The Scapegoat [84]
and he beckoned to him with the downward motion, which is the Moorish manner. And rising on his quaking limbs he took him aside and said, "I know this fellow. Ya Allah! Allah! For all his vaunts and visions he has gone to Abd er-Rahman. God will show! God will show! I dare not take him! Abd er-Rahman uses him to spy and pry on his Bashas! Camel-skin coat? Allah! a fine disguise! Bismillah! Bismillah!"
Then, looking back at the place where Mohammed in the vision saw his body lie outstretched, he dropped his voice to a whisper, and said, "Listen! You have my seal?"
Israel without a word, put his hand into the pocket of his waistband, and drew out the seal of Ben Aboo.
"Right! Now hear me, in the name of the merciful God. Do not liberate these infidel dogs at Shawan and do not give them so much as bread to eat or water to drink, but let such as own them feed them. And if ever the thing of which that fellow has spoken should come to pass--do you hear?--in the hour wherein it befalls-- Allah preserve me!--in that hour draw a warrant on the Kaid of Shawan and seal it with my seal--are you listening?--a warrant to put every man, woman, and child to the sword. Ya Allah! Allah! We will deal with these spies of Abd er-Rahman! So shall there be mourning at my burial--Holy Saints! Holy Saints!--mourning, I say, among them that look for joy at my death."
Thus in a quaking voice, sometimes whispering, and again breaking into loud exclamations, Ben Aboo in his terror poured his broken words into Israel's ear.
Israel made no answer. His eyes had become dim--he scarcely saw the walls of the place wherein they stood. His ears had become dense--he scarcely heard the voice of Ben Aboo, though the Kaid's hot breath was beating upon his cheek. But through the haze he saw the shadow of one figure tramping furiously to and fro, and through the thick air the voice of another figure came muffled and harsh. For Katrina, having chased away with smiles the evil looks of Ben Aboo, had turned to Israel and was saying--
"What is this I hear of your beautiful daughter--this Naomi of yours--that she has recovered her speech and hearing! When did that happen, pray? No answer? Ah, I see, you are tired of the deception. You kept it up well between you. But is she still blind? So? Dear me! Blind, poor child. Think of it!"
Israel neither answered nor looked up, but stood motionless on the same place, holding the seal in his hand. And Ben Aboo, in his restless tramping up and down, came to him again, and said, "Why are you a Jew, Israel ben Oliel? The dogs of your people hate you. Witness to the Prophet! Resign yourself! Turn Muslim, man--what's to hinder you?"
Still Israel made no reply. But Ben Aboo continued: "Listen! The people about me are in the pay of the Sultan, and after all you are the best servant I have ever had. Say the Kelmah, and I'll make you my Khaleefa. Do you hear?--my Khaleefa, with power equal to my own. Man, why don't you speak? Are you grown stupid of late as well as weak and womanish?"
CHAPTER XVIII
THE LIGHT-BORN MESSENGER
"Basha," said Israel--he spoke slowly and quietly; but with forced calmness--"Basha, you must seek another hand for work like that--this hand of mine shall never seal that warrant."
"Tut, man!" whispered Ben Aboo. "Do your new measles break out everywhere? Am I not Kaid? Can I not make you my Khaleefa?"
Israel's face was worn and pale, but his eye burned with the fire of his great resolve.
"Basha," he said again calmly and quietly, "if you were Sultan and could make me your Vizier, I would not do it."
"Why?" cried Ben Aboo; "why? why?"
"Because," said Israel, "I am here to deliver up your seal to you."
"You? Grace of God!" cried Ben Aboo.
"I am here," continued Israel, as calmly as before, "to resign my office."
"Resign your office? Deliver up your seal?" cried Ben Aboo. "Man, man, are you mad?"
"No, Basha, not to-day," said Israel quietly. "I must have been that when I came here first, five-and-twenty years ago."
Then, looking back at the place where Mohammed in the vision saw his body lie outstretched, he dropped his voice to a whisper, and said, "Listen! You have my seal?"
Israel without a word, put his hand into the pocket of his waistband, and drew out the seal of Ben Aboo.
"Right! Now hear me, in the name of the merciful God. Do not liberate these infidel dogs at Shawan and do not give them so much as bread to eat or water to drink, but let such as own them feed them. And if ever the thing of which that fellow has spoken should come to pass--do you hear?--in the hour wherein it befalls-- Allah preserve me!--in that hour draw a warrant on the Kaid of Shawan and seal it with my seal--are you listening?--a warrant to put every man, woman, and child to the sword. Ya Allah! Allah! We will deal with these spies of Abd er-Rahman! So shall there be mourning at my burial--Holy Saints! Holy Saints!--mourning, I say, among them that look for joy at my death."
Thus in a quaking voice, sometimes whispering, and again breaking into loud exclamations, Ben Aboo in his terror poured his broken words into Israel's ear.
Israel made no answer. His eyes had become dim--he scarcely saw the walls of the place wherein they stood. His ears had become dense--he scarcely heard the voice of Ben Aboo, though the Kaid's hot breath was beating upon his cheek. But through the haze he saw the shadow of one figure tramping furiously to and fro, and through the thick air the voice of another figure came muffled and harsh. For Katrina, having chased away with smiles the evil looks of Ben Aboo, had turned to Israel and was saying--
"What is this I hear of your beautiful daughter--this Naomi of yours--that she has recovered her speech and hearing! When did that happen, pray? No answer? Ah, I see, you are tired of the deception. You kept it up well between you. But is she still blind? So? Dear me! Blind, poor child. Think of it!"
Israel neither answered nor looked up, but stood motionless on the same place, holding the seal in his hand. And Ben Aboo, in his restless tramping up and down, came to him again, and said, "Why are you a Jew, Israel ben Oliel? The dogs of your people hate you. Witness to the Prophet! Resign yourself! Turn Muslim, man--what's to hinder you?"
Still Israel made no reply. But Ben Aboo continued: "Listen! The people about me are in the pay of the Sultan, and after all you are the best servant I have ever had. Say the Kelmah, and I'll make you my Khaleefa. Do you hear?--my Khaleefa, with power equal to my own. Man, why don't you speak? Are you grown stupid of late as well as weak and womanish?"
CHAPTER XVIII
THE LIGHT-BORN MESSENGER
"Basha," said Israel--he spoke slowly and quietly; but with forced calmness--"Basha, you must seek another hand for work like that--this hand of mine shall never seal that warrant."
"Tut, man!" whispered Ben Aboo. "Do your new measles break out everywhere? Am I not Kaid? Can I not make you my Khaleefa?"
Israel's face was worn and pale, but his eye burned with the fire of his great resolve.
"Basha," he said again calmly and quietly, "if you were Sultan and could make me your Vizier, I would not do it."
"Why?" cried Ben Aboo; "why? why?"
"Because," said Israel, "I am here to deliver up your seal to you."
"You? Grace of God!" cried Ben Aboo.
"I am here," continued Israel, as calmly as before, "to resign my office."
"Resign your office? Deliver up your seal?" cried Ben Aboo. "Man, man, are you mad?"
"No, Basha, not to-day," said Israel quietly. "I must have been that when I came here first, five-and-twenty years ago."