elizabethpeters.thegoldenone-第72部分

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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　e　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　to　hear　that　against　all　my　expectations　you　had　survived　that　interesting　affair　outside　Cairo；　but　I　am　uncertain　as　to　the　details。　How　did　you　manage　it？〃
　Ramses　considered　the　question。　It　was　loaded　with　potential　pitfalls；　and　the　genial　conversational　tone；　the　fortable　surroundings；　were　designed　to　lower　his　guard。　A　new　interrogation　technique？　He　preferred　it　to　the　methods　the　Turks　usually　employed；　but　he　would　have　to　be　careful。
　〃My　affectionate　family　came　to　the　rescue；〃　he　said；　feeling　certain　that　this　information　must　have　reached　Sahin's　ears。　〃You　know　my　father。〃
　〃By　reputation　only。　It　is　a　formidable　reputation。　I　hope　one　day　to　have　the　honor　of　meeting　him。　So　he　heard　of　your　…　er　…　dilemma　…　from　your　friend；　whom　I　did　not　succeed　in　killing　after　all？　I　might　have　done；　had　you　not　spoiled　my　aim。〃
　〃Possibly。〃
　Sahin　drew　the　smoke　deep　into　his　lungs。　〃You　also　spoiled　a　pretty　little　scheme　which　had　been　long　in　the　making。　What　are　you　after　now？　Why　are　you　here？〃
　〃Just　having　a　look　round。〃
　〃I　do　admire　the　imprecision　of　the　English　language；〃　Sahin　said。　〃So　useful　when　one　wishes　to　avoid　answering　a　question。〃
　〃Would　you　prefer　to　speak　Turkish？　I　don't　find　it　as　easy　to　equivocate　in　that　language。〃
　Sahin's　beard　parted；　showing　his　teeth。　〃I　think　you　could　equivocate　in　any　language；　my　boy。　In　this　case；　it　is　a　waste　of　time。　You　were　caught　in　the　act。　A　particularly　futile　act；　I　might　add。　In　that　jostling　crowd　you　had　little　chance　of　killing　him。〃
　〃I　didn't　succeed；　did　I？〃
　〃You　hit　the　governor；〃　Sahin　said；　his　smile　broadening。　〃A　flesh　wound　in　a　particularly　awkward　place。　He's　very　annoyed　with　you。〃
　No　mention　of　anyone　else。　Did　that　mean　Chetwode　had　got　away？　Good　luck　to　the　young　fool；　Ramses　thought　sourly。　He　had　only　been　obeying　orders。　He　put　his　head　in　his　hands。　Thinking　about　Chetwode　worsened　his　headache。
　〃What　can　I　offer　you？〃　Sahin　asked　solicitously。　〃If　you　don't　want　brandy；　what　about　coffee　or　mint　tea？〃
　He　clapped　his　hands。　The　servant　who　entered　was　so　anxious　to　show　the　proper　deference；　he　was　bent　over　at　the　waist；　his　face　only　a　few　inches　from　the　tray　he　carried。　Obeying　a　brusque　gesture　from　Sahin；　he　deposited　it　on　a　low　table　beside　Ramses　and　backed　out；　still　at　a　right　angle。　The　heavy　curtains　closed　after　him。　〃Please　help　yourself；〃　Sahin　said。　〃They　have　not　been　drugged。〃
　Ramses's　throat　was　painfully　dry；　and　he　concluded　it　would　be　expedient　to　accept　something。　To　refuse　hospitality　was　an　affront；　and　it　was　unlikely　Sahin　had　ordered　the　drinks　to　be　drugged。　And　what　difference　would　it　make　if　he　had？
　So　he　picked　up　the　glass　of　tea　and　sipped　it　gratefully；　holding　the　hot　glass　by　the　rim；　while　the　Turk　smoked　in　pensive　silence。　Then　he　said　suddenly；　〃I　have　a　daughter。〃
　〃My　felicitations；〃　Ramses　said；　wondering　what　the　devil　this　had　to　do　with　anything。　〃When　did　the　happy　event　occur？〃
　〃Eighteen　years　ago。〃
　〃Eighteen　…〃
　〃Yes；　she　should　have　been　married　long　before　this。　It　is　not　for　lack　of　offers。　She　is　beautiful；　well　born；　and　educated。　She　speaks　and　writes　English。　She　is　somewhat　headstrong；　but　I　believe　you　prefer　women　of　that　sort。〃　He　looked　hopefully　at　Ramses；　who　had　begun　to　feel　like　Alice。　What　sort　of　rabbit　hole　had　he　fallen　into？　Surely　Sahin　Pasha　didn't　mean　。　。　。　Silence　seemed　the　safest　course。
　〃The　war　cannot　last　forever；〃　the　Turk　went　on。　〃We　will　not　always　be　enemies。　You　have　the　qualities　I　would　like　in　a　son。〃
　〃But　。　。　。〃　Ramses　tried　to　think　of　a　tactful　way　of　refusing　this　flattering　and　appalling　suggestion。　He　blurted　out；　〃I'm　already　married！〃
　〃I　know　that。　But　if　you　were　to　embrace　Islam；　you　could　take　another　wife。　I　don't　remend　more。　It　requires　a　brave　man　to　manage　two　women；　but　three　are　six　times　as　much　trouble　as　two；　and　four　…〃
　〃You're　joking。〃
　Sahin's　mouth　stretched　wider。　〃Am　I？　It　is　in　the　best　tradition　of　our　people　and　yours　…　forging　an　alliance　through　marriage。　Think　it　over。　The　alternative　is　far　less　attractive。〃
　〃What　is　the　alternative？〃
　〃Surely　you　need　not　ask。　Imprisonment；　a　considerable　degree　of　disfort；　and　eventually　a　trip　to　Constantinople；　where　you　will　have　to　face　several　persons　who　know　you　as　one　of　our　most　dangerous　opponents。〃　He　leaned　forward；　his　face　lengthening。　〃They　will　execute　you；　my　young　friend；　publicly　and　painfully；　as　an　English　spy；　but　before　they　kill　you　they　will　try　to　find　out　everything　you　know。　I　consider　torture　an　unreliable　means　of　extracting　information；　but　I　fear　my　enlightened　views　are　not　shared　by　the　others　in　my　service。　I　am　offering　you　a　chance　to　escape　that　fate。　You　are　no　assassin。　You　came　here　for　another　reason。　I　can　protect　you　from　a　death　that　will　cause　your　wife　and　your　parents　much　grief　if　you　confide　in　me　and　prove　your　sincerity　by　the　alliance　I　have　offered。　I　assure　you；　the　girl　is　quite　presentable。〃
　Increasingly　bewildered；　but　reminded　of　his　manners；　Ramses　said；　〃I　am　sure　she　is　a　pearl　of　rare　beauty　and　a　worthy　child　of　her　father。　You　would　think　less　of　me；　however；　if　I　betrayed　my　beliefs　and　my　country　for　a　woman；　however　desirable。〃
　〃You　would　not　be　the　first　Englishman　to　do　so。〃
　He　fixed　Ramses　with　a　steady　stare　and　Ramses　considered　how　to　respond。　He　wasn't　feeling　very　clever；　insane　questions　kept　popping　into　his　head　and　it　was　all　he　could　do　to　keep　from　blurting　them　out。　〃Anybody　I　know？〃　or　〃You　wouldn't　be　referring　to　my　uncle；　would　you？〃　He　wondered　if　there　had　been　some　drug　in　the　tea　after　all；　or　if　it　was　only　the　blow　on　the　head　that　was　clouding　his　thinking。　Sahin　couldn't　be　serious。　He　was　playing　some　sort　of　game　and　Ramses　hadn't　the　foggiest　notion　what　he　was　really　after。
　〃There　have　been　several；〃　Ramses　began。　His　voice　echoed　oddly　inside　his　head。　He　tried　to　put　the　glass　down。　It　tipped；　spilling　the　rest　of　the　tea　across　the　floor。　〃Was　that　really　necessary？〃　he　asked　thickly。
　〃A　lesson；　which　you　have　not　yet　learned；　it　seems；〃　Sahin　replied　equably。　〃Never　trust　anyone's　word。　Now　e　along　like　a　good　lad。　I　don't　want　to　hurt　you。〃
　He　clapped　his　hands。　Two　men　entered。　〃Gently；　gently；〃　Sahin　crooned；　as　they　pulled　Ramses　to　his　feet　and　half　led；　half　dragged　him　out　of　the　room；　up　a　few　steps　and　down　a　few；　through　the　mazelike　series　of　rooms　and　corridors　that　were　typical　of　such　houses。　He　was　vaguely　aware　of　staring　faces；　as　indistinct　as　ghosts；　and　of　soft　exclamations。　Eventually　they　escorted　him　down　a　long　flight　of　stairs。　The　smell　came　up　to　meet　him　…　wet　stone；　and　mold；　and　the　sickly　sweetness　of　something　rotten。
　There　were　three　doors　along　the　short　passage；　heavy　wood　banded　with　iron。　Two　were　closed。　They　took　him　into　the　third　room；　a　stone…walled　box　barely　six　feet　square　and　six　high。　Rodent　bones　and　a　thin　layer　of　straw；　liquescent　with　decay；　littered　the　floor。　The　cell　contained　a　rough　wooden　bench　along　one　wall；　a　few　crude　earthenware　vessels；　and　several　sets　of　chains　held　by　staples　driven　deep　into　floor　and　wall。　Working　with　silent　efficiency；　as　if　they　had　gone　through　the　procedure　many　times；　the　two　guards　deposited　Ramses　on　the　bench。　Too　dizzy　to　sit　upright；　he　toppled　forward；　one　of　them　had　to　hold　him　while　the　other　raised　his　arms　and　locked　the　fetters　round　his　wrists。　They　chained　his　feet；　too；　and　then　left。
　〃Faugh；〃　said　Sahin　Pasha；　wrinkling　his　nose。　〃It's　even　worse　than　I　remembered。　This　house　is　a　tempora