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Jererew interested when the car teoats pass, outside a sweet stall Wooden bowls full of sticky pink and white sweets drew the attentions of a horde of black flies, at which the perspiring stallholder slapped with a paper fan Across the street stood a cookshop from which the odour of spicy curry floated Outside stood a boy nota woven basket of palm leaves; stuffed with cardamom-scented rice and minced mutton, Rahaib informed them A smile briefly lit his countenance as he added, 'Most delicious, my lady'
'Can I buy soerly
Marie sether certain of the safety of eating food from the market The flies which pervaded the place worried her None of the food seemed to be covered from the sun; even the meat lay uncovered, descended upon by black tides of flies
They moved on jerkily, the driver apparently unflurried or annoyed by the constant stops necessitated by the throngs of people who poured past his bonnet Soon Jere toys; little wooden birds which pecked at painted corn on a bright green board when you pulled the string below, elephants of bright blue which had nodding heads, peacocks with vivid bejewelled tails that opened and closed like fans, little woodenstretched between two poles, windmills of painted paper which whirled round and round when you blew them
'When can we coerly
'We'll ask your mother,' she promised
'Soon? Tomorrow?'
'Perhaps,' she said, not liking to coht about the reed to take Jeremy there
Rahaib said quietly, 'I will escort you and the child to the market whenever you wish, Miss Brinton'
She looked at hiratefully 'Thank you, Rahaib That's very kind of you'
He shook his head 'The King's highness has told me to see that you and the child come to no harm, While you are in Jedhpur I am your servant, miss'
'Oh I see' She was taken aback, wondering how she was going to cope with his constant presence day after day
He sravely amused 'When you need alow, my lady'
She flushed, seeing that he had read her y
He inclined his head 'It is my pleasure,' he said formally 'There are certain persons in Jedhpur who do not approve of the King's royal desire to ht make trouble for you if you went out alone That is why the King's highness has asked uard you'