"Very well," said Firuz Ihbal. "I will make you no promises then."
"Very good," Sanat Ji Mani said, not entirely sincerely. "You may select a place for me to work without fear that I will do anything to harm you or your men."
Firuz Ihbal looked about curiously. "I do not think we will lose many men. The men of Timur-i are fierce, but they are not as many as we are." He pulled at his moustaches. "You are aware, are you not, that this is a battle that we must win, for the Sultan."
"A pity that he is not here," said Sanat Ji Mani. "The people would not be leaving in such great numbers if the Sultan had remained here."
"It must seem so to a foreigner. You are planning to leave, are you not?" Firuz Ihbal spoke sharply, not quite accusing Sanat Ji Mani.
"You have my petition," said Sanat Ji Mani. "You were considering what tax I would have to pay to leave sooner than I requested."
"The tax will be forgiven you, foreigner, when you have done your service here." Firuz Ihbal spat copiously. "There is grit in the wind."
"Yes. And there will be more than grit, bye and bye," said Sanat Ji Mani, more to himself than to anyone else.
"You will do the Sultan this service," Firuz Ihbal commanded, and pointed toward Kanwar Gotanipi. "See that he is given the facilities we spoke of. And find that worm Josha Dar: I have work for him."
Kanwar Gotanipi took a step back, his face gone blank with fear. "Josha Dar left this morning, Exalted Lord," he said. "He told me he was acting under your orders."
Firuz Ihbal glowered at Kanwar Gotanipi. "And you believed him— Josha Dar?"
Sanat Ji Mani looked from one man to the other, trying to read the extent of the shock each had sustained; he could see that the two men were disturbed by this news but for different reasons.
"He has done many things for you, Exalted Lord," said Kanwar Gotanipi.
"He has been useful," Firuz Ihbal conceded, his manner less imposing. "You have committed a minor fault. You have nothing to fear from me."
"I will not fear you, Exalted Lord," Kanwar Gotanipi said staunchly, but with hands clenched at his side.
"The Sultan will praise your service when this is done," Firuz Ihbal added in a tone suffused with weariness. "You will not be held accountable for what that spy has done."
Kanwar Gotanipi put his hands together and bowed. "The Exalted Lord is gracious," he said. "I will attend to this foreigner at once."
"Very good," said Firuz Ihbal, waving them both away. "Send Iksander Mawan to me. I have work for him."
"I will," said Kanwar Gotanipi as he nodded Sanat Ji Mani in the direction of the stairs. "You will descend ahead of me. You cannot run."
"I had not intended to try," said Sanat Ji Mani, entering the tower and making his way to the steps. "I suppose you have much to do, readying for Timur-i."
"All Delhi does," said Kanwar Gotanipi. "You are only one of many who must be prepared for what is coming."
"I saw the army marshaling," Sanat Ji Mani remarked as he started down the stairs. "It is going to be a hard-fought engagement."
"As to that, I believe the Sultan's men have found a way to preserve the city, to keep the walls from being breached. It is a plan most carefully conceived. We have spent many hours in deep thought and long discussion, and I am sure the Sultan will have reason to rejoice." Kanwar Gotanipi kept Sanat Ji Mani moving as he spoke, using the handle of his short whip to urge the foreigner along.
"If that is the case, it is a shame that the Sultan will not be here to see it," Sanat Ji Mani said, his irony lost on Kanwar Gotanipi.
"We will meet them outside the walls, with all our archers and elephants and mounted men. Our numbers alone will drive them back, for although they are strong fighters, they are not as numerous or as well-armed as we. They will see this, and it will give them reason to consider, for they will know they will lose many men, coming against us. That is when we will sue for a reasonable peace, while we may preserve our city and our fortunes from all Timur-i's forces might do." Kanwar Gotanipi could not conceal his pride in this scheme. "They may try to fight, but in the end, they will have to flee before our greater power."
Sanat Ji Mani strove to conceal his dismay. "Why not fight from behind the walls, letting them protect you? Surely you know that Timur-i's greatest strength is in the open, where his mounted men can maneuver?" He asked calmly enough but it was an effort to maintain his composure.
"Because Timur-i will not be discouraged except in the open. He has always attacked fortifications, and is not frightened by them. But he can be met by superior force in the open. He will try to drive our forces back inside the walls. We will not permit him to do that. We know how he uses his men, and what we must do to prevent his assault on our walls. If Delhi were not so well-armed and had such a huge army, your fears would be well-founded, but it is not right that so powerful an army as ours remain hidden behind the walls when a single act would show Timur-i that assault is futile. We have one hundred twenty war elephants as well as ten thousand cavalry and twenty thousand infantry and more than ten thousand archers on the walls— at least four times the men Timur-i is said to have. Our leaders know this from all the reports they have had." Kanwar Gotanipi made a
victory salute. "It would be better if the Sultan were here, yet we will prevail. It is essential that we prevail."
"Certainly," said Sanat Ji Mani. They were at the base of the tower and he did not know where to go next so he waited for Kanwar Gotanipi to come to him. "The wounded I am to treat— how are they to get to me? If you want me outside the walls, I might be overwhelmed by the battle and be of use to no one. If you keep me inside the walls, with your soldiers outside, how am I to treat them?"
"We have slaves to carry them to you," said Kanwar Gotanipi as if it were an obvious solution. "You will be inside the wall. Look across the marshaling yard and you will see an embrasure in the wall?" He pointed. "You will have tents put up for your use, and slaves assigned to assist you."
Certain that he was facing disaster, Sanat Ji Mani said, "I would prefer the help of old soldiers, not slaves. The work you want is bloody, and many slaves cannot accept the blood— old soldiers can. They know battle and will not shrink at what they see."
Kanwar Gotanipi considered this request. "You may have hit upon something important," he allowed. "I will speak to Firuz Ihbal on your behalf, and perhaps he will agree with you."
"If you like, I will address him myself," said Sanat Ji Mani, thinking a bribe might secure the support he sought more quickly than a simple request.
"No. You must make your tents ready. They must be prepared before the army marches out of the gates. I will attend to it later; I will tell you what Firuz Ihbal has decided." Kanwar Gotanipi motioned Sanat Ji Mani to follow him, and began to make his way across the confusion on the marshaling ground.
Sanat Ji Mani threaded his way behind Kanwar Gotanipi, his eyes shaded as the mid-day heat ate at him, presaging the catastrophe he was convinced would come.
* * *
Text of a declaration posted and announced everywhere in Delhi by the deputies of the Sultan.
* * *
To the people of Delhi, this is the law in this time of occupation, for it has pleased Allah to give the victory over us to Timur-i Lenkh and
his men; Timur-i Lenkh, who is a faithful follower of the Prophet, has set his hand upon the sacred
Qran
and sworn that there will be no more killing here so long as his orders are obeyed in every particular, without question or resistance, and that should the people of Delhi traduce the vows of the Sultan's ministers and deputies, the soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh will at once begin both sacking and pillaging of Delhi: we enjoin you all to adhere to these conditions and to uphold the honor of the Sultan in sparing this city from the ruin Timur-i Lenkh has wrought elsewhere:
All soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh are to be given access to every house and other buildings within the city without let or hindrance. They are to be allowed to seize anything that they wish, and no one is to deny them anything they may demand. Failure to comply with this order will result in everyone within the city not of immediate use to Timur-i Lenkh being put to the sword and the city destroyed.
All soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh are to be fed and clothed to the limit of the household, without question and without any let or hindrance. Failure to comply with this order will result in the total destruction of the household refusing food and clothing to the soldiers.
All soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh are to be allowed such access as they may wish to women and boys, and no complaint is to be made at any choice they may make, either by the head of the household or by the women or boys in question. Failure to provide that access will result in the immediate killing of all the household where the soldiers have been denied such access.
All soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh are to be provided slaves to aid them in their plundering, to act as bearers and to serve the soldiers in any way they see fit. All households are to make their slaves available to the soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh. No slaves are to be held back or denied the soldiers, who are to be given full and total rights to all slaves within Delhi, of any nature whatsoever. Failure to comply with this order will result in the destruction of the household refusing its slaves to the soldiers.
All soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh are to be allowed to enter any and all temples of Delhi and remove any and all objects that they may choose to remove. No one is to protest their selections, nor are any priests to attempt to keep them from entering the temples. Failure to
comply with this order will result in the slaughter of the people and the destruction of the city of Delhi.
All persons of Delhi harboring the sick, the mad, the ancient, or the deformed must bring those persons to the magistrates and present them to the judgment of the officers of Timur-i Lenkh. No persons are to be held back for any reason, nor are the infirm to be exempted from this order. Failure to bring such persons will result in the slaughter of the entire household where the person was harbored.
All persons of Delhi shall prepare a record of all household members to present to the magistrates for their review and evaluation. All women living in Delhi are to be listed separately from their husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, and other male relatives. Those women lacking suitable husbands shall be given to those soldiers of Timur-i Lenkh who seek wives, the rest are to be subject to the will of Timur-i Lenkh, and his disposal is to be regarded as being one with the Will of Allah.
All persons of Delhi possessing horses, asses, donkeys, or camels, are to bring them, their tack, and suitable food for the animals, to the magistrates for the consideration of the captains of Timur-i Lenkh. Failure to bring such animals, tack, and suitable food, as stipulated here will result in the slaughter of the entire household withholding such animals.
All persons of Delhi employed in defending the city will present themselves to the magistrates for the review of Timur-i Lenkh's officers. Failure to comply with this order will result in the slaughter of all the household and relatives' households of such persons.
All persons of Delhi engaged in supporting the defense of Delhi will present themselves to the magistrates, along with any instruments, weapons, tools, supplies, shelter, foodstuffs, clothing, or other materials used in such support, prepared to give a full account of their activities to the officers of Timur-i Lenkh, along with a full and accurate report on how such instruments, weapons, tools, supplies, shelter, foodstuffs, clothing, or other materials were actually employed in the defense of the city. Failure to comply with this order in every particular will result in the slaughter of all those engaged in supporting the defense of Delhi, along with their households.
All persons of Delhi with oxen and buffalo are to bring their animals, suitably yoked, to the plain before the Western Gate of Delhi,
for the purpose of piling up the carcasses of men and animals. Failure to appear with the oxen by mid-day tomorrow will result in the slaughter of the persons and their oxen and buffalo, and the destruction of their households.
For the honor of the Sultan and the Will of Allah, let everyone in Delhi comply with these orders and do all that he can to preserve our city. This is the Word of the Sultan, on whose behalf it is signed by
Firuz Ihbal bin Tughluq,
Acting Minister of Taxes, Rents, and Revenues
Balban Ihbal bin Tughluq,
Acting Leader of the Army of Delhi
for Sultan Nasiruddin Mohammed bin Tughluq
11
By the third day of Timur-i's occupation of Delhi, the air was sodden with the stench of rotting flesh: from the dead elephants, horses, and men beyond the city gates to the growing heaps of severed limbs and mangled torsos within, the city had become an abattoir, its streets slick with blood, and the sounds of shrieks and moans as constant as the sighing, stinking wind. The inhabitants all wore the dazed expression of the conquered while the soldiers of Timur-i bullied their way through the streets, making the most of their subjugation of the place.
