The Kadin - Bertrice Small [119]
“This way,” she said, and Cyra followed her across the open yard to an almost-hidden staircase cut into the side of a wall. “Up here,” said Zuleika, moving up the stairs and across the flat roof of the building. They came to a small opening in the roof. Here Zuleika stopped and motioned to Cyra. They lay down and peered into the stable below them.
Cyra’s eyes widened, and she trembled at the sight A naked Shannez lay spread-eagled upon a filthy blanket Her arms and legs were held by means of leather thongs to four small pegs which had been driven into the dirt floor. Abu stood nearby, shaking his loincloth preparatory to rewrapping it about his hairy body. “A mighty weapon for so small a man,” mused Zuleika.
Bending, Abu loosed the thongs about the woman’s ankles and wrists and tossed her the now-soiled silk robe. “I’m hungry. Forage for food.” He punctuated his words with a well-placed kick.
Shannez scrambled to her feet clutching the robe about her and, hurling invectives at her tormentor, ran out of the stable. Cyra and Zuleika rose and moved to the edge of the roof. Below them the woman stood hesitantly for a moment then, spotting an open cistern, made for it From the shadows a soldier loomed.
“Halt woman! Where do you go?”
She paused. “To seek food.”
“In a cistern? Come! I will show you.”
“I will find my way.”
“I will show you. Orders of Zuleika Kadin. I am to guard you at all times.” Shannez stared at the man. “You’re not a bad-looking wench,” he said. “Perhaps we should go the long way.” Leering, he moved toward her.
“Get away from me!” she shrieked, flailing out at him.
Abu appeared in the stable door. “What’s all this noise? Where’s my supper, you lazy slut?”
“Hello, Abu,” said the soldier. “Who’s the woman, and how did you get so lucky, you ugly son of a she-camel?”
“She was the old shah’s favorite,” said the sweeper of dung proudly. “The sultan gave me my freedom, and the woman as a slave to care for my needs.”
“By the beard of the Prophet,” replied the soldier, “old Selim gets generous with the pretty goods.” He thought for a moment “Say, Abu. How would you like to make some money? Now you’re a free man, you’ve got to think of the future.”
“What do I have to do?”
The soldier drew the little man aside, then whispered to him.
“Well, it’s fine with me, but I warn you, all she does is kick and scream. I had to tie her down.”
“A fighter, eh? It adds more spice. Wait here while I get my comrades.”
He returned in a twinkling with five other soldiers. Each placed a small purse in the dung sweeper’s hand. Abu turned to Shannez. “Get back inside.”
“But your food—” She stopped and looked wildly about for a means of escape. There was none.
“I’ll fetch my own food. Get inside!”
Shannez tried to run, but the soldiers laughingly caught her and dragged her into the stables as Abu walked away.
The two women stood on the roof for a moment; then Zuleika spoke over the screams coming from below them “Let us go. I am satisfied.”
Silently the kadins moved down the stairs and across the stableyard. The little door closed with a quiet click on Shannez’s shame and anguish. Zuleika Kadin never again spoke of her past.
31
THE SULTAN RETURNED to Constantinople with eight hundred and fifty camels and five hundred donkeys laden with gold, silver, precious jewels, and other booty. The slaves numbered over ten thousand. The boundaries of the Ottoman Empire had been widened by the annexation of Diyarbekir and Kurdistan. The Persian campaign had been very successful.
In his wake, Selim left the bodies of forty thousand Shiites who had been massacred because they refused to return to the pure form of Mohammedanism. The young shah was so horrified by this act that he was never known to smile again.
The Turks had wintered in the shah’s capital of Tabriz. The annexation of Persian territory had occurred in the