‘Leave him to us!’ Mardin’s guard growled to the Customs Guards. ‘We will take care of him and no blame will come upon you.’

‘Aye! We will blame it all on that bitch that left Ago for dead!’ a sailor echoed. Catcalls greeted this suggestion.

‘He is a cur…a Resht dog!’

Karna frowned. He was used to such attitudes in Hastina, but he had not expected it in Kalinga. Caste prejudices had an international appeal, it would seem.

‘No wonder we were stranded at sea for so long. Let’s gut him before we reach Kalinga.’

‘Our wheat stock all spoiled ‘cause of him!’

‘Kill him!’

‘I saw that wench go to his room! She was the Lord’s keep before,’ said one of Mardin’s guards. ‘Him and that wench are in this together. The wench got away, but we’ll get him.’

Karna froze. So, it was Kala who had fled in the lifeboat. Surely, she could not have…

‘Aye! Let’s toss him overboard with his legs tied!’

Karna instinctively dodged a half-eaten apple which arced past his neck. Fuck it. Diplomacy be damned. He head-butted the nearest man, shoved past a second, elbowed one of Mardin’s guard in the eye, then rushed towards the storage area below.

Below deck, he saw an Angan ship-boy struggling to calm a mare. The other horses were neighing and rearing in fear at the footfalls above. The Angan never saw Karna coming. He simply went down with a soft sigh when Karna hit him on the head. As the boy fell, the mare bolted. Karna grabbed the bridle of the barebacked animal. Easy...easy... He leapt onto the frightened mare and gave it free rein. The mare, eyes rolling white, thundered up the ramp onto the deck, neighing and snorting.

This is a mad idea, but I’ve done worse. An arrow flew past Karna’s ear. If the mare hesitates, I will have to end them all. He felt the blood surge through his body and it took all his will to curb the savage fire within. No. No more murder. ‘I’m right here, Lady,’ Karna whispered to the mare, running his hands over her chestnut skin. ‘Hiyah!’ The mare rushed forward. Lightning streaked the dark sky, portent of the coming storm. Karna glanced down ruefully at his new caramel jacket, even as the guards and sailors scattered to get out of the mare’s way. I just bought this, he sulked as the mare cleared the rail of the ship and leapt into the foaming sea.

I

Comedy of Errors was a callous name for a play. The audience watched the scenes with glee, without realising that their laughter came at great cost to the characters. Such profound epiphanies ran through Mati’s mind as her dinghy was carried by burgeoning waves towards Jade Harbour, the Fat Mistress hot on her tail.