The Falcon at the Portal - Elizabeth Peters [141]
The drummers tuned their instruments—pottery jars of various sizes covered with animal skins drawn tight across the wide mouths—and began a soft beat. It was wonderful to watch the movements of their long fingers and supple wrists; even more wonderful to hear the variety of tone and volume their skill evoked. The beat quickened and grew louder, and other instruments joined in—pipes and flutes, lutes and dulcimers, and a kemengeh, an odd-looking stringed instrument which is played with a bow, like a viola.
The pièce de résistance was a performance by the most famous singer of the region, who had graciously consented to come out of retirement for this occasion. He was no longer young; but when he cupped his hand round his mouth and let his voice out, the tone was so beautiful the other musicians fell silent, so that not even the soft tap of a drum interrupted the golden notes.
Tumblers and jugglers, dancing by men and by women—though not together—a famed storyteller—it went on and on, for this was a celebration not only of a marriage but of the formalization of a relationship between two groups of people who were now united legally as well as by the bonds of affection. I would have said something to this effect had not Emerson warned me in advance that if I attempted to make a speech he would stop me by one means or another. He made a speech instead, in his most flowery Arabic, acknowledging both young couples and quoting several verses of poetry, which were not as vulgar as I had feared they would be. The speech was very well received, especially the poetry.
The evening ended with fireworks—purchased, as Selim proudly explained, at great expense. As we drove away, the spattering of firecrackers and the farewells of our friends faded into silence. The ride home in the open carriages was long but very beautiful, for the stars shone like jewels and the night breeze cooled faces flushed with pleasure and excitement. Emerson wrapped me tenderly in a shawl. If he had hoped to do more he was deterred by the presence of Ramses, who explained, with incontrovertible logic, that the other carriage would have been too crowded with five.
ELEVEN
An Englishman who “goes native” betrays every other Englishman in the East. To learn something of the language is necessary in order to avoid being cheated; to wear native attire is sometimes convenient and comfortable; but acceptance of the corrupt moral standards of the Arab lowers our prestige. The women, for example…
FROM MANUSCRIPT H
Emerson had them out at dawn after their late night. He had always been able to go for days without any sleep to speak of, and he expected his associates to keep up with him. Ramses would rather have dropped in his tracks than admit he couldn’t, but the combination of physical fatigue and mental confusion was taking its toll, and by the end of the day he could have cheered when his mother announced that they would stop work early. Another bit of good news was her decree that they would accept no social invitations for a few days—except, of course, with one another. They had a great deal of catching up to do, she said.
What she really meant was that she wanted Geoffrey and Nefret to herself for a while so that she could pry into the latter’s feelings and get the former firmly under her thumb. He’d have plenty of company there.
When Lia asked Ramses to come to supper on the Amelia, just the three of them, adding that if they talked too late he should stay the night, it was as if someone had offered him a hand out of a fiery furnace. He was not managing as well as he had hoped. After they got back from the fantasia, he had left the house, ostensibly for a walk, so he wouldn’t have to watch Nefret and her husband go down the corridor to their rooms. Late as it was when he returned, he had not got much sleep.
There were several things he wanted to discuss with David anyhow, and he introduced the most pressing of them as soon as he decently could. They were sitting on the upper deck. It had been his mother’s favorite place, and it was almost unchanged