“You have done me a great service, my dearest Jasmine. God is kind. You will bear many young and I shall finally become very rich!” he murmured, and he patted her cheeks once more before turning again to face the crowd.
He noticed the Vizier approaching and promptly gave a very deep bow. Everyone else around him of the lower orders had gone to their knees and were prostrated.
The vizier, one of the most powerful men in the country of Oman, dressed in long flowing robes and the egal bound with silver ropes about his head, gave a short inclination of his head and then addressed Allam in a low tone.
“You are to be congratulated on your fine beast, Allam. His Excellency my Lord the Caliph wishes to see you tomorrow, in the morning, no doubt to discuss the race ... among other things.”
“God looked down upon us and favored my fine beast today, Your Excellency, I am honored, and I shall be there as commanded,” Allam responded.
The vizier nodded, then turned on his heel. The crowd parted to let him and his two guards through.
Allam touched his brow and heart to the departing dignitary with some relief. The vizier was a man to be feared, but his father was a close friend, so he had no real concerns.
He turned back to find another man coming his way, and not one that he particularly wanted to meet. His rival of many a race, Nejem al Khulood, walked forward with his arms outstretched to greet him and a smile stretched across his dark, almost cadaverous features. The man was taller than Allam, with wide shoulders, and he walked like a cat. He bared his teeth in a smile that was utterly insincere.
As they embraced, Nejem said almost into his ear, “I hear that your little creature tried to blind my boy while the race was on. That was not a kind thing to do, my friend, it will be remembered.”
“I wonder how much you lost on this race?” Allam could not resist asking.
Nejem stiffened, then drew away, still smiling, but his eyes were cold and dangerous. He said for all to hear, “A good race, my friend, and the best camel did win. It was the will of God today. I congratulate you.” He took one step backwards and then turned his back on Allam, leaving him to watch his dark cloaked figure cut a path through the throng of gawping onlookers.
Allam released his breath slowly through pursed lips and fingered his khanjar, then he shook his head dismissively and turned back to his chief syce and gave instructions for Jasmine to be taken under guard to his stables, where she was to be pampered and examined for any wounds or scratches. His syce nodded agreement. “It shall be as you instructed, my Lord. Ismail told me that one of the leading camels bit her, but it was not serious, and he will be with her all night.”
Cognizant of the remark made by Nejem, Allam planned to ask Ismail about the incident when next he was at the stables. He doubted the boy had done anything without provocation, and he knew the lad would tell the truth.
“I want armed guards to be there all night as well,” Allam told his man. “Do not let Ismail go anywhere away from the stables unaccompanied. I do not intend to lose him, nor her, at this delicate stage.” His brown eyes roved over his favorite camel with concern and his slightly rounded face broke into another smile, displaying a gold tooth. “My treasure!” he crooned and watched her leave.
One of his retainers sidled up to him and leaned close to tell him something. Although the noise of the crowd had died down and people were leaving to go back to their tents, in the case of the tribesmen, or to the town, he still had to cock an ear to hear what was said.
“There is a man who says his name is Suleiman, my Lord.”
Allam jerked upright. “What did you say?” he demanded, surprise written all over his face. He tugged on his short beard as memories of the prison in Baghdad resurfaced. They were not good memories at all. But there were many men called Suleiman, he reasoned.
“A man named Suleiman, who says that you know him well, is here in Muscat, my Lord,” the retainer repeated. “He arrived early this morning by ship and awaits to hear from you. He said that you might remember him from Baghdad?”
Allam had begun to recover. So it was that Suleiman. “A ship you say? Well of course, I suppose that makes sense. Send for him at once. No...” he thought about it for a moment.
“Invite him to my house this evening, so that I can prepare for him. It is time for prayers, and I need to refresh myself after this dusty afternoon.” It would be dark by then, and Suleiman would not be noticed on the streets, nor would it be remarked should he come late. It wouldn’t hurt to be careful.
“As you wish my Lord.” The retainer disappeared into the thinning crowd.
A distracted Allam could now go to his relatives who had come to the see the race and receive the congratulations they were eager to bestow upon him.
His elder brother by two years, Imaran, slapped him on the back and laughed. “Now that was a close thing, brother. I was almost sure that your boy would make a mistake, but he had the wits to keep clear of the those two little bastards of Nejem and Hakim. My, but that is the most beautiful camel I have seen anywhere for a very long time!” he teased.
Allam smiled. “She is my prize and my darling. I bet a huge amount of gold on her today, and she delivered. She alone, today, has earned back every dinar I have invested in her breed.”
“You ever were the gambling man, brother. I noticed that Nejem came to congratulate you. I wonder that barracuda didn’t bite off your ear when he embraced you,” his oldest brother Boulos told him with a grin.
“We have to go home and celebrate this great victory our younger brother has brought us. I think he can afford to give us all a feast after this,” Imaran said happily.
Allam gave a reluctant shake of his head. He, too, wanted to celebrate, but the news he had just received made him hesitate.
“My brothers, I would like nothing better than to celebrate this victory today, but I have a pressing matter I must deal with this evening that cannot be put off. Let us celebrate tomorrow when I can relax with you.”
There were disappointed noises from his brothers and his friends, but they all knew that if Allam said he had to defer the celebrations it was for a good reason. No one liked a party more
When you and I behind the veil are past,
Oh, but the long, long while the World shall last,
Which of our Coming and Departure heeds
As much as Ocean of a pebble cast?
—Omar Khayyam
Chapter Two
A Meeting and a Marriage
Allam had time to reflect while he went through the routine of his prayers. The memories that the name Suleiman brought to him were fearsome. However he was clear about one thing. Suleiman, or Talon, as he also knew the man, had taken him out of that hell of a Bagdad prison and paid his way home: if in rags, still nevertheless alive. He was looking forward to seeing his erstwhile friend, his anticipation mixed with apprehension. Insha’Allah, there would not be a problem.
That evening, he carefully checked the food that had been prepared and the condition of the room where he would receive his guest. He was tense and snapped at the senior servant who was responsible for the reception. Soon enough, the sound of horses could just be heard outside in the small courtyard.
Allam waited near the main entrance. A slave opened the doors, and there was Talon.
The man strode up the stairs with the fluid motion of a panther. Allam remembered that pace well, then he had a chance to see his friend’s face. Talon was taller than his host, and he seemed to fill the room with his presence. That, too, Allam remembered as he regarded his friend’s scarred features. He was relieved to see that Talon wore a smile of genuine pleasure at seeing him, and they embraced hard. Then they held one another at arm’s length and looked at one another.
“You have not suffered greatly since your return home, I see,” remarked Talon. His tone was dry, but his smile indicated that he was clearly pleased to see Allam.
Allam laughed. “God’s will. I have been received back within t
he bosom of my family and I prosper, my friend. You will remember that those torturers of the grand Vizier broke several of my teeth, so I have replaced them!” He touched his lips. “But you, my friend still look like the wolf I left in Basra. What have you been doing since we parted? You are very welcome to my house.”
He looked into the green eyes of his friend and remembered the man who killed so swiftly. When it was time, he would ask just what had brought Talon to his home in Oman, but first they were obliged to go through the mandatory ceremonies of welcome.
“I have brought some people with me from Persia, one of whom is my brother, Reza, who is with me now,” Talon said, and turned to another figure who had been several paces behind him.
Allam felt a trickle of fear. The slim, hard looking man standing just behind Talon looked very dangerous. His cold eyes were watching him, assessing him with care and missing nothing.
Allam nodded and smiled at Reza. “You are very welcome to my house. I owe the debt of my life to Talon, and all who are his family are my family,” he stated. He clapped his hands and servants appeared to escort them to the garden. Evening had set in, and it was cooling down. The scent of flowers wafted in the air and lanterns were lit around the walls.
“We will be both comfortable here and secure from prying eyes,” Allam informed Talon as he walked alongside, indicating the way.
He went to the far side of a large carpet spread out on the ground just in front of a small fountain, which lent its tinkle of sound to the general ambience of the garden.
Once his two guests were seated, with Talon to his right hand in the position of honor, Allam clapped his hands again and servants appeared to serve tea in tiny cups poured from long-spouted pots.
Allam glanced at his guest and found Talon watching him. To put him at his ease, he stated, “You will eat with me, and then we will talk about what you have done since I saw you last.”
They ate very well that night, of rice and tender pieces of lamb, newly slaughtered. The small cups of tea were refilled whenever they were emptied, and the conversation was polite, but it was not until they had eaten their fill and the servants had left them alone at Allam’s command that he finally turned to Talon and addressed him.
“My friend Suleiman, or is it Talon now? It has been barely five months since I last saw you. God be praised, you are still alive; but I have to confess I had my doubts when I left that I would ever see you again. That crew I left you with were as murderous a lot as I have ever come across.”
Talon smiled ruefully. “I finally gave them the slip, but it was not easy. They were Batinis from Isfahan, linked to the Master in Alamut.”
Allam gave small shudder, then shook his head and said with some relief, “God be praised that they went their way and you yours. Did you finally meet up with your uncle in Isfahan?”
Talon glanced at Reza and said, “Yes, indeed I did, and that is partly the reason I am here with my family and Reza. The danger from those very Batinis was too close, so we decided to come to Oman, where I hear that an honest merchant can make a good living.”
Allam leaned back against the cushions and contemplated the two men, one of whom he had seen strike like a snake, while the other gave every indication that he was fully capable of the same. They did not give him impression that they were merchants at all, but he was indebted to this strange man and would help in whatever way he could. The questions and answers could come later.
“Do you have any accommodation?” he asked.
“No, we are still on the ship that brought us here, and there are other members of my family who are on board; my wife and Reza’s wife, my son, and my uncle the doctor and his wife my aunt. There are a few retainers besides.” In truth, he and Rav’an were not married, save in their hearts, but it would hardly do to say so.
Allam tried to hide his surprise. There was a great deal more to this than he had originally surmised, but again he remembered his manners and said, “You shall have my house on the outskirts of Muscat; there you will have privacy and every comfort I can provide. I regret that it is only modest accommodation, as I only use it when I wish to be near my animals: my horses and my beloved camels,” he said with a smile, “but it is comfortable enough, and there are adequate quarters for the womenfolk.”
Talon and Reza both touched their lips and hearts and thanked him. They talked some more, and very slowly the conversation moved around to what they might do while in Oman.
“If I can visit the Jewish people in the bazaar, I should have access to funds and can pay for everything we need for some time to come,” Talon stated.
Allam nodded. He had wondered about that. “Yes, they are here, and I will have one of my people take you to them when the time is right for you. However, as long as you are in Muscat you are my guests, and I insist upon that, my friend. I remember only too well the comforts of the cell that we shared.”
Talon laughed, and they began to recount to Reza, who had said very little up to this point, their combined experiences.
“Talon and I agreed that we should scream and wail when they began to torture us, so that they would not be inspired to ingenuity in their determination to break us,” Allam said with a rueful chuckle.
“I hope it worked,” Reza said with a grin. It lit up his face, and Allam relaxed a little more. The man made him uncomfortable, but he reasoned that if he was Talon’s brother then Reza would not harm him.
“I am not sure who screamed the loudest, but we competed well with one another. I would rather not contemplate what might have happened had they not finally given up on us both,” Talon said with a laugh.
“We were going to be sent to the Maidan of Baghdad to be relieved of our heads. I am thankful that I still have mine and you yours, Talon. Has he told you of how we escaped?” Allam asked Reza, who nodded.
“Talon thinks on his feet, and I have been glad of that myself in the past,” Reza answered.
“Yes, that is true,”Allam mused. “If you so wish it then, we can talk more about trading and how you can take part, but that will be a subject for my brothers to discuss with you,” he said switching the conversation.
“What do they do, as merchants?” Reza asked with interest.
“Why, they are skilled sailors and they trade far to the East across the sea from this country: in Al Hind, India, down south in Africa, and even further afield in the spice lands where there are strange and wonderful sights to see,” Allam stated.
“Have you ever been there?” Talon asked, looking interested.
“Only once, and that was just to Gujarat with a cargo of horses; I do not like the sea and its unpredictable behavior. I prefer to stay close to home, where I spend much time with the desert Sheiks, providing them with the best camels in the world.” He sighed with contentment.
“Today you just missed the most important race of the year! This is when the Caliph himself comes from the city to witness the race of the greatest camel breeds in the country. The man who wins this race receives a purse of five thousand dinars; even more importantly, the men of the desert, and even the Caliph, God protect him, bid on the winner’s breed. The price they are prepared to pay for the animal and others of the same lineage is huge.”
“Who did win this race, Allam?” Talon asked with a knowing grin.
“Why, with God’s good grace, my camel did, and you will see her and her herd when you go to my house on the outskirts of town,” Allam laughed.
“I am very happy for you, sir,” Reza spoke respectfully.
“Please call me Allam. We are friends, and you are the ‘brother’ of Talon here. Yes, Allah be praised, my fortune was made today; I am twice happy because I have won the race and my friend is here with me again.”
Reza had a question. “What of the lands across the sea to the east of here? I have heard of Al Hind, but not of the spice lands. Are they then further east again?”
“Oman has traded with the Indian people for many generations, but we also have ships
that have sailed even further beyond to the fantastic lands of China,” Allam informed them with pride in his voice.
Talon and Reza could not hide their amazement at this statement. Neither of them had any idea that one could reach the fabled country of China by sea, and they had only the vaguest idea of what that country was like. Talon indicated one of the fine porcelain bowls that still remained on the carpet in front of them. “Where did this come from? I have never seen such fine work. Not even in Isfahan, where the best craftsmen in the world ply their trade!”
Reza nodded his head in agreement. “It is incredibly fine work, and the decoration and markings are like nothing I have seen before.” He was alluding to the milky white color of a bowl with intricate designs on its surface. The porcelain was so thin it was almost transparent.
“Ah, now you see, this came from China, where they make the most beautiful of porcelain, and much more besides.” Allam could not keep the pride out of his tone.
“My brothers can tell you so much more than I, because they have both been to Khanfu, which is a vast city in that land. There has been a great amount of trade between our world and theirs. My brothers are excellent sailors who understand the ways of navigation and the winds of the monsoon that carry them east and then bring them back home months later. The travel is worth it, despite many dangers from the sea and its monsters, not to mention pirates and savage men.”
The conversation became animated as Talon and Reza fired questions at Allam, who answered as best he could, but finally he threw his hands in the air with a laugh.
“My friends, I cannot possibly answer all the questions you ask tonight! It is very late, and you must still be tired form your voyage. I am sure that you need to rest after your journey, and your womenfolk need to be taken care of. I shall make arrangements for you to leave the ship tomorrow. Also, I have to report to the Caliph tomorrow to talk about today’s win at the races. I shall bring my brothers to the house in a day or so for you to interrogate about their experiences. I am very sure they will be eager to tell you all they know.”
The Dragon's Breath Page 2