Raj Quartet VIII

Bronowski tells Guy that they had to cover up about Merrick's death, since it would lead to dangerous riots. He has often been taunted by Indian nationalist activists who have followed him about, because of his part in the tormenting and abuse and imprisonment of Hari Kumar. Hari is not interested in any of this, he has become a fairly reclusive man, making a living teaching. But Merrick has had people drawing pictures of bicycles (A bicycle was involved in the Kumar case) or attacking his car. He became rather paranoid about this in recent months, and threw himself into his police work. Susan was away for a time with the child, and Ronald was alone. He had a fall from a horse, and claimed that a man had startled his mount and caused the fall. Bronowski goes on that he beleives Merrick was a self hating homosexual (He himself being gay) and that he was attracted to young Indian men but his racism and self hatred made him angry and unhappy because he wanted what he could not have. He abused Hari Kumar because he was attracted to this young man whom he thought of as inferior. Guy has talked to "Sophie" Dixon about Merrick earlier and he'd worked out that he had homosexual feelings but could not tolerate them in himself. He also learns from what he has found out that Merrick was snooping in the army psychiatrist's office, to look at his files, because the psychiatrist was seeing Susan about her nervous problems. He read the confidential data, and was able to give Susan the impression that he understood her very well instinctively, and she was so fragile that it made her fall for him. Susan has told Guy that Merrick used to have to go in disguise into the bazaars to find out what was happening among the Indians and that there were a lot of young men coming to the house looking for a job, but Merrick did not usually offer any work to them. Guy is sceptical about this, and Bronowski tells him that there were boys who came, who might have been activists who were planning to punish Merrick for his part in the Kumar Rape case - but that he doubted if Merrick really went about in disguise to hear what was being said in the town. It seems that Merrick did finally allow a boy who had come looking for work to stay, and Bronowski believes that he finally gave way to his own homosexual urges and slept with him, and the whole experience upset him, because he could not admit that he was attracted to boys and to Indians whom he considered inferior. He was found dead in his bed and Bronowski and the police covered it up, saying that he had been injured in the riding accident and that he died from those injuries a little later. Bronowski says that he felt sure Merrick hoped that the British would avenge his death and kill Indians, and generally make him a hero in death, but the Raj were eager to cover it up and for the British to get out of India without too much trouble.