SHIRAZ THE RUG-MERCHANT
The wayfarers came to a halt before the Wanderers' Gate. The wall of the
city stood before them, and stretched away to a great distance on either
hand. People were going in and out at the gate; some on foot, driving
donkeys before them, some on horseback, some in wagons, and all brisk
and talkative. The Third Vice-President received a respectful greeting
from several of those on horseback. He turned to his companions with a
wave of the hand, and said:
"The Wanderers' Bazaar!"
On each side of the open gate, at the foot of the high thick wall, was
what appeared to be a fair. As far as the eye could see, the base of the
wall was lined with booths, each with an awning over it from the wall
behind, gaily striped in orange and blue and yellow and brown. In these
booths was spread out in disorderly profusion a mass of merchandise of
all kinds; gold and silver ornaments, brass and copper vessels, rugs and
carpets, spectacles and clocks, toys and games, herbs and ointments,
fish-nets and sailors' instruments, canes and crutches, ribbons and
laces, perfumery, precious stones--things innumerable; even parrots and
monkeys, in cages; in one booth was a potter, twirling his potter's
wheel; in another a fortune-teller, laying little sticks down in curious
patterns on his table; in another a man pasting on cards bits of
coloured feathers, in the form of tiny birds and fowls, most life-like;
in another a glass-blower, delicately twining a thread of spun glass for
the rigging of a ship; in another a man sitting on a rug with a snake
before him, whose flat head stood stiffly up from his coil, and waved a
little to the motion of his master's finger; in another, a man was
bending over a flower-pot with a wand in his hand, and as he moved the
wand a stalk grew from the pot and at its end a bud appeared and
unfolded into a flower before the very eyes of his audience; in another
a great ape was marking down figures with chalk as his master called
them; in another a shuttle was weaving back and forth in a loom; there
seemed to be no end to the curious and diverting things to be seen in
those booths. The people in them were apparently of all the nations of
the earth; there were brown men and yellow men and black men, as well as
white; men with slant eyes, with round eyes, with flat noses, with
beak-noses, with wooly hair, with straight hair; there were turbans, and
fezzes, and hoods, and white gowns, and coloured robes, and velvet
jackets, and cotton blouses; and from all the venders rose such a hubbub
as Freddie had never in his life heard before, except once in the Gaunt
Street Theatre at home. A lively crowd chaffered with the venders and
walked in the paved street before their booths. It was a scene full of
life and colour, and Freddie was transported with delight.
"Oh!" he said, "can't we get down here and see all those sights? I
should like to spend the whole day here!"
"We've got other fish to fry just now, Freddie," said Toby. "We'll have
to see this some other time."
"It is a precious thought," said the Sly Old Fox, "that we have here
with us on our mules enough treasure to buy this whole bazaar, if we
wished to do it. It is a beautiful thought."
"Six 'undred paces to the right!" said Mr. Punch.
"Shiraz the Rug-Merchant!" said Toby. "By the looks of it, there must be
about five hundred rug-merchants along there."
"What was the number we were to find him by?" said Aunt Amanda.
"It's 3103101," said Toby.
"You are quite mistaken," said Mr. Punch. "Hit's 3013101."
"That's exactly what I said," said Toby.
"Excuse me," said the Old Codger with the Wooden Leg, "it seems to me
that it is--er--3101301."
"My recollection is," said the Churchwarden, "that it is 3031010."
"I am sorry to differ," said the Sly Old Codger, "but I am perfectly
sure it is 3013010."
"Why don't you look at the paper?" said Aunt Amanda, in an exasperated
tone.
Everyone looked at everyone else to produce the paper, but no one
produced it.
"I regret to confess it," said the Third Vice-President, placidly, "but
I have a distinct recollection of having left it on the table at Low
Dudgeon. Never mind, it is perfectly safe."
"Well!" said Aunt Amanda. "Isn't that a perfect shame! Whatever are we
going to do? And where's the map? Freddie, have you got the map?"
Freddie looked in all his pockets. "No'm," said he. "It isn't here."
"I recall distinctly," said the Third Vice-President, without any sign
of worry, "that the map was left on the table at Low Dudgeon with the
other paper."
"Merciful fathers!" exclaimed Aunt Amanda. "And you've left the map
behind too! I never yet see a man that had a head on him worth a--Now
listen to me; is there anyone that remembers the words the paper said we
had to say to the----"
"Ah! madam," said the Third Vice-President. "There I can be of
assistance, I fancy. The words are derived from the Persian, and I am
accordingly familiar with them. 'Shagli Jamshid Shahriman.' Am I right,
gentlemen?"
The Daft Committee nodded their heads in assent.
"Then I see no reason," said the Third Vice-President, "why we should
not proceed."
"Come on then," said Toby. "I'll get down and pace off the six hundred
steps, and see where we come to."
The party moved slowly through the crowd, along the booths, while Toby
walked beside them, carefully counting his steps.
"Five hundred and eighty," said he. "Five hundred and ninety.
Ninety-five. Six hundred"; and stopped. The procession stopped also, and
all of the riders got down from their mules. Many of the passers-by
gazed curiously at them, and some paused for a moment before going on;
but no one seemed to take more than a passing interest. One of the
Committee led the mules to the open side of the street, where they would
be out of the way, and stood guard over them. The others joined Toby in
front of the booth at which he was now standing.
It was not the kind of booth they were seeking at all. There were no
rugs nor carpets of any kind; only clocks and watches, a great number of
them, and a few sundials and hour-glasses. Behind the counter stood a
lad of about twenty, very dark of skin, with snapping black eyes and
shining white teeth which showed as he now bowed and smiled; a white
turban on his head, and a loose white robe hanging from his shoulders.
He was slim and sleek, and his fingers were very long and delicate. He
rubbed his hands together as the riders dismounted, and commenced to
chatter to them in an unknown tongue, bowing and smiling the while. His
wares were displayed about him on shelves and boxes and tables, as well
as on the counter, and the clocks and watches, as usual in such places,
showed all hours of the twelve. A striped awning of orange and blue,
fastened at the rear to the side of the city wall, shielded him and his
booth from the sun. Behind him in the wall was a closed iron door.
"We're in the wrong shop," said Toby to his companions. "Some mistake.
Anyway, here goes." And addressing the young man behind the counter, he
said: "Good-afternoon. We are looking for Mr. Shiraz the Rug-Merchant.
This don't look much like a rug shop, but maybe you can tell us. Shiraz;
that's his name."
"No understand," said the young man, rubbing his hands and bowing
pleasantly.
"Shiraz," said Toby. "Think. Shiraz. Easy word, Shiraz. You understand?"
"Clocks and watches," said the young man. "Sundials. You buy?"
"No, no," said Toby. "We no buy. Want Shiraz. Confound it, that's an
easy word, ain't it? Shiraz! Can't you understand that?"
"No sell Shiraz," said the young man. "Clocks and watches."
"Look here," said Toby, "what's the number of this place?"
"No number," said the young man, looking puzzled and shaking his head.
"Clocks and watches."
"By crackey," said Toby, "we're in the wrong place sure enough."
Now while this talk was going on, Freddie had made a discovery. He had
noticed, on a box at the rear, against the wall, a row of seven old
clocks. They were battered and broken, and were evidently long since out
of repair; two of them had no hands. Like most of the clocks in the
place, they were stopped, and had probably, from the looks of them,
ceased many years before to keep time. He noted idly the time shown by
each of these clocks, and started in surprise. The hour shown by the
first clock at the left was three o'clock. That shown by the next was
one o'clock. The next had no hands, and showed no time at all. The next
showed one o'clock, the next three o'clock, the next one o'clock, and
the seventh had no hands. He ran his eye over them again, and the
numbers which resulted were 3101310.
"Come along," said Toby. "We might as well ask at some of these other
shops. There ain't no use wasting time here."
He moved away, and the others followed him towards the adjoining booth.
The teeth of the dark young man shone white, and he bowed politely to
the departing strangers.
Freddie pulled at Toby's coat, and whispered in his ear. Toby listened,
and without a word led the party back to the booth.
"Now see here, young feller," said he, "I've got your number, and I
don't want no nonsense. I reckon you can understand numbers, if you
can't understand anything else." He fixed his eyes on the row of old
clocks at the rear. "Listen to this, my young friend: 3-1-0-1-3-1-0."
The smile left the young man's face. He seemed a trifle uneasy. His long
fingers rested on the counter, and he leaned forward intently.
"No understand," said he.
"By crackey," said Toby, "this beats all. Where's Shiraz? We're in the
right place, and we want Shiraz. Out with him!"
"Clocks and watches," said the young man, but this time somewhat
nervously. "You buy?"
"Buy nothing!" cried Toby. "We want to see Shiraz the Rug-Merchant.
Professor," said he, turning round, "what's the words to bring out
Shiraz the Rug-Merchant?"
"Shagli Jamshid Shahriman!" said the Third Vice-President, in a loud
voice.
Instantly the manner of the young man changed. Crossing his arms upon
his breast, he made a low salaam, and spoke with the utmost deference.
"I trust you will pardon," said he, "my seeming lack of courtesy. It is
necessary to exercise a certain caution. There are wicked spirits,
assuming from time to time the most unlikely forms, who seek to gain
access to my great-great-grandfather. His life is continually in danger,
for he possesses secrets which enable him constantly to interfere with
their designs. By reason of this danger, he was obliged many years ago
to retire from the rug business, and he has lived ever since in deep
seclusion. It is your wish to see Shiraz the Persian?"
"You seem to speak English pretty good," said Toby.
"Perfectly, my lord. And twelve other tongues as well. You desire to see
my great-great-grandfather?"
"That's the exact idea," said Toby.
"Then I will beg your indulgence for a few moments."
The young man bowed again, and disappeared through the doorway in the
wall, closing the door behind him. After a considerable absence he
returned.
"If you will follow me," said he, "I will conduct you to my
great-great-grandfather."
"We will await your return here," said the Third Vice-President to Toby
and his companions. "It is unnecessary for us to pursue this adventure
further."
The Third Vice-President and his friends returned to the mules, and the
others followed the young man to the door behind him in the wall. The
door was closed and locked behind them, and they found themselves in
darkness. "If you will come to me here," said the voice of the young
man, a little in advance, "I will show you the way down." When they felt
themselves near him, they heard his voice again. "Be good enough to step
carefully forward, until you feel the first step of a descending stair.
Then descend cautiously, if you please." Each one put out a foot, and in
a moment they were all going down a stairway, of which the treads were
evidently of stone, much worn.
When they had gone down some thirty steps, they were aware that the
stair had ended, and that they were on a landing. "You will now cross
the bridge, one by one, holding on to the railing," said the voice of
the young man. One by one the party stepped forward, feeling the way
cautiously, and as each in turn found with his hand a slight wooden
railing, a breath of fresh air blew upon his face and the sound of
rushing water came from below. Instead of the firm stone they had just
been treading, they were conscious of wooden planking under their feet,
and it gave beneath their pressure most uneasily. The bridge was a long
one, and the sound of rushing water followed them its entire length.
They walked again, however, on firm ground, and heard the young man's
voice before them. "Be good enough to follow the right hand wall," it
said, "and turn with the wall."
Each right hand touched the surface of a wall, and in a moment the wall
made a turning to the right. In another moment their progress was barred
by a wall in advance, and the voice of the young man spoke from their
midst. "You will kindly stoop as you go in," said he, and at the same
moment a round opening appeared before them, dimly lit from within. It
was only large enough to admit a single person, stooping. The young man
entered first, and the others followed, one by one. When they were all
on the other side of the door, the young man swung it noiselessly to,
on its hinges, and it was seen that it fitted accurately, so that it was
impossible to distinguish it from the wall.
They were in a small room, unfurnished except for a table in the center,
on which burned an oil lamp of silver, in shape like a boat; the walls
were bare, except for certain shelves containing bottles of coloured
liquids, other bottles of coloured powders, mortars, retorts,
gas-burners, and huge dusty books. There appeared to be no outlet from
the room, but the young man pressed his finger on a spot behind one of
the bottles on a shelf, and a circular door, like the one by which they
had entered, swung slowly open in the opposite wall.
"We have arrived," said the young man. "Please to follow."
He stooped and entered the circular doorway, and the others, one by one,
followed. They found themselves in a rich and luxurious apartment,
softly lighted by a hanging lamp; in the center was a table, littered
with open books and scrolls of paper, and bearing notably a great round
globe of solid crystal.
Beside the table, on a divan, reclined what appeared to be a dry and
shriveled mummy.