A Division Of The Spoils (Raj Quartet 4) by Paul Scott Read Free Book Online

British bank official, his ghastly wife and his beastly simpering daughter. They’re on leave in what they call Ooty, which I gather is Anglo-Indian for Ootacamund. As you can imagine, he and I don’t get on. We don’t see eye to eye on the subject of the creation and distribution of wealth. He thinks England has just committed suicide and thinks I’m mad when I point out that it’s not a socialist government but capitalist, simply substituting labour for finance. He tells people I’m a communist. Politically he’s a bloody fool.’
    ‘Are those paintings his, sir?’
    ‘What paintings?’
    ‘Those eighteenth-century paintings in the Guler-Basohli style. Behind you.’
    Purvis didn’t look. ‘They may be part of the fixtures and fittings belonging to the bank for all I know.’
    ‘I wonder whether he realizes their value.’
    ‘Are they valuable?’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘Then obviously he doesn’t. His lady-wife locked up all the Sheffield plate before going to Ooty. Frankly, I personally wouldn’t know a work of art from a bee’s arse and I fail to see any valid reason why one bit of pigment-daubed paper or canvas should be worth thousands and another worth sod-all, unless you fix the value of such things on the comparative basis of size of canvas and amount of paint actually expended.’
    Perron stopped thinking of Purvis as a man and concentrated on the image of Purvis as an officer. Apart from inflammation of the colon, Purvis was suffering from paranoia. The man ought to be treated.
    ‘What do the doctors say about your illness, sir?’
    ‘I haven’t seen any doctors.’
    ‘Do you think that wise, sir?’
    ‘Yes, I do.’
    ‘You were taking some pills in Major Beamish’s office, sir.’
    ‘Oh, those. Our banker friend’s lady-wife recommended them when I first arrived and she saw I’d already got the trots.They’re supposed to cement you up. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. The only thing that really helps is liquor. No wonder the sahibs have always gone around half-cut. If I report to the army doctors they’ll either prescribe the same treatment or send me into dock for a check-up and I can’t afford to be in dock, Perron. Not for a day. Not for an hour.’
    ‘Why, sir? You gave me the impression that your duties here aren’t onerous.’
    ‘That’s because I’m not even supposed to
be
here. I’m supposed to be in New Delhi. We’re all supposed to be in New Delhi.’
    ‘All?’
    ‘The six of us who formed the para-military mission sent out to liaise with and advise the Indian Government, heads of services, and the Government at home, on – I quote – “all matters relevant to the anticipated increase of military forces requiring to be based in India as a consequence of a cessation of hostilities in Europe and the continuance thereof in South-East Asia, with special reference to the supply/demand factor as it will affect the existing ratio between civilian and military claims on the Indian economy.” End of quote.’
    ‘It sounds very distinguished, sir.’
    ‘Quite. I should have smelt a rat. And I should have smelt another when I saw the names of two of my fellow missionaries, including that of the head, and another when we were sent out before the war in Europe was quite over, although in the latter case I could be forgiven for noticing no alarming odour, except that of uncharacteristic forethought.’
    ‘Where are the other five members of the mission?’
    ‘Disposed, singly, by the cunning Indian Government to various parts of the country. Only the head of the mission has managed to get to Delhi. So you see, Perron, why I must stay on my feet. I must be where the head of the mission knows where to find me. I must be instantly available to join him.’
    ‘Have you heard from him recently, sir?’
    ‘No.’ Purvis again shut his eyes. ‘No.
No.
I can’t bear to let myself think it but I believe he’s ratted on us. I believe he’s comfortably esconced in some