'Ah!' cried the khalifa triumphantly. 'You see! You see!' He took up the corner of his robe and blew his nose. 'The angels come here, you know.' He gestured vaguely to the garden. The khalifa's hands were long and his fingers thin-a feature oddly out of place on a man so fat.
'Aidan has come here to help us in our relations with the emperor,' the amir continued. He seemed unconcerned by his superior's shocking behaviour.
The khalifa's head swivelled towards me again. 'Has he indeed?' He looked at me through narrowed eyes. 'The Emperor of the West is a Christian,' he informed me. 'Are you a Christian also?'
I did not know what or whether to reply, but Sadiq indicated that I should answer. 'Yes,' I replied. 'That is, I was-but no longer.'
al'Mutamid nodded gravely. 'They say the emperor is fond of horses.'
'I believe this is true,' I confirmed. 'I have seen some of his horses.'
'How many?'
'Your majesty?'
'How many horses did you see?'
'Six, I believe.'
'Six!' roared al'Mutamid; his laughter shook the leaves on the nearby branches. 'Six! Did you hear, Tabataba'i? The emperor has but six horses! I have six thousand!' Abruptly, the khalifa became suspicious. 'Where did you learn to speak like this?'
'I was taught in Lord Sadiq's house by an excellent teacher-a young man named Mahmoud.'
'He is not an Arab, either,' observed al'Mutamid wearily. He yawned, already losing interest in the proceedings.
'No, Highness,' agreed Sadiq, 'Mahmoud is an Egyptian.'
'Ah,' nodded the khalifa sagely, 'that explains much.' Rocking his body to one side, he delivered himself of a long, sonorous fart, and said, 'What do you want, Sadiq? Why are you here?'
'We have come to beg a benevolence of you, Majesty,' he answered. 'Aidan has friends who, through no fault of their own, have fallen into slavery. It is my belief that they should be freed at once and allowed to return to their lands in the west.'
'If we free all the slaves,' al'Mutamid remarked, holding up a long finger, 'there would be no one to do the work. Who would do the work, Tabataba'i?'
The wazir stepped forward quickly. 'I do not believe the amir is suggesting that you free all the slaves. Are you, Lord Sadiq?'
'By no means, wazir,' he said. 'Only those known to Aidan.'
'Six!' cried al'Mutamid suddenly. 'Let it be the same as the emperor's horses!'
'Very well,' agreed the wazir quickly, 'we shall release one slave for each of the emperor's horses. I will write the decree shall I, majesty?' Without waiting for an answer, Tabataba'i stepped to the desk and knelt down. Taking up a square of parchment, he dipped the pen into a pot of ink and began to write.
But there were more than six survivors. Stepping forward, I made to object. 'I beg your pardon-' I began, then halted as Sadiq warned me off with a quick motion of his hands. The khalifa's eyes rolled towards me expectantly. 'Forgive me,' I blustered, 'I merely wished to acknowledge my gratitude for your estimable generosity. I am certain that those who are to be freed will be forever indebted to your majesty's compassion,' I paused, 'as for the rest-they will no doubt remain usefully, if less gratefully, employed.'
Sadiq frowned. Obviously, I had pressed the matter further than was becoming a man in my precarious position. What did I care for courtesy? I just hoped above all else that Wazir Tabataba'i had caught my insinuation. If he had, however, he gave no sign.
The khalifa sniffed ostentatiously. 'I am writing a poem,' he informed us blithely. 'It is about the duties of man before God.'
'How very worshipful, Highness,' said Sadiq. 'No doubt, it will be most instructive. I look forward to its completion with keen anticipation.'
'Prayer is a duty,' the khalifa said, then paused. 'I cannot think why.' His face wrinkled in sudden panic. 'Why is this, Tabataba'i?'
'Prayer shows the devotion of the soul to its creator,' answered the wazir absently. His pen continued flowing across the parchment for a moment, then he stopped, inspected what he had written, puffed his cheeks and blew on it, then sat back. 'A royal seal is required, Majesty. Would you like me to do it for you?'
The khalifa grimaced and flicked his hand impatiently in the wazir's direction. Tabataba'i rose and withdrew, saying, 'I will await you in the courtyard, Amir Sadiq. You will find me there when you have concluded your business.'
The wazir withdrew, leaving us to bid farewell to the khalifa. Lord Sadiq made several judicious observations of a general and pleasant nature, whereupon we prepared to make good our escape. Just as we were thanking the caliph for his charity, and bidding him farewell, the addle-pated fellow raised his hands and burst out chanting.
'Allah is the light of the heavens and earth!' cried the khalifa in a loud, cracking voice. 'His light is as a pillar upon which stands a lamp in a glass, shining like starlight and glittering like a pearl, kindled from the blessed olive tree-neither of the east, nor of the west-whose fragrant oil gives light though fire touches it not. Light upon light! God guides to his light whomsoever he pleases, and sets forth parables for the instruction of the people. Allah is wise in all things; his knowledge is infinite!'
So saying, the khalifa lowered his hands; he slumped back on his cushions once again and closed his eyes. Sadiq bowed low. 'Thank you for reminding me, Majesty,' he said. 'May God keep you well, khalifa.'
'Fruit,' the khalifa murmured sleepily. 'We must be having some fruit. I see bowls of it here.'
With a glance to me, Sadiq led the way from the garden and back through the hall to the courtyard where our horses, having been watered during our audience, were now waiting. As soon as we were beyond the hearing of the khalifa, I spoke up. 'There were more than six survivors,' I pointed out, and demanded: 'What are we to do about the rest?'
'Be at peace,' answered Sadiq placidly. 'Tabataba'i will have everything in order.'
'But he does not know,' I objected.
'The matter was well in hand,' Sadiq insisted. 'You might have ruined everything with your clumsy meddling.' He relented then, and said, 'You worry for nothing. Have faith, Aidan.'
Wazir Tabataba'i was waiting for us in the courtyard. The parchment was rolled in a bit of silk and tied with a length of the same material. He presented the roll to me, saying, 'May Allah, Wise and Compassionate, speed your friends' return to freedom. It is a very great gift you have been given this day.'
Not wishing to seem ungrateful, I nevertheless felt constrained to see for myself that all was in order. 'Thank you, wazir,' I said, and proceeded to untie the parchment. Once unrolled, I held the square between my hands and examined the graceful script closely.
'That is the royal seal of al'Mutamid,' Tabataba'i said, pointing to the red embossed insignia. 'Do you read Arabic?'
'Alas, no,' I conceded. Handing the scroll to him, I said, 'Please?'
'Of course,' he smiled haughtily. 'It says: 'Be it here known that the Khalifa al'Mutamid, Defender of the Faithful, has decreed that the bearer of this communication shall obtain the immediate release of certain slaves who are known to him. Anyone making bold to hinder or interfere in the execution of this decree shall be committing treason, and shall thus earn the full measure of the khalifa's wrath.'' He finished reading and looked up. 'I trust this meets with your approval?'
'Indeed, it is all I could have asked. Again, I thank you, Wazir Tabataba'i.'
'Do not thank me,' the wazir said elaborately, handing me the scroll. 'Thank al'Mutamid, and thank Allah the khalifa was in a reasonable mind today. It might easily have been otherwise.' He bowed, touching his forehead in a sign of respect to the amir, then turned and strode away.
'Wazir Tabataba'i serves the khalifate, not the khalifa,' Sadiq informed me when we were once again remounted and riding out through the palace gates. 'No one knows better how to temper the royal rages.' A cloud seemed to pass over the amir's face as he spoke, but I could not guess his feeling. 'At all events, I knew the wazir would make the decree usefully ambiguous.'
'Once more, I find myself indebted to your prudence and acumen. I will repay you if I can.'
He shook his head. 'There is no need. I only regret you had to see the khalifa in his infirmity, but there was
