The Cotton Spies
Page 11
CHAPTER 10
‘Major Edrich has wide experiences of remote areas beyond India’s borders and can speak Chinese I grant you,’ Routledge began opening the meeting arranged the day after the news about Sennett’s injury had been received. ‘However he has, we have, a problem, he cannot speak Russian or any of the languages spoken by the tribes in Turkestan. We agreed they are a prerequisite for this position.’
Clarke leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin then after a pause said in a slow drawl, ‘ideally, yes. But, our chap in Kashgar must first and foremost be able to speak Chinese, which Edrich can. If he could speak Russian that would be an advantage but very few of our chaps have had the chance to learn it. Sennett was exceptional because he spoke both. Edrich can learn Russian and any other required languages when he’s up there. God knows what else is there to do in such a remote place.’
‘I know Edrich,’ Routledge lounged back in his chair and his eyes glazed as he thought out loud, ‘we served together on Younghusband’s trip to Lhasa in 1905. I think he is one of those chaps who picks up languages easily - he speaks about five already – no trouble I suspect in picking up another two or three.’ There was silence for a moment then Routledge added almost as an afterthought, ‘as for making him a Lieutenant Colonel that will not cause us a problem because like Sennett he is a senior major.’
‘The political work he has been doing in Persia is exactly the type of stuff he’ll be doing in Kashgar: listening for news coming out of Russian Turkestan; collecting statistics on trade; liaising with the Chinese and generally keeping an eye on anything of interest,’ Clarke added.
‘Bit cooler in Kashgar in winter, than Persia I should think,’ said Routledge interrupting.
‘Yes, that does sound attractive until one’s in the middle of it. You know, Routledge, Shushtar must be a bit of a sinecure for a chap like Edrich.
‘I think he might want a bit of excitement, don’t you think? I’m sure all these fun and games going on in Russia will provide that,’ Routledge responded feeling jealous at the thought of action.
‘One reason he is in Shushtar is because of his health. His wounds took a lot out of him; at one stage I thought he was going to have to be retired. He also needed to be somewhere where he wasn’t going to be shot at,’ Clarke paused before he went on, ‘now we both know it is a tough journey up to Kashgar and that the life style there is harsh. We cannot afford to send someone whose health is going to fail.’
‘True. On the other hand we are sending Hutton there who is probably in a worse physical condition than Edrich. Still Hutton is, and will be, a minor figure and he could at a pinch be left at Kashgar. Hutton’s presence only saves Washbrook from having to do the entire donkey work when he’s in Turkestan.’
‘I gather that’s all he’s good for.’
Routledge grunted. Clarke was right so he changed the subject. ‘I bet Edrich has learned some Persian whilst he’s been in Shushtar.’
‘So?’ Clarke looked puzzled.
‘Being able to speak Farsi is useful because there are a lot of Persians in Turkestan, possibly as many as a hundred thousand, so if any decide to come across the border into China he’ll be able to interrogate them.’
‘I never gave Persian a thought? Yes, in that case it would be a useful language to have up one’s sleeve.’ A look of puzzlement spread over Clarke’s face. ‘Why come that way from Turkestan? Wouldn’t the Persians go south, colonel?’
‘Normally, but with this revolution it may be a longer but a safer way home to come via Kashgar. Clarke, what we need to know is whether Edrich is fit or not, and we need the information as soon as possible. Health apart is there anything else to stop us from recalling him from Persia?’
Clarke shook his head. ‘I will ask Basra about his health in a telegram that I'll send immediately. If they say he is fully recovered then we will propose him? If Basra is unable to release him or he is still unfit then we will be struggling to find someone of the right background. That is the trouble with a war,’ said Clarke sadly. He saw Routledge look at him quizzically so he added, ‘it kills every one off. What about Washbrook’s and Hutton’s availability colonel?’
‘Both are available. Washbrook will be released for his duty as from the end of next week. Let us hope that no Pathan takes a pot shot at him in the meanwhile. Hutton says he will be fit for this duty.’
Telegrams about the state of Edrich’s health were sent from Simla to the Intelligence Department of the Indian Expeditionary Force, known as Force ‘D,’ based in Basra. Basra decided that the best person to comment on Edrich’s health was the man himself.
Edrich was wading through the week’s caravan reports when he received the telegram from Basra. Edrich opened the telegram immediately because whatever it contained was bound to be more interesting than checking the number of horses and camels that had entered and left the city in the previous week’s caravans.
To Major Edrich British Consul at Shushtar
How is the current state of your health Stop Would you be fit enough to go on a long and arduous journey across high mountains Stop Reply today Stop
Colonel Leach Indian Expeditionary Force Basra Stop
Edrich read and reread the telegram. He looked at his map of Persia. They had mountains in Kurdistan and Azerbaijan was that where he could be going? He reread “a long and arduous journey across high mountains” if it was further afield it had to be - the Caucuses. Yes, he had never been there and things were happening round there with both the Germans and Turks apparently approaching it. Perhaps he was returning to the military. He thought about that for a moment and decided that he would at least know from which direction the enemy was coming from. Edrich studied the map. He could be going as an agent; maybe a bit of skulduggery would be involved. He thought for a bit. If he was going to do intelligence work then he’d be in the type of danger that he was in here. He thought on. Wait. Why me? I can’t speak any of the languages they use up there. No, it must be North Persia after all because I speak some Persian. That means he would joining General Muncerville and his Muncerforce doing God knows what. He smiled to himself at least he would be back speaking with native English speakers and even more importantly he would be in mountains which would be far cooler than Shushtar. He flexed his shoulder. It hurt a bit but not enough to stop him getting out of here.
To Colonel Leach Indian Expeditionary Force Basra
Health fine stop Am fit and raring to go on long arduous journey through mountains stop
Major Edrich Political Officer Shushtar
Edrich’s telegraphed reply went off back to Shushtar’s telegraph office and on to Basra about five minutes after he had opened the incoming telegram in his office. To celebrate, over Roy’s protests, Edrich went and had tea at the teahouse some fifty yards from the Consulate. In the tea house several merchants that he knew, and who acknowledged him, were already drinking tea or coffee ostensibly discussing trade but obviously more glad to be out of the sun. There sitting as usual with his back to wall Edrich was enjoying his cup of tea when Yusaf Bahadur came in and sat on his own. Edrich tried to catch Yusaf’s eye but the latter clearly did not want to acknowledge him. As he looked at the inn keeper the thought struck Edrich that the tea house and its environment probably had as many germs as Yusaf’s inn because the cup he was drinking from looked like it had not been cleaned since Queen Victoria had died. It was too late he decided to worry about cleanliness what with all his other worries to contend with. The owner no less, rather than the urchin who had served him first, poured his second cup out of the samovar. It was only when he went to drink from the cup that Edrich noticed a slip of paper under his saucer. Edrich did not pick up the paper immediately only as he was leaving did he slip it into a trousers pocket. Edrich exited past Yusuf who glanced at him and from his look Edrich knew that the paper had come from him.
On returning to the consulate Edrich asked Roy if in his voluminous files there was anything on Yusaf Bahadur. Roy appeared fi
fteen minutes later in Edrich’s office.
‘Major,’ Roy said brandishing the white card with writing on, ‘he was seen lurking about here you know this afternoon. It looked as if he was going to come in here according to the guard on duty. It was one of the soldiers, Mika Singh, who was with us yesterday, recognised him. Anyway Bahadur changed his mind and went in the direction that you had just gone.’
Edrich assumed Yusaf had seen him leave the Consulate and had followed him. ‘And that is all on your white card is it, Roy?’ He asked feigning innocence.
Roy laughed. ‘No major, it is not!’ He handed Edrich the card for him to read. The card informed Edrich, what he already knew, that the man, Yusaf, was an inn keeper and a Bakhtiari and that his inn had been severely damaged in the November riot. Roy had underlined the word “severely”. Edrich showed the card to Roy and pointed to the underlined word - Roy laughed.
‘Major, his use and our use of the word are very different. You saw his place. It was like that before the riot. I think it’s a tribal thing against the Lurs.’
Edrich thanked Roy and dismissed him. Once Roy had left the room Edrich read the note. “The three men you seek are not in Shushtar now but one day’s ride outside. They want to come into town with a caravan.”
Interesting Edrich thought that confirmed what the caravanners had told him. He dismissed the discrepancy in distance between the two sources - inaccuracy was one of Persia’s joys. He wondered how Yusaf had come by the information. Were the merchants staying with him? Edrich read the note again waiting for a caravan was no doubt a cover for their entry. How many caravans would allow the three to ride with them? He deduced none because they were known bandits. If the three were part of a much larger party of Lurs a caravan might be coerced to bring them. Then there was the possibility that a caravan might be led by a Lur because like all the other tribes, some had given up the nomadic way of life, but despite that tribal loyalty still governed their actions.
Edrich made himself a new list of all the things he had had to do to find the Lurs and gave it to Roy to make copies for the soldiers.