Harem Of Aman Akbar Part 17

When we had been bundled onto the parade ground and our feet encased to the knees in weighted silken sacks, a different color for each of us, we had a fine viewpoint for the whole affair, or such as we were to be alive long enough to witness. Aman and Marid Khan were staked to the ground, several lengths apart, so that all the excitement didn't happen at once. The King sat on his balcony, the Emir smiling on the cushion beside him. From behind the pink curtain came more wailing and sobbing. Um Aman was praying to herself. I couldn't see because her veils were drawn about her, although none of the rest of us were permitted to cover our faces. I suppose they figured because she was a mother and not too comely they could grant her final privacy.

Hyaganoosh and Aster were supported by each of the arms of one burly guard. Amollia stared straight ahead, her face that of an ebony idol. Kalimba was nowhere to be seen. At least someone had escaped the King's idea of justice. The crowd pressed on all sides, restrained by ranks of splendidly uniformed guards. The King sported a new purple turban with jeweled peac.o.c.k feathers that matched his fan. I didn't notice anything else, for the elephant lumbered onto the field.

The beast was, from its decorations, the same who had been presented to the King by the Emir. His trunk swayed rhythmically between his silver-capped tusks, ears fanning majestically under a little elephant's caplet of bells and ta.s.sles, the whole of which would have made a cloak for Aster. The elephant was led by the mahout, not ridden, toward the white cloth upon which lay Aman Akbar. This cloth had been spread, I supposed, to protect the gra.s.s from too much nourishment and also for the purpose of displaying to the court the maximum amount of gore.

The mahout tapped the elephant behind the knee and the beast raised its foot over Aman's outstretched legs.

Aman's head raised, his neck tense, as he looked up into the mouth of his destroyer. He did not flinch, but I did. To be pinioned, unable to defend him was more than I could bear. His image blurred before me and my throat tightened so that I thought it would burst. Amollia's hands flew to her mouth and she cried out. The elephant stepped back, knocking the stick out of the mahout's hand and lowering its foot safely on the gra.s.s. The mahout urged it forward again.

Amollia turned to me babbling. It took me a while to make out that she was saying the elephant was none other than our our elephant, the one we had obtained in Fatima's village. When it was in position to crush Aman again, she cried out once more, but this time a guard clamped his hand over her mouth. elephant, the one we had obtained in Fatima's village. When it was in position to crush Aman again, she cried out once more, but this time a guard clamped his hand over her mouth.

The elephant, looking over at us, saw this. Knocking the mahout aside, the great gray beast stepped daintily around Aman and thundered toward us. The crowd scattered and the guard had sense enough to release Amollia. The elephant felt her hair with its trunk, and satisfied, stood near us, looking around as if daring anyone to threaten us.

The King was pounding the balcony rail with his fists. "Don't just stand there! Get another elephant! Kill that one!"

Into the gap created by the scattered crowd bounded Kalimba, followed by a white-clad figure whose every step was punctuated by the thump of a walking stick. The few people who were in her way quickly removed themselves.

Admonishing black eyes pierced the balcony and the King retreated to a sitting position. The same gaze swept us all, and even the elephant hung its head.

"Well," Fatima said, "I suppose if you want something done you have to do it yourself."

The hush following the elephant's defection and Fatima's arrival was broken by the King's angrily gargled order, "Silence that old woman! Who does she think she is, anyway?"

The guards were not too eager to obey and hesitated. Fatima turned to me. "Haven't you given him the charm yet either? It's plain he hasn't tasted the lemon."

"Aman has the charm," I said.

A voice called to the King from the pink curtain and again the guards delayed while all eyes turned to the balconies once more.

"What did you say, Aunt? Must I clear the balcony?"

"I said," the acting Sultana's voice was hoa.r.s.e, as if forced through an unwilling mouth, "that woman is your mother."

"I've had enough of women's nonsense for one day!" the King said petulantly. "Clear the balcony!"

"If-if you do," the voice said, "before you can, we will tear aside the curtain and every one of us will show her face to the populace."

The crowd cheered and the King turned scarlet. Fatima did not let any gra.s.s grow under her feet while the Sultana bought her time. She was standing over Aman and had the necklace from his throat in the wink of an eye. This she handed up to the King on the end of her walking stick.

"Your Majesty, Abad, my son," she said, very patiently for her. "You are the Defender of the Faithful. We, the women who love you, seek only to help you avoid a grave injustice and to execute your duties and your enemies, not your friends. Only hear me, and the witnesses here today, and you will see that you have been tricked by that man beside you."

The King didn't seem to know what to say or which way to look. He opened his mouth to storm in the way he believed regal, and looked into Fatima's eyes and saw something that made him stop. He started to speak again, and looked back at her, and stopped again. "But, my mother is dead," he said in a small voice more appropriate to his age than any I had heard him use.

"Examine the charm," she said firmly. He took it from the hook and shook his head, then patted his chest in a puzzled way. "It is not the one you have worn since babyhood, my son, the one I placed upon you after securing the promise of your foster mother that if I left you in peace she would see that you wore it always. It is the other half. The half I have worn. The half I sent with these women, along with the sacred carpet of Saint Selima and another, precious gift, as my legacy to you. But the man beside you, the thief of the sacred carpet, the ally of the G.o.dless being who loosed catastrophes upon your helpless women and sought to slay my messengers, has prevented my gift from reaching you. I beg you, with love, to accept it."

The Emir whispered to the King, gently, and the young man shook his head violently, and with great effort stared down at Fatima. "Woman, I do not know you nor do I know why you support criminals and adulteresses against my faithful Emir but-"

"Oh, balderdash," Fatima said. "I knew I couldn't pull this off alone." She turned to Kalimba. "You'll have to tell him. My own son and he won't believe his mother."

The cat coughed several times violently and smoke curled from its nostrils. The smoke gathered into a familiar shape and as two of the guards swooned and a great part of the crowd screeched, the djinn appeared, genuflected as well as he was able with an ample middle and no feet, and floated upward to address the King.

"Your Majesty, please believe me that I sympathize with your att.i.tude toward recalcitrant females. However, in this case, I fear that yours are not reacting with their typical inane hysteria. I have observed this matter from start to finish and now, as a free agent, a subject of a parallel and complementary people whose duty it is to educate mortals whenever possible, and as a true believer, I feel it inc.u.mbent upon me to mingle with mankind one last time in order to acquaint you with my knowledge. Only ask this scoundrel beside you once more, in the presence of your ladies behind the curtain, about the so-called present he sent to announce his arrival."

The King turned to the Emir who stammered, "D-dancing girls, wasn't it, Your Majesty? And very fine ones too, you said. I thought you were pleased."

The pink curtain agitated and though the Sultana did not again address the King directly a messenger presently arrived and whispered to the King. Meanwhile, a guard moved to the Emir's side.

"Onan Emir," the King said, turning from djinn and guard, "My Lady Aunt says that your dancing girls turned into crocodiles and tried to eat my harem. What have you to say? I for one find it amusing, since neither dancing girls nor crocodiles are anywhere to be found now."

"Amusing?" Aster had snapped out of her fearful trance some moments ago and watched the scene avidly. Now she rolled up her sleeve, pulled forth a yellow oblong and cried to the djinn, "Old Uncle, catch!"

The djinn fumblingly did so and stared at the fruit with some distaste before proffering it to the King, who flattened an upraised palm at it.

"My son, this fruit is my other gift. Only eat it and you will see the truth of this matter," Fatima said.

"You seek to poison me," the King said. "Guards!"

"Nonsense!" she said, "I'd eat some myself but I'm a wisewoman. It would be wasted on me. Ask your friend the Emir to test it. He can use it."

The King's face grew cunning with the look of a child about to pull the wings from a moth. "No. I have a better idea. Try it on the prisoner. The one all of you women and even my elephants seem so intent upon preserving. If he survives it, I will eat it."

The djinn snapped his fingers and Aman's bonds in the same gesture and our husband sat up. The djinn waved his hand to summon Aman. Aman glanced at us. As one woman, we nodded silently, and he marched forward, head high, received the lemon from the djinn and bit into it, whereupon he puckered sourly, swallowed hard and said, "Ummm," bobbing his head encouragingly at the King. Then gradually, his expression altered and he looked at the djinn, at Fatima, and at us wonderingly and said, "G.o.d be praised. I never realized that before."

"Never realized what?" the King said impatiently. "Are you dying?"

"No, Your Majesty," Aman answered. "Far from it. In fact, I feel-I don't know how to describe it, Your Majesty."

"I command you to do so," the King replied. Aman shook his head ruefully and handed the lemon to the King, who angrily tore it in two and began sucking it and shredding it with his teeth.

He stood with his arms folded across his chest, a defiant look in his young face, for a short time. Then with an impatient gesture he pointed his finger at us, opened his mouth, and lowered his finger again, a blush creeping from his collar to his hairline and a sheepish look replacing the stubborn, angry one he had worn ever since the elephant refused to crush Aman Akbar.

"Captain of the guards," he said at length.

"Your Majesty?" the Captain ran and crawled at the same time, his progress ending in a genuflection before the balcony.

"Send my subjects home and bring all the princ.i.p.als to the audience chamber. See that my ladies are in attendance behind their screen, and have another screen, for privacy, moved close to the divan so that my mother and her female friends may present their testimony."

When he had heard the stories of Aman Akbar, Marid Khan, his aunt, Zarifa, Um Aman, Fatima, Hyaganoosh and the djinn, the King questioned the Emir. "We will forget for the moment, Onan Emir, that by the testimonies of no less than four Kharristanis, you have misused your power and taken from my subjects wealth to be used for your own enjoyment. The more immediate question is of a more seriously treasonous nature. Why did you send me sorcerous dancers who would change into crocodiles and try to eat my ladies? I am forced to believe that this was no random or accidental enchantment, for it happened, if what the wives of Aman Akbar and my own sister tell me is correct, no less than three times and on the third occasion one of these dancers gave the Lady Rasa a caustic liquid represented as a liniment so that she would destroy herself before the dancers menaced my harem. By trying to remove the one woman among my own capable of defending the others, the dancers showed their premeditated evil intent. I can only a.s.sume it was at your instigation."

The Emir's stomach spread against the carpet as he pressed himself deeper into it in an ardent salaam. "Majesty, I am guilty of no such heinous crime, only of a small and insignificant desire to appear pleasing in Your Majesty's sight. When you told me dancers had been sent to you in my name and that you were well pleased with them, I accepted the credit, but in truth I had nothing to do with it. If you do not believe me, you may ask the same Lady Hyaganoosh and the gracious matron who accompanied her from the palace of the Div King. Yes, you may even question the bandit Marid Khan. If they are the honorable people you believe them to be, they will tell you that I dispatched no such dancers. Indeed, Sani the Ever-Changing and I parted on such bad terms that he would have vouchsafed me no subjects of his as presents to you. It is instead my belief that he sent the dancers himself, in my name, to shame and implicate me and to punish not only myself but the Lady Hyaganoosh, who fled from him when he abused my gift of her person by mistreating her and her cousin's family who aided her in her escape."

Much as I hated to aid the wretch in any respect, I was forced in all honesty to mention the Peri's warning scratched upon my stomach, and Aster elaborated. The King sighed and nodded sadly.

"Though it would give me much pleasure to continue the execution as scheduled, I must concede that on the surface it appears the crimes of the dancers were not of your contrivance. Your presence in the home of my fellow monarch, the King of Divs, is not yet explained however."

The Emir babbled something about being an old friend of the family, gifts exchanged, that sort of thing. The Emir had been just stopping by to see how Sani liked his new bride. Then, naturally, he, the Emir, would continue on the short distance farther to Bukesh and present his tribute.

"And the Lady Hyaganoosh then was not presented to me first?" the King asked, looking petulant.

"Well, not exactly, Your Majesty, but-"

"And her Aunt, Um Aman, was a free woman and not a slave for you to give to anyone?"

"She had become a prisoner through her attempts to-er, no, Your Majesty. I mean, yes, Your Majesty, she was a free woman formerly."

"I cannot accept them then. Um Aman may return to her son's household and the Lady Hyaganoosh, if she wishes, may reside here until my Aga can contract her a good marriage." The young King rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and one of his slaves stopped fanning long enough to rub his neck, a familiar gesture to which the prematurely experienced King offered no objection. "As for Marid Khan-" the King continued after a moment. Marid Khan crawled forward again and kneeled. "You admit to treasonous banditry, do you?"

"If it please Your Majesty, against none but the Emir of Kharristan only, this ruthless tyrant who beggared my people. We sought only to regain our own. He has stolen and looted with all manner of magic tricks from all and sundry and-"

"I have already heard your accusations, Marid Khan. There is no evidence of this, however."

Fatima leaned forward and spoke through a leaf-shaped hole pierced in the fragrant sandalwood screen that shielded us from the eyes of the men. "There is the carpet of Saint Selima."

"My mother has mentioned this carpet before. I would see it." A low murmuring filtered through the fretted marble behind which sat the Sultana and the rest of the harem and presently a pair of eunuchs brought forth the rolled carpet and unrolled it at the King's feet. "And you say it flies?"

"I myself have seen it do so, Your Majesty, when the djinn used it to transport the three wives of Aman Akbar to the refuge of your seraglio," Marid Khan answered.

"Normally, it can be done only by a very devout person, such as Um Aman or myself, however," Fatima added.

The djinn wafted forward bowing. "If it please Your Majesty, I I am a very devout person. It was my sense of fairness that caused me to return, though I was finally free of mankind, having flung my bottle far into the mountains where, lying unstoppered and unmolested in the nest of a bird, it is safe from tampering hands. Though I may rejoin the djinnia who disport themselves within the ether, I recalled that I had not exactly fulfilled all of the wish of my former master's mother, since the carpet I had employed to scoop up all of the concerned females was unable to collect the old one and her niece. For that reason I returned to the city, where I borrowed the form of the spotted cat and used its natural powers to seek Lady Fatima and bring her forth. The carpet is very sacred and I can testify that it was stolen by the Emir, and was in his possession when first I entered his-er-employ." am a very devout person. It was my sense of fairness that caused me to return, though I was finally free of mankind, having flung my bottle far into the mountains where, lying unstoppered and unmolested in the nest of a bird, it is safe from tampering hands. Though I may rejoin the djinnia who disport themselves within the ether, I recalled that I had not exactly fulfilled all of the wish of my former master's mother, since the carpet I had employed to scoop up all of the concerned females was unable to collect the old one and her niece. For that reason I returned to the city, where I borrowed the form of the spotted cat and used its natural powers to seek Lady Fatima and bring her forth. The carpet is very sacred and I can testify that it was stolen by the Emir, and was in his possession when first I entered his-er-employ."

The King nodded, but by now his plumes were drooping with the weight of all of the evidence and testimony he was having to a.s.similate. Being a wise and just King is a good deal more difficult than being a capricious and cruel one. "So, we agree the carpet is holy, the Emir is a thief, and my mother is holy, but truly, Marid Khan, I do not see that that excuses you from turning bandit-"

"Your Majesty, we of my people do not consider our acts banditry nor ourselves treasonous. We were a separate people in the time of your father and mine, one of the desert tribes who allied themselves with your father. Our alliance was sealed with the gift of my father's own sister to your father, I am told, for it happened before I was born, and when word reached us that this aunt of mine was no longer in the harem, and had probably been slain by her rivals, my father was understandably insulted. Still, we honored the alliance until this rogue of an Emir was sent to govern Kharristan and would have robbed my people of all they possessed. We simply taxed him and his subjects instead."

Beside me, Fatima let her breath out in a sharp little puff and her plump hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, dear, I always meant to send a message, but it is a most inconvenient procedure with the sea between the jungle and your desert, Marid. And by the time I was settled at the shrine, I was sure your father would have died and it didn't seem important anyway, with Selima's work so pressing. Do forgive me and er-Your Majesty, son, may I present your second cousin, prince of my people and the people of your legacy from me, who, if they're doing all that badly, you simply must do something for."

The King sank lower into his velvet cushions and mopped his brow with the back of his hand, despite the peac.o.c.k fans and the cool monsoon breeze blowing in through the open arched windows.

"I think under the circ.u.mstances we can pardon Marid Khan and restore his people to their former prominence. That takes care of about everything except what troubles me most, and that is that I still see no way to save the honor of my women and the life of Aman Akbar, for by invading my harem baths, even for such n.o.ble reasons as you claim, you have sullied them and myself by implication. I could simply castrate you and give you a government post, I suppose, for as a eunuch, even after the fact, you would have committed no serious breach of-"

Aman, also kneeling before the King, blanched. His melting brown eyes strayed longingly and apologetically toward the screen. Um Aman dug her nails into her abayah-covered elbows and her knuckles turned white. Her lips disappeared into a tight, pleated line and her black eyes glared straight ahead. Amollia closed her eyes and looked as if she would swoon. Burning, bitter liquid rose in my throat and choked me, receding only as I grabbed Aster, who was rising, ready to knock away the screen and berate the King-or so it seemed from the red flushing in her cheeks and the wild gleam in her eye.

Aman was speaking, "Your Majesty, though I understand that I have offended your honor, I must ask you to consider that mine was likewise offended: my wives were taken from me. I sought only to regain them. We were married a very short time when I became an a.s.s. They are young and faithful and far from their homes and if I am made a eunuch, will have no man to do for them what a husband should do, and will be doomed to barrenness. Therefore, for their sakes, I beg you to let me divorce them and then, if you are merciful, you might ask the djinn to turn me back into a a.s.s. I would prefer to be a whole animal than half a man and as an a.s.s I would be no more of an offense to your ladies than as a eunuch."

Aster sat down again sharply. But as if it was unconnected with me, I heard my own voice saying, "Your Majesty, whether man, donkey, or eunuch, my husband is my husband and I will not be parted from him, having come this far. If you have him turned into an a.s.s, I would be likewise transformed-"

Aster turned on me. "Don't be silly, Rasa. Who would take care of him then? Do you think I want to herd both of you? "Turning back to the screen she said, "Your Majesty, with all due respect, I simply do not accept such a solution. Aman Akbar didn't rape your wives, he saved them from being devoured by crocodiles. Lemon of experience or no lemon of experience, you aren't being very reasonable. The Emir is your enemy, not Aman. If anyone should be cut upon or transformed or mashed, it is not my husband but that fat toad."

"One dishonor does not wipe out another," the King said. "I know that now more than ever-"

From behind the marble screen, the Sultana spoke again. "Even so, Your Majesty, there must be another way. For my part, I would be as dishonored by the execution, mutilation or transformation of this brave man for saving my life as I would be by running naked through the streets of Bukesh and showing myself to every mahout and camel driver among your subjects." Murmurs of a.s.sent, with only one or two gasps of, "oh really, now, I wouldn't take it that far," buzzed from behind the screen.

"There is one other way, my son," Fatima said. "Among our people, the people of Marid Khan, women are not veiled with the tribe, for we are all one family. If Aman Akbar is transformed, not into a eunuch or an a.s.s, but into a family member, the shame to your women will be wiped out."

"But that is not possible," he said.

"It is if you marry the Lady Hyaganoosh, who is his cousin."

He thought a moment and shook his head. "But I cannot, for to do so would be as dishonorable as to leave the stain unredeemed."

"Your Majesty?" Hyaganoosh's voice was small and girlish and cajoling.

"Yes?"

"Your Majesty, I know it is immodest of me to say so, but if you should in your wisdom decide that the thing for me to do would be to marry your cousin, Marid Khan, the great desert warrior and leader of his people, and if it is only your unwillingness to betroth me a third time without consulting my wishes or my people, I just want to let you know that I would happily bend myself to obey you if it would facilitate a solution to this problem. Aman Akbar really isn't a bad bad sort." sort."

"It is most unseemly for a woman to speak for herself about matrimony without the consent of the head of her household," the King said severely.

"Your Majesty," Um Aman said. "Hyaganoosh is but a girl. Forgive her impetuousness. Her parents were murdered by this slime of an Emir, who also murdered her father's brother, my own dear husband, who had he lived would have adopted the girl. Therefore, I consider myself her adoptive mother. Aman Akbar is the head of my household. Therefore, you might say that if he is not to be Hyaganoosh's husband, he could be in place of her brother."

"The connection is not close enough."

Fatima spoke. "It is if you, my son, allow me to make the same arrangements in regards to Marid Khan. If he is your adoptive brother, therefore Aman Akbar is your brother-in-law if Marid Khan and Hyaganoosh wed. He was also, you will recall, husband to three of the ladies in the incident, son of one, and as brother of another, in-law to yourself and the Sultana, the stain is considerably bleached."

The King shook his head slowly. "It is too complicated. We will never be able to explain it to anyone outside this room."

"There is one other way, my son, but it will look even stranger to outsiders," Fatima said. "Um Aman is a widow. You have been given her as a slave, a potential concubine. Therefore, it seems to me that you may take Aman Akbar as your adoptive son."

Um Aman was sputtering and grunting and didn't seem to know where to look. The King's mouth hung open with consternation.

"However, since by your adoption of Aman Akbar, you would have a son of Um Aman, and the only son you are likely to get from her, she could be released as I was to return home, which is what you have already decided to do."

The King scratched his head and his turban slipped forward. "It is still extremely complicated and I know if I think about it very long I shall think of some very good reason why it will not work. But as I do not intend to think about this any further, but to retire with my ladies and reap the benefit of some of the new experience I've gained from the lemon, I will place my seal upon the proper doc.u.ments and consider it done. Only one further matter do I need to take care of and that is to place my newly adopted son upon the divan of Kharristan, where I am sure he will rule wisely-at least, he can hardly do worse than has already been done. And some fitting punishment must be devised for the Emir. I wonder if the elephant is still ready?"

The djinn bowed low again. "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold. Our law delights in appropriate punishments and I would suggest one for this man who insults innocent women, murders the people he is sworn to protect, and has honest men changed into donkeys while-ahem-ignoring the magnificent treasures he he obtains by the downfall of those same honest men. Such a man should not be slain, but should be imprisoned, as I have been, in a bottle, and made to grant three wishes to the first person to find his vessel and release him. He will never be free again until someone shall freely agree to take his place-" obtains by the downfall of those same honest men. Such a man should not be slain, but should be imprisoned, as I have been, in a bottle, and made to grant three wishes to the first person to find his vessel and release him. He will never be free again until someone shall freely agree to take his place-"

"Oh, I like like that," the King said, boyish delight flickering once more in his eyes. And before he had the words out, the djinn had done it and disappeared. that," the King said, boyish delight flickering once more in his eyes. And before he had the words out, the djinn had done it and disappeared.

These days I almost wish Aman would take more wives, for though we have many servants, and eat fresh food every night, the running of such a large household, and one in which we must so frequently entertain heads of state and delegations from allied peoples, is a grievous burden. Amollia has weaned her first baby, the one who made her sick that day in Bukesh, and has started another and Aster is so big now she is unfit to do anything but criticize my attempts at telling our tale. There are wonderful stables, and my husband solicits my advice about these as frequently as he does about the discipline and maintenance of his guard. I have barely had the time to learn to read and write while coping, and I miss Um Aman as well. Like Fatima, she found the harem life didn't suit her and she too has become a holy woman, and has dedicated herself to Selima's sacred animals in our part of the world: camels, scorpions, snakes, the elephant-still the property of the jeweler but still rented to us-and most particularly a.s.ses.

Hyaganoosh and Marid Khan are frequent visitors. Hyaganoosh entertains us with tales of the nomadic life, to which she has become surprisingly attached, while Marid Khan consults with Aman Akbar about the difficulties of governing. Amollia is of great help to our husband in these matters of diplomacy, and tells stories to her baby of how his grandfather, the Great Elephant, handled this or that problem in her native land. I have yet to have a child, but Aman shows no sign of wishing to put me away because I am barren, and indeed, we are much together these days, trying to alleviate my condition, while Amollia and Aster are unable to perform their marital duties.

In his new wisdom, Aman is careful always to treat us equitably. He gave Amollia a new gown and a rope of deep sea pearls when she bore her son, and both she and Aster received a rope of gold coins each time they became pregnant. I got mine when I bought the first string of horses, and a strand of turquoise when our army defeated that of a disaffected desert tribe. When the alliance was forged, my husband sent to the King and requested an elephant, which he has sent in the care of a number of his guard to my father, with the regards of the King. That will show my mother's cousins.