“I desire to present to the masters of Egypt some treasures such as are found in the land of Nubia in the hope that these will give them pleasure and they will ask for more.”
“And what do you want yourself in return?”
“Some of the grain that is surplus to Egypt's needs.”
The governor shook his large head and a mocking look appeared in his eyes as he said frankly, “I see that you are young, but bold and adventurous. Fortunately for you, I like adventurers. Now, show me what treasures you have brought.”
Isfmis called to Ahmose, who approached the governor and placed the casket he was carrying at his feet. The trader opened it, revealing rubies worked into jewelry of many forms. The governor examined these, his eyes alight with avarice, greed, and admiration, and he started turning them over in his hands. Then he asked the youth, “Is such jewelry abundant in Nubia?”
Isfmis answered him without hesitation, having prepared his reply before coming to Egypt.
“It is one of the strangest things, my lord, but these precious stones are to be found in the deepest jungles of Nubia, where wild beasts roam and deadly diseases lurk everywhere.”
He showed the governor a casket of emeralds, then one of coral, then a third of gold, and a fourth of pearls. The man examined them slowly, breathless to the point that by the time he had finished he seemed like one ecstatic — with drink. Next, Isfinis showed him the cages of gazelles, giraffes, and apes, saying, “How beautiful these animals would appear in the gardens of the palace!”
The governor smiled, saying to himself, “What an irresistible devil of a youth!” The governor's astonishment reached its peak when Isfinis raised the curtain of the litter and Zolo's strange person appeared. The governor rose involuntarily and went up to the litter and walked around it, saying questioningly, “Amazing! Is it animal or human?”
Isfinis replied with a smile, “Human, of course, my lord, and one of a numerous people.”
“This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen or heard.”
The man called a slave and told him, “Call the Princess Amenridis and my wife and brother!”
10
The people whom the governor had summoned arrived. Isfinis thought it best to lower his eyes out of respect, but he heard a thrilling voice that shook him to the core saying, “What makes you disturb our gathering, Governor?”
Isfinis stole a glance at the new arrivals and saw at their head the princess who had visited his convoy the day before and picked out the emerald heart. Her appearance, as he had come to expect, dazzled the eyes. The youth no longer had any doubt that Governor Khanzar and his wife were of the royal family. At the same time, he caught sight of another face not unfamiliar to him, the face of the man who followed the princess and the governor's wife — the judge who had passed sentence on Ebana the day before. The resemblance between the judge and the governor was obvious to him. The princess and the judge clearly recognized him too, for both cast him meaningful glances. The governor, ignorant of the wordless exchange taking place before him, bowed to the princess and said, “Come, Your Highness, and see the most precious things to be found within the bowels of the earth and the strangest to be found on its surface!” He turned to the caskets loaded with precious stones, the cages of animals, and Zolo's litter and they drew close, infatuated, astonished, and admiring, the pygmy receiving his usual portion of repugnance and curiosity. The governor's wife was the most astonished and admiring and approached the ivory caskets with fascination. The judge, however, turned to Isfmis and said to him, “Yesterday I was puzzled as to the source of your wealth, but now I understand everything.”
The governor turned toward them and asked his brother, “What do you mean, Judge Samnut? Have you met this young man before?”
“Indeed I have, my Lord Governor. I saw him yesterday in court. It seems that he is ever ready with himself and his wealth, for he donated fifty pieces of gold to save a peasant woman charged with insulting Commander Rukh from prison and flogging. It appears that the commander was afflicted on one and the same day by a peasant woman who spoke to him cheekily and a peasant who defied his anger!”
Princess Amenridis laughed lightly and sarcastically and said as she cast a glance at the youth's face, “What is so amazing in that, Judge Samnut? Isn't it natural that a peasant should roll up his sleeves to defend a peasant woman?”
“The fact is, my lady, the peasants can do nothing. The whole thing is just a matter of gold and its power. He spoke true who said that if you want to get anything out of a peasant, first make him poor, then beat him with a whip!”
The governor, however, was by nature enamored of any act of daring and bravery and he said, “The trader is a daring young man, and his penetration of our borders is just one sign of his courage. Bravo to him, bravo! Would he were a warrior that I might fight him, for my sword has rusted from resting so long in its scabbard!”
Princess Amenridis said in sarcastic tones, “How could you not show him mercy, Judge Samnut, when I am in his debt?”
“In his debt, Your Highness? What a thing to say!”
She laughed at the governor's astonishment and related to him how she had seen the convoy and how Zolo had attracted her to the ship, where she had picked out the beautiful necklace.
She told her story in accents indicative of the freedom and daring she enjoyed and of a love of sarcasm and banter. Governor Khanzar's astonishment vanished and he asked her playfully, “And why did you choose a green heart, Your Highness? We have heard of pure white hearts and wicked black hearts, but what might be the meaning of a green heart?”
The princess replied, laughing, “Direct your question to the one who sold the heart!”
Isfmis, who had been listening keenly but dejectedly, replied, “The green heart, Your Highness, is the symbol of fertility and tenderness.”
The princess said, “How I need such a heart, for sometimes I feel that I am so cruel that it even gives me pleasure to be cruel to myself!”
Judge Samnut meanwhile had been taking a long look at Zolo and tried to draw his sister-in-law's attention to him, though she refused to be distracted from the caskets of precious stones. The judge, disgusted at the pygmy's appearance, said, “What an ugly creature!”
Isfmis replied, “He belongs to a pygmy race that finds us unpleasant to look at and believes that the Creator gave us distorted features and hideous extremities.”
Governor Khanzar laughed mightily and said, “Your words are more fantastic than Zolo himself and than all the strange animals and treasures that you bring.”
Fixing Isfmis with a suspicious look, Samnut said, “It seems to me that this youth has set our minds in a dither with his fancies, for it is certain that such pygmies can have no concept of beauty or ugliness.”
Princess Amenridis stared at the pygmy as though in apology and said, “Do you find my face ugly to look at, Zolo?”
Khanzar started roaring with laughter once more, while Isfmis's heart trembled before the splendor of her beauty and her captivating coquetry. At that moment, he wanted to gaze at her forever. After this, silence reigned and the youth understood that it was time to go. Fearing that the governor would dismiss him without his having brought up the subject that he had come for, he said to him, “Great Governor, may I dare to hope to realize my ambitions under the aegis of your generous patronage?”
The governor thought, his hand playing in his thick black beard. Then he said, “Our people have grown tired of war and raiding and turned to luxury and ease. By nature they feel themselves above trading, so the only access to such costly gems is through adventurers such as you. However, I do not want to give you my decision now. Before doing that I must talk to my lord the king. I shall offer his exalted person the most beautiful of these treasures, in the hope that he may approve my opinion.”