Mika Waltari - The Wanderer

When we had finished he put his hand trustfully into mine and I took him into the garden to show him the monkey’s grave at the foot of the plane tree. The gardener had planted an early-flowering cherry on the mound, and though Prince Jehangir understood little of graves and death he beheld the tree with delight. Then to divert his thoughts I showed him how to throw a stick for Rael to fetch and lay at his feet, how to make Rael walk on his hind legs, or guard anything that the Prince had dropped. In his wonder at Rael’s intelligence Prince Jehangir forgot his grief and even laughed now and again, though timidly.

His ill-shapen body soon wearied, and when I had taken him back to the pavilion I felt it best to go. I kissed his hand when I took my leave of him, and bade my dog farewell, charging him to protect his new master as faithfully as he had protected and guarded me in years gone by. With head and tail drooping Rael stood obediently beside Prince Jehangir, gazing after me with longing. When I had come out into the garden I could no longer restrain my tears, though I told myself that I could not have found a better master for my dog. His life under Giulia’s iron rule had become unendurable.

The eunuchs led me to the Kislar-Aga’s door, where I had to wait some hours before he was pleased to receive me. He sat fat and flabby on his cushion, having kicked off his slippers, and with his chin on his hand he scrutinized me closely for a long time without uttering a word. Then he addressed me quite cordially, saying, “You’re a riddle to me. You’re either sincere in your simplicity, or else a very dangerous and guileful man whose intrigues I cannot fathom, accustomed though I am to every sort of roguery. They tell me you’ve won Prince Jehangir’s friendship by giving him your dog, that you’ve asked nothing in return and stayed no longer in the Sultana’s pavilion than was necessary, though by delaying you might have claimed princely gifts. I also hear that the Sultana was much pleased at the way in which you took her hint and poisoned that dirty monkey. But in speaking a good word on your behalf to the Sultan I might harm myself by commending a man whose aims are mischievous. Then again, if I speak ill of you, as I should like to do, I might offend the Sultan, because he pities Prince Jehangir for his deformity and thinks only of his welfare. But some reward I can obtain for you, for it would be most unbecoming for a slave to serve the Sultan unrecompensed.”

He gazed abstractedly at the ceiling, rubbing his soft, hairless chin, and went on, “You will of course realize that the value of your reward depends entirely on my favor, since the Sultan has faith in my discretion. I’ve made inquiries about you, and know that since arriving in Istanbul you’ve lived a regular life, performed all your religious duties, and not sought to form secret connections with Christians. Yet all this may have been cunning on your part. You have been watched at your work at the Cartographer’s Office, and no one has caught you copying secret documents. But if I tell the Sultan that you earn twelve aspers a day your reward will be proportionate, and cannot exceed two hundred aspers. If I speak in your favor and praise your talents, and in every way emphasize that through some mistake you’ve been given far too low an appointment, you may receive a fistful of gold and the opportunity to display your capabilities in some other field. You’re therefore entirely dependent on my favor, and without me are worth no more than dung in the yard.”

“I well understand this, of course,” I replied, “but I’ve already promised Dr. Solomon half of whatever I receive. I hope that you’ll be good enough to accept a quarter, so that something may be left for me. It would be a little hard if my trouble proved my only reward.”

The Kislar-Aga stroked his chin and looked at me with his head on one side.

“The Seraglio is a strange garden,” he said, “where a seed sown in secret may put forth unexpected flowers. There’s no one so lowly but that chance, under Allah, may raise him to a lofty position. For the same reason death reaps a bounteous harvest in the Seraglio, and should a man be compelled to chastize another he would be wise to do it with noose or block, lest one day he find his victim placed in authority over him. If I allow you to live I must make a friend of you, so that your advancement may profit me. And to speak truly I am so amazed at your candor that with equal honesty I will do what I can for you.”

I perceived from this that I had indeed won the favor of Prince Jehangir and his mother, so that for the time being my life was safe. Nevertheless, the good will of the exalted Kislar-Aga would also be of the greatest value to me. I said, “Let me be your friend, then, and first of all point out certain things which may be useful to you. If you’ve made inquiries about me, you must know that my wife has eyes of different colors and can therefore gaze into the future. Only allow her to display her talents before you, and as a shrewd man you will at once perceive the advantage to be gained from them. She is a gifted woman, more astute than I, and would certainly never foretell anything hostile to your interest. But first you must initiate her into Seraglio affairs and make known to her the circumstances that seem to call for judicious prediction.”

The Kislar-Aga scratched the soles of his feet vigorously and replied, “Allah be my refuge! So your simplicity was but a mask. Yet I risk nothing by receiving your wife, and what you say of her has made me very curious.”

We took leave of one another cordially, in no way underrating one another’s intelligence. In token of his favor he allowed me to kiss his hand, but made me swear by the Prophet, the Koran, and my downy beard that I would not breathe a word of what I had seen and done in the Seraglio.

That evening a eunuch came to our house, attended by armed troopers, and handed me a silken purse containing two hundred gold pieces-a present from the Sultan. This was equal to twelve thousand aspers, or a thousand days’ pay, and was considerably more than I had dared expect. But as I contemplated this great sum I realized how hasty I had been in promising Dr. Solomon half of whatever I received, when he would certainly have been content with less.

When the eunuch had again mounted his mule, whose saddle was ornamented with silver plates and yellow stones, Giulia sighed, “Ah, Michael, did you see how contemptuously that splendid man looked at our cramped courtyard and ruinous house, though he was well bred enough to conceal his wonder? Such a place may suit Abu el-Kasim, who knows no better; but now that you’re in favor with the Sultan you should at once find a house in a better quarter. It need have no more than five or ten rooms, if only it be tasteful and furnished in a manner befitting your dignity, so that I needn’t blush for shame when receiving visits from distinguished guests. Our best plan would be to choose some beautiful site on the shores of the Bosphorus or the Marmara, and there build a modest house according to our needs and tastes. It should not be too far from the Seraglio, although of course we should have our own boat or gondola, and an oarsman or two. They could look after the garden as well, and we might build a dwelling for them adjoining the boathouse. If one were married, his wife could help my women in the house, and we could put the sons into fine clothes and send them on errands into the city, so that all who saw them would form a proper idea of your rank and dignity.”

I clutched my head at Giulia’s wild talk, and could not utter a word for some time. At length I drew a deep breath and said, “Giulia, Giulia! You’re planning my downfall. If we’re wise we’ll save every asper we can scrape together, lest evil times follow. A new house would swallow up my present and future income; it would be like pouring money into a bottomless well, and I should never know another day’s peace.” Giulia’s face hardened, and her eyes were stony with anger as she snapped, “Why must you always destroy my loveliest dreams? Do you grudge me a home-a place we could call ours? Think what we should save by gathering fruit from our own trees and growing our own vegetables instead of being robbed by rogues in the market. And suppose we had children! Ah, Michael! You couldn’t be so hardhearted as to give them a dirty street for their playground, and let them grow up like the children of donkey drivers?”