The Moghul Part 73

Before he could move, the n.o.bles were there, pulling open his doublet and scooping up the worked foil. In moments his doublet was plucked clean. He looked about in disbelief, and saw that Arangbar was already tossing more baskets to the turbaned crowd.

When the silver and gold were gone, Arangbar spoke quickly to the eunuchs, and trays appeared with chalices of hard spirits. The a.s.sembled n.o.bles all toasted the Moghul's health and he joined in as the drinking began. Musicians appeared, followed by food on plates of silver worked in gold. Finally hookahs were set about the carpet, together with more drinks, and a singer arrived to perform an afternoon raga.

"This is an auspicious day for us both, Inglish." Arangbar beamed down from his throne as he motioned Hawksworth forward. "The news just reached me. Was this meant to be a surprise?"

"The English fleet is my king's birthday gift to Your Majesty."

"Nothing could gratify me more." Arangbar drank from a large cup of wine. "We think it might be time we considered sending an amba.s.sador of our own to the court of your Inglish king. We just sent our first amba.s.sador to Goa."

"King James would be most honored, Your Majesty."

"Tell me, Amba.s.sador Inglish. When will these ships reach the port at Surat?"

"It depends on whether the Portugals want to honor the treaty between Spain and England and allow our fleet to pa.s.s unchallenged. Sailing up from the islands will mean tacking against the wind, but the fleet could possibly make landfall within a month." Hawksworth paused. "Your Majesty must realize this adds urgency to the matter of the trading _firman_.''

"Within the week or so, Inglish. Within a week or so."

Hawksworth caught a slight elevation of Nadir Sharif's eyebrows.

"How long now do you intend to be staying with us, Inglish?" Arangbar popped a ball of opium into his mouth . . . a bit too early in the day, Hawksworth thought.

"Until you've signed the _firman _for trade, Your Majesty. I'll return it to King James by the next shipping west."

"We would prefer that you stayed with us awhile longer, Inglish."

"No one regrets more than I that it's not possible, Your Majesty. But my king awaits Your Majesty's pleasure regarding the terms of the _firman_."

"We have conceived a new idea, Inglish. We will send the ito your king by our own amba.s.sador. Then you can remain here with us until your king sends another amba.s.sador to replace you." Arangbar laughed. "But he must be a man who drinks as well as you, or we may send him back."

Hawksworth felt his stomach tighten. "Who can say when another amba.s.sador will be sent, Your Majesty? Should Your Majesty approve the _firman_, my duties here will be _Resolve_d."

"But you must remain here to ensure we keep our word, Inglish."

Arangbar winked broadly. "Else our heart could grow fickle."

"I am honored, Your Majesty." Hawksworth shifted. "But my first duty is to my king."

"We have been thinking perhaps you should have other duties . . ."

Arangbar's voice trailed off as he sipped on his wine and studied Hawksworth. Then he looked up and his glance fell on the Portuguese Jesuits lingering at the back of the courtyard. As he examined them, he recalled the many long evenings when he had allowed the Jesuit Pinheiro and his superior, Father Sarmento, to debate with him the merits of Christianity. And again he found himself marveling how refreshingly different the Englishman was.

Out of curiosity he had once inquired of the Jesuits how exactly a king such as himself could become a Christian, and the very first thing they had said was he must select only one of all his wives and dismiss the rest.

He had tried to point out to them the absurdity of allowing a man only one wife, without even the option to rid oneself of her once she grew tiresome. And what, he had asked, was this king to do if his single remaining wife suddenly became blind one day? Was he to keep her still?

Of course, they had replied, blindness in no way interferes with the act of marriage. And what if she becomes a leper? Patience, they had counseled, aided by G.o.d's grace, which renders all things easy. Such patience, he had pointed out, might be customary for a Jesuit, who had abstained from women all his life, but what about one who had not? And they had replied that Christians also were sometimes known to sin, but that the Grace of Christ provided the remedy of penitence, even for those who transgressed against the law of chast.i.ty. He had listened with mounting astonishment as they next proceeded to describe how Jesuits scourged themselves to still the fires of the flesh.

At this last, he had realized that Christian doctrines were incomprehensible and unworthy of further inquiry. From that time forward he had never bothered to take the Jesuits seriously.

But this Englishman is different, he told himself. A real man, who'll drink a cup of wine or eye a pretty woman with plenty of unchaste thoughts on his sleeve.

"From this day forth you'll be serving us, Inglish, as well as your king. We have decided to make you a _khan_."

Hawksworth stared at him uncomprehending. A murmur swept the crowd, but quickly died away to stunned silence.

"A _khan_, Your Majesty?"

"_Khan_ is a t.i.tle given to high-ranking officers in our service. It carries with it great honor. And a salary. No _feringhi _has ever before been made a _khan _by us. You will be the first." He laughed broadly. "So now you must stay in India and drink with us. You are in our hire."

"I'm flattered by Your Majesty's generosity." Hawksworth found himself stunned--by the honor and also by the disquieting implications for his planned return to England. "What are the duties of a _khan_?"

"First, Inglish, we must have a ceremony, to invest you properly."

Arangbar seemed to ignore the looks of disbelief on the faces around him. "You will be given a personal honorary rank, called _zat_, of four hundred. And a horse rank, called _suwar_, of fifty."

"Does it mean I have to maintain that many cavalry?" Hawksworth blanched, realizing his money was already growing short.

"If you do, you will be the first _khan _in India who ever did. No, Inglish, you will be provided salary for that number, but you need not maintain more than twenty or thirty. We will personally select them for you after the wedding."

Arangbar turned and motioned to Nadir Sharif. The prime minister came forward and one of the eunuchs handed him a small box, of teakwood worked in gold. He motioned for Hawksworth to kneel directly in front of Arangbar. The n.o.bles around them still could not disguise their astonished looks.

Nadir Sharif moved directly above where Hawksworth was kneeling and opened the box. "His Majesty, by this symbol, initiates you into discipleship. It is bestowed only on the very few." He took out a small gold medal, attached to a chain, and slipped the chain over Hawksworth's head. Hawksworth noted that the medal had the likeness of Arangbar imprinted on both sides. "Now you must prostrate yourself before His Majesty."

"May it please His Majesty, the amba.s.sador of a king must show his grat.i.tude after the custom of his own country," Hawksworth replied to Nadir Sharif, then bowed lightly to Arangbar. "I humbly thank Your Majesty in the name of King James."

Nadir Sharif's face darkened. "You must _teslim _to His Majesty."

"No, not the Inglish." Arangbar waved Nadir Sharif aside. "He must follow his own custom. Now, give him the pearl."

Nadir Sharif took a large pearl from the box and stood before Hawksworth.

"This you must wear in your left ear, where your gold earring is now."

Hawksworth examined the pearl. It was immense, and perfect.

"Again I thank Your Majesty." Hawksworth looked up to see Arangbar beaming. "How shall I wear it?"

"My jeweler will fit it for you, Inglish."

A wry, portly man stepped forward and quickly removed the small gold earring from Hawksworth's ear. Just as deftly, he attached the pearl where it had been.

"And now, Inglish, I will bestow on you the highest favor of my court."

He turned and signaled another eunuch to come forward. The eunuch carried a cloak woven with gold. "This cloak I have myself worn, then kept aside to bestow on a worthy disciple. It is for you."

Arangbar took the cloak himself and laid it over Hawksworth's shoulders.

"I thank Your Majesty. The honor is more than I could ever merit."

"That may well be true, Inglish." Arangbar roared. "But it's yours. You speak my tongue and you drink almost as well. Few men here today can equal you. And you have the wits of ten Portuguese. I think you deserve to be one of my _khans_." Arangbar signaled for him to rise. "Your salary will begin with the next lunar month. After that you will be known in this court as the Inglish Khan. Day after tomorrow you will ride with us in _shikar_, the royal hunt. You may soon decide you like India better than England. Have you ever seen a tiger?"

"Never, Your Majesty."

"You will soon enough. Day after tomorrow. So you had best do your drinking now, for tigers require a clear head." Arangbar laughed again and clapped and the tension in the courtyard semed to evaporate. The singer immediately began a second raga.