said, 'You, my friend, are destined for greatness.' Holding up a finger, he warned, 'But this will not be won without great sacrifice. This is God's decree: virtue is purchased in the marketplace of torment; he who would be great among men must first be brought low. Amen, so be it.'
The old seer's pronouncement was unexpected and disappointing; it was, in fact, considerably less than I had hoped. My heart sank low to hear what I considered an extremely meek and ordinary announcement-nothing more than a dubious and ambiguous declaration united to a tired aphorism. Was this the wisdom dispensed by the Ruler of the Universe?
'I thank you, Amet,' I said, trying to conceal my disappointment. I replaced my cup on the brass tray and prepared to take my leave. 'I will heed your words.'
'You are disappointed,' the magus said. 'I can see it in your eyes. You think me a fool.'
'No,' I said quickly. 'I think-that is, I hoped you would tell me something I did not know.'
'And I have already said that I can tell you nothing you do not already know, yes?' He frowned fiercely. 'Speak plainly, priest. Why did you come to me?'
'I thought you might tell me about my death.'
He peered at my face as if at one of his scrolls. 'At last we come to it,' he said.
'Have you seen this?'
'It is tempting fate to speak of death. Since you insist, however, speak of it we will.'
Closing his eyes, he placed the palms of his hands over his face and began to rock gently back and forth. This continued for a little time, and then he whispered, 'Amen'.
Opening his eyes, he regarded me with a strange expression. 'You have recently escaped death, and you will again. Your enemies are never who they seem, but be warned: your true enemy is very near; his hand is concealed and ready to strike.'
Although this was scarcely less vague than what he had said before, I felt a thrill of recognition as he spoke.
'A captive you are, yet you will change one captivity for another before your true nature is revealed. This is not to be wondered at, neither feared. For your salvation is assured, though your safety is ever in doubt.' Raising his hands either side of his face, palm outward, Amet bowed three times, saying, 'This I have seen. May Allah, Ever Merciful, be praised!'
We made our farewells, then, and I offered the old magus the silver coin Gunnar had given me. 'It is all I have,' I told him, 'but you are welcome to it.'
Amet refused, however, saying that if he could not accept money from another seer, still less could he take it from a slave. 'Spend it on yourself, Aedan,' the seer called after me as I left. 'The small joy it brings will be the last you will know for a very long time.'
As I had nothing else in mind, I determined to do as he suggested, and the notion stimulated me. I had rarely had any money, and had never spent any on myself. I stood looking around, wondering how best to dispose of my coin. Sure, anything could be bought in the market-from wart potions to Persian parchment and red parrots.
What should I do with the money? The question posed something of a dilemma. The experience of spending was so peculiar to me that with the whole of the market before me, I was stymied-by the multiplicity of choice as much as by the singularity of the experience.
I wandered through the market and the nearby streets rapt in thought over this unexpected problem. I examined soft leather shoes, and silk rugs; I considered buying a knife, and then thought I might like a small purse of fine leather-but, having bought it, I would have nothing to put in it.
Enjoy, Amet had suggested. What would I enjoy?
Just as I posed this question my eye fell upon a young woman standing beside a pillar beneath a covered colonade. She was swathed in finest silk of red and yellow, and on her feet were white sandals with straps of braided gold. Her hair was dark, and fell about her shoulders in a mass of tight curls. I must have stared too openly, for she noticed my glance, smiled, and beckoned me with a gesture I had seen many times since coming to Trebizond.
In truth, it was only upon seeing her crook her finger in that certain way that I knew the trade she practised. Though it brings me no honour to say it, even as I took my first step towards her, I made up my mind to avail myself of her services. As I had never done this before-indeed, I had never lain with a woman-I did not know how the bargain was struck. Instantly, I was overwhelmed by the most delicious uncertainty. My heart began to beat fast, and my palms grew damp. When I opened my mouth to speak, I found the words strange on my tongue.
Recognizing inexperience when she saw it, the young woman smiled. Shifting her garment slightly, she revealed to me one smooth, shapely white shoulder. My eye travelled down to the swell of her breast to see the rosy tip of her nipple before she adjusted her garment once more. 'Would you like to come with me?' she asked. Her voice was not as lilting or as sweet as I had imagined it would be, but it was agreeable nonetheless.
Not trusting my voice, I simply nodded. She smiled again, and stepped behind the pillar. I followed, almost trembling with excitement, and noticed that there were other women waiting further back in the shadows. They took not the slightest notice of us.
'Do you have money?' She put out her hand to stroke my arm.
I nodded again. 'Yes.'
She smiled again, and put her hand to the side of my face. The touch tingled on my flesh. Thinking that this is where the act began, I raised my hand to her cheek. She pulled her clothing aside to expose her breast. 'Let me see the money first.'
I reached into my belt and withdrew the silver coin. The young woman stiffened. 'More,' she said. 'Show me more.'
Perplexed, I said, 'This is all I have.'
Shrugging her clothing back into place, she pushed me from her. 'Ten denarii!' she sneered. 'I do not even bend over for less than fifty.'
Stunned by the sudden change in her demeanour, I repeated, 'It is all I have.'
She regarded me with the harsh, unyielding eyes of a judge, and must have decided I was telling her the truth. 'Come with me,' she said, stepping further into the shadowed row of columns. I followed, growing more excited with every step. We passed three or four other prostitutes-none as fair as the one who led me, however- and continued on until we came to a place well out of sight of the street. I thought she was going to have pity on me, but in this I was disappointed.
The young woman halted and turned towards me. 'There,' she said, pointing into a dark-shadowed recess, 'Delilah will have you.'
Peering into the shadows, I saw a human form huddled against the stone. 'Delilah,' called the young prostitute, 'I have brought you a fine young man.' She turned and started away, laughing. 'Farewell, ten denarii!'
The figure in the shadows rose and lurched forward. A face emerged from the darkness. Little more than a mass of ratty hair and wrinkles, the ageing prostitute looked at me with sly approval. 'Ten denarii,' she said, and opened her mouth to show me that she had no teeth. Delilah then gave me a toothless smile and said, 'Like a baby,' she cooed. 'Only ten denarii.'
She hobbled closer. I became aware of a rank, sickly smell. Disgust, more than the stench, drove me back. The ageing whore followed, clutching at my clothes. 'Do whatever you want,' she screeched. 'Only ten denarii.'
Sickened at the thought of coupling with such a creature, I edged backwards, desperate now to get away. She shambled after me, grasping at my clothes. Turning from her, I fled, running back along the columns and the waiting women. They laughed, and called scorn upon me as I ran past, looking neither right nor left.
My face burning with shame, I stumbled into the street once more. I could hear the mocking laughter of the prostitutes ringing in my ears long after they were out of sight, though this was no doubt all my imagining. Hoping for nothing more than to lose myself in the market crowd, I walked aimlessly for a time, until my composure returned.
Sure, I felt humiliated, and deeply disgusted with myself for even thinking to behave in such a shameful manner. Abhorrence claimed me, and I abandoned myself to a wallow of loathing, berating myself for my ignorance and stupidity, as well as for the folly of my disgraceful actions.
Curiously, however, this feeling did not last. It was not long before I began to think that, as the thing stood,
