The Golden One - Elizabeth Peters [140]
“What is this?” he asked in Turkish.
“As you see, Sahin Pasha. We have captured the assassin.”
So now he’s a pasha, Ramses thought. What was the head of the Turkish secret service doing in Gaza? His first and—he had hoped—last encounter with this formidable individual had ended in the failure of Sahin’s mission; it wouldn’t be surprising if he bore a grudge against the man who had been partially responsible. Ramses could only pray the Turk wouldn’t recognize him. He was bareheaded, having lost his khafiyeh during the fight, but in his filthy torn robes, bearded and disheveled, he bore little resemblance to the man Sahin had last seen—disheveled, admittedly, but clean-shaven and in European clothing. He cringed and ducked his head.
“We are taking him to His Excellency the Kaimakam,” the officer went on.
“The governor? Why?”
“Because—because—why, because he is an assassin! One of those fanatics who would rebel against our benevolent rule, who—”
“No,” Sahin said. The handle of the whip caught Ramses under the chin and forced his head up. The Turk studied him thoughtfully for a few seconds. Then he leaned down and with a powerful jerk pulled the beard off, taking several square inches of skin with it. Ramses straightened and met the Turk’s inquiring gaze. He was in for it now.
“Ah,” Sahin Pasha said, and smiled. “I relieve you of your prisoner, Bimbashi.”
“But, Your Excellency—
“He is an English spy. Espionage is my department, Bimbashi. Do you question my authority?” He beckoned his servant, who dismounted and untied the rope from the officer’s saddle.
The officer didn’t like what was happening. A direct refusal was more than he dared risk, but he ventured to protest. “You will need an escort, Excellency. He fights like a demon. It took six of my men—”
“No need for that,” Sahin said affably. He raised his arm and brought the whip handle down.
10
FROM MANUSCRIPT H (CONTINUED)
It was a very pleasant dream. The surface on which he lay was soft and faintly perfumed. Above him arched a golden canopy—yellow silk, gilded by sunlight streaming through the gathered folds. He could hear birdsong and the crystalline tinkle of water.
The only discordant note was a headache of stupendous proportions. He raised his hand to his temple, and a familiar voice said, “Try this. I do not indulge, of course, but I keep it for certain of my guests.”
It wasn’t a dream. Ramses sat up. A few feet away, cross-legged on a pile of tasseled cushions, Sahin held out a glass half-filled with an amber liquid.
Ramses started to shake his head and thought better of it. “No, thank you,” he mumbled in Turkish—the same language the other man had used.
“It is not drugged. But, as you like.” His host placed the glass on a brass tray and reached for the mouthpiece of his water pipe. He smoked contentedly for a time, for all the world like a courteous host waiting for his guest to get his wits back.
It took a while. When the Turk’s blow had landed, sinking him into unconsciousness, Ramses expected he would wake up in a dark, verminous cell, with various people holding various sharp, heavy, or red-hot implements. This room was airy and bright, probably the mandarah, the principal chamber where guests were received. The central part of the room was several inches lower than the rest, tiled in tasteful patterns of red and black and white, with a small fountain at one end. The alcove in which he was now sitting was draped with silk and floored with cushions. He was wearing only a shirt and drawers; they had removed his stained robe and dirty sandals, and cleaned the worst of the muck off his body. One wouldn’t want those satin cushions smeared with rotten fruit and donkey dung.
“I regret the necessity of that,” Sahin said, as Ramses explored the lump on his head with cautious fingers. “I knew you would not come willingly, and resistance might have caused you serious injury.”
“How can I ever thank you?” Ramses inquired, slipping into English. The Turk laughed aloud.
“It is a pleasure to match wits with you again, my young friend. I was delighted