There must surely be a
token!"
She pushed the general forward down a passage, through a series of
doors, and down another passage--halted him while she fitted a
strange native key into a lock--opened another door, and pushed him
through. Then she ran back to her maid.
"Send somebody to find Sita Ram! Bid him hurry! When he comes, put
him in the small room next the cobras, and let him be shown the
cobras until fear of too much talking has grown greater in him than
the love of being heard! Then let me see him in a mirror, so that I
may know when it is time. Have cobras in a hair-noose ready, close
behind where the sahibs sit, and watch through the hangings for my
signal! Both sahibs will kneel to me. Then watch for another signal,
and let all lights be blown out instantly! Or, if the sahibs do not
kneel (though they _shall!_), then watch yet more closely for a
signal which I will give to extinguish lights.
"So--now, go! Am I beautiful? Are my eyes bright? Twist me that
jasmine in my hair--so. Now run--I will surprise them through the
hangings!"
So Yasmini surprised Kirby and his adjutant, as has been told, and
it need not be repeated how she humbled the pride of India's army on
their knees. She would have to forego the delight of being Yasmini
before she could handle any situation or plan any coup along ordinary
lines, and Kirby and his adjutant were not the first Englishmen, nor
likely to be the last, to feed her merriment.
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