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05 - Khaled, A Tale of Arabia by Francis Marion Crawford · Khaled, A Tale of Arabia

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Speaker 1: By Francis Maryan Crawford, Chapter five. When Khaled was within
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Speaker 1: half a day's march of Riad, the Sultan came out
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Speaker 1: to meet him with a great train of attendants and courtiers,
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Speaker 1: with cooks bringing food and sweetmeats, and a number of musicians.
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Speaker 1: And they all came together for a short time in
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Speaker 1: the shade of the trees, for there were gardens in
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Speaker 1: the place. The Sultan embraced Khaled and put upon him
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Speaker 1: a very magnificent garment, after which they sat down together
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Speaker 1: in a large tent which the Sultan had brought with them.
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Speaker 1: When they had eaten and refreshed themselves, they began to talk,
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Speaker 1: and Khaled told his father in law all that he
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Speaker 1: had done, and gave him an account of the spoils
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Speaker 1: which he had brought back, commanding the most valuable objects
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Speaker 1: to be brought into the tent. After this, the Sultan
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Speaker 1: desired to see the women captives. There is one especially
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Speaker 1: whom it may please you to take for yourself, said Khaled,
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Speaker 1: and he ordered Almasta to be brought in. When the
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Speaker 1: male slaves had left the tent, al Masta drew aside
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Speaker 1: her veil. The Sultan looked at her and smiled, stroking
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Speaker 1: his beard, for he was much pleased. Her face is
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Speaker 1: like a pearl, and her hair is the setting of
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Speaker 1: the red gold, he said. Truly, she is like the
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Speaker 1: sunrise on a fair morning when there are red clouds
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Speaker 1: in the east. Almasta looked attentively at him, and afterwards
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Speaker 1: she glanced at Khaled, who could not avoid looking at
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Speaker 1: her on account of her beauty. Her face was grave
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Speaker 1: and indifferent. Then Kled told the Sultan how she had
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Speaker 1: hated the Sultan of Shamar, and I tried to kill
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Speaker 1: him on the journey. This is a dangerous woman, my son,
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Speaker 1: said the old man. But he laughed as he said it,
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Speaker 1: for although he was old, he was no coward. She
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Speaker 1: is dangerous. Indeed, will you love me, pearl of my
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Speaker 1: soul's treasures? He inquired of her, still smiling, You are
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Speaker 1: my lord and my master, she answered, looking down. When
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Speaker 1: Kaled heard this, he wondered whether his father in law
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Speaker 1: would get any affection from her. Zahawa had answered in
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Speaker 1: the same words, By Allah, I'll give you such gifts
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Speaker 1: as will make you love me, said the Sultan, What
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Speaker 1: shall I give you? His head answered, I losta raising
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Speaker 1: her eyes quickly. The head of the Sultan of Shamar.
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Speaker 1: Almasta nodded, and Khaled could see that her lips trembled.
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Speaker 1: A dead man has no companions, said the Sultan, looking
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Speaker 1: at Khaled to see what he would do. But Khaled
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Speaker 1: cared little and said nothing. So the Sultan called a
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Speaker 1: slave and ordered the captive's head to be struck off immediately.
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Speaker 1: Then Almosta threw herself upon the carpet on the floor
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Speaker 1: of the tent and embraced his feet. See how easily
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Speaker 1: the love of a woman is got Kaled, thought, even
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Speaker 1: by an old man whose beard is gray and his
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Speaker 1: limbs heavy. When Almosta rose again, she looked at Khaled triumphantly,
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Speaker 1: as though to remind him of the night of the
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Speaker 1: journey when he had hindered her from killing the captive
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Speaker 1: in his cage. But though he understood her, he held
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Speaker 1: his peace, for he had cared nothing whether the prisoner
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Speaker 1: lived or died after he had delivered him over to
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Speaker 1: his father in law, and he was considering whether he
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Speaker 1: might not please Sahawa in some other manner. This was
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Speaker 1: not easy, however, for he was not aware that Zahawa
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Speaker 1: had any private enemy whose head he might offer her.
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Speaker 1: After the Sultan had seen the other women and the
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Speaker 1: best of the spoils. Kaled begged that he might be
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Speaker 1: allowed to ride on to Riot alone, for he saw
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Speaker 1: that the Sultan intendant to spend the night in feasting
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Speaker 1: where he was encamped. The Sultan was so much pleased
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Speaker 1: with al Masta, and so greatly diverted in examining the
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Speaker 1: rich stuffs and the gold and silver vessels and jewels,
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Speaker 1: that he let Kaled go almost without trying to detain him,
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Speaker 1: though he made him many speeches praising his conduct of
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Speaker 1: the war, and would have loaded him with gifts. But
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Speaker 1: Kaled would take nothing with him, saying that he would
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Speaker 1: only receive his just share with the rest and the
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Speaker 1: fame of his generosity. Immediately went abroad among the soldiers
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Speaker 1: and the bedo winds throughout all the camp. Four, said Khaled,
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Speaker 1: there is not a fleetterer mare than mine among all
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Speaker 1: those we have taken. My sword proves to be a
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Speaker 1: good one, for I have tried it well. As for women,
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Speaker 1: I am satisfied with one wife. And besides a wife,
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Speaker 1: a sword and a horse. There are no treasures in
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Speaker 1: the world which I covet. So Khaled rode away alone
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Speaker 1: into Riad for he desired no company, being busy with
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Speaker 1: his own thought. He reached the gates at nightfall and
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Speaker 1: went immediately to the palace and entered Zahawa's apartments. He
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Speaker 1: found her sitting among her women in her accustomed place,
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Speaker 1: listening to the tales of an old woman who sat
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Speaker 1: in the midst of the circle. As soon as Ahawa
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Speaker 1: saw her husband, she sprang up gladly to meet him,
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Speaker 1: as a friend would have done. Though it is summer time,
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Speaker 1: I have pursued the enemy, said Khaled, and though the
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Speaker 1: sun was hot, I have got the victory and brought
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Speaker 1: home the spoil. He said this, remembering how she had
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Speaker 1: tried to hinder him from going. Then he gave her
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Speaker 1: his sword and sat down with her while the women
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Speaker 1: brought food and drink, for he was weary and hungry
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Speaker 1: and thirsty. The women also brought their musical instruments and
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Speaker 1: began to sing songs in praise of Khaled's deeds. But
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Speaker 1: after a time he sent them all away and remained
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Speaker 1: alone with Zahawa. Oh Zahawa, he said, you are my
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Speaker 1: law and my rule, You are my speech and my occupation.
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Speaker 1: You are my kibla, to which I turn in prayer
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Speaker 1: for to love you. I have got the victory over
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Speaker 1: many foes, and you have to see that your cheek
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Speaker 1: is cold and the lady your eyes is undisturbed. Have
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Speaker 1: you no other enemies for me to destroy? Or have
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Speaker 1: you no secret foe whose head would be a pleasant gift?
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Speaker 1: Zahawa laughed as she fanned him with a palm leaf.
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Speaker 1: Do you still thirst for war? Khaled? She asked, Truly,
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Speaker 1: you'll swallowed up all our enemies as the dry sand
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Speaker 1: swallows water. Where shall I find enemies enough for you
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Speaker 1: to slay? You went out in pride and you have
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Speaker 1: returned in glory. Are you not satisfied? And as for
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Speaker 1: any secret foe, if I have any, I do not
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Speaker 1: know him. Rest. Therefore, eat and drink and spend your
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Speaker 1: days in peace. I care little for either food or drink,
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Speaker 1: Kled answered, and I need little rest. Will nothing but
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Speaker 1: war please you? Must you overcome Egypt and make Syria
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Speaker 1: pay tribute as far as damaskets before you will rest.
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Speaker 1: I will conquer the whole world for you if I wish,
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Speaker 1: said Klet. What should I do with the world, said Zahawa?
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Speaker 1: Have I not treasures and garments enough? And despair? Besides
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Speaker 1: the spoil you have now brought home. And besides, if
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Speaker 1: you would conquer the world, you must needs make war
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Speaker 1: upon true believers, amongst whom we do not count the
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Speaker 1: people of Shamar. Be satisfied therefore, and rest in peace.
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Speaker 1: How shall I be satisfied until I've kindled the light
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Speaker 1: ins of Howa's eyes on my coming, and until I
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Speaker 1: feel that her hand is cold and trembles when I
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Speaker 1: take it in mine? Do I say, to my eyes
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Speaker 1: be dull, or to my hand do not tremble? Zahala asked,
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Speaker 1: Is this which you ask of me? Something I can
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Speaker 1: command at will, as I can a smile or a word?
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Speaker 1: If it is, teach me and I will learn. But
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Speaker 1: if not, why do you expect of me what I
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Speaker 1: cannot do? Can a camel gallop like a horse, or
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Speaker 1: a horse tropic or camel, or bear great burdens through
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Speaker 1: the desert? Have you come back from a great war
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Speaker 1: only to talk of something which you call love, which
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Speaker 1: is yours and not mine, which you feel and I
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Speaker 1: cannot feel, which you cannot explain nor describe, and which
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Speaker 1: after all, is but a whim of the fancy. As
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Speaker 1: one man loves sour drink and another sweet. Do you
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Speaker 1: think that love is nothing but a whim of the fancy?
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Speaker 1: Asked Khaled bitterly. What else can it be? Would you
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Speaker 1: love me if you were blind? Yes? And if you
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Speaker 1: were deaf yes? And if you could not touch my
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Speaker 1: face with your hands nor kiss me with your lips yes,
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Speaker 1: Zahawa laughed. Then love is indeed a fancy. For if
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Speaker 1: you cannot see me, nor touch me, nor hear me,
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Speaker 1: what would it mean to you but an empty thought?
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Speaker 1: Have I seen you, or touched you, or heard your
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Speaker 1: voice for these last two months and a half, asked Khaled?
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Speaker 1: Yet I have loved you as much during all that time.
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Speaker 1: You mean that you have thought of me as I
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Speaker 1: have thought of you, by the memory of what was
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Speaker 1: not fancy but reality. Would you dispute with me? Kled?
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Speaker 1: You will find me subtle. There is more wit in
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Speaker 1: my arm than in my head, Cled answered. There is
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Speaker 1: more wit in my arm than in my head, Coled answered,
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Speaker 1: And it is not easy for a man to persuade
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Speaker 1: a woman. It is very easy, provided that the man
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Speaker 1: have reason on his side. But where are the treasures
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Speaker 1: you have brought back? The slaves and the rich spoils?
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Speaker 1: I would gladly see some of them, for the messengers
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Speaker 1: you send told great tales of the riches of hail.
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Speaker 1: Tomorrow they we brought into the city. Your father has
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Speaker 1: remained feasting the gardens toward Daryah, and the whole army
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Speaker 1: with him. I rode hither alone. Why did you not
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Speaker 1: remain too, Because that whim of the fancy, which I
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Speaker 1: call love, brought me back, tolled. Answered. Then, I am
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Speaker 1: glad you loved me, said Sahawa, For I am glad
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Speaker 1: you came quickly. Are you truly glad? I was very
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Speaker 1: tired of my women, She answered, I am sorry you
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Speaker 1: have brought nothing with you. Are there any among the
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Speaker 1: captives who are beautiful? There is one, a present sent
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Speaker 1: lately to the Sultan of Shamar. She is very beautiful,
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Speaker 1: and unlike all the rest. Your father is much pleased
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Speaker 1: with her, and will perhaps marry her. Of What kind
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Speaker 1: is her beauty, asked Sahawa. She is as white as milk,
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Speaker 1: Her eyes are twin sapphires, Her mouth is a rose.
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Speaker 1: Her hair is like gold reddened in fire. Zahawa was
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Speaker 1: silent for a while and twisted a string of musk
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Speaker 1: beads round her fingers. The others are all Arabian women.
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Speaker 1: Kled said at last, why did you not keep the
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Speaker 1: beautiful one for yourself? Asked Sahawa, suddenly, throwing aside her
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Speaker 1: beads and looking at him curiously. Surely you, who have
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Speaker 1: borne the brunt of the war, might have chosen for
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Speaker 1: yourself what pleased you best? Cled looked at her with
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Speaker 1: great astonishment. Have I not married, Zahawa? Would you have
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Speaker 1: me take another wife? Why not? Is it not lawful
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Speaker 1: for a man to take four wives at one time?
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Speaker 1: And this woman might have loved you as you desire
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Speaker 1: to be loved. Would it be nothing to you if
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Speaker 1: I took her? Nothing? I am the King's daughter. I
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Speaker 1: shall always be first in the house. I say, she
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Speaker 1: might love you, then you would be satisfied, Zahawa. Zahawa
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Speaker 1: cried Coleed. Is love a piece of gold? That? But
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Speaker 1: it matters not? Whence it be so long as a
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Speaker 1: man has it in his own possession, or as it
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Speaker 1: would of the ooh tree, that one may buy it
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Speaker 1: and bring it home and make the whole house fragrant
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Speaker 1: with it. Is a man's heart like his belly, which
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Speaker 1: is like satisfied with different kinds of food. He who
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Speaker 1: eats nose by the taste, whether he eats persian mutton
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Speaker 1: or barley bread, or only broiled locusts. But a man
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Speaker 1: who believes that he is loved knows that he has
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Speaker 1: loved so far as knowing is possible, and must be satisfied.
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Speaker 1: If to be loved is what he desires, that may
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Speaker 1: be true. But he who desires bread is not satisfied
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Speaker 1: with locusts. It is your love which I would have,
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Speaker 1: not the love of another. You are like a man
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Speaker 1: who hopes to get by argument a sum of money
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Speaker 1: from one who has nothing, said Sahawa, smiling at him.
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Speaker 1: Can you make gold grow in the purse of a beggar?
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Speaker 1: Or can you cause a goda bush to bear dates
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Speaker 1: by reasoning with it? Your heart is a palm tree,
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Speaker 1: but mine is a godda bush. Yet an angel may
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Speaker 1: touch to godda and it will bear fruit. Answer Khlead,
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Speaker 1: for he remembered how the angel had turned dry leaves
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Speaker 1: into rich garments for him to wear. Doubtless, Allah can
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Speaker 1: do all things. But where is the angel? Hear me, Khalid,
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Speaker 1: For I speak very reasonably as a wife should speak
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Speaker 1: to her husband, who is her Lord and Master. My
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Speaker 1: lord is not satisfied with me, and desires something of
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Speaker 1: me which is not mine to give. Let him think
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Speaker 1: another wife beside me. I have given my lord a
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Speaker 1: kingdom and riches and power. Let him think another wife
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Speaker 1: now will give him this fancy of his thoughts for
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Speaker 1: which he yearns, though she have no other possessions. In
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Speaker 1: this way, my lord will be satisfied. Khaled listened sadly
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Speaker 1: toward Zahawah said, and he beant to despair, for he
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Speaker 1: was not subtle in argument nor eloquent in speech. The
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Speaker 1: reason of this was plain. In the days when he
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Speaker 1: had been one of the Genie, he had wandered over
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Speaker 1: the whole earth, and had heard the eloquence of all
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Speaker 1: nations and the arguments of all philosophers, learning therefore that
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Speaker 1: deeds are no part of words, and that they who
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Speaker 1: would be believed must speak little and do much. But
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Speaker 1: the Genie possessed no insight into the hearts of women.
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Speaker 1: Kolette reflected also that the length of life granted him
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Speaker 1: was uncertain. That he had already spent two months and
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Speaker 1: a half at a distance from Zahawa in accomplishing the conquest,
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Speaker 1: whereby he had hoped to win her love. But since
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Speaker 1: this has utterly failed, he cast about in his mind
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Speaker 1: for some new deed to do, which could be done
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Speaker 1: without leaving her, even for a short time. But he
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Speaker 1: was troubled by her indifference, and most of all by
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Speaker 1: her proposing that he should take another wife. As he
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Speaker 1: thought of this, he was filled with horror, and he
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Speaker 1: understood that he loved Zahawa more than he had supposed,
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Speaker 1: since he could not bear to think of setting another
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Speaker 1: woman beside her. Then his face became very dark, and
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Speaker 1: his eyes were like camp fires far off in the desert,
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Speaker 1: and took Sahoa's wrist in his hand, holding it tightly,
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Speaker 1: as though he would not let it go. As his
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Speaker 1: heart grew hot in his breast, words came to his
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Speaker 1: lips unawares, like the speech of a man in the dream,
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Speaker 1: and he heard his own voice as it were from
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Speaker 1: a distance. I will not take another, he said. What
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Speaker 1: is the love of another woman? To me? It is
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Speaker 1: as dust in the throat of a man thirsting for water.
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Speaker 1: Show me a woman who loves me. Her face shall
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Speaker 1: be but a cold mirror in which the image of
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Speaker 1: a fire is reflected without warmth. Her soft words shall
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Speaker 1: be to me as the screaming of a parrot, her
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Speaker 1: touch a thorn and her lips ashes. What is it
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Speaker 1: to me if all the women of the world love me,
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Speaker 1: Kindle a fire and burn them before me, for I
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Speaker 1: care not let them perish altogether, for I shall not
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Speaker 1: know that they are gone. I love you and not another.
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Speaker 1: Shall it profit a man to fill his mouth with dust,
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Speaker 1: though it be the dust of gold, mingled with precious
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Speaker 1: stones when he desires water, Or shall I be warmed
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Speaker 1: in winter by the reflection of a fire in a mirror?
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Speaker 1: By Allah, I want neither the wealth of Hael nor
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Speaker 1: a wife with red hair. Let them take gold, who
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Speaker 1: do not ask for love? I want but one thing,
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Speaker 1: and Sahawa alone can give it to me. Woila My
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Speaker 1: heart burns, but I would give it to be burned
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Speaker 1: forever in hell if I might get your love now
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Speaker 1: this I ask this only I desire. For this, I
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Speaker 1: will suffer, and for this I am ready to die
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Speaker 1: before my time. Sahawa was silent, looking at him with
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Speaker 1: wonder and yet not altogether pleased. She saw that she
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Speaker 1: could not understand him, though she did as well as
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Speaker 1: she could. Has he not all that the heart of
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Speaker 1: a man can desire, she thought, Am I not young
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Speaker 1: and beautiful and possessed of many jewels and treasures? Have
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Speaker 1: I not given him wealth and power? And has he
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Speaker 1: not with his own hand got the victory over his
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Speaker 1: enemies and mine? And yet he is not satisfied. Surely
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Speaker 1: he is too hard to please. But he, reading her
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Speaker 1: thoughts from her face, continued in his speech. What is
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Speaker 1: all the happiness of the world without love? He asked?
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Speaker 1: It is like a banquet in which many rich viands
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Speaker 1: are served, but the guests cannot eat them, because there
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Speaker 1: is no salt in any of them. And what is
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Speaker 1: a beautiful woman without love? She is like a garden
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Speaker 1: in which there are all kinds of rare flowers, and
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Speaker 1: much grass and deep shade, but in which a man
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Speaker 1: cannot live, because nothing grows there which he can eat
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Speaker 1: when he is hungry. Truly, said Sahawa, this is what
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Speaker 1: you will make of your life. For there was a
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Speaker 1: garden called the rem planted in a secret place of
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Speaker 1: the the deserts about aiden by Shaddad, the son of Ad,
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Speaker 1: who desired to outdo the gardens of Paradise, and was
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Speaker 1: destroyed for his impiety with all his people by the
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Speaker 1: hand of Allah. But a certain man named Abdullah ibn
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Speaker 1: Khlaba was searching the desert for a lost camel, and
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Speaker 1: came unawares upon this place. There were fruits and water there,
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Speaker 1: and all that a man could wish for. For Abdullah
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Speaker 1: dwelt in peace and plenty, praising Allah. Then on a
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Speaker 1: certain day he desired to eat an onion, and, finding
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Speaker 1: not anywhere, he went out, intending to obtain one, and,
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Speaker 1: having eaten it, to return immediately. But though he searched
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Speaker 1: a desert in many months, he was never able to
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Speaker 1: find the garden again. Wherefore he said that Abdullah ibn
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Speaker 1: Kalaba lost the earthly paradise of a rem for a
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Speaker 1: mouthful of onion. How can you understand me if you
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Speaker 1: do not love me, asked Khalad. Love has its own language,
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Speaker 1: and when to love, they understand each other's words. But
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Speaker 1: when the one loves and the other loves not, they
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Speaker 1: are strangers, though they be man and wife, or they
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Speaker 1: are like Persians and Arabians, not under standing either of
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Speaker 1: the other's speech. Or that if the wife cries father,
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Speaker 1: her husband will bring her a cup of water, supposing
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Speaker 1: her to be thirsty. For those who speak one language
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Speaker 1: must be of one heart, and they who would be
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Speaker 1: of one heart must love each other. Then Zahau aside
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Speaker 1: and leaned against the cushions by the wall, and drew
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Speaker 1: her hand away from Colette. What is it, she asked,
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Speaker 1: in a low voice, What is it you would have?
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Speaker 1: But though she had already asked the question many times,
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Speaker 1: she found no answer, and none that he was able
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Speaker 1: to give could enlighten her darkness. It is the spark
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Speaker 1: that kindles the flame, Khaled said, and he pointed to
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Speaker 1: the lights that hung in the room. Your beauty is
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Speaker 1: like to have of a cunningly designed lamp inlaid with
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Speaker 1: gold and silver and covered with a rich ornament, which
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Speaker 1: is seen by dead. But there is no light within,
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Speaker 1: and it is cold, though it be full of oil,
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Speaker 1: and the wick be ready. So HOWA turned toward him
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Speaker 1: someone impatiently, And you are as one who had kindle
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Speaker 1: the flame with words? Having no torture, She answered, Have
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Speaker 1: I not done deeds? Also asked Kalt, Why have I
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Speaker 1: spoken much that you should reproach me? Surely I have
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Speaker 1: slain more of your enemies than I have spoken words
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Speaker 1: to you tonight. But if I asked you for an
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Speaker 1: offering of blood or a marriage dower of dead bodies.
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Speaker 1: Khaled was silent, for he was bitterly disappointed, and his
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Speaker 1: eyes fell upon the sword which hung on the wall.
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Speaker 1: He felt that he could almost have taken it, and
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Speaker 1: made an end of Zahawa, for very anger that she
17:18
Speaker 1: would not love him had he not gone out for
17:21
Speaker 1: her into the raging heat of summer, and borne the
17:23
Speaker 1: burden of great war, and destroyed a nation and taken
17:26
Speaker 1: a city. Moreover, if neither words nor deeds can gain
17:30
Speaker 1: her love, what means remained to him to try? All
17:34
Speaker 1: through the night, Kaled pondered, calling all that he had
17:37
Speaker 1: seen in the world in former times, until he fell
17:39
Speaker 1: asleep at last, wearied in heart. Very early in the morning,
17:44
Speaker 1: when of Thehowa's women came and stood by his bed
17:46
Speaker 1: and waked him. He could see that her face was
17:48
Speaker 1: pale in the dawn, her limbs trembled, and her voice
17:51
Speaker 1: was uncertain. Arise, my lord, she said, A messenger has
17:55
Speaker 1: come from the army with evil news, and stands waiting
17:57
Speaker 1: in the court. Sprang up, and Sahawa awoke. Also, what
18:03
Speaker 1: is this message? He asked hastily, But the woman threw
18:05
Speaker 1: herself upon the floor and covered her face, as though
18:07
Speaker 1: begging forgiveness because she brought evil tidings. Speak, say, Sahawa,
18:12
Speaker 1: what is it, our lord? The Sultan is dead, cried
18:15
Speaker 1: the woman, And she broke out into weeping and crying,
18:17
Speaker 1: and would say nothing more. But when Sahawa heard that
18:21
Speaker 1: her father was dead, she sat down upon the floor
18:23
Speaker 1: and beat her breast and tore her hair, and wailed
18:25
Speaker 1: and wept, while all the women of the Harem came
18:28
Speaker 1: and gathered round her and joined in her mourning, so
18:30
Speaker 1: that the whole palace was filled with the noise of
18:32
Speaker 1: their lamentations. Khaled went out into the court and questioned
18:36
Speaker 1: the messenger, who told him that the Sultan had held
18:38
Speaker 1: a great feast in the evening in the gardens of Daraya,
18:41
Speaker 1: having with him the woman al Masta and the other
18:44
Speaker 1: captive women, and being served by black slaves. But suddenly,
18:49
Speaker 1: in the night, but most of the soldiers were already asleep,
18:52
Speaker 1: there had been a great cry, and the slaves and
18:53
Speaker 1: the women had come running from the tent crying that
18:56
Speaker 1: the Sultan was dead. This was true, and the Jewish physician,
18:59
Speaker 1: who had gone out with his master declared that he
19:01
Speaker 1: had died from an access of humors to the head,
19:03
Speaker 1: brought on by surfeit of sweetmeats, there being at the
19:06
Speaker 1: time an evil conjunction of Zahora and al Marek in
19:08
Speaker 1: square aspect to the moon and in the house of death.
19:13
Speaker 1: Khaled therefore mounted his bay mare and rode quickly out
19:15
Speaker 1: to Derryah, where he found that the news was true
19:18
Speaker 1: and the women were already preparing the Sultan's body for burial.
19:21
Speaker 1: Having ordered the mourning and commanded the army to prepare
19:24
Speaker 1: for the return to the city, Kaled set out with
19:26
Speaker 1: the funeral possession, and when he reached the walls of Riad,
19:29
Speaker 1: he turned to the left and passed around to the
19:30
Speaker 1: northeast side of the city, where the burial ground was situated.
19:34
Speaker 1: Here related the body of his father in law in
19:36
Speaker 1: the tomb, which the latter had prepared for himself during
19:38
Speaker 1: his lifetime, and afterwards, dismissing the mourners, he went back
19:42
Speaker 1: into the city to the palace. After the days of
19:46
Speaker 1: mourning were accomplished, the will of the Sultan was made known,
19:49
Speaker 1: though indeed the people were well acquainted with it already.
19:52
Speaker 1: By his will, Coaled succeeded to the sovereignty of the
19:55
Speaker 1: kingdom of the Jed, and to all the riches and
19:57
Speaker 1: treasures which a sultan had accumulated during his lifetime. But
20:01
Speaker 1: the people receive the announcement of the acclamations and much joy,
20:04
Speaker 1: followed by a great feasting, for which innumerable campbels were slain.
20:08
Speaker 1: CLD also called all the chief officers and courtiers to
20:11
Speaker 1: a banquet and addressed them in a few words according
20:13
Speaker 1: to his manner, Men of the Jed. He said, it
20:17
Speaker 1: is pleased Allah to remove to the companionship of the faithful,
20:19
Speaker 1: our master of the Sultan, my reverend father in law,
20:22
Speaker 1: upon whom be peace, and to set me upon you
20:25
Speaker 1: as king in his stead, being the husband of his
20:27
Speaker 1: only daughter, which you all know. As for the past,
20:31
Speaker 1: you know me. But if I have wronged any man,
20:33
Speaker 1: let him declare it, and I will make reparation. And
20:36
Speaker 1: if not, let none complain hereafter. But as for the future,
20:40
Speaker 1: I will be a just ruler so long as they live,
20:42
Speaker 1: and will lead the men of the Jed to war
20:44
Speaker 1: when there is war, and will divide the spoil fairly
20:48
Speaker 1: and in peace. I will not oppress the people with
20:50
Speaker 1: taxes nor change the just and good laws of the kingdom.
20:54
Speaker 1: And now the feasts prepared, sit down cheerfully, and may
20:57
Speaker 1: Allah give us both the appetite to enjoy and the
20:59
Speaker 1: strain to digest all the good things which help be
21:02
Speaker 1: set before us. But Klette himself ate sparingly, for his
21:06
Speaker 1: heart was heavy. When they had feasted in drunk train
21:09
Speaker 1: juice and heard music, he retired to the harem, where
21:12
Speaker 1: he found Zahawa sitting with Almasta, the Georgian woman, there
21:15
Speaker 1: being no other women present in the room. He was
21:18
Speaker 1: surprised when he saw Almasta, though he knew that the
21:21
Speaker 1: captive women had been lodged in the palace, the distribution
21:23
Speaker 1: of the spoils from the war having been put off
21:25
Speaker 1: by the mourning for the Sultan. When Almasta heard him enter,
21:30
Speaker 1: she looked up quickly, and a bright color rose in
21:32
Speaker 1: her face, as when the juice of a pomegranate is
21:34
Speaker 1: poured in to milk, and disappeared again as the false
21:36
Speaker 1: dawn before morning, leaving no trace. Kalede sat down. Is
21:42
Speaker 1: not this the woman of whom he spoke? Sahawa asked,
21:44
Speaker 1: I knew her from the rest by her red hair.
21:48
Speaker 1: This is the woman your father would have taken her
21:50
Speaker 1: for his wife, but Allah is disposed otherwise. She is beautiful,
21:55
Speaker 1: she is worthy to be a king's wife, said Ahawa.
21:58
Speaker 1: The Sultan asked Almasta, for she hardly understood. Her face
22:02
Speaker 1: turned as white as bone bleached by the sun, and
22:04
Speaker 1: her fingers trembled while her eyes were cast down. Sahawa
22:09
Speaker 1: looked a kolete and laughed. See how she trembles and
22:12
Speaker 1: turns palable for you, she said, And a little while
22:14
Speaker 1: ago her face was red. You have found a torch
22:17
Speaker 1: where we to kindle this lamp, and a breath that
22:19
Speaker 1: can extinguish it. I do not know, Kled answered, but
22:23
Speaker 1: it looked attentively at Almasta and remained silent for some time.
22:27
Speaker 1: It is not necessary to divide the spoils of the war,
22:29
Speaker 1: he said at last, and to bestow such of these
22:31
Speaker 1: women as you do not wish to keep upon the
22:33
Speaker 1: most deserving of the officers. My lord will surely take
22:36
Speaker 1: the ferrest for himself, since she loves him, said Zahawa, again, laughing,
22:40
Speaker 1: but somewhat bitterly. May my tongue be cloven, and my
22:44
Speaker 1: eyes be put out, and my hands wither at the
22:46
Speaker 1: wrists and my feet fall from my ankles if I
22:48
Speaker 1: ever take a wife. But you said, klette yallah, so
22:52
Speaker 1: be it. When Zahawa heard him say this, even while
22:56
Speaker 1: Amasa's face was unveiled before him, she understood that he
22:59
Speaker 1: was greatly in earnest. Let me keep her from my handmaid,
23:02
Speaker 1: she said, at last, is she mine that you need
23:05
Speaker 1: to ask me? But would be wiser to give her
23:07
Speaker 1: to Abdul Karim, the Sheikh of the Horseman. I have
23:10
Speaker 1: promised that the spoil will be fairly divided. And though
23:13
Speaker 1: few have seen this woman, many have heard of her beauty.
23:16
Speaker 1: And besides, she would weary you, for she could not
23:19
Speaker 1: talk Arabian, nor does she seem quick to learn. Abdul
23:22
Speaker 1: Karim has the first right, since all has removed your father,
23:25
Speaker 1: upon whom be peace. Your words are my laws, answered
23:29
Speaker 1: Sahawa obediently, And indeed it may be that you are right,
23:32
Speaker 1: for I believe that she can neither dance, nor sing,
23:34
Speaker 1: nor play upon any musical instruments. She would certainly weary
23:38
Speaker 1: me after a time, as you say, give her, therefore
23:41
Speaker 1: to abdul Karim for his shair. They then made autmost
23:44
Speaker 1: to understand that she has to be given to the
23:46
Speaker 1: Sheikh of the Horseman. But when she had understood, she
23:48
Speaker 1: shook her head and smiled, though at first she said nothing,
23:51
Speaker 1: so that Kaled and Sahawa wondered whether she had comprehended
23:53
Speaker 1: what they had told her. Do you understand what we
23:57
Speaker 1: have told you, aske Sahawa, who was diverted by her
23:59
Speaker 1: ignorance of this Arabic language. I understand, and you not
24:04
Speaker 1: please that you were to be wife of Abdul Karim,
24:06
Speaker 1: who is a rich man and still young. I was
24:09
Speaker 1: to be the Sultan's wife, said Almasta, with difficulty, looking
24:12
Speaker 1: at Khalette. You told me so. The sultan is dead.
24:17
Speaker 1: Kled answered, who is the sultan? Now? She asked, Kalete,
24:22
Speaker 1: is the sultan, said Zahawa. You said I should be
24:25
Speaker 1: the Sultan's wife, almosta repeated doubtless, I said so, Clet replied,
24:29
Speaker 1: but Allah has ordered it otherwise. Almastap again smiled and
24:33
Speaker 1: shook her head. End of Chapter five