Asoka's Alibi By TALBOT MUNDY _Author of "Ho for London Town!" "When Trails Were New," etc._ _Asoka was a mighty elephant, and none could manage him save Quorn--sometimes; nor was carnival season, in that mad, seething India border state, the best of those times._ [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Argosy All-Story Weekly March 9, 16, 23 1929] CONTENTS I. THE MASTER OF ELEPHANTS. II. INTRIGUE IN THE RANEE'S PALACE. III. THE ART OF THUGGEE. IV. THE BABU AND THE BRAHMIN. V. LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT. VI. AT THE FEET OF SIVA. VII. ASOKA IN HIDING. VIII. A TRAP FOR ASOKA. IX. THE LOST RANEE. CHAPTER I. THE MASTER OF ELEPHANTS. "Reckon maybe I'm nutty," said Quorn to himself. "Hell, supposing I am! So is Narada. Elephants is the only sane folk hereabouts." To comfort himself he looked up at Asoka, the tallest elephant in captivity, whom only he could manage at the best of times. At other times Quorn had to ride him as a fury rides a typhoon. "You, you big stiff, if it weren't for you I'd pull my freight for Philadelphia and drive a taxicab again. If I might take you along I'd join a circus. This here circus gives me the willies." He was referring to all Narada, not merely the elephant lines. Narada is close enough to Rajputana to be soaked with a sense of worn-out history. Treaties and its mountains have kept railroads at a distance, and the news comes dim, diluted, and distressing, by mail and word of mouth, so that people are only aware that the world is changing, without knowing why, or how, or what the changes mean. They feel backward, and resent it, but they keep up the ancient customs for lack of intelligible new ones. Accordingly, for eleven months of every year Narada is piously miserable; during the twelfth month it is impiously mad and happy--more or less--always with a feeling that happiness has to be paid for, and, though the gods are kindly, there are as many vengeful and resentful devils as there are gods. The carnival falls at the craziest season--April, when the heat is almost intolerable and nobody has too much money, having paid the taxes and the money-lenders' interest, so there is a fine feeling of equality, with common enemies to execrate.