IT was inevitable. Both sides have ducked back into their diplomatic trenches and have now restarted that old game of sending mixed signals across the border—where the only rule is that for every one step forward, there are two steps back. So what else is new? Newspapers in Pakistan carried blaring headlines last week attacking New Delhi. "India backing out of Kashmir talks," was the theme. And the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesman in New Delhi soon came out with a denial.