Mika Waltari - The Wanderer

Lamps were burning in all the rooms when I returned, and Giulia, flushed with excitement, rushed to embrace me and tell me of her many purchases. She begged me to buy a eunuch to accompany her on her walks about the city, while Abu tore his sparse beard and pointed by turns to Giulia and his own head. In the glow of the new lamps our house looked like a palace from a fairytale. The expensive water cooler would no doubt have its uses in the heat of summer, but on that chilly autumn evening I longed rather for a hot drink, and was aghast to learn that Giulia had but a handful of aspers left out of my whole fortune. I exclaimed, “Giulia, Giulia! Everything is quite charming and I appreciate your motives, but you seem to have a false idea of my means. Why should we buy a lazy eunuch and feed him at our expense when he would bring us nothing but trouble? Eunuchs are the most expensive of all slaves, and even distinguished ladies are content with a slave girl to attend them.”

Giulia was much dashed at my cool response and said, “I’m worn out with running about the city; my feet ache and I was laughed at when I haggled in the bazaar and with the greedy porter who carried the things home for me. And is this my thanks for trying to lay out your money to the best advantage? Of course eunuchs are expensive. But you could buy a Russian boy quite cheaply and make him into one.”

“How can you suggest such a thing, Giulia! Never would I allow any man, whether Christian or Moslem, to be castrated just to gratify your vanity. Besides, the operation is dangerous; that’s why the price of eunuchs is so high. We might lose our money. I must say I’ve never heard a sillier suggestion.”

Giulia flared up. “Indeed! Even the Holy Father in Rome has a number of boys castrated every year for his choir, and many conscientious Italian parents send their boys to Rome of their own accord for that purpose, to secure for them a better future than their homes can offer. And it’s not as dangerous as you say; you’re only trying to annoy me and you don’t love me at all.”

She broke into bitter weeping and declared herself the unhappiest of women, since no one appreciated her good intentions. And because I saw that she was sincerely mourning our poverty and her broken dreams I sat down beside her with my arm about her neck, to console her by recounting my success with Piri-reis. Wiping away her tears she stared at me in utter amazement.

“Michael Carvajal! You, who have knelt before Allah’s shadow on earth-can you have been so mad as to accept twelve aspers a day, and that for meekly serving a senile old creature like Piri-reis? Then you’re no longer responsible for your actions. If there’s a scrap of manhood in you, Michael, you’ll go at once to the Grand Vizier and complain of such unfair treatment.”

Deeply hurt, I replied, “Try to understand, Giulia, that my brains are my only fortune, and I shall be humbly thankful if by their help I can secure a comfortable income for us both without having to take risks. I never forced you to be my wife; you might have gone where you pleased. It’s not yet too late. If you’re as disillusioned as you’d have me believe, nothing need prevent us from going to the Cadi tomorrow. For a small sum he will dissolve our marriage, and you may use those different-colored eyes of yours to look about for a better man than I am.”

It was unkind of me to remind her of the blemish which, though to me it was her chief charm, made every sensible man avoid her after the first glance; and she was greatly cast down. She sobbed and protested that she loved me, though she could not think why she had attached herself to a man so devoid of any trace of ambition. We wept and kissed until Abu el-Kasim felt it was time for him to withdraw, and soon we were planning together in all harmony how best to live on an income of twelve aspers a day. Giulia had to confess that the sum was at least twice as much as could be earned in Christian countries by a fully trained and experienced mercenary with a large family. At length she laid her white arms about my neck and said tenderly, “Ah, Michael! I love you more than I can say, but at least let me dream of the fife we might have. By gazing into sand I can earn quantities of money as soon as my fame has spread in the city. Let me dream! I don’t care about the eunuch. Perhaps I can train our deaf- mute to carry things for me. I won’t ask you for anything more,

Michael, if only I may have one or two cats. The cats here have wonderfully bushy tails and a blue sheen to their coats; every fine lady has one, and the Prophet loved them. It’s only fair that I should have a cat or two, since you have your dog.”

She kissed me fervently and I was induced to consent. But a day or so later I was saddened to see how hurt my dog was, when two cats with bushy tails appeared and took possession of our two rooms. Rael thenceforward had to keep to the courtyard and hardly dared show himself in the kitchen, even for his meals. Giulia bought these prodigiously expensive creatures with the money that Piri-reis had given me, and even then remained in debt for part of the price.

One evening at dusk Andy arrived flushed with his potations, roaring German soldiers’ songs and bringing a greeting from Master Eimer in whose tavern he had been celebrating his successes at the arsenal. The commander of the Sultan’s artillery had been pleased to give Andy his hand to kiss, and to examine him as to Imperial armaments. He then appointed Andy foreman at the foundry with a wage of twelve aspers a day. Andy had met there a number of skilled Italians and Germans who worked either as free renegades or as slaves of the Sultan, and who all declared that they had learned much from the Turks and respected the artillery commander and his lieutenants. Andy was now to lodge at the arsenal and might not leave it without permission, because of the military secrets involved.

I was reassured to learn that Andy received the same pay as myself, for it showed that these rates were laid down by statute and that it would therefore be useless to complain of them. It was certainly mortifying to think that Andy, a single man and unable even to write his name, should receive as much as I did, but I was glad of his success and felt no resentment.

So began our life in Istanbul, and it continued thus throughout the winter-if winter it could be called. Snow fell very seldom and melted at once, though there was much wind and rain. Not long after our official reception, Torgut-reis received at the Grand Vizier’s hands a gold-mounted horsehair switch, to be delivered to Khaireddin as the outward symbol of his new dignity as beylerbey. Torgut took back also a letter from the Sultan and three kaftans of honor.

During my life with Giulia I believe I developed more and acquired a greater knowledge of life than in all my former years of wandering. Compared with her, my first wife Barbara had been a straightforward, unpretentious woman, albeit a witch-or at least infected with witchcraft to some degree. Barbara had been content for us to live like two little mice in our hole and earn a bare crust, so long as we could be together. But Giulia was not afraid of life, nor did peace and quiet appeal to her. Idleness made her ill, and to satisfy her craving for action she committed the wildest follies, convinced that all she did was well considered and undertaken with the most praiseworthy motives. Moreover she was never satisfied. No sooner were the cats in the house than she disliked their color. When without my permission she bought a costly necklace, she found she had no gown suitable to wear with it, and wanted to renew her wardrobe, or at least buy some slippers sewn with the same kind of stones as were in the chain. She was amazed when I attempted to reason with her, and she explained patiently, as to a child, “You see, Michael, the necklace by itself is useless. And it would be waste to lock it up and never wear it. I’m only considering how to display it to the best advantage.”