THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

90 THE GOD-MANChanji-started for the British Consulate, believing that they had Baba's help.The officer's questions and the evasive replies they felt bound to give him to avoid declaringBaba's identity, their hesitation in disclosing Baba's name and the details of the occupations of themembers of the party, and their object in touring like tramps (as it appeared to him), tended tomake him suspicious. He became exceedingly exacting, and sent them away. Baba, however,insisted, even sending the two men to the officer's private residence after the office was closed,not once but three times within a few hours. Why the officer endured this badgering and did notthrow them out they could not imagine. They hesitated, in spite of Baba's order, to go to thehouse the fourth time at the hour of nine in the evening. It was then that Baba provided them withevidence of their incapability to serve him, and took them severely to task in spite of the devotionthey had displayed. It was not, they thought, a question of duty to be performed but of followinghis instructions to the letter or doing the same duty in the way of the world. Their preference forthe way of the world was due to the desire that Baba's identity should not be disclosed and hisname brought into disrepute, which they were afraid might happen. While they hesitated to go tothe British Consul for the fourth time with the message that Baba wanted conveyed to him, Babawas plainly unhappy. Then there appeared at the door a Persian who wished to see Baba. He wasthe only one whom Baba met on this occasion in Duzdab. He was kept waiting, as Baba wishedto see no one; the man repeated he wanted to see Baba on a very urgent matter. He was then takento Baba, and the following conversation took place: 'What brings you here now?' was Baba's firstquestion to him. 'I bring a letter for your, sir.' 'A letter for me?' 'Not exactly for you, sir, butaddressed to the British Consul on your behalf.' 'Who brought it?' 'Your devoted slave, sir.''From?' 'The Governor of Duzdab. , 'What about?' asked Baba. 'To allow you and your party topass across the frontier without hindrance by the tomorrow morning train.' 'Shabash!' (Welldone!), said Baba, and beckoning him patted him on the shoulder and laid his hand on the headbent before him.A profound silence prevailed for a few moments, none uttering a word but everyone feeling thetense atmosphere. The man had indeed worked wonders! He was an 'outsider', while they,members of his mandali, could do so little. They felt the sting! Baba threw a significant glance atthem all, and after a moment's pause his fingers ran on the board, to say: