“Hmph.” The prince grunted. “Nothing else, understand? Very well.”
He rang a bell, and asked the orderly to bring in the Ottoman gentleman.
[ 37 ]
The Russians noted Yashim’s appearance.
An insignificant fellow, the ambassador thought. No rank.
Junior Attache Potemkin felt a surge of relief, struck by the thought that if the Turks themselves gave this interview such low priority, his chief could hardly rank his error as a sacking offence.
They watched Yashim bow. The ambassador did not offer him a seat.
“I’m grateful for your help today,” Yashim said. The prince sneered and looked away. Yashim caught the expression and smiled.
“We understand that Count Potemkin spent some time with four officers of the Imperial New Guard last week. You are Count Potemkin.”
Potemkin bowed.
“If I may ask, were you friends? You have not been long in Istanbul.”
“No. I still hardly know my way around.” Potemkin bit his lip: that was supposed to come later. “We weren’t friends. Just friendly.”
“Of course. Then you had met before?”
“Not at all. We met at the gardens, by pure chance. I suppose we were all slightly curious. We spoke, in French. I’m afraid my French is not good,” Potemkin added.
Yashim saw no reason to flatter him.
“And you discussed—what?”
“To tell the truth, I hardly remember. I think I told them about this.” Potemkin raised his palsied hand to his face. “War wounds.”
“Yes, I see. You are a man of experience in battle.”
“Yes.”
“What were you doing in the gardens?”
“Looking round. Taking a walk.”
“A walk? What for?”
“I thought maybe I could get some exercise. Somewhere quiet, where I would not attract so much attention.”
Yashim thought the mangled Russian could probably cause quite a stir in a city street.
The ambassador yawned, and prepared to stand.
“Is that all? I am sure we all have our duties to perform.”
Yashim bowed. “I merely wanted to ask the attache, how did he leave the gardens?”
The ambassador sighed, stood up, and waved a hand.
Potemkin said: “We left together. I dropped them off, somewhere near the barracks, I think. I don’t know the city well.”
“No, I understand. You took a cab?”
Potemkin hesitated and glanced at his chief.
