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Vimal seems restless today,

Malabai. Sing him a song, or tell him one of the old

tales.

Do you know the story of

Jarasandh, Vimal baba? Of how king Brihadratha’s wives gave birth to half

a child each?

And the demon Jara

glued them together into one boy. Whole, but monstrous and thwart.

A boy who belongednowhere--

As you say, memsaab.

in the moment of his death, I know him at last. Know

both of them, in fact.

His childhood--in Nasik, where he was born to the widow Ashalata Devi in the

third year of her mourning.

His context--the clash and grind of one world against another. Of implacable West AGAiNST intransigent East.

Sensibly, she found herself a rock to cling to–-ColonelEdward Yeames Cathcart of

the Deolali Cantonment.

But how the neighbours’ tongues clicked, even before

the child was born.

What would a Brahmin’s widow know of the world?

So strange. So perfect.

The pieces of them fall into a new pattern.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 1 7/30/08 11:05:08 AM

So may demons meddle with

many an honest woman, and though their babies may

look human--

Pay her no heed.

Why, mother? Why

does everyone tell me that

story?Why does

everyone talk to me about demons

all the time?

Did Malabai

say that to you? She

said it once. Andsome of the servants’

children call me Raksha-spawn.

They spit on the ground

after I’ve passed.

You shouldn’t have

to listen to talk like that. You shouldn’t

suffer for my--

I have a friend in

the British Army. I’ll ask him to

help us.

--for stupidsuperstitions.

Was--was my father a

demon?

I’ll sing my son to sleep

myself.

As the memsaab wishes.

Enough.


Deolali Cantonment.

For now, you will sit on

the floor.

Not there, boy.

You haven’t earned yourself

a chair yet.

Sir, is he to share a dorm

with us? Of course he is. if that

distresses you, feel free to make your complaints directly

to Colonel Cathcart.

The lad I talked about, Captain Soames.

Vimal Dhatri. Throw him in with your Bandar-log,

eh?

Gentlemen, meet Vimal Dhatri, the latest addition

to our little menagerie.

How perspicacious

of you, Williams. I would never have

noticed.

But sir, he’s a native,

sir!

Knock some of the rough edges

off him.

Certainly, Colonel Cathcart. We’ll make sure

he feels--at home.

Dhatri, you may

sit.


in 1600, Queen Elizabeth granted the

East India Company its royal charter. But civilization in India begins when General Clive gives the Nawab of Bengal at Plassey

a good old-fashioned hiding.

Don’t mix with your betters,

Jungle Boy.

We’ll teach you your place, if Colonel Cathcart

won’t.

Your mission is two-fold. To bring civilization to this

country--

--and to maintain civilization

in yourselves, so far from

home.

“I come not to bring

peace, but a sword,” Christ said.

For the true believer--the pilgrim--must walk through blood and fire to reach his

goals.

it’s back to the jungle for

you.

Salter, I see you

fidgeting at the back.

Wake up, ape!

I will be testing you on these dates.


All right, my lads. Look lively.

These heathen jungles are full of all the worst things you

could imagine.

So to start the

wilderness games, we’ll have an exercise

in camouflage and using the

ground.

But Sir, Dhatri has an unfair

advantage. He’s as black as a nigger. if he hides in the shadows, he’ll

disappear!

Thank you, Bingham. Yes, Dhatri will be given a fair

handicap, of course. He’ll be carrying

this.

And he’ll be wearing

this.

At my signal, you will all hide, and I’ll come looking

for you.

Tigers and cobras

aren’t the bloodyhalf of it.


Dhatri, don’t be a

fool!

...huff...


She smelled him themoment she awoke.

I must have him.

The raw, sour, sensual smell of fear and sweat and mud. She heard the world’s-end thunder

of his heart, and her first conscious thought was this:

To run from her? Across her own jungle?

The land that FiTTED her like a skin? That she WRAPPED around herselfat night like a cloak?

Amusing.

Futile.

Ludicrous.

H--Hello? is someone

there?


Chillllld.

Hhhhhuman child.

Full of red juice and brittle

bones.

I ’m here, little

morsel.

Little playmate.

I’m at your side.

And everywhere

else.

Littletoy.

Wh--where are you?

Come out!


Now what have you to say

to me--

--before I feast on your

heart?

Are you--

--are you a friend of my father’s?

Dhatri!

Where are you, boy? Show

yourself!


C--Captain Soames! There

was a--

You can speak when

you’re damn well spoken to.

You ledus a merry

dance, didn’t you? Disobeyed

my express instructions.

There was a creature! I ran from it, and I--

Discipline is the cornerstone of virtue, Dhatri.

This will do you the world of

good.

Go to, sir. We’ll

hold him.

Got him, sir.

Williams. Bingham. Be

good enough to hold the nabob

still for me.

Silence, boy.


Put him on the bed, and let’s get out

of this.Well

that’s his problem,isn’t it?

No! No! Don’t kill me!

Don’t--

The--theothers?

He’ll bleed on the

sheets.

Shhh!Soft you

now, little boy.

I had my chance to kill you out in the jungle, but I stayed my

hand. The pale ones. The ones who beat you.

What are they?

When I went to sleep,

there were no such walking worms

upon the Earth.

Tell me about the

others.


What do you want to know?

Fight them? N--no. I want to fit in here. To

belong.

Of course! Why? Don’t

you?

Do they bleed and

break , as yourkind do?

I am Jara , of the Rakshas.

immortal. Spawned from the feet

of Rahu.

Before the sea spewed up the

land, I was. And when the land melts back

again into salt tears, I will endure.

But--it is colder here now

than it was. The walking worms have bound the land with iron, and

words of power.

To belong? Hah. Let me know when that project

fails, golden boy. For a while

at least, my offer stands.

What if I gave you the power to hurt them back? How would

that be?

Goldenboys and pink-FLeshed

boys are irreconcilable , are they not? We will FLght them

together.

Even the air tastes

different.


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