"where's abdollah khan?" bayazid shouted, his men beside him now, guns cocked and ready to kill. "hurry and tell me or you're both dead men!"
and when hakim didn't answer at once, erikki snarled, "for god's sake, hakim, tell him where he is or we're all dead."
"abdollah khan's dead, he's dead... he died last night, no... the night before last. he died the night before last, near midnight..." hakim said weakly and they stared at him with disbelief, his mind coming back slowly and he still could not understand why he was lying here, head pounding, legs numb, erikki holding him when erikki was kidnapped by tribesmen, when he was having breakfast with azadeh, then guns exploding and diving for cover, guards firing, and then the explosion and half the ransom's already been paid.
abruptly his mind cleared. "in god's name," he gasped. he tried to get up and failed. "erikki, in god's name why did you fight in here, half your ransom's been paid... why?"
erikki got up angrily. "there's been no ransom, the messenger's throat was cut, abdollah khan had the man's throat cut!"
"but the ransom half was paid, ahmed did it last night!"
"paid, paid to whom?" bayazid snarled. "what lies are these?"
"not lies, half was paid last night, half paid by the new khan as... as an act of faith for the... the mistake about the messenger. before god, i swear it. half's paid!"
"lies," bayazid scoffed, and aimed the gun at him. "where's the khan?"
"not lies! should i lie before god? i tell you before god! before god! send for ahmed, send for the man ahmed, he paid them."
one of the tribesmen shouted something, hakim blanched and repeated in turkish: "in the name of god, half the ransom's already paid! abdollah khan's dead! he's dead and half the ransom was paid." a murmur of astonishment went through the room. "send for ahmed, he'll tell you the truth why are you fighting here, there's no reason to fight!"
erikki rushed in: "if abdollah khan's dead and half's been paid, agha, other half promised, your honor's vindicated. agha, please do as hakim asks, send for ahmed he'll tell you who he paid and how."
fear in the room was very high now, bayazid and his men hating the closeness here, wanting to be in the open, in the mountains, away from these evil people and place, feeling betrayed. but if abdollah's dead and half's paid..."pilot, go and get his man ahmed," bayazid said, "and remember, if you cheat me, you will find your wife noseless." he ripped the automatic out of erikki's hand. "go and get him!"
"yes, yes, of course."
"erikki... first help me up," hakim said, his voice throaty and weak.
erikki was helplessly trying to make sense of all this as he lifted him easily and pushed through the men crowding near, and settled him on the sofa cushions beside azadeh. both saw her pallid face, but both also noticed her regular breathing. "god be thanked," hakim muttered.
then once more erikki was half in nightmare, walking out of the room
unarmed to the head of the stairs, shouting for ahmed not to shoot, "ahmed, ahmed, i've got to talk to you, i'm alone..."
now he was downstairs and still alone, still no firing. again he shouted for ahmed but his words just echoed off the walls and he wandered into rooms, no one around, everyone vanished and then a gun was in his face, another in his back. ahmed and a guard, both nervous.
"ahmed, quick," he burst out, "is it true that abdollah's dead and there's a new khan and that half the ransom's paid?"
ahmed just gaped at him.
"for christ's sake is it true?" he snarled.
"yes, yes, that's true. but th "
"quick, you've got to tell them!" relief flooding over him, for he had only half believed hakim. "quick, they'll kill him and kill azadeh come on!"
"then the... they're not dead?"
"no, of course not, come on!"
"wait! what exactly did th... did his highness say?"
"what the hell difference do "
the gun jammed into erikki's face. "what did he say exactly?"
erikki searched his memory and told him as best he could, then added, "now for the love of god, come on!"
for ahmed time stopped. if he went with the infidel he would probably die, hakim khan would die, his sister would die and the infidel who was responsible for all this trouble would probably escape with his devil tribesmen. but then, he thought, if i could persuade them to let the khan live and his sister live, persuade them to leave the palace, i will have proved myself beyond all doubt, both to the khan and to her, and i can kill the pilot later. or i can kill him now and escape easily and live but only as a fugitive despised by all as one who betrayed his khan. insha'allah!
his face creased into a smile. "as god wants!" he took out his knife and gave it and his gun to the white-faced guard and walked around erikki. "wait," erikki said. "tell the guard to send for a doctor. urgently. hakim and my wife... they may be hurt."
ahmed told the man to do it and went along the corridor and into the hall and up the staircase. on the landing, tribesmen searched him roughly for arms then escorted him into the khan's room, crowding after him, shoving him into the vast, empty space erikki they held at the door, a knife at his throat and when ahmed saw his khan was truly alive, sitting bleakly on the cushions near azadeh who was still unconscious, he muttered, "praised be to god," and smiled at him. "highness," he said calmly, "i've sent for a doctor." then he picked out bayazid.
"i am ahmed dursak the turkoman," he said proudly, speaking turkish
with great formality. "in the name of god: it's true that abdollah khan is dead, true that i paid half the ransom 5 million rials last night on the new khan's behalf to two messengers of the chief al-drain of the village of broken tree, as an act of faith because of the unwarranted dishonor to your messenger ordered by the dead abdollah khan. their names were ishmud and alilah and i hurried them north in a fine car." a murmur of astonishment went through the room. there could be no mistake, for all knew these false names, code names, given to protect the village and the tribe. "i told them, on behalf of the new khan, the second half would be paid the moment the pilot and his air machine were released safely."
"where is this new khan, if he exists?" bayazid scoffed. "let him talk for himself."
"i am khan of all the gorgons," hakim said, and there was a sudden silence. "hakim khan, eldest son of abdollah khan."
all eyes left him and went to bayazid who noticed the astonishment on erikki's face. he scowled, unsure. "just because you say it doesn't mean th "
"you call me a liar in my own house?"
"i only say to this man," bayazid jerked a thumb at ahmed, "that just because he says he paid the ransom, half of it, does not mean he paid it and did not then have them ambushed and killed like my other messenger, by god!"
"i told you the truth, before god, and say again before god that i sent them north, safely with the money. give me a knife, you take a knife, and i will show you what a turkoman does to a man who calls him liar!" the tribesmen were horrified that their leader had put himself into such a bad position. "you call me liar and my khan liar?"
in the silence azadeh stirred and moaned, distracting them. at once erikki began to go to her but the tribesman's knife never wavered, the tribesman muttered a curse, and he stopped. another little moaning sigh that almost drove him mad, then he saw hakim awkwardly move closer to his sister and hold her hand and this helped him a little.
hakim was afraid, aching everywhere, knowing he was as defenceless as she was defenceless and needing a doctor urgently, that ahmed was under siege, erikki impotent, his own life threatened and his khanate in ruins. nonetheless he gathered his courage back. i didn't outfox abdollah khan and najoud and ahmed to concede victory to these dogs! implacably he looked up at bayazid. "well? do you call ahmed a liar yes or no?" he said harshly in turkish so all could understand him and ahmed loved him for his courage. all eyes now on bayazid. "a man must answer that question. do you call him a liar?"
"no," bayazid muttered. "he spoke the truth, i accept it as trut
h." someone said, "insha'allah," fingers loosened off triggers but nervousness did not leave the room.
"as god wants," hakim said, his relief hidden, and rushed onward, every moment more in command. "more fighting will achieve nothing. so, half the ransom is already paid and the other half promised when the pilot is released safely. the..." he stopped as nausea threatened to overwhelm him but dominated it, easier this time than before. "the pilot's there and safe and so is his machine. therefore i will pay the rest at once!"
he saw the greed and promised himself vengeance on all of them. "ahmed, over by the table, najoud's satchel's somewhere there." ahmed shoved through the tribesmen arrogantly, to begin searching the debris for the soft leather purse. hakim had been showing it to azadeh just before the attack began, happily telling her the jewels were family heirlooms that najoud had admitted stealing and, in complete contrition, had given him before she left. "i'm glad you didn't relent, hakim, very glad," azadeh had said. "you'd never be safe with her and her brood close to you."
i'll never be safe again, he thought without fear, watching ahmed. i'm glad i left ahmed whole, he thought, and glad we had the sense, azadeh and i, to stay in the alcove under cover of the wall at the first sound of firing. if we'd been here in the room...
insha'allah. his fingers gripped her wrist and the warmth pleased him, her breathing still regular. "god be praised," he murmured, then noticed the men threatening erikki. "you," he pointed imperiously at them, "let the pilot go!" nonplussed the rough, bearded men looked at bayazid who nodded. at once erikki went through them to azadeh, eased his heavy sweater away to give him readier access to the knife in the center of his back, then knelt, holding her hand, and faced bayazid, his bulk protecting her and hakim.
"highness!" ahmed gave hakim khan the purse. leisurely he opened it, spilling the jewels into his hands. emeralds and diamonds and sapphires, necklaces, encrusted golden bracelets, pendants. a great sigh went through the room. judiciously hakim chose a ruby necklace worth 10 to 15 million rials, pretending not to notice how all eyes were concentrated and the almost physical smell of greed that permeated the room. abruptly he discarded the rubies and chose a pendant worth twice as much, three times as much.
"here," he said still speaking turkish, "here is full payment." he held up the diamond pendant and offered it to bayazid who, mesmerized by the fire glittering from the single stone, came forward, his hand out. but before bayazid could take it, hakim closed his fist. "before god you accept it as full payment?"
"yes... yes, as full payment, before god," bayazid muttered, never believing that god would grant him so much wealth enough to buy herds and
guns and grenades and silks and warm clothes. he held out his hand. "i swear it before god!"
"and you will leave here at once, in peace, before god?"
bayazid pulled his brain off his riches. "first we have to get to our village, agha, we need the airplane and the pilot."
"no, by god, the ransom's for the safe return of the airplane and the pilot, nothing more." hakim opened his hand, never taking his eyes off bayazid who now only saw the stone. "before god?"
bayazid and his men stared at the liquid fire in the rock-steady hand. "what's... what's to prevent me taking all of them, everything," he said sullenly, "what's to prevent me killing you killing you and burning the palace and taking her hostage to force the pilot, eh?"
"nothing. except honor. are kurds without honor?" hakim's voice rasped and he was thinking, how exciting this is, life the prize and death for failure. "this is more than full payment."
"i... i accept it before god as payment in full, for the pilot and the... and the airplane." bayazid tore his eyes off the gem. "for the pilot and the airplane. but for you, you and the woman..." the sweat was trickling down his face. so much wealth there, his mind was shouting, so much, so easy to take, so easy but there is honor in this, oh, yes, very much. "for you and the woman there should be a fair ransom too."
outside a car gunned its engine. men rushed to the broken window. the car was racing for the main gate and as they watched, it hurtled through, heading for the city below.
"quick," bayazid said to hakim, "make up your mind."
"the woman is worthless," hakim said, afraid of the lie, aware that he had to bargain or they were still lost. his fingers chose a ruby bracelet and offered it. "agreed?"
"to you the woman may be worthless not to the pilot. the bracelet and the necklace, that one, together with the bracelet with the green stones."
"before god that's too much," hakim exploded, "this bracelet's more than enough that's more than the value of the pilot and the airplane!"
"son of a burnt father! this one, the necklace and that other bracelet, the one with the green stones."
they haggled back and forth, angrier and angrier, everyone listening intently except erikki who was still locked in his own private hell, only concerned with azadeh and where was the doctor and how he could help her and help hakim. his hand was stroking her hair, his nerves pushed near the breaking point by the enraged voices of the two men as they reached the crescendo, the insults ever more violent. then hakim judged the moment right and let out a wail that was also part of the game of bargaining, "you're too good a negotiator
for me, by god! you'll beggar me! here, my final offer!" he put the diamond bracelet and the smaller of the emerald necklaces and the heavy gold bracelet onto the carpet. "do we agree?"
it was a fair price now, not as much as bayazid wanted but far more than he had expected. "yes," he said and scooped up his prize and contentment filled the room. "you swear by god not to pursue us? not to attack us?"
"yes, yes, before god."
"good. pilot, i need you to take us home..." bayazid said in english now and saw the rage soar into hakim's face and added hastily, "i ask, not order, agha. here," he offered erikki the gold bracelet, "i wish to hire your services, this's paym " he stopped and looked off as one of his men guarding the patio, called out urgently, "there's a car coming up from the city!"
bayazid was sweating more now. "pilot, i swear by god i'll not harm you."
"i can't take you," erikki said. "there's not enough gasoline."
"then not all the way, halfway, just halfw "
"there's not enough gasoline."
"then take us and drop us in the mountains just a little way. i ask you ask not order," bayazid said, then added curiously, "by the prophet i treated you fairly and him fairly and... have not molested her. i ask you."
they had all heard the thread under the voice, perhaps a threat, perhaps not, but erikki knew beyond any doubt that the fragile bubble of "honor" or "before god" would vanish with the first bullet, that it was up to him now to try to correct the disaster that the attack had become, chasing a khan already dead, the ransom already half paid, and now azadeh lying there, hurt as only god knows, and hakim almost killed. set-faced he touched her a last time, glanced at the khan, nodded, half to himself, then got up, abruptly jerked the sten gun out of the nearest tribesman's hands. "i'll accept your word before god and i'll kill you if you cheat. i'll drop you north of the city, in the mountains. everyone in the chopper. tell them!"
bayazid hated the idea of the gun in the hands of this brooding, revengeseeking monster. neither of us has forgotten i threw the grenade that perhaps has killed a hour), he thought. "insha'allah!" quickly he ordered the retreat. taking the body of their dead comrade with them, they obeyed. "pilot, we will leave together. thank you, agha hakim khan, god be with you," he said and backed to the door, weapon held loosely, but ready. "come on!"
erikki raised his hand in farewell to hakim, consumed with anguish at what he had precipitated. "sorry..."
"god be with you, erikki, and come back safely," hakim called out and erikki felt better for that. "ahmed, go with him, he can't fly and use a gun at the same time. see that he gets back safely." yes, he thought icily, i've still a score to settle with him for the attack on my palace!
"yes, highness. thank you,
pilot." ahmed took the gun from erikki, checked the action and magazine, then smiled crookedly at bayazid. "by god and the prophet, on whose name be praised, let no man cheat." politely he motioned erikki to leave, then followed him. bayazid went last.
at the foothills to the palace: 11:05 a.m. the police car was racing up the winding road toward the gates, other cars and an army truck filled with troops following. hashemi fazir and armstrong were in the back of the lead car which skidded through the gate into the forecourt where an ambulance was already parked. they got out and followed the guard into the great room. hakim khan was waiting for them in his place of honor, pale and drawn but regal, guards around him, this part of the palace undamaged.
"highness, god be praised you were not hurt we've just heard about the attack. may i introduce myself? i'm colonel hashemi fazir of inner intelligence and this is superintendent armstrong who has assisted us for years and is an expert in certain areas that could concern you he speaks farsi by the way. would you please tell us what happened?" the two men listened intently as hakim khan related his version of the attack they had already heard the rumored details both of them impressed with his bearing.
James Clavell - Whirlwind Page 115