"Tonight we are many." Jadar paused deliberately. "But in battle the many are nothing. In battle there is only the one. Each of you is that one." Again a pause. Then he shouted in a voice that carried to the far hills. "Is there a Believer among us tonight who would fight to the death for our victory?" A roar of assent sounded from the men. "Will you swear it? On the Holy Quran?" This time the roar shook the tent poles of the bazaar. "Is there one who would not?" Silence. Suddenly Jadar turned to the troops of Moghul lineage and switched his language to exquisite Persian. "Some here tonight swear to embrace death itself for our victory. But I know not the will of all. Is there among you a man who would give his life for us?" Again a roar of assent. "What man will swear it?" The roar seemed to envelop the camp. Without pausing, Jadar turned to the Rajput contingent, addressing them easily in their native Rajasthani. "Does any among you know how to fight?" Cheers. "Does any know how to die?" More cheers. And then the Rajputs began banging their swords on their bucklers. Jadar bellowed above the sudden dim. "I know Hindus cannot take an oath. But if you could, would it be to fight to the death for our victory?" Bedlam seized the camp. And the chant "Jadar-o-Akbar," Jadar is Great, swept through the ranks. Jadar let the chant continue for a time, and as he listened, he saw that Mumtaz and her women had appeared at the gateway of the gulal bar, as he had instructed them. All activity had ceased in the camp, and even in the far background the women had gathered in the shadows of the tents, listening intently. Then Jadar motioned for silence and continued. "Tonight we each will make a pledge. I to you. You to me. First my pledge to you." Jadar commanded his elephant to kneel, and he dismounted and walked directly to the waiting wagons containing his wine barrels. He was handed a silver-handled battle axe, and with a powerful overhand swing he shattered the first barrel. Then he signaled his waiting guard, and in moments every barrel had been axed. The center of the bazaar ran red, and the air was filled with the wine's sweet Persian perfume. Then he motioned toward the entry of the _gulal bar _and his women emerged, followed by an elephant whose _howdah_, the livery on its back, was filled with silver utensils. When the procession reached the clearing where Jadar stood, the elephant's mahout commanded it to kneel. Without a word Jadar walked directly to the _howdah_. As though meeting an enemy in ambush, he suddenly drew his long sword and swung it through the livery, leaving a wide gash in its embroidered side. A glittering array of silver and gold plate, goblets, jewelry poured onto the ground. With a single motion he sheathed the sword and again took the axe.