Mika Waltari - The Wanderer

Piri-reis said with a sweeping gesture, “The Cartographer’s Office, in the service of the Abode of Bliss, you see before you. I beg you not to take offense when I tell you that many a learned Christian navigator has visited me, boasting loudly and making very impudent claims. Some of them took the turban to please the High Porte while in their hearts they remained idolaters, and aroused scandal and indignation by their manner of living. They stole and dirtied my charts, arrived drunk and broke my models, annoyed my slave girls with indecencies, and even molested married women. I had more trouble than help from them, and therefore dislike having ex-Christians living in my house. Pray do not ask to lodge here, at least until I know you better; don’t be angry with me for what I’ve said, for I’m an old man and love peace and quietness.”

His words alarmed me, for I thought he wanted to be rid of me altogether. I said, “I have a wife, and prefer to live with her in the city. But don’t send me away, for I must feed and clothe myself and my wife as befits our rank, and for that a steady income is essential.”

With lifted hand he invoked Allah and said, “Don’t misunderstand me. In accordance with the wishes of your exalted patron you will of course receive the highest possible salary-and with all my heart, for I’ve taken a liking to you. But I beg you not to roar and yell like other Christians, or stamp and tear the turban from your head when I assure you that I can give you no more than twelve aspers a day and a new suit of clothes once a year.”

He looked at me appealingly while I rapidly calculated that twelve aspers a day came to about six gold ducats a month-no mean sum for a man who could at most distinguish an oar from a sail. I therefore kissed his veined hand and blessed him in the name of the Compassionate for his generous treatment of a renegade exile. My sincere gratitude delighted him, and he added, “Believe me, this modest fee will secure your future better than the weightiest purse, provided you truly desire knowledge and are as fond of maps and charts as I am. No one will envy you and you’ll make no enemies to plot against you, slander you, and profit by your mistakes to overthrow you. You may come and go daily as you please. You may speak with my slaves, clerks, and map makers, and ask me for what you want as if you were my son. One thing only I beg. Never come to my house in a drunken state, but send word that you’re ill in bed.”

It was clear that his experience of renegades had been most unfortunate. But I would not show that he had hurt my feelings. Instead, I resolved to prove by my behavior that where I was concerned his suspicions were unjustified. I spoke to him as to my father, and followed Grand Vizier Ibrahim’s advice by saying, “Noble Chief Pilot Piri-reis ben-Mohammed. If I have not already troubled you too much, I should like above all things to see your celebrated manual of navigation, named Bahrije. Its fame has spread to Christian lands and by its help the seafarers of Islam can safely navigate Greek waters as well by night as by day, in fair weather or foul.”

Nothing could have been more acceptable to him than this; his brown, wrinkled face lit up as he pushed the reading desk toward me and said, “Here is my own copy of this modest work, which nevertheless I have sought to make as complete as possible. Besides my own observations I have consulted ancient Mohammedan and Christian charts, maps, and books, and in the course of years have made continual revisions and additions. But I have to beware of ignorant seafarers who from conceit and boastfulness seek to impose much nonsense on me. Just now I was examining the pages relating to Algeria, having heard that Khaireddin, that light of Islam, has torn down the Spanish fortress there and built a breakwater. As his intentions were no doubt of the best, I forgive him the trouble he has caused me by necessitating the alteration to my map.”

He opened the book at the passage concerning Algeria, and in a singsong voice read aloud the description of the town of Algiers and its harbor. I clapped my hands with delight, assuring him of its accuracy in every detail, though it seemed almost beyond belief that such perfection could be attained. Then I handed him drawings by the master builders and map makers in Khaireddin’s service, showing the alterations in the harbor, also a plan of the arsenal. I said, “Compared with you Khaireddin is an ignorant man, though able enough in the pursuit of Christian ships. It was with great diffidence that he bade me present you with these plans and he humbly begs forgiveness for having been compelled to demolish the fort and build the breakwater without your permission, thus doing violence to the perfections of your work. To regain your favor he sends you all the maps and charts found aboard the Spanish vessels and also these finely wrought sextants from Niirnberg, which were taken from the Spanish admiral’s stateroom after the great victory off Algiers. You will no doubt understand their use, though he does not, despite the efforts of the Spanish prisoners to curry favor with him by explaining it. He further bids me hand you this silken purse containing a hundred gold ducats, in part compensation for the expense of altering your most excellent atlas.”

Piri-reis rejoiced over the sextants like a child with a new toy, and stroking them tenderly he said, “I well know these new nautical instruments; it’s with their aid that Spaniards and Portuguese sail the vast Western ocean. And I gladly accept the maps and charts for my collection, which is the largest in the Ottoman Empire and possibly in the world. If the Divan should ask my opinion of Khaireddin I shall most certainly speak in his favor. Take ten gold pieces from the purse for yourself, for you have given me very great pleasure. And now let us read together from my Bahrije.”

My account of Piri-reis ben-Mohammed may lead some to suppose him an absent-minded old bookworm who was of little use to the Sultan. But in fact he was a man of acute intelligence in all concerning navigation and the sea, an eminent designer of ships, and a learned astronomer. His weakness was his book of Mediterranean charts, the Bahrije; like all authors he detested amendments and was vexed whenever the smallest addition became necessary. At heart he suffered from perilous ambitions and even dreamed of commanding a great fleet. But however eagerly he maneuvered his model squadrons about the sandbox, one could see at a glance that whatever else he might be he was no fighter.

I won his good will by listening to the more fanciful parts of his Bahrije, but he had no notion of my talents and preferred to treat me as a sympathetic listener rather than as a useful assistant. His conversation was no more than an exposition of his own views, yet I came away with an agreeable sense of having taken the first step along the path to success. In the blue twilight I strolled past the ruins of gigantic Byzantine palaces where poor Moslems still searched for treasure, past the high walls of the Seraglio, and so on down to the harbor and the house that Abu el-Kasim had rented.

Giulia had taken possession of the two inner rooms for our use and furnished them with things we had brought with us from Algiers. From behind the iron lattice and reed blind of her window she could survey the street unseen. She had already made the acquaintance of women in the neighboring houses and obtained their advice concerning the purchase of food and other domestic matters. The wretched deaf-mute was all at sea in these strange surroundings and dared not venture into the street; he sat in the courtyard strewing dust upon his head. My dog sat beside him equally bewildered, sniffing all the new smells and suspiciously eying the cats that in the evenings nimbly leaped upon the walls and mewed like wailing babies. Rael had an amiable nature but could not endure cats, and was ill at ease in a city that contained so many.