"You'll soon ride like a Rajput, Ambassador."
The elephant rocked into motion. It was worse than heavy weather at sea.
"I think it may take practice."
"Women from the zenana ride elephants all the way to Kashmir in the summer. I'm sure you'll manage a two-day hunt." Nadir Sharif swung easily into his howdah. Around them other elephants were kneeling for nobles to mount.
"Where will the hunt be?"
"This time we're going west, out toward the old city of Fatehpur Sekri. But His Majesty has hunting preserves all over. In the neighborhood of Agra and near the small town of Delhi north of here, along the course of the Jamuna and reaching into the mountains, there is much uncultivated land. There are many places with grasses over six feet high and copse wood. This land is guarded with great care by the army, and no person, high or low, is allowed to hunt there except for partridge, quail, and hare—which are caught with nets. So the game—nilgai, deer, antelope, chitah, tiger, even some lions—is plentiful. Some of His Majesty's hunting preserves may extend as far as ten kos in every direction—I believe that's around twenty of your miles."
"You said preparations for the hunt had been underway for days?"
"Of course. When His Majesty announces a shikar, a royal hunt, the grand master of the hunt in that particular location has to begin extensive preparations. The hunts now are usually a qamargha, which was invented by Akman."
"What's that?"
"First, sentries are posted on all the roads leading into the preserve to keep villagers out, and then the entire preserve is surrounded by beaters, we call them qarawals, who begin to close the circle and drive in the game. For this week's hunt he used thirty thousand qarawals. The grand master of the hunt informs His Majesty when the game has been brought together. The next day the court and officers from the army leave early, to be at the appointed place to meet His Majesty when he arrives. His Majesty usually hunts alone at first, if there are no tigers, and everyone else must wait at a distance of about one kos. Only some members of the Imperial army are allowed to accompany him, for protection. After His Majesty wearies of the kill, then others of his choosing are allowed to kill the last of the game. But if tigers are to be hunted, it's customary that only His Majesty and the royal family enter the circle. It's always been the tradition of Moghul rulers that only they and their kinsmen are allowed to hunt tigers. But this hunt will be different. This time His Majesty will merely watch."