him a discreet pat on the
arm. Shardul still wouldn’t meet his eyes.

I moved towards him, and when
the cops guarding me tried to stop me, I glared. “Damn it, the man
you want is over there, passed out. I’m Javen Ythen, Governor
Ythen’s son.”

The captain jerked his head and
three men went to Ekanga’s side. “He needs urgent medical
attention,” I said.

“We’ll handle it, Sri Ythen,
thank you. We need to get you civilians outside first.”

“
Come on, Sri Shardul,”
Dad said to him, putting his hand on Shardul’s shoulder. I stood on
Shardul’s other side. His jaw was clenched, as were his hands, and
his face was quite bloodless. “We’re walking out now. Captain, if
anyone out there shoots me, I shall take that
extremely
amiss.”

“You’ll be escorted, sir.” He
barked an order and two officers came to stand in front of us.
“Sorry for the confusion, sir.”

“I’m sure you were just doing
your job, captain.”

Shardul didn’t even
twitch at that, which told me how freaked out he was. I put my hand
on his shoulder like Dad had. Shardul trembled like a
newborn
kolija
. “It’s over,” I whispered.
“Safe now.”

He glanced at me, lips pressed
tight together, and nodded.

“Let’s go,” Dad said.

As we emerged blinking into the
sunlight, a deafening wave of applause and cheers greeted us. I
stopped, stunned, but Dad waved, completely relaxed about being in
front of a crowd. Then he turned to me and offered me his hand.
“I’m proud of you, Javen, and how you handled yourself today.”

“You too, Dad. Will you follow
this through?”

“Of course. You don’t always
have to blackmail me into doing the right thing.”

I flushed. “I thought I was
doing what was needed.”

“You were. Just in the wrong
way. But I want that behind us. Now, I have things to deal with
here, but then I want to go to the hospital. Sri Shardul?”

Shardul roused himself.
“Sir?”

Dad offered his hand, and
Shardul, surprised under his confused fear, took it. “Damn
impressed by you today too. I’d want someone like you on my
side.”

“Better for you than against
you, governor?”

Dad smiled. “Indeed. I wish you
luck...and success.” He left us then, striding forward to talk to
the crowd, and to the waiting reporters. No sign of Denge—his
people must have hustled him out of the glare of the media.

I tugged Shardul away from the
press pack. He was in no fit state to handle them, and I had things
to deal with too. “Are you okay?”

He nodded, but his hands were
still in fists. “I need to go with Ekanga to the hospital. He needs
legal protection.”

“Agreed, and I need to help
Yashi.”

He jerked a little. “Your
sister-in-law. I’d forgotten. I hope she’ll be all right.”

“Me too. Let’s find the auto.
You call your aunt. She’ll be out of her mind with worry.”

Ekanga had just been brought
out on a gurney and was now being loaded into the medical
transport. By the time I located my auto, and police acting under
Dad’s orders had cleared my route, the transport had just started
on its way to the hospital. No lights or alarms. Didn’t know if
that meant he’d died or his condition wasn’t urgent. I hoped the
latter.

After he made his calls,
Shardul remained silent for the rest of the journey, still emitting
shock and the aftermath of extreme fear. I made him stop at a chai
station inside the hospital and drink at least half a cup before he
went off to find out what was happening to Ekanga. “Come to me
before you leave,” I said. “I’ll be in the private wing.”

I’d have gone with him if not
for Tara, but Yashi needed me too. I now had to get my mind onto an
entirely new crisis.

I found Yashi and Mum in a
private waiting room. Yashi, eyes red and cheeks flushed, jumped up
when he saw me and grabbed me into a bear hug. I hugged back,
trying to impart some strength and calmness through touch. “She’s
in surgery now. Javen, I’m terrified.”

“It’ll be okay, Yashi. Come and
sit down.”

I smiled politely at my mother.
To my surprise, she responded much more warmly. “Everything’s all
right at the ceremony? Everyone’s...safe?”

She knew, I realised, but Yashi
didn’t. Thanking her silently for not burdening him with it, I
nodded. “Everything’s just fine. Dad’ll be along just as soon as he
tidies up a few details.”

“Good. I was just going to
arrange some chai for us all, and something to eat. Would you like
something too?”

“Thanks, Mum, I would.”

She smiled again, and brushed
my hair with her hand as she walked past, as if the bitterness of
the last year or so hadn’t ever existed.

“What did she mean, ‘safe’?”
Yashi asked but before I could answer, his thoughts returned to
Tara. “Sanity, how long will it take, do you think?”

“I don’t know. Have you called
the boys? Maybe you should.”

“I can’t. What if I have to
tell them...?” He covered his mouth with his wrist. “I can’t deal
with her dying. I can’t live without her, I can’t.”

I shook his shoulder. “No one
is going to die today.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. So stop talking
like this. You should be thinking about how you’ll handle your
daughter coming home early, with Tara recovering from surgery.”

“I can’t think...I’m a
mess.”

Yeah, no
kidding.
“It’s okay. We’ll
help.”

A few minutes later, Mum
returned with a catering assistant who served us excellent chai and
sandwiches. I made Yashi eat, and forced myself to, even though my
stomach was nearly as churned up as his had to be. The idea of Tara
not coming home, with or without her daughter, was unthinkable. It
would tear Yashi apart and who knew what it would do to the
boys.

Dad arrived twenty minutes
later, and mentioned nothing of the morning’s events. Mum must have
called him when she stepped out. He sat and drank chai and offered
manly sympathy to Yashi, while I wondered exactly what was going on
in that well-groomed head, and what he would do about Kaushik
Denge.

Tara’s doctor came in to see us
not ten minutes after Dad turned up. “She’s fine, Sri Ythen,” she
said, “and so is your daughter.”

Yashi collapsed onto a chair
with a strangled sound. Mum sat beside him to hug him. Dad and I
grinned at each other over their heads.

“Can I see them? Are they
really okay? When will they come home?”

The doctor smiled. “Soon, yes,
and soon. I’ll send someone to fetch you in a few minutes.”

Yashi wiped his eyes. “She made
it. They both made it.”

“And you’re a father again.
Congratulations, brother.”

“Yes, my boy. Well done.”

Yashi looked like he’d been hit
over the head with a rubber mallet. “Isn’t it amazing how life can
change so fast?”

“Yeah, really amazing,” I said.
Dad glanced at me, one eyebrow raised, and then towards where
Shardul hesitated in the doorway. “Oh, Shardul. Hold on a minute,
will you?”

He hovered,
uncharacteristically unsure of himself. “Is this a bad time?”

“Not at all. Yashi, I’ll be
back in a tick.” In his dazed state, I didn’t think my twin even
heard me.

I drew Shardul outside. “Tara
and the baby are fine. We just heard.”

He exhaled. “Thank the Spirit.
I’m very happy for you all.”

“And Ekanga?”

“Sedated. They’re going to
treat him intensively for the poisoning.”

“Chances?”

“They won’t tell me since I’m
not next of kin. The police are contacting his wife, and will bring
her here if they can. I said I’d arrange for accommodation if she
needs it. It’s likely she can be treated if she comes here
too.”

“Might be the best thing for
his family. I hope he makes it, though I suppose he’ll be going to
prison.”

He winced. “It’s more than
likely, but there’s no chance of him being questioned or charged
for several days. I’ve told the police I’m acting as his defence
until they hear otherwise, though I’ll have to pass it on to one of
my partners if I’m required as a witness in a prosecution. Your
father, uh, gave orders to treat him gently. I wanted to thank him
for that.”

“I can tell him. Are you all
right? You’re still shaking.”

He rubbed his arms. “I can’t
seem to warm up, or stop thinking about it. The police pointing
their guns, I mean, and making me lie on the ground. Ridiculous
when I was in no danger. ”

More than he knew. I should
have warned him but I thought Dad walking him out would have been
more than enough to abate suspicion. “The mind’s a funny thing.
Look, wait for me, will you? I won’t be long.”

Yashi had Mum and Dad to look
after him, and most important, a live wife and child. Being there
would be nice, but not necessary, and when I told him that Shardul
had had a bit of a shock and I needed to deal with him, it was Dad
who answered. “Go with him, Javen. Tara won’t want too many
visitors and your niece can meet you tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? Yashi, is there
anything you need me for?”

“No.” He roused himself and
took in what I’d said. “Is Shardul okay? What’s wrong?”

“Uh...Dad can explain. He’ll be
fine...eventually.” Dad actually gave me a sympathetic look.
Wonders would never cease.

“Then go.”

I gave Yashi a quick hug. “Give
the ladies my love, and tell Tara ‘well done’ from me. I’ll come by
tomorrow. Call me if you need me sooner.”

Outside, I took Shardul’s arm.
“Let’s find those drinks.”

He resisted my attempt to lead
him out. “Wait. I don’t want to be in public.”

“My place and a bottle?”

He bit his lip. “No. My place
and a bottle.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. As much as I’m sure of
anything right now.”

A hotel would be neutral space
but if the press saw us, there’d be speculation Shardul wasn’t up
to dealing with any more than I was. And I shouldn’t assume Shardul
wanted me to stay over. “Come on, then.”

Shardul might need alcohol for
his nerves, but he needed food, especially carbohydrates, just as
much, so when I bought two litre bottles of beer, I also picked up
some snacks and nuts. I was worried about him. I didn’t think
anything rattled the man, and because he’d been so calm about the
‘bomb’ and Ekanga, it hadn’t occurred to me that just facing
gun-bearing police officers would make him feel so fragile. But the
distress coming off him was real enough.

He told me to park around the
back to deter the press, though I’d seen no sign of anyone paying
particularly interest to either of us. Then I followed him up the
stairs to the apartment he’d never allowed me to enter before.

After seeing his office, I
wasn’t surprised that his home was neat and spare, with a few
tasteful art pieces to break up the bare walls and shelves. Most of
these apartments over the shops and offices in this area were
large, with three and four bedrooms. Most, of course, were family
homes. Shardul lived alone.

“I thought you’d have more
books.”

“Through there,” he said,
waving towards a doorway. “Let me fetch some glasses and
plates.”

In other words, don’t follow
him around. So I waited in the living room that revealed so little
of the complex man I had come to see as my closest friend outside
my family. Where were the signs of Shardul’s amazing dancing
ability? His sly and devastating sense of humour? Or the profound
faith which formed the basis of everything he did? Nothing on show
hinted at his nature. It could be the home of a businessman, a
merchant, a doctor, or a politician as easily as the fascinating,
prodigiously talented man I called friend.

He was taking a long time. I
risked going to the kitchen after all and found him staring at his
open cooler. “You okay?”

“I thought we should eat but I
can’t...there’s nothing here, Javen.”

I eased the door handle out of
his grip. “I bought food, remember? Just glasses and plates. Where
do you keep them? That cupboard?” I fetched things down, and
shepherded him back out to the living room.

There, he shook himself. “I
don’t usually eat in here.”

“Where would you like to
eat?”

“Here is fine.”

I set everything down on the
low wooden table, then pushed at his shoulder. “Sit down,
Shardul.”

He looked at me, blue eyes
despairing. “I keep hearing the click.”

“What click?”

“The click...all the guns aimed
at me, going click.” He imitated the sound of a weapon being
readied for firing. “I knew I was going to die. I can still feel
where the policeman put his gun on my head.” He touched the back of
his skull. “I couldn’t answer him. He kept shouting and shouting,
but I was paralysed. Terrified. If your father hadn’t taken
over...I’d be dead.”

I took his cold hands in mine.
He didn’t fight me. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

“I know why, but...I can’t stop
replaying it.”

“Have some beer, relax. It
stops, I promise you.”

“When?”

“Soon,” I lied. The truth was,
it differed from person to person. I had no idea about Shardul.
Hell, I wasn’t exactly an expert in this stuff. “Why don’t you sit
down?”