Part 30 (1/2)

All the blood quitted Yffim's own face.

”Then thou hast thy fears, my master?”

”His rage demands blood, and the blood of a great man, too. Which of us?

That is all one, but a great man must die. If I cannot sacrifice someone in my place I shall perish myself, but there are men of equal value to myself from whom I can choose. There are two especially--Kucsuk and his son. They began the battle; if they had not begun it, there would have been no battle; and if there had been no battle, there would have been no disaster. They are Death's sons already. The third is the Prince of Moldavia. He was the first to fly from the fight; he had a secret understanding with the Christians. He is a son of Death also. I can throw in the Prince of Transylvania also, because he kept away from the battle altogether and was late with his tribute. Had he sent it sooner, we should have had money; and if we had had money, we should have been able to have bought hay; and if we had had hay the soldiers would not have hastened on the battle and so lost it. He also is a son of Death, therefore. Go thou into Transylvania and bring him hither to me.”

Azrael listened to all this with great attention. Yffim Beg regarded her with a radiant countenance, as much as to say: ”You see our heads won't ache yet!”

The odalisk, however, trembled no longer; she pressed her lips tightly together, and as if she was quite certain of what she was about to do, she pressed her sweetly smiling face close to that of the Vizier, and hanging on his arms, whispered to him:

”O Ha.s.san, how my soul would rejoice if I could see flow the blood of thine enemies.”

Ha.s.san sat the damsel on his knees, and his lips sported with her twining tresses.

Yffim Beg was in such a mighty good humour at being commissioned by Ha.s.san to go as amba.s.sador to the Prince of Transylvania, and so blindly exalted by such a mark of confidence, that he fancied he could well afford to torment Azrael a little.

”Whilst thou wert away, my master,” said he, ”thy damsel implored me to grant her a favour, which I dare not do without first asking thy permission.”

Azrael regarded the smiling Beg with sparkling eyes, anxiously awaiting what he would be bold enough to betray.

”What was it?--speak, Yffim Beg,” remarked Ha.s.san wildly.

”Thou and the other Pashas are about to condemn a youth to death--young Feriz Beg, I mean.”

”Well?” said Ha.s.san frowning, while the odalisk whom he held embraced trembled all over.

”Azrael would like to see the young man die.”

The girl grew pale at these words; her heart for a moment ceased to beat, and then began fiercely to throb again.

”A foolish wish,” said Ha.s.san; ”but if thou desire it, be it so! Be present at the meeting of the Pashas, stand behind the curtains by my side, and thou shalt hear and see everything.”

Azrael imprinted a long and burning kiss on Ha.s.san's forehead with a face full of death, and stood behind the curtain holding the folds together with her hands.

”If thou shouldst faint,” whispered Yffim Beg sarcastically, ”thou shalt have a vessel of musk from me.”

Azrael laughed so loudly that Yffim fancied she must have gone mad.

”And now call the Pashas and draw the curtain of the tent,” commanded Ha.s.san.

At the invitation of Yffim all the officers of the camp came to the pavilion and took their seats in a circle on cus.h.i.+ons. Last of all came the Grand Vizier, Kiuprile, a big, stout, angry man, who, without looking at anyone, sat down on the cus.h.i.+on beside Ha.s.san and turned his back upon him.

Then the roll of drums was heard, and Kucsuk Pasha and Feriz Beg, well guarded, were brought in from different sides--Kucsuk on the left hand, and Feriz on the right.

”Look!” whispered Azrael to Ha.s.san from behind the curtain; ”look how proud they are, the son on the right, the father on the left. They seem to be encouraging each other with their glances.”

Ha.s.san nodded his head as if thanking his favourite for a.s.sisting his weak eyes, and as both figures came within the obscurity of the tent, where the light was not very good at the best of times, acting on the hint given, he turned towards the aged Kucsuk Pasha and cried:

”Thou immature youth, step back till I speak to thee.”