Raiders from the North: Empire of the Moghul (22 page)

It seemed to Babur that she wore her pride like a weapon against him. Her detachment goaded him. Sometimes when he made love to her, he became rough in spite of himself, trying with his sheer physicality to force a reaction from her – anything. But there was nothing, and although she did not resist, he was left feeling like a ravisher, a forcer of women, instead of her lawful husband. At other times he had tried to be gentle, caressing the soft lines of her body, cupping her breasts, kissing her nipples and her small rounded belly – just as he had treated the pliant women of his adolescent dreams – but unlike them Ayisha had not responded, remaining rigidly indifferent.

When, blushing and stammering, he had asked Khanzada – who had been so eager for the companionship a royal sister-in-law
would provide and so generous with her carefully chosen presents – whether Ayisha had ever confided anything about him or his behaviour, she shook her head. She told him that immediately after the marriage she had often visited Ayisha but had found only the most formal and aloof welcome, no willingness to empathise or to unbend and share confidences – so she had ceased her unreciprocated visits. It was, Khanzada said, as if Ayisha wished she were somewhere else, and in her mind pretended she was.

Babur was still caught up in his thoughts as he and his men galloped into the jumble of mud-brick houses, wooden shacks and round hide tents that clustered beneath the walls of Shahrukiyyah. The poorly clothed inhabitants were squatting over smoking fires to cook their evening meals while their children played barefoot in the sloping alleyways, jumping over the little rivulets that carried sewage and other refuse down the hill. As they approached the stone gatehouse with its iron-bound doors, a small child – no more than two or three years old – suddenly ran out in front of Babur. His horse reared, neighing in alarm.

Pulling hard on the reins, Babur turned the chestnut so that its flailing hoofs missed the child, who was now standing wide-eyed, wailing and immobile with fear. A rider behind Babur was not so quick to react and it seemed he would ride the child down. But there was a shout and a youth dived forward, seizing the child, pulling it to the ground and shielding it with his body. The rider, cursing volubly as he fought to control his black horse, managed to jump over them but one of his horse’s rear hoofs caught the youth hard on the back of the head.

Babur dismounted and knelt by the unconscious young man whose arms were still round the child – a little girl, Babur could now see. She was whimpering, a thin trail of snot running down her upper lip. As one of his men lifted her out of the way, Babur turned the youth on to his back. He was about the same age as himself, Babur thought, with an aquiline nose, high cheekbones and a stubbly chin. He probed his head, with the expertise gleaned from many battles, and found beneath the dark hair a place that was spongy and sticky with blood. The youth, whose breathing
was shallow, seemed deeply unconscious. He had taken a hard blow, risking his life for the little girl. It would be a shame if he didn’t live to know he’d saved her.

‘Bring him up to the castle. Let’s see what our
hakims
can do for him.’ Babur remounted and, feeling even more sombre than before, continued towards the castle gates.

That night, Babur knew he should go to Ayisha. It would please his grandmother and his mother and perhaps, once she was pregnant, Ayisha herself might find some contentment. More importantly, the prospect of a grandchild might prompt Ibrahim Saru to honour his promise of crossbowmen to help Babur retake his birthplace, Akhsi. It was full spring now and high time for Babur to be moving against his half-brother Jahangir. Instead, each time he sent a messenger to Zaamin asking for news of when the crossbowmen would arrive, the reply was the same: soon they would come, soon . . .

After he had bathed, Babur set out dutifully for his wife’s quarters, but when he saw the green, leather-lined double doors ahead, he stopped. No. As he had shouted at Esan Dawlat, he wasn’t a stud beast required to perform to order. He was a man who knew his own mind and would do as he pleased. Turning on his heel, he walked quickly away.

At least Babur’s pessimism about the youth proved misplaced. Six hours later, a servant brought word that he had recovered consciousness. That should have been the end of it. But for some reason Babur was curious to know more and, on the second day after the accident, ordered the youth, if he was well enough, to be carried to him on a litter.

The young man was very pale but saluted Babur from his prone position, touching his hand to his chest and inclining his head – a gesture that clearly hurt because he winced.

‘You were brave to save the child like that. I’m glad God has
been compassionate to you, preserving your own life. What is your name?’

‘Baburi, Majesty.’

Babur looked down at him in frank surprise. Baburi was an unusual name, but also so similar to his own. ‘Where are you from? What is your tribe?’

‘My father was a warrior of the Barin people and served your father, but he died when I was a baby. I have no memory of him. My mother took me to Samarkand but she died of smallpox when I was seven. I’ve fended for myself ever since.’

‘What are you? A soldier?’

‘No, Majesty.’ Baburi raised his eyes to Babur’s. They were a dark blue, almost indigo. ‘Till recently I was a market boy. I hawked cabbages on the streets of Samarkand.’

‘How did you come to be in Shahrukiyyah?’

‘When you captured Samarkand, Majesty, I got a job as a water-carrier with one of your chiefs. He has since gone home to Ferghana but I decided to stay.’ Baburi spoke directly, with a simple dignity.

‘But I have not seen you before?’

‘That isn’t surprising. I work in the kitchens now, skinning animals and pulling the guts out of chickens. It isn’t glorious but it’s a job.’ A half-smile curled his lips. ‘It could be worse.’

He’s laughing at me, Babur thought, astonished. I amuse him. ‘I’m sure it could be worse – sometimes we must accept what fate doles out, even disembowelling chickens. But now perhaps fate has something different in store. Your bravery suggests you could be a soldier.’

‘I’d like that . . . After all, I’ve proved I’ve got a good thick skull to take a blow . . . And it would be preferable to the kitchens – even if occasionally I have to spill human guts or even lose some of my own.’ Still the youth smiled.

‘Very well. As soon as you are recovered, you shall join my cavalry.’

Babur had expected rapturous gratitude but the youth’s smile disappeared. His expression changed to one of discomfort and his pale face flushed. ‘What is the matter?’

‘I can scarcely ride, Majesty.’

Babur bit his lip at his own stupidity. In a society of nomads where only the poorest were ignorant of horses, it was a shaming thing to have to confess. How could a poor market boy have learned to be a good enough horseman to join the cavalry?

Anxious to spare Baburi further embarrassment, he said quickly, ‘You have already shown you have no fear of horses. Tell the master-of-horse to arrange your training as a cavalryman as soon as you’re fit.’

‘So, we are agreed. If no Mangligh crossbowmen have come from Zaamin by the time of the new moon after next, we will march on Akhsi anyway.’ Babur gazed at his counsellors, seated cross-legged in a half-circle round him.

There was still no news of the Mangligh reinforcements and Babur had had enough. The lands he had seized were still securely in his hands, the forts he had taken well garrisoned under chieftains he could trust, but he could not afford to wait much longer. He must regain Akhsi and quickly. Then he could truly call himself Ferghana’s king and plan for a greater future.

‘In the meantime, Majesty, we must continue to drill our troops. We have enough siege engines and enough catapults but many of the men are still undisciplined. Under fire they may forget what we have tried to hammer into their heads. And we must also build up our supplies. Though we do not want a long siege, it may come to it,’ said Wazir Khan.

‘You’re right. And when we march out, we must send raiding parties ahead to seize flocks before they are taken to feed the garrison of Akhsi. Baisanghar, I look to you to have men ready for such a task – men we can trust. There is to be no killing or looting of my people. We will pay for what we take. I am a king returning to his own, not an Uzbek bandit out on a raid.’

Babur rose, pleased that he had taken control and that the waiting would soon be over. Feeling restless, he hurried out into the courtyard and ordered his favourite horse to be saddled. Taken by surprise, the grooms rushed to obey while his bodyguards, shouting for their
own mounts, added to the confusion. They were getting sloppy and lax. He noticed the broad-shouldered, slim-waisted figure of Baburi, broom in his hands, coming from the stables and summoned him with a wave.

‘Majesty?’ Today Baburi seemed unwilling to look Babur in the eye.

‘How is your riding?’

Silence.

‘I gave orders that you were to train for the cavalry.’

Still silence.

‘And I am not used to being disobeyed.’ Babur was perplexed. The youth had seemed so eager yet he had done nothing. He had wanted to help Baburi and had thought he detected a spark in him, but he must have been wrong. Baburi was as dull as the cabbages he had once peddled. Disappointed, Babur turned away. As he did so he noticed a bruise on the side of Baburi’s high-cheekboned face. ‘Wait. What is that mark?’

‘Your master-of-horse hit me.’

‘Why?’

Now, at last, Baburi looked at him. ‘Because I said that I wanted to ride, to be a cavalryman. He said I was fit only for shovelling horse shit.’

‘Did you mention that it was my personal wish?’

‘Perhaps not in so many words. I thought he would have heard. And he gave me no chance to explain before he hit me. Afterwards, it was all I could do to restrain myself from thumping him. It didn’t seem the time for explanations . . . or for pleading. If you were serious, I knew it would get sorted out sometime. If not, the stables were better than the kitchen.’

Babur turned to one of his guards. ‘Fetch Ali Gosht.’

A few moments later, the man was kneeling before him. He was of the Saghrichi tribe, descended, like Babur himself, from Genghis Khan, and famous for his skill with horses. It was said he could break a stallion in two days. Ali Gosht was loyal and conscientious, if quick-tempered and conscious of the dignity of his hard-won position. Babur suspected Baburi had not chosen the time or manner of his approach with particular care. No doubt Ali Gosht had
assumed that Baburi was being presumptuous – a trait for which the Barin clan had no mean reputation. It was his own fault, Babur thought, for not making his orders clear.

‘I intend this man to be a member of my cavalry. We will start his training now. Fetch a horse from the royal stables.’

‘Yes, Majesty.’

Twenty minutes later Babur, with Baburi clinging to his mount – a quiet mare – rode out of Shahrukiyyah, the usual escort of guards close behind. It was a warm afternoon and bees hummed in the patches of thick white clover that covered the meadows and sweetened the air. Babur reined in and turned in his saddle to watch Baburi’s progress. He was sitting a little straighter now, no longer clutching the horse’s mane. ‘Grip with your knees. Keep your ankles in, your heels down and your feet in the stirrups.’