Part 14 (1/2)
A minute later two princes entered followed by slaves who bore old that had been set beneathme with the title of ”Lord,” and I bowed back to him Then he handed me certain rolls tied up with silk and sealed, which he said I was to deliver as the King had coypt, and to the Prince Peroa Also he gave 's servants on the road and written on tablets of clay in a writing I could not read, with all of which I touched my forehead in the Eastern fashi+on
After this he told me that by noon all would be ready for 's Envoy, duly provisioned and escorted by his servants, with liberty to use the royal horses froifts which the King sent toeven suits of flexible armour that would turn any sword-thrust or arrow
I thanked hi that I would be ready to start by noon, and asked whether the King wished to see me before I rode He replied that he had so wished, but that as he was suffering in his head from the effects of the sun, he could not He bade me, however, remember all that he had said to me and to be sure that the beauteous lady Amada, of whom I had spoken, was sent to hireat; but if I failed to fulfil his coreater and I should perish miserably as he had promised
I bowed and made no answer, after which he and his coold to show ainsthad been taken away
I replied that the King's as truer than any scale, whereon the bags were tied up again and sealed Then I produced the bow, or rather its counterfeit, and having shown it to the princes, wrapped it and six of , with a h hard to draas the deadliest weapon in the world The elder of the that perhaps we should ave lad to see the last of theone when the six hunters whoer and thereby saved from death, entered the cha for orders as to ear for the journey I inquired of the also, to which their spokesman replied that they were my slaves to do what I commanded
”Do you desire to come?” I inquired
”O Lord Shabaka,” answered their spokesh some of us must leave wives and children behind us”
”Why?” I asked
”For two reasons, Lord Here we are h no fault of our own and if you were to leave us in this land, soon the anger of the King would find us out and we should lose not only our wives and children, but with theet other wives and et another life Therefore ould leave those dear ones to our friends, knowing that soon the woet and find other husbands, and that the children will grow up to whatever fate is appointed the of us, their fathers, as dead Secondly we are hunters by trade, and we have seen that you are a great hunter, one e shall always be proud to serve in the chase or in war, one, too, ent out of his path to save our lives, because he saw that we had been unjustly doo better than to be your slaves, hoping that perchance we ood service”
”Is that the wish of all of you?” I asked
Speaking one by one, they said that it was, though tears rose in the eyes of so froht not be brought with the and had not been named in the bet Moreover, horses could not be found for so many, nor could they travel fast
”Come then,” I said, ”and know that while you are faithful to ood to you, men of my own trade, and perhaps in the end set you free in a land where brave fellows are not given to be torn to pieces by wild beasts at the word of any kind But if you fail me or betray me, then either I will kill you, or sell you to those who deal in slaves, to work at the oar, or in the mines till you die”
”Henceforth we have no lord but you, O Shabaka,” they said, and one after another tookto be true to one to bid farewell to those they loved and return again within half an hour of noon, never expecting, to tell the truth, that they would co if they saw fit, and hiding themselves where they would But as I have often noted, the trade of hunting breeds honesty in the blood and at the hour appointed all of these men appeared, one of the to hi bitterly When her veil slipped aside I saw that she was young and very fair to look on
So at noon we left the city of the Great King in the charge of two of his officers who brought me his thanks for the bow I had sent hi he possessed, a saying at which Bes rolled his yellow eyes and grinned We were mounted on splendid stallions from the royal stables and clad in the shi+rts of h ere clear of the city we took these off because of the heat, also because that which Bes wore chafed hiether with the bags of gold were laden on sumpter horses which were led by ht up the rear, uard, and two of the royal postrooreat croatched us go Our road ran by the river which we es lower down, so that in a few minutes we caht to die Yes, there were the watching guards, and there floated the hateful double boat, at the prohich appeared the tortured face of the eunuch Houman, who rolled his head from side to side to rid hiht of us and began to screaiveness, whereat Bes smiled The officers halted our cavalcade and one of the's command, O Lord Shabaka, that you should look upon this villain who traduced you to the King and afterwards dared to strike you If you will, enter the water and blind hi he sees before he passes into darkness”
I shook ht had come, whispered to ive ood, if I find the chance”
Then I said to the officer,
”It is not for great lords to avenge theed and would say a word to yonder Houman”
”So be it,” said the officer, ”only let him be careful not to hurt him too sorely, lest he should die before the time and escape his punishment”
Then Bes tucked up his robes and waded into the river, flourishi+ng a great knife, while seeing hian to scream with fear
He reached the boat and bent over the eunuch, talking to him in a low voice What he did there I could not see because his cloak was spread out on either side of the ht of the flash of a knife and heard yells of agony followed by groans, whereat I called to him to return and let the fellow be For when I re ry with Bes, though the cruel Easterns only laughed
At length he ca the blade of his knife in the water I spoke fiercely to hi no answer When ereaway fro Bes whose behaviour and silence I could not understand, I saw hireat mouth and thrust it swiftly into his bosoh in a low voice lest soyptian should overhear him