(birds chirping outside) My good friends... We are here today to pay tribute to Colonel Ronald Merrick-- Ronnie, as we came to know him here in Mirat.

Only two years after the war in which he lost an arm, we have seen how this gallant officer taught himself to ride again, leading his detachments of our own States' Police.

Patient in peacetime as he had been brave in battle.

We salute that courage, offering our hearts and prayers to his young widow.

(bugle playing "Last Post") ("Last Post" continues) (newsreel music plays) ANNOUNCER: At Delhi, Lord Louis Mountbatten arrives to take up his appointment as India's viceroy and governor general.

At a crucial moment in India's history, the 47-year-old grandson of Queen Victoria becomes the 29th and last viceroy.

To greet the new viceroy come the Indian leaders.

Pandit Nehru, Oxford-educated leader of the Congress Party, second only to Gandhi.

With Nehru, Muslim Abul Azad, head of the influential Congress Party.

Leaving Delhi's Viceregal Lodge is Lord Wavell, outgoing viceroy.

To the governor general's bodyguard, Field Marshal Wavell bids farewell.

During his term of office, Britain made the decision to leave India.

Now it is for Indian leaders to decide the future of their country.

(bells jangling) Good morning, sir.

Good morning.

Is the club secretary available?

I'm sorry, sir.

Secretary is having breakfast.

Can I help?

Well, I was wondering if the club could offer temporary membership.

I'm in Mirat for a few days and wanted a bed for the night and perhaps some breakfast now.

My name is Perron.

Oh, Cambridge University!

Yes, sir, of course.

You traveled on the night train from Ranpur?

Have you been in India long?

Just over a week, Bombay mostly.

Please, leave your luggage and take your breakfast.

Muzzafir, show the Sahib to the terrace.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Mr. Perron?

MacPherson, club secretary.

How do you do?

Please.

I hope you're being looked after all right.

Very well.

Thank you.

Don't have the fish soufflé, incidentally.

No, your chap's already warned about that.

Ghulam, thank God for him anyway!

Staff's difficult nowadays.

Your train was two hours late as well.

It gets worse every year.

Been out here long?

About ten days.

Can you put me up for the night?

As long as you like.

Nowadays, we get more departures than arrivals.

We'll have to charge you one month's temporary membership.

It's an old wartime rule dating from when young officers were coming and going and getting posted overnight.

And forgetting to pay their bills?

Most of them dead long since, I expect.

Been out here before?

A couple of years during the war.

But this is my first visit to Mirat.

On business?

I'm a historian.

My interests are mostly academic.

I'm here to study the transition to independence and perhaps write some articles back home.

Any special reason for choosing Mirat?

I met the chief minister in Bombay during the war.

Dmitri Bronowsky?

He was kind enough to invite me to come whenever I chose.

He's got a plateful just now.

Things haven't been too good here this past week or so.

I'm afraid we might be back to how it was last year.

Communal rioting.

It all looked quiet enough this morning.

In the cantonment, yes, but across the lake in the city, not so good.

That's why we don't recommend the fish soufflé Izzat Bagh.

The fishermen are Muslims.

They've fished the Nawab's lake since the 18th century.

But they haven't dared go out these past few nights since a couple of them were found drowned.

Still, what could you expect?

I mean, you draw an imaginary line through a country and say by August 15, one side is Pakistan and the other side is India.

Damn sight worse in the Punjab.

At least Mirat's a princely state and can decide things for itself.

Excuse me.

Do you think the Nawab will sign the accession to Congress India?

Before the 15th?

Mm-hmm.

That's anyone's guess.

What is it, Raju?

A car from the palace for Mr. Perron.

And this letter, sir, from Mr. Rowan.

What?

You know the AAGG as well, do you?

GUY: Nigel Rowan?

He's an old friend of mine.

I didn't know he was in Mirat.

Perhaps you won't need a bed here after all.

NIGEL: "My dear Guy, we'd been planning to surprise you at the station.

"But as you'll see, things haven't worked out.

"Ronald Merrick died here last week after a riding accident.

"It was all very sudden and unexpected.

"The family were here for the funeral, "and Susan and her Aunt Fenny "are still at the palace guest house.

"Sarah's here too, of course, "and has promised to be at my bungalow "to welcome you and settle you in.

"I may be detained at the palace, "but I've organized things for you to lunch at my place.

"The bungalow is one of two-- "mine and the one that was Susan's and Ronald's.

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want.

"See you soon.

Nigel."

Hello, Guy.

Hello.

I'll show you the house.

It's rather spartan.

Nigel asked me to apologize.

What date, do you think?

The bungalow?

1850?

I don't know.

Shut up too long, anyway.

Watch out for scorpions.

And I don't want to alarm you, but there was a snake not long ago.

Nigel said the thing to do if you meet a snake is to bow politely and ask it to go in peace.

Well, I will probably yell the place down.

(laughs) It's nice to see you again, Guy.

You always made me laugh.

Would you like a coffee?

Then I'll leave you to settle in.

Do you have to leave?

Yes, but I've got time for a coffee.

I've come at rather a bad time, haven't I?

Up until a week ago, we'd certainly thought of your arrival rather differently.

Thank you.

Thank you.

How differently?

Nigel and I and Ahmed were going to meet you at the station.

It was Dmitri's idea.

He likes surprising people.

I thought you'd just come down from Pankot for the funeral.

No, no, I've been here quite some time.

It was Susan who had to come down with Father and Aunt Fenny.

Father went back this morning.

Fenny saw him off at the station.

He had to get back to Pankot to go on with handing over the command.

What about your mother?

Mother went home last month to start house-hunting.

To England?

So no retirement to Rose Cottage?

We rented it to the Smalleys.

They're army, but staying on under contract to the Indian government.

So, back home for you, too?

I don't know about me.

Aunt Fenny and I went back for a month or two last year after Uncle Arthur died.

You never got in touch with me.

When?

When you were in England.

And you never answered my second letter.

No.

I'm sorry.

That was a long time ago.

You told me once that you felt that India wasn't a place you could be happy.

Yes, I remember thinking that.

I've been very happy since.

Has Susan been happy?

At the moment, she's in rather a bad way.

Worse than the family realizes.

Of course, she's never been really stable since Teddie was killed.

Didn't Ronald Merrick give her stability?

He's provided it now.

You'll see what I mean if she talks to you about him.

Which is likely-- she talks about nothing else.

It was a successful marriage, then?

He adored the boy and the boy adored him.

Edward doesn't know Ronnie's dead, by the way.

Is he here?

Yes.

Ronnie had sent them back to Pankot last year because of the troubles.

He'd been working with the States' Police but didn't expect the job to last.

Dmitri was so impressed by the way he handled it, he persuaded them to let him stay on and overhaul the whole department.

That was their bungalow next door, wasn't it?

Yes.

Of course, now I'll have to go back to Pankot with Sue.

Fenny can't cope with the journey alone.

When do you go?

Thursday, I think.

When did it happen?

Nigel wrote something about a riding accident.

He was jumping a ditch.

He seemed all right at first.

Then a few days later, the servant found him dead.

Was there a postmortem?

Yes.

I really must go.

Nigel will be here as soon as he can.

How long has Nigel been in Mirat?

About six weeks.

The Political Department sent him down to try and sort things out.

Mirat comes under the Resident at Gopalakand, and things got rather difficult.

Nigel will tell you all about it.

I'll be in touch, Guy.

Probably this evening.

MAN: Tipoo?

You're in luck.

Here's Nigel now.

Hello, Guy.

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm only here to pack a case.

How are you?

I'll see to the case.

How many nights?

Two at the most.

In Gopalakand.

I ought to be back tomorrow evening.

And don't bother.

Tipoo can do it-- isn't he here?

SARAH: Yes.

I'll see he gets it right.

Ah, Tipoo.

I really do apologize.

We're in the middle of what I suppose you'd call a flap.

There's a couple of States' Department people over at the palace.

Waving the instrument of accession under the Nawab's nose for signature?

Oh, you know all about that.

And is the Resident at Gopalakand encouraging him not to sign and stay independent?

Fundamentally, that is the problem.

But the Resident has no real interest in Mirat.

What does Bronowsky want?

Honorable integration with India.

And the Nawab?

I don't think the poor man knows.

After all these years, he's suddenly resisting Dmitri's advice.

If I can come back with a letter from the Resident making it plain that Mirat's on its own, then I think the Nawab will sign.

And you want him to sign?

Thank you.

Yes.

Though a few old hands in the department say we're bound by treaty to defend Mirat as a princely state.

But it's entirely surrounded by British-India territory.

After the 15th, Indian Union territory.

The Nawab can't live in a vacuum.

He has to sign.

It's been a hard two years for you, hasn't it, Nigel?

I'm sorry about Merrick.

Yes, it was rather sudden.

Not that I ever liked the man.

Still, he seems to have made good in Mirat.

Yes.

And Harry Coomer, any news of him?

We exchanged letters last year.

He's still in Ranpur.

He seems quite content, coaching students privately.

A defensive attitude?

No, I don't think so.

I suppose now things might change.

Will anything in India ever really change for him?

Isn't Harry Coomer the permanent loose end?

Too English for the Indians and too Indian for the English?

That's rather Sarah's view.

Frankly, I think he's more interested in being just his own kind of Indian.

You've never shown her the transcript of the examination?

God, no!

She knows nothing about that.

Few people do, except you.

Everything was destroyed, except the orders for Kumar's release.

To protect Merrick's reputation?

Nobody wanted a witch hunt.

Coming on top of the INA trials, it would have aggravated racial tension.

So Nehru and Wavell put a stop to it.

And Merrick got off scot-free.

Actually, I think it annoyed him.

He felt slighted.

Everything was done very quietly.

MAK's son, Sayed, was simply cashiered.

Of the two boys, Ahmed's the one who's turned out best.

The INA heroes are history, but Ahmed has a future.

You're all set, Nigel.

Tipoo's taking your bag to the car.

That's good of you.

Guy's going to stay on here, by the way.

Good.

Do you ride?

Off and on.

Fortunately more on than off.

But it's pure luck.

Perhaps we could go out tomorrow morning.

I'll ring you later today anyway.

Yes, that'd be fine.

Edward!

Oh!

(speaking local language) Again!

Oh!

EDWARD: Minnie, you fool!

Now it's lost-- it's gone.

Chockrasahib, I'll get the ball.

Ayah, you fool!

Is this yours?

Who are you?

Just a visitor.

Here's your ball.

I'm Edward Arthur David Bingham.

My name's Guy.

My other name's Perron.

I shall call you Perron.

Well, in that case, I shall probably have to call you Bingham.

Here you are, Ayah.

Girls can't catch.

Would you like to see my room?

Yes, very much.

My stepfather can catch.

He only has one arm.

Can you catch, Perron?

Uh-huh.

Here's my room, but I'm sleeping at the guest house while Daddy's away.

I see.

It's a very nice room.

What's this?

Daddy gave it to me.

"The Jewel in the Crown."

That's Queen Victoria.

I know.

GUY: Receiving tributes from her grateful Indian subjects.

She's dead now, of course.

I should think they're all dead, wouldn't you?

It was a long time ago.

Except the angels.

GUY: No, I think angels never die.

It's an allegory.

Daddy says Mummy saw an angel once in a circle of fire.

Perhaps it made her cry.

She cries a lot.

Come on.

Let's see if she's stopped.

(screaming) Put me down!

(screaming escalates) Sorry.

Don't go away altogether, Guy.

I'll be outside in the garden.

(sobbing) (Susan continues sobbing) Susan's all right now.

She'd like it if you came in and had a word.

What upset her?

The whole afternoon, mainly.

She insisted on coming over and sorting out some of Ronald's things.

So I had to come because Aunt Fenny's not feeling very bright.

Then Edward insisted on coming too.

The whole thing was a mistake from the start.

Will you come and have dinner with me tonight at Nigel's?

I'd like to, but I'd better not.

Let's go out tomorrow morning.

I'll try and rope Ahmed in too.

Can you be ready early?

Mm-hmm.

Let's go in.

The car from the palace will be here soon.

I want to get Susan and Edward away before the light goes.

We met, didn't we, Mr. Perron?

That time in Pankot just after Ronnie and I became engaged.

Yes.

Of course, you know I've lost him.

My son doesn't know.

Why don't you leave it all, Sue?

Khansamar can put it away.

We could have a drink outside while we wait for the car.

No, I don't want a drink, and I don't want Khansamar touching anything.

Then I'll help you start putting things back.

How little there is when you think of the time a man spends out here.

Will Daddy have as little as this?

I don't expect there'll be much more.

You didn't know my husband long, did you, Mr. Perron?

No, a very short time.

Anyone in Mirat will tell you what a fine man he was.

Please, Sarah, don't put things back.

It's all that's left of Ronald except his ashes.

And it's not even all here.

Oh?

What's missing?

His arm, for one thing.

I mean the artificial one, Mr. Perron.

His harness.

But we always called it his arm.

"Where's my arm?"

he used to say.

He took it off every night.

Nobody knows the discomfort he was in from the chafing.

The first time I saw his poor stump, I cried.

It was so inflamed and raw.

But he never spared himself.

What's this, then?

That's the one he couldn't wear, the new one.

I hope this doesn't embarrass you, Mr. Perron, talking about his arm.

But you see, he never, never wore it in bed.

I know what a relief it was to him to get out of the harness.

And what torture it was to put it on in the morning.

He wouldn't have worn it while he was laid up after his riding accident.

Well, perhaps that explains why it's not here, Mrs. Merrick.

It might've been damaged and sent for repair.

Oh, I hadn't thought of that.

I suppose they wouldn't put it on just to take his body to the mortuary for the postmortem.

There was a clot of blood, they said.

I blame Dr. Habbibullah, but Daddy says I shouldn't.

No one can foresee a clot of blood.

Khansamar would know about Ronnie's harness, Sarah.

Whether it was damaged.

I don't think we ought to worry Khansamar over a thing like that, Sue.

Why?

When you ask servants things like that, it always sounds as if you think they've stolen something.

I'll ask Dr. Habbibullah if you really want.

Yes, I do.

And what about his other things?

Where are his Pathan clothes?

He was very fond of his Pathan clothes.

The embroidered waistcoat, and the sash and little axe.

He probably gave them away.

It must be years since he used them.

Oh, no!

He went out in them in Mirat, too, with one of his spies.

He had to have spies, Mr. Perron.

You have to go into the bazaars and hear what people are saying.

Ronnie was prepared to do that.

It was very dangerous.

That's why he never told me.

But I found out.

Shall I tell you how?

Only if you want to.

I haven't been very well for quite a long time.

I can't sleep without taking something, but the pills don't always work.

And one night, Ronnie was working late.

There was a flap on, so he was sleeping in another room so as not to disturb me.

But still I couldn't sleep.

And that's terrible.

You start imagining all kinds of silly things.

There's this awful temptation not to take just one or two, but enough to make you sleep forever.

So I decided to go to Ronnie's room to tell him of this awful temptation I had.

Because you see, Mr. Perron, he understood everything about me without ever being told.

Things that no one else had ever known.

And then...

I saw the light was on.

At 4:00 in the morning.

It was as if he'd stayed awake just in case I needed him.

But when I opened the door... (screaming) That's why I screamed just now.

When I saw Edward in his Pathan clothes.

Because you see, Mr. Perron, Ronnie's missing clothes and his missing arm are like the dog that didn't bark in the night.

Sherlock Holmes.

You know that story?

My favorite was The Speckled Band because of the snake.

When Aunt Fenny told me last week that Ronnie was dead, I thought first of the snake.

Or of a scorpion.

I've always been terrified of scorpions.

I'm afraid of both.

Ronnie was afraid of nothing.

I depended on him, Mr. Perron, you see.

I'm terrified of almost everything.

(sobbing) And he was wonderful with Edward.

Wonderful with servants.

Week after week, young boys would come here looking for a job.

He had a reputation for fairness.

Stern, but fair.

Where are all the servants, Sarah?

I've only seen Khansamar.

Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Perron.

For being here.

For knowing Ronald.

Thank you, Guy.

Where are the horses?

We're not riding after all.

We're going to watch Ahmed.

(falcon calling) We can watch from over here.

Now you can see something of old India.

There!

(Ahmed calls to falcon) (Ahmed calls to falcon) (Ahmed calls to falcon) (Ahmed calls to falcon) (Ahmed calls to falcon) AHMED: Hello!

Her name's Mumtaz.

Come and meet her.

But don't shake hands with Ahmed.

She's very jealous.

Aren't you, Mumtaz?

I'm not allowed to touch her at all because I'm female.

But if Ahmed tells her it's all right, she'll let you tickle her throat.

(speaking Urdu) You may touch her now, Mr. Perron.

Ah, she liked that.

You'd better keep an eye on her, Ahmed.

I think she's a bit of a rover.

Are you going to ride?

I thought not today.

I'm glad you came in time.

Is everybody hungry?

If you'll wait a moment while Mumtaz goes to sleep.

SARAH: Are you glad you came?

Not glad-- enchanted.

I meant back to India.

The answer's the same.

Come on.

Breakfast.

Then back to the palace, if that's all right.

Do you always take the soldiers to go hawking?

It's new to them.

I think they get a bit of a kick out of it.

I'll take you to see Dmitri at the palace.

But I'll have to leave you for a while.

I'm giving a swimming lesson to Shinaz.

Who's Shinaz?

The Nawab's daughter.

Drop us off at the gatehouse, all right?

(doves cooing) Shinaz?

Yes, Shinaz.

Tell me, before I meet Bronowsky.

What did happen to Ronald?

Was it a riding accident?

Don't ask me, Guy.

Ask Nigel.

Or Dmitri.

Or better still, nobody.

My dear Mr. Perron.

Sir.

Sarah, my dear... Will you go to Nawab Sahib before Shinaz's lesson?

He wants to say goodbye.

Of course.

How can I sufficiently apologize for not having greeted you before?

Please.

Sarah and Nigel have done their best to cover up for me.

But I am very conscious of my personal failing.

Please forgive me.

Not at all.

Thank you.

I had your letter from England.

You mentioned the possibility of writing something on the subject of the transfer of power as it affects states like this.

I've forgotten the name of the paper.

It's a new quarterly review, The New English Forum.

It probably won't survive more than a few issues.

I'm afraid my journalistic credentials are entirely spurious.

But not your academic ones.

You spend your long vacation watching Indian history being made as a break from teaching it to your students, who might with profit study this morning's Ranpur Gazette.

On the future of India.

"Pandora's Box."

You've read the editorial?

"With independence, "the British electorate finds itself "in the unfortunate position of opening Pandora's Box, "letting out all the evils "that have afflicted India in the past, "but which until now have been imprisoned under the lid of British power and law."

It's a shrewd comment.

Perhaps you'll take it with you when you go.

Read it at your leisure.

Thank you.

I suppose Nigel told you what he hoped to achieve in Gopalakand.

He gave me a rough outline.

He has been on the telephone this morning and will be back this evening with the necessary letter from the Resident.

I haven't told Nawab Sahib yet, so please don't mention this when you see him.

No.

But one hopes now that he will sign.

Miss Layton will put him in a cheerful mood.

She's a remarkably persuasive woman.

Yes.

I hear she's giving swimming lessons to the Nawab's daughter.

Yes, quite remarkable.

At last, little Shinaz has come out of her shell.

For years I tried, Nawab Sahib tried.

She even threatened to go into full purdah, can you believe?

Now she is riding, swimming, wearing modern clothes.

Even Ahmed is showing an interest in her.

And it's all Sarah's doing.

I fear we shall miss her at the palace.

But one must look forward without regrets.

Tomorrow, let us hope, the States' Department people will be on their way back from Delhi with their signed bits of paper.

Now, perhaps you'll be my guest and come to dinner in the evening, if all goes well.

I should enjoy that very much.

I don't know if Sarah will be with us.

She is to travel next day with her aunt and sister.

Ahmed is going, too.

He promised his father to be in Ranpur for the August 15 celebrations.

Since the Laytons were going to Pankot, he may as well accompany them as far as Ranpur.

It is a good opportunity.

Come.

The editorial will tell you more than I. I will introduce you to Nawab Sahib.

Oh, if you have time, you might also care to read another item in the Ranpur Gazette, by a writer who signs himself "Philoctetes."

A curious soubriquet, don't you agree?

I always read his pieces.

He has a very English style.

But then, the editor is also an Englishman, so perhaps he writes these, too.

Nawab Sahib, Mr. Perron.

Mr. Perron, how do you do?

I have been speaking to Miss Layton about the lake.

We watched the fishermen.

Do you know the meaning of the name, Mr. Perron?

The Izzat Bagh Lake, Izzat Bagh Palace?

No, Your Highness.

Long ago, my ancestor declared that the honor of our house, the "izzat," shall be maintained so long as the lake did not dry up.

So it is called the "Izzat Bagh".

The fishermen have fished its waters ever since.

I'm glad to see they fish again today, Your Highness.

Yes, it pleases me too, Dmitri.

They fish again today.

(sighs) Watch out for snakes and scorpions, Sarah says.

Did Merrick use this place?

Did he stay here?

"'Alma Mater,' by Philoctetes.

"I walk home thinking of another place, of seemingly long, endless summers."

MERRICK: I suppose you were at public school before university?

GUY: Yes, sir.

MERRICK: At which public school?

Chillingborough, sir.

(bat strikes ball) (crowd applauds) Perhaps you remember an Indian boy there who called himself Harry Coomer.

(man shouting in Urdu) (gives orders in Urdu) (dialing) 234, please.

The palace guest house.

Hello, may I speak to Miss Layton, please?

Who is it?

Oh, hello, Mr. Perron.

It's her aunt, Mrs. Grace.

I'm afraid Sarah's not here.

She's at the palace.

Can I be of any help?

Yes, I think you can.

There are some fellows here with a truck removing things from the other bungalow.

I suppose that's all right, Mrs. Grace?

Thanks, but it's quite in order.

I expect it's the luggage that's going with us to Pankot.

It's coming here first.

Yes, of course.

Shall I tell Sarah you rang?

She's only out to dinner.

Well, you might.

I may be traveling to Ranpur myself and I wondered if we might make a party of it.

You know we're going on Thursday?

You mustn't cut your visit short unless it suits you.

It would suit me very well.

Oh, well, I'll tell Sarah what you suggest or leave her a message.

By the way, Mr. Kasim is coming with us to Ranpur.

Yes, I know.

And perhaps some people called Peabody.

An extra man would be very nice.

I know it's stupid, but since Colonel Layton went back to Pankot, I've been feeling a little bit out of my depth.

Well, if I can be of any...

I look forward to meeting you.

I've heard so much about you.

Thank you, Mrs. Grace.

Good-bye, Mr. Perron.

"An extra man"?

Thank you very much, Sarah.

MERRICK: Perhaps you remember an Indian boy there who called himself Harry Coomer.

Well played, Harry!

GUY: Well actually, sir, I don't remember him being interested in anything very much, except cricket.

Cricket?

I'm afraid his interest in India extended beyond that.

Hello.

Hello, Guy.

Have you eaten?

I've been reading.

Dinner in half an hour, Tipoo.

Well, it's done.

The Nawab's signed?

Congratulations.

Let me top up your drink.

Thank you.

I've been at the palace.

The States Department chaps have got their bits of paper.

Everything's fine.

Soda?

To the top, please.

Well, then, I gather you feel you've learned as much as you need in Mirat.

I'm rather hoping to have another chat with Dmitri tomorrow night.

But you want to go with the others the day after?

I saw Sarah at the palace.

She'd had a phone call from her aunt.

She says she's sorry she wasn't in, and they'd be delighted.

Are you going with them all the way to Pankot?

Only to Ranpur.

I'm rather hoping Ahmed can wangle an interview with his father for me.

With MAK?

I'd forgotten about your journalistic assignment.

It's hardly that.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Tell me about the snake.

The snake?

The one that was found at the back.

It wasn't at the back.

It was in the bath.

In my bath?

In our bath.

By Merrick?

He slept here, didn't he?

In that room.

For a month or two before Susan joined him.

What made you think that?

It has a resonance.

(banging) What happened in the end, Nigel?

What did he do?

Cut his wrist?

Take an overdose?

Drown in the bath?

He didn't die in the bath.

Nor from a riding accident.

No.

Dmitri and I feel you ought to know, and Sarah agrees.

She's the only member of the family who knows that Ronald was murdered.

How?

Strangled in his bedroom.

Everything's been properly recorded.

But a murdered Englishman at this stage is the last thing anybody wants.

The police are busy on it, of course, but I doubt if the man or men who did it will ever be caught.

It was carefully planned.

By whom?

Pandit Baba?

The CID say that for the past month, he's been on a pilgrimage in the Himalayas.

What about the other Bibighar suspects?

The men he arrested after the rape?

Two are still in Mayapore.

They have been cleared by the police.

One died of tuberculosis a year ago, and two are working in Calcutta.

What about Hari?

What about Kumar?

He's still in Ranpur.

And also in the clear.

Dmitri told me this evening.

I'd rather not say any more, Guy.

The details are... pretty horrifying.

Even Sarah doesn't know it all.

Incidentally, I've got Kumar's address, if you want it.

Yes.

Yes, I'd like his address.

And now I am going to take a bath.

I'm feeling travel-stained.

Will you be all right?

Yes, I've got the Ranpur Gazette.

Watch out for snakes.

By the way... Who was Philoctetes?

What?

Philoctetes.

You're a classics man.

A friend of Hercules.

One of the Argonauts.

They put him ashore at Lemnos, I believe.

Why?

I think he was wounded.

Anyway, he stank.

The others couldn't stand the smell, so they abandoned him.

That fits.

Did he ever get to Troy?

Eventually.

They needed him in the end.

Why are you so interested in Philoctetes?

Just a name I came across.

You look tired.

Go and have that bath.

Dinner in half an hour.

"'Alma Mater' by Philoctetes."

HARI KUMAR: On Sunday, when the new extension of Ranpur Government College had been opened by His Excellency, the Governor, I wandered round the building, hoping to pass as someone with business to do.

But I need not have worried.

No one was there to challenge me.

The place was empty.

No desk, no chairs.

Only rectangular spaces where blackboards have yet to be installed.

Spaces where students will sit and teachers stand on the bare platforms.

Blackboards becoming grey from the wiped-off chalk marks of demonstrated equations.

Subdued, I left the college and walked away.

A few shade trees have already been planted.

I try to picture the new Chakravati extension as it will be ten, 20, 50 years from now.

And I walk home thinking of another place, of seemingly endless summers and the shade of different kinds of trees.

And then of winters when the branches of the trees were bare...

So bare that recalling them now, it seems inconceivable to me that I looked at them and did not think of the summer just gone and the spring to come as illusions, as dreams never fulfilled, never to be fulfilled.

The original version of The Jewel in the Crown, including Alistair Cooke host segments, is available on DVD.

To order, visit shopPBS.org or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.