"I would say it also depends on whether he's successful." "So it would. But he would need more information on English trading intentions than you have divulged so far." "That will come in time, when I know more about the 'agent.'" "Naturally." Nadir Sharif cleared his throat. "But enough of affairs. Permit me to toast your arrival. When your request for a safe-conduct pass arrived from Surat, we all wondered if a _feringhi _new to India could successfully travel our bandit-infested roads, even with the Moghul's pass." He took a delicate sip of the beverage. "I trust your journey was without mishap." "For the most part." "A diplomatic answer. But you seem to have survived all parts well enough. Did you take the Burhanpur road?" "I did." "Ah, then perhaps you passed Prince Jadar. I understand he was there recently." Nadir Sharif smiled disarmingly. "I always welcome news of him. You may know he's married to my first daughter, Mumtaz. I hear she just presented him with his first son." "He was in Burhanpur when I arrived. But I was only there for three days." "Not a very interesting city, I'm told. But they say the Deccan itself is quite beautiful in harvest. I envy you your trip. I, alas, rarely can escape Agra, except when His Majesty goes to Kashmir in the heat of summer." Nadir Sharif signaled the eunuch to refill Hawksworth's cup. The _sarangi _player had been joined by a drummer, who took up a slow, even rhythm. "Did I understand you to say you met the prince while you were there?" Hawksworth hesitated and studied Nadir Sharif, not remembering he had mentioned meeting Jadar. "Actually I did see him briefly once. He was in the fortress, where I stayed." "Ah yes, the fortress. That was wise of you, considering the situation now. I'm pleased he invited you to join him." "As it happened, I traveled from Surat with men from his guard. Their destination was the fortress." "His guards? Then you were most fortunate indeed." Nadir Sharif seemed to listen absently to the melody for a moment. "I'm always a bit stupid about military campaigns. What would men from his guards be doing in Surat?" Hawksworth heard an inner alarm suddenly sound. "I think they were there to accompany a convoy." "A convoy? From Surat? Odd. But then I rarely understand these things. What was it bringing?" Nadir Sharif chuckled congenially. "Barrels of Persian wine for the prince, I would venture to guess?" "I understand it was lead for shot." Nadir Sharif gave Hawksworth a quick, troubled glance. "I see. Yes, lead would require a guard. But Prince Jadar's Rajputs virtually scorn to use muskets, so I assume it was rather a small number of carts." Hawksworth straightened his doublet, shifting the location of Vasant Rao's katar. "I don't recall the precise number." "Naturally. I'm confused by numbers myself. Probably something like twenty, I suppose. Certainly, I would presume, no more than fifty?" "I didn't count the exact number."