Part 73 (1/2)
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 s.h.i.+ps 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 s.h.i.+pping 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 s.h.i.+fted. ”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 refres.h.i.+ngly 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_.”