in the moment of his death,

I know him at last. Know

both of them, in fact.

The pieces of them

fall into a new pattern.

So strange.
So perfect.

His childhood--in Nasik,

where he was born to the
widow Ashalata Devi in the
third year of her mourning.

His context--the clash and

grind of one world against
another. Of implacable West
AGAiNST intransigent East.

What would a Brahmin’s

widow know of the world?

Sensibly, she found herself

a rock to cling to–-Colonel
Edward Yeames Cathcart of
the Deolali Cantonment.

But how the neighbours’

tongues clicked, even before
the child was born.

Vimal seems Do you

restless today, know the story of
Malabai. Sing him a Jarasandh, Vimal baba?
song, or tell him Of how king Brihadratha’s
one of the old wives gave birth to half
tales. a child each?

And the
demon Jara
glued them together
into one boy. Whole, but
monstrous and thwart.
As you say, A boy who belonged
memsaab. nowhere--

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 1 7/30/08 11:05:08 AM

 So may
demons meddle with Enough.
many an honest woman, and
though their babies may
I’ll sing
look human--
my son to sleep
myself.

As the
memsaab
wishes.

Pay her
no heed.
Why,
mother? Why
does everyone
tell me that
story?
Why does
everyone talk to
me about demons
all the time?

Was--was
my father a
demon?

Did
Malabai
say that to
you? She
said it once. And
some of the servants’
children call me
Raksha-spawn.

They spit
on the ground
after I’ve
passed.

You
shouldn’t have
to listen to talk like
that. You shouldn’t
suffer for
my--

--for stupid
superstitions.

I have
a friend in
the British Army.
I’ll ask him to
help us.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 2 7/30/08 11:05:08 AM

 Deolali Cantonment.

The lad
I talked about,
Captain Soames.
Vimal Dhatri. Throw
him in with your Knock
Bandar-log, some of the
eh? rough edges
off him.

Certainly,
Colonel Cathcart.
We’ll make sure
he feels--at
home.

Gentlemen,
meet Vimal Dhatri,
the latest addition
to our little
menagerie.

But sir,
he’s a native,
sir!

How
perspicacious
of you, Williams. I
would never have
noticed.

Sir, is he to
share a dorm Not For now,
with us? Of course there, boy. you will sit on
he is. if that You haven’t the floor.
distresses you, feel earned yourself
free to make your a chair yet.
complaints directly
to Colonel
Cathcart.
Dhatri,
you may
sit.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 3 7/30/08 11:05:09 AM

 in 1600, Queen
Elizabeth granted the
East India Company its royal
charter. But civilization in India
begins when General Clive gives
the Nawab of Bengal at Plassey I will be
a good old-fashioned testing you on
hiding. these dates.

Don’t mix
with your betters,
Jungle Boy.
We’ll teach
you your place, if
Colonel Cathcart
won’t.

Your mission is
two-fold. To bring
civilization to this
country--

--and to
maintain civilization
in yourselves,
so far from
home.

“I come
not to bring
peace, but a sword,”
Christ said.
Wake
For the up, ape!
true believer--the
pilgrim--must walk it’s
through blood and back to the
fire to reach his jungle for
goals. you.

Salter,
I see you
fidgeting at
the back.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 4 7/30/08 11:05:09 AM

 All right, my
lads. Look lively.
These heathen jungles
are full of all the
worst things you Tigers
could imagine. and cobras
aren’t the bloody
half of it.

But Sir,
Dhatri has an unfair
So to advantage. He’s as black
start the as a nigger. if he hides
wilderness games, in the shadows, he’ll
we’ll have an exercise disappear!
in camouflage
and using the
ground.
At my
signal, you will
all hide, and I’ll
come looking
for you.

Thank you,
Bingham. Yes, Dhatri
will be given a fair
handicap, of course.
He’ll be carrying
this.

And he’ll
be wearing
this.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 5 7/30/08 11:05:09 AM

 Dhatri,
don’t be a
fool!

...huff...

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 6 7/30/08 11:05:10 AM

 She smelled him the
moment she awoke.

H--Hello?
is someone
there?

The raw, sour, sensual smell

of fear and sweat and mud. She
heard the world’s-end thunder
of his heart, and her first
conscious thought was this:

I must have him.

To run from her?

Across her own jungle?

The land that FiTTED

her like a skin? That she
WRAPPED around herself
at night like a cloak?

Amusing.

Ludicrous.

Futile.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 7 7/30/08 11:05:10 AM

 Chillllld.

Hhhhhuman
child.

Full
of red juice
and brittle
bones.

Wh--where
are you?

Come out!

I’m
here, little
morsel.

Little
playmate.

Little
toy.

I’m at
your side.

And
everywhere
else.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 8 7/30/08 11:05:10 AM

 Now what
have you to say
to me--

--before
I feast on your
heart?

Are you--

--are you a
friend of my
father’s?

Dhatri!

Where are
you, boy? Show
yourself!

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 9 7/30/08 11:05:11 AM

 You You led
C--Captain can speak when us a merry
Soames! There Silence, you’re damn well
boy. dance, didn’t
was a-- spoken to. you? Disobeyed
my express Williams.
instructions. Bingham. Be
good enough to
hold the nabob
still for me.

There was
a creature!
I ran from
it, and I--
Got him,
sir.

Discipline is the This will

cornerstone of do you the
virtue, Dhatri. world of
good.

Go
to, sir. We’ll
hold him.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 10 7/30/08 11:05:11 AM

 Put him
on the bed, and
let’s get out He’ll
of this. bleed on the
Well
sheets.
that’s his
problem,
isn’t it?

No! No!
Don’t kill me!
Don’t--

Shhh!
Soft you
now, little
boy.

I had my
chance to kill you
out in the jungle,
but I stayed my
hand. The pale
ones. The ones
Tell
who beat you.
me about the
What are
others.
they?
When I
went to sleep,
there were no such
walking worms
upon the
Earth.
The--the
others?

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 11 7/30/08 11:05:11 AM

 What
do you want Do they
to know? bleed and
break , as your
kind do?

Of course!
Why? Don’t
you?

I am Jara ,
of the Rakshas.
immortal. Spawned
from the feet
of Rahu.
Before the
sea spewed up the
land, I was. And when
the land melts back
again into salt tears,
I will endure.

But--it is
colder here now
than it was. The walking
worms have bound the
land with iron, and
words of power.

Even
the air tastes
different.

What if I gave you the

power to hurt them
back? How would Fight
that be? them? N--no.
I want to fit
Golden in here. To
boys and pink-FLeshed belong.
boys are irreconcilable ,
are they not? We
will FLght them
together.

To belong?
Hah. Let me know
when that project
fails, golden
boy. For a while
at least, my offer
stands.

UNTOUCHABLE.indd 12 7/30/08 11:05:12 AM