Of Seas Red and Arabian
The following account is reconstructed from several hands, and concerns the passage of the SS Verona through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, the stop at Aden, and the arrival at Bombay.
After a debriefing in Lord Arbuthnott's cabin concerning the most recent visitation of the Beast, the party returned to their own cabins, Captain Leighton and Amin via the Smoking Room. There the Captain unloaded a large part of his mind on the patient Egyptian: his love and intentions for Miss Cunningham; his fears about his loss of memory and what he might discover of them in India; the dark, disturbing dreams he had while he was in possession of the statuette. Several brandies and a cigar later, the soldiers returned to their cabin — "she will bring you good son," Amin reassured Leighton — presumably referring to Miss Cunningham.
In the early hours of the morning, Amin was woken by the Captain dressing and walking out on deck. Amin decided it was sensible to discreetly follow him. At the stern the Captain appeared to freeze in horror at the sight of a man looking out to sea. When Amin approached the Captain, he pointed to the figure, convinced he was his dear departed friend Murdo — the 10th Lord Arbuthnott. The figure at the rails began to climb them, looking to all intents and purposes as if he was going to fling himself overboard. Amin ran to the man, realising as he did so that this was the shattered cabin steward he had carried up from the engine room the previous night. After a brief scuffle Amin and the Captain managed to prevent him from ending his life, and Amin decided it was most sensible to take the steward to his Lordship for advice on what to do with him. The Captain agreed, still convinced that Amin and himself had just saved Murdo's life.
There was a rather uncomfortable exchange after his Lordship was woken, the Captain eventually coming to his senses, ending with Spencer and Amin escorting the unfortunate cabin steward back to where he belonged.
The Passage East
Life on the boat began to return to some normality. During passage through the Suez Canal and beyond to the Red Sea the temperature steadily rose, the Beast did not return, and Professor Clarke delivered another insufferable lecture — believed to be on Hannibal's Crossing of the Alps — although no one could rightly remember. The lecture was initially very well supported once news that the dashing but enigmatic 11th Lord Arbuthnott would be in attendance. The audience included Captain Otis Mason and other senior officers of the ship; the legendary explorer and RGS Gold Medal winner Captain Leighton; the hero Police-Sergeant Archibald Tomlinson, and the famous actress Birdie Robinson, who readers will remember for her recent depiction of Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer at the Haymarket. Alas, the Professor could have used some of Miss Robinson's renowned theatricality. Perhaps understandably the officers had to leave early to attend to their duties, but it was hard to ignore the visible yawns, audible groans, and hasty exits of significant portions of the remaining audience.
The SS Verona eventually arrived at Aden in the stifling heat for a coal stop, allowing time for some of the party to disembark. The Professor, helped by Amin, engaging whole-heartedly with a Bedouin camel-train in the market square to acquire objects for his planned costumes for the evening's fancy-dress ball. Birdie, Tomlinson, Edith and other ladies of note also joined in the fun, encouraged by the Professor and once again helped by the indispensable Amin. The Professor noted a missed business opportunity in the absence of a costume shop in Aden.
There were a number of sensations at the ball, not least of which was the Professor's Hannibal costume, with Samson making a charming little elephant — but Birdie upstaged everyone with a startling costume. Dressed as an Egyptian dancing girl she shocked very many of the less Bohemian of the guests. Eyebrows were once again raised when the elderly Professor gyrated lewdly with Birdie, stiffening the upper lips of many of the more eligible gallants on board the ship.
Whilst crossing the Arabian Sea the Professor took the opportunity to deliver another lecture — this time on the Battle of Trasimene, which was, perhaps unsurprisingly, very poorly attended. Not even the Professor's most devout student, Sergeant Tomlinson, could make himself available, although the Professor assured him he would be happy to present the lecture within their cabin.
Arrival at Bombay
At last the great ship approached Bombay and was moored to Ballard Pier. After the party reclaimed their trunks and passed through the Custom Shed they had to run the gauntlet of the quayside — hanging on to their baggage and travelling onwards. While Captain Leighton was an old hand at this, he was somewhat disturbed that his valet, Akshan, was not on the pier to meet them as he had wired ahead for him to do so. Luckily Major Eldred Reece-Jones, a colleague of the Captain's in the Political Department, was there with a couple of tongas to transport them to the Esplanade Hotel. The Major informed the Captain that the Chief wanted to see him at the Bombay Club as soon as was convenient.
While travelling in the same tonga as the Captain and the Major, C.C.C., Amin and Archie learned that a former native officer of the Captain's — a Subedar Vikram Shirke — had deserted. This surprised the Captain as he clearly rated the Subedar very highly. They also learned that a certain Colonel Montgomery had not been heard from in weeks. The trio of stalwarts could only speculate on the implications of this information.
The party found the rooms in the hotel very comfortable, with excellent views of the city. They are looking forward to high tea, where they will discuss their plans for the immediate future.
These papers cover the period leading up to the afternoon of Saturday, the eleventh of November, 1893, at which point the SS Verona lies safely docked at Bombay and the party decamped at the Esplanade Hotel.
— The Editor