by Jurji Zaydan
en she turned to address Shwaykar. “You shall
remain here with me until your rooms are ready to receive you, my dear. I have
been awaiting your arrival for so very long and we were all frightfully concerned for your safety.”
“Indeed, I am undeserving of this warm solicitude on your part, my Lady, for
I am nothing but a lowly slave,” Shwaykar gratefully replied.
Th
e Qahramana chuckled good-naturedly. “You suppose I am not aware of
your value, child? I have known everything about you for quite a while now. My
dear friend the Custodian of the Righteous King of Egypt—may God have mercy
on him—has told me much about you. Do you know her?”
Shwaykar recalled Sallafa and the bitter rivalry between her and her mis-
tress, Tree of Pearls. She was surprised to hear of her friendship with the Qahramana of the Caliph’s Palaces. “I believe you mean Sallafa, my Lady? I am indeed
acquainted with her but would never have presumed to solicit her attention.”
“On the contrary, my dear, she knows you very well. She it was who spoke to
me of your magnifi cent voice, and she who suggested you as a suitable acquisition for his Highness the Commander of the Faithful. Th
is is how I came to propose
you to his Highness, and he duly requested you from the Sultan of Egypt, as you
well know.”
Th
is revelation disturbed and confused Shwaykar. She was troubled by this
heartless meddling on the part of her mistress’s rival. And yet she could not help but feel fl attered by the high opinion of her worth that Sallafa had shown in recommending her to the Custodian of the Imperial Harem. She could not have
divined Sallafa’s true intentions. “In truth, my Lady, Sallafa’s recommendation is a great kindness for which I am greatly obliged. Had I known of it earlier, I would have thanked her most sincerely in Egypt.”
| t r e e of pe a r l s , qu e e n of e g y p t
“You may thank her now if you so desire,” the Chamberlain complacently
replied.
“Is she here then?” Shwaykar inquired.
“She is here. She arrived in Baghdad but a few days ago.”
Shwaykar wondered at this coincidence and her face lit up with pleasure. She
thought that this accident augured well and imagined that Sallafa’s presence at
Baghdad would be a great consolation to her until her dearly anticipated return
to Egypt. She even dared to hope that Sallafa would aid her in this suit. “How
fortunate I am!” she declared. “Where is my Lady Sallafa? I would kiss her hand
and thank her for her benefi cence.”
“You shall see her shortly,” the Qahramana replied, “for she inquired aft er
you the moment she arrived from Egypt. Your late mishap grieved her sorely. As
soon as we received news of your fortunate recovery, I immediately sent word of
it to her. She rejoices, and she is coming to us presently. Here is her slave now.
Where is your mistress, Aqhwana?”
“She is in her chambers, my Lady, and she has sent me to request the pleasure
of the young lady’s company. She longs to greet her in person.”
Th
e Qahramana laughed heartily and revealed a row of stained and broken
teeth. “Will she see her, then, before she sees the Commander of the Faithful
himself?”
“Th
at is her request, my Lady. Th
e decision is yours.”
“Very well,” she replied. “Our guest Shwaykar shall go with you to our friend
Sallafa, for she is equally anxious to see her and to thank her. Tell Sallafa not to prolong the interview, however, for the girl must be properly prepared for the
Caliph by the ladies’ maids. She must be fi t to be presented to the Commander of the Faithful this evening, when he shall hear her sing for the fi rst time. I believe he shall wax exceedingly impatient if we detain her further. Go to Sallafa, Shwaykar.
You are amongst friends here and you must put your trust in me, for you are like my own daughter.”
Shwaykar rose and followed the slave Aqhwana down endless corridors dot-
ted with the doors to seemingly innumerable apartments. She shivered slightly,
for she sensed rather than perceived the many invisible fi gures they hid, faceless people who yearned to catch a glimpse of her as she passed by. Some doors were
fl ung wide open, while others opened just a crack, and heads suddenly poked out and then withdrew as quickly as they had appeared. Shwaykar stared straight
sh way k a r i n t h e wom e n ’s qua rt e r s |
ahead of her until she fi nally reached Sallafa’s apartment. Aqhwana entered fi rst to announce her arrival.
Sallafa rose to greet Shwaykar with a warm smile that only increased the
young girl’s shyness. She bent to kiss her hand but Sallafa prevented her from
taking it. “Welcome to my dear Shwaykar,” she smiled. “I thank God that He has
gratifi ed me with the sight of you in the Caliph’s palace: a blessing that has ever been my fondest wish. Tell me, are you happy here, Shwaykar?” and she motioned
for her to be seated on a cushion next to her own in the magnifi cently appointed room.
Shwaykar did as she was told and timidly raised her voice in reply to the
great lady. “I thank you for your consideration and your kindness, my Lady. I am well taken care of, praise God.”
“It greatly pained me to hear that you had been kidnapped on the road to
Baghdad. I have only today discovered the cause of this outrage, and I thank God for your safety. How delighted I am to see you! Th
ough you are indeed fortunate
to have been called to Baghdad to reside in the house of the Caliph, I count him even more fortunate to have won a singer the likes of whom is not to be found in all of Egypt and Iraq.”
Shwaykar was obliged to acknowledge her gratitude once again, but her heart
remained mute with quiet despair. She would have preferred to remain close to
Rukn al-Din, though in the barest of prisons, than to be separated from him by
a Caliph’s treasure.
Sallafa knew this, of course, but she feigned ignorance. Shwaykar was
entirely unaware of all that had passed between Sallafa and her beloved Rukn al-
Din. If she had divined the true cause of Sallafa’s arrival in Baghdad, Shwaykar would have trembled and hated the sight of her. Th
e Reader will recall that we
last saw Sallafa in Egypt, furious at Rukn al-Din’s refusal to bow to her will. She had resolved to be patient, however, for she hoped that Rukn al-Din might yet
regain his senses and abandon Shwaykar, rather than court her certain revenge.
Her spies had been busy at work discovering his intentions, and she had learned
of his plans to travel to Baghdad. So it came to pass that she had hastened there herself in order to follow his movements from close quarters. She had heard of
Shwaykar’s abduction whilst in Cairo. Th
is unexpected circumstance had suited
her plans to perfection, and in truth, she had been much put out to learn that
the girl had been recovered. She now set about devising another strategy to rid
| t r e e of pe a r l s , qu e e n of e g y p t herself of Shwaykar once and for all, for she was convinced that the girl would be a nuisance to her as long as she remained alive.
Shwaykar’s artless thanks confi rmed her suspicion that the girl knew nothing
of her own relations with Rukn al-Din. She could not help but silently gloat at the ease with which she would execute her nefarious plans. It suddenly o
ccurred to her that Shwaykar might even prefer to remain in the Caliph’s household rather than
marry Rukn al-Din. She therefore desired to know her thoughts on the matter,
and watched her face closely as she spoke. “It seems that you have forgotten Egypt and its people, my dear,” she lightly sighed. “Th
at it should be so is only natural,
aft er all. She who lives in these palaces in closest proximity to the Commander of the Faithful would have no reason on earth to think twice about Egypt!” Poor
Shwaykar was at a loss to reply. Th
e lover is jealous of his secret, and keeps it
from all but those whose sincere aff ection and devotion he may be sure to trust.
Shwaykar dared to hope that Sallafa was such a person, for had she not striven
to procure this high honor for her? Perhaps if she were to confi de in her, Sallafa would help her to quit Baghdad and return to Egypt. Shrewd Sallafa noticed the
indecision in Shwaykar’s lovely eyes. “Why do you not speak, my dear? It seems
that you are over bashful in my presence. Do you not trust my confi dence?”
“I beg your pardon, my Lady. I only fear that you may laugh at my thoughts.”
“Laugh? Nay, my dear, Sallafa would never stoop to abuse fair Shwaykar’s
confi dence in a manner so unbecoming to the high esteem and aff ection in which she holds her. Speak, I pray you.”
Shwaykar blushed and hung her head as she nervously twisted a plait of her
hair around her fi nger. “Many are those who long for the chance to live in these magnifi cent palaces, and many are those who must envy me for the great honor
with which I have been blessed. But . . . my Lady, I wish with all my heart to return to Egypt.” Th
e words came tumbling out before the poor girl could stop them.
Sallafa feigned astonishment. “Return to Egypt? Does some tie of aff ection
yet bind you to that country? You are betrothed to a young man there, perchance?
Even if it were so, you shall surely fi nd a better suitor in Baghdad. Once the Caliph hears your singing and your accomplished playing on the oud, he may well favor
you with rewards the like of which you could only dream in your former life.”
“My happiness lies not in proximity to caliphs,” Shwaykar replied with win-
ning simplicity, “nor in marriage to a prince or nobleman, but in love equally
exchanged.” She blushed shyly and turned to rest her confused gaze on a splendid
sh way k a r i n t h e wom e n ’s qua rt e r s |
tapestry that hung on the opposite wall and displayed a complex and cunning
design of brilliantly colored birds of all shapes and sizes.
“If your heart is taken by a youth in Egypt, beware, and do not be deceived,”
Sallafa continued. “It might be that the young man in question took another to
wife as soon as he received news of your departure. And even if he has remained
true to his troth, merely think on the future, Shwaykar. Nothing is easier for a man than to divorce a wife he once held most dear, in the blink of an eye. Trust no man born of woman, my child. Sallafa speaks to you from long experience.”
Th
e radiant smile that instantly sprang to Shwaykar’s lips upon hearing these
words bespoke a crushing victory over such trifl ing arguments. She had bound-
less faith in her beloved Rukn al-Din. “Th
e young man that I love is unlike those
of whom you speak, my Lady. I am confi dent of his constancy. He shall soon
come to this city to seek me.”
Sallafa laughed lightly while her heart raged at the joyful innocence of these
heartfelt words. “And what is the name of this singular young man, pray tell?”
she archly inquired.
“His name is Prince Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqari. Surely you know
him, my Lady? Not a soul there is in all of Cairo that does not know his worth.
Am I then wrong to love him as I do?” Her eyes shone as she said this, and she
fell upon Sallafa’s hand to kiss it. “By God, my Lady, you and you alone can save me. You caused me to be brought to this city, and you surely have the power to
send me back to Egypt.” Sallafa struggled to control herself. Shwaykar’s plea had aroused her own thwarted passion, as well as her spite. “I know Prince Rukn al-Din,” she murmured, “and verily, he is a most excellent prince. If you are sure of his love I shall do my best to aid you, for I have grown very fond of you, my child, and wish for nothing but your happiness.”
Shwaykar believed her. “Truly, my Lady? You shall return me to Egypt? Th
ank
you, oh thank you! Deliver me as soon as possible, I entreat you!” and she fell upon her hand, but Sallafa pulled the weeping girl to her bosom in a viper’s embrace.
“You must be patient, Shwaykar. Th
is is only your fi rst day in the Com-
mander of the Faithful’s palace and he expects to hear you perform this very evening. Rest assured, however, I shall leave no stone unturned until I have devised a way to send you back.”
Shwaykar’s mind was now at ease. She put all her hopes in Sallafa and
thanked God for having brought them together in this place.
The Subterfuge
sallafa paced the room, frowning deeply as though pondering a momentous
problem. “Listen closely,” she suddenly said. “If you insist on returning to Egypt, then we must not waste a single moment. Once the Commander of the Faithful
has heard you sing it will be exceedingly diffi
cult to remove you from Baghdad.”
Shwaykar was now more than ever convinced of Sallafa’s solicitude and the
sincerity of her off ers of assistance. “And what course of action does my Lady
advise? I am the hostage of her will, and shall do anything to which she com-
mands me.”
“We must commence this very instant. You shall complain of a headache and
a sore throat. I will inform the Qahramana that you are severely indisposed. Th
en
I shall contrive to have you removed to a nearby palace that the Commander of
the Faithful has placed at my disposal. Once you are safely there it will be much easier to smuggle you out of the city.”
Shwaykar was unable to prevent herself from falling at Sallafa’s feet to kiss
them. “Th
ank you, my Lady, thank you! I am sure I already feel the onset of a
terrible headache!” Sallafa produced a scarf that she proceeded to wrap tightly
around the girl’s head. Th
at very instant, the slave Aqhwana entered the apart-
ment. “Th
e Qahramana has sent me to inform my Lady that she grows impatient
for Shwaykar. She would have her returned at once, for the Commander of the
Faithful is expected shortly.”
“Look at the poor child,” Sallafa said, pointing at the prostrate Shwaykar.
“She has taken gravely ill of a sudden. Look how she shakes and shivers. I have
given her a physic but it has had no eff ect. Th
e Qahramana shall be obliged to
make her excuses to the Commander of the Faithful until the girl recovers.” Aqh-
wana left to take the dire news to the Qahramana, who promptly came in person
to see the stricken Shwaykar. “How can this be?” she demanded of the maid in a
t h e su bt e r f uge |
loud, rasping voice as she waddled heavily into the room. “His Highness is due to arrive at any moment. He has long awaited the arrival of this particular singing-girl. How can she take ill, now that she has fi nally been delivered to us?”
Her restless eyes fell upon Shwaykar lying prone on a couch. Sallafa hovered
anxiously over her. Her color had changed dramatically and she moaned soft ly
from time to time while Sallafa bestowed tender caresses on her shivering body.
Th
e Qahramana took note of all this and felt pity for the girl. “Very well then,”
she sighed. “Th
e child shall be moved to the infi rmary and placed under the care
of our chief physician.”
“Do not trouble yourself, my friend,” Sallafa quickly replied. “Let me take
care of my wretched countrywoman,” she said as she gently covered Shwaykar
with a blanket and felt her cheek and forehead. “I shall nurse her back to health in my own palace, and with more solicitude and aff ection than any physician can show her.”
Th
e Qahramana sighed again in resignation. “Do as you see fi t, Sallafa. Only
be quick about it. His Highness is likely at the end of his patience.” As she took her leave, she mentally prepared her excuses to the Caliph, who had no doubt
promised himself an exceptional evening of entertainment aft er having so long
waited to come into the possession of his prize. As fate would have it, the Caliph’s own page accosted her as she made her way back to her apartments to inform her
that his Highness wished to see her immediately. She hurriedly turned her steps
to the Imperial Wardrobe and found the Commander of the Faithful dressing in
preparation for his evening of revelry on the Terrace. “Where is the new singing-girl?” he demanded abruptly as soon as his eyes fell upon the Qahramana. “We
have fi nally taken possession of her aft er long delay, thank God. Have you put her voice to the test? Have you heard it? Th
ey say that it is the most exquisite and
artful of female voices in the Empire. It is high time that I take some rest from the tiresome business of governing. May God forgive that rascal Abu Bakr, for he is the sole source of my many cares.” Al-Musta‘sim chattered on in this manner
while his attendant dressed him in a fi ne, diaphanous gown and wove a small
turban around his head. Th
e Qahramana stood respectfully silent and waited
until he fi nished speaking. Th
e moment fi nally came when she had no choice but