know, Ambassador, the appearance of your fleet bring nearer the time we
should work more closely together. Someday soon perhaps we can discuss
the price of English wool. I have five _jagirs _in northern Gujarat
that produce superb indigo. They are convenient to the port of Cambay,
just a few _kos _north of Surat. And, as it happens, I have a private
understanding with the Shahbandar of Cambay. It may be possible to make
arrangements that would help us both avoid some of the normal customs
duties. I suggest we explore it."
Hawksworth looked at him and smiled. I'll trade with you the day after
hell turns to ice, you unscrupulous son of a whore.
Kettledrums sounded at the back of the square and Hawksworth turned to
see Arangbar making his entry followed by Allaudin and a gray-bearded
_wazir_. The men around Hawksworth bounded to their feet as one,
performed the _teslim_, and then settled again on the carpets. On Nadir
Sharifs whispered urgings, Hawksworth also rose and bowed, without the
_teslim _. . . causing Nadir Sharif's eyes to flash momentary
disapproval as they both resumed their seats.
The Moghul was outfitted in the most magnificent attire Hawksworth had
ever seen. He seemed to be clothed in a fabric of jewels: diamonds,
rubies, pearls were woven into his cloak, and his sword handle appeared
to consist entirely of emeralds. His fingers were covered with jeweled
rings and chains from which dangled walnut-sized rubies. His chest was
covered with sparkling necklaces, and even his turban was bejeweled.
The crowd watched with anticipation as Arangbar strode directly to the
nearest platform of the balance and tested its cushions with a
sparkling hand. He waited with a broad smile while it was lowered to
the carpet, then without a word seated himself onto the cushions, in
the hunched squat all Indians performed. Allaudin and the _wazir _stood
on either side and steadied him as officials from the mint, all wearing
bright red turbans, approached bearing dark brown bags.
Bag after bag was piled onto the opposite platform, until Arangbar's
side slowly began to levitate off the carpet. When a perfect balance
had been achieved, his side was tipped gently back down by Allaudin and
the _wazir_, while the officials began to remove and count the bags on
the opposite platform. When the bags were counted, the weighing
commenced again, this time with bags of purple silk.
"The first weighing is in silver rupees," Nadir Sharif whispered
through the reverential silence. "Afterwards they are taken back to the
mint and distributed to the poor by His Majesty. Today is one of great
rejoicing in Agra."
"How much does he weigh?"
"His usual weight is about nine thousand silver rupees."
"That's over a thousand pounds in English sterling."
"Is that a large amount in your king's coinage, Ambassador?"
"It's a substantial sum of money."
"Over the following year, during the evenings, His Majesty will call
the poor of Agra to come before him and he will give them the money
with his own hand."
"How far will nine thousand rupees go to feed all the poor of Agra?"
"I don't understand your question, Ambassador?"
"Nothing. I . . . I was just wondering if perhaps King James should do
the same."
"It is an old Moghul tradition here." Nadir Sharif turned back to the
scales, where Arangbar was calling for the next weighing. "But watch.
Now he will be weighed against gold _mohurs_."
The pile of bags was mounting, and again Arangbar's platform slowly
began to rise into the air.
"There are twelve weighings in all. You will see. After the gold coins,
he is weighed against gold cloth that has been given to him on his
birthday by the women of the _zenana_. Then bags of jewels that were
contributed by the governors of India's provinces, carpets and brocades
from Agra nobles, and so forth. He is also weighed against silk, linen,
spices, and even ghee and grains, which are distributed later to the
Hindu merchant caste."
Arangbar continued to smile serenely as the weighing proceeded. During
the weighing of silk, he spotted Hawksworth and winked, raising a hand
to flash a diamond the size of a bullet. Hawksworth noted wryly that he
had not seen any of the wealth actually being distributed, that it was
all in fact returned directly to the palace.
When all the weighings were completed, Arangbar drew himself erect and
regally moved to a raised platform that had been constructed at the
back of the arcade. He then signaled for the massive balance to be
removed and in moments it had disappeared into the recesses of the
palace.
The crowd had begun to shuffle expectantly. As Hawksworth watched, he
suddenly realized why.
Large covered baskets were being brought before Arangbar, and when
their lids were removed, Hawksworth caught the glisten of silver.
Arangbar took the first basket and stood to his full height on the
dais. Then with a swing he flung the contents over the top of the
crowd. The air seemed to rain silver and the assembled nobles began
scrambling over the carpet retrieving the silver objects. Nadir Sharif
picked up one and handed it to Hawksworth.
It was a silver nutmeg, life-sized and topped with a tiny gold flower.
Hawksworth rolled it over . . . and it deflated to a thin piece of
foil.
Arangbar flung another basket and the turmoil intensified. Only
Hawksworth stood firm, as even Nadir Sharif could not resist scooping
up several of the foil replicas of nuts, fruits, and spices that
scattered on the carpet around them. The dignified assemblage had been
reduced to bedlam. Then the beaming Arangbar spotted Hawksworth and
called out.
"Ambassador Inglish. Is there nothing you would have?"
"May it please Your Majesty, an ambassador of the English king does not
scramble for toys."
"Then come forward and you'll not have to."
When Hawksworth reached the dais he bowed lightly, and as he drew
himself up, Arangbar seized the front of his doublet and dumped a
basket of gold foil flowers down the front of his shirt.
Before he could move, the nobles were there, pulling open his doublet
and scooping up the worked foil. In moments his doublet was plucked
clean. He looked about in disbelief, and saw that Arangbar was already
tossing more baskets to the turbaned crowd.
When the silver and gold were gone, Arangbar spoke quickly to the
eunuchs, and trays appeared with chalices of hard spirits. The
assembled nobles all toasted the Moghul's health and he joined in as
the drinking began. Musicians appeared, followed by food on plates of
silver worked in gold. Finally hookahs were set about the carpet,
together with more drinks, and a singer arrived to perform an afternoon
raga.
"This is an auspicious day for us both, Inglish." Arangbar beamed down
from his throne as he motioned Hawksworth forward. "The news just
reached me. Was this meant to be a surprise?"
"The English fleet is my king's birthday gift to Your Majesty."
"Nothing could gratify me more." Arangbar drank from a large cup of
wine. "We think it might be time we considered sending an ambassador of
our own to the court of your Inglish king. We just sent our first
ambassador to Goa."
"King James would be most honored, Your Majesty."
"Tell me, Ambassador Inglish. When will these ships reach the port at
Surat?"
"It depends on whether the Portugals want to honor the treaty between
Spain and England and allow our fleet to pass unchallenged. Sailing up
from the islands will mean tacking against the wind, but the fleet
could possibly make landfall within a month." Hawksworth paused. "Your
Majesty must realize this adds urgency to the matter of the trading
_firman_.''
"Within the week or so, Inglish. Within a week or so."
Hawksworth caught a slight elevation of Nadir Sharif's eyebrows.
"How long now do you intend to be staying with us, Inglish?" Arangbar
popped a ball of opium into his mouth . . . a bit too early in the day,
Hawksworth thought.
"Until you've signed the _firman _for trade, Your Majesty. I'll return
it to King James by the next shipping west."
"We would prefer that you stayed with us awhile longer, Inglish."
"No one regrets more than I that it's not possible, Your Majesty. But
my king awaits Your Majesty's pleasure regarding the terms of the
_firman_."
"We have conceived a new idea, Inglish. We will send the ito your king
by our own ambassador. Then you can remain here with us until your king
sends another ambassador to replace you." Arangbar laughed. "But he
must be a man who drinks as well as you, or we may send him back."
Hawksworth felt his stomach tighten. "Who can say when another
ambassador will be sent, Your Majesty? Should Your Majesty approve the
_firman_, my duties here will be _Resolve_d."
"But you must remain here to ensure we keep our word, Inglish."
Arangbar winked broadly. "Else our heart could grow fickle."
"I am honored, Your Majesty." Hawksworth shifted. "But my first duty is
to my king."
"We have been thinking perhaps you should have other duties . . ."
Arangbar's voice trailed off as he sipped on his wine and studied
Hawksworth. Then he looked up and his glance fell on the Portuguese
Jesuits lingering at the back of the courtyard. As he examined them, he
recalled the many long evenings when he had allowed the Jesuit Pinheiro
and his superior, Father Sarmento, to debate with him the merits of
Christianity. And again he found himself marveling how refreshingly
different the Englishman was.
Out of curiosity he had once inquired of the Jesuits how exactly a king
such as himself could become a Christian, and the very first thing they
had said was he must select only one of all his wives and dismiss the
rest.
He had tried to point out to them the absurdity of allowing a man only
one wife, without even the option to rid oneself of her once she grew
tiresome. And what, he had asked, was this king to do if his single
remaining wife suddenly became blind one day? Was he to keep her still?
Of course, they had replied, blindness in no way interferes with the
act of marriage. And what if she becomes a leper? Patience, they had
counseled, aided by God's grace, which renders all things easy. Such
patience, he had pointed out, might be customary for a Jesuit, who had
abstained from women all his life, but what about one who had not? And
they had replied that Christians also were sometimes known to sin, but
that the Grace of Christ provided the remedy of penitence, even for
those who transgressed against the law of chastity. He had listened
with mounting astonishment as they next proceeded to describe how
Jesuits scourged themselves to still the fires of the flesh.
At this last, he had realized that Christian doctrines were
incomprehensible and unworthy of further inquiry. From that time
forward he had never bothered to take the Jesuits seriously.
But this Englishman is different, he told himself. A real man, who'll
drink a cup of wine or eye a pretty woman with plenty of unchaste
thoughts on his sleeve.
"From this day forth you'll be serving us, Inglish, as well as your
king. We have decided to make you a _khan_."
Hawksworth stared at him uncomprehending. A murmur swept the crowd, but
quickly died away to stunned silence.
"A _khan_, Your Majesty?"
"_Khan_ is a title given to high-ranking officers in our service. It
carries with it great honor. And a salary. No _feringhi _has ever
before been made a _khan _by us. You will be the first." He laughed
broadly. "So now you must stay in India and drink with us. You are in
our hire."
"I'm flattered by Your Majesty's generosity." Hawksworth found himself
stunned--by the honor and also by the disquieting implications for his
planned return to England. "What are the duties of a _khan_?"
"First, Inglish, we must have a ceremony, to invest you properly."
Arangbar seemed to ignore the looks of disbelief on the faces around
him. "You will be given a personal honorary rank, called _zat_, of four
hundred. And a horse rank, called _suwar_, of fifty."
"Does it mean I have to maintain that many cavalry?" Hawksworth
blanched, realizing his money was already growing short.
"If you do, you will be the first _khan _in India who ever did. No,
Inglish, you will be provided salary for that number, but you need not
maintain more than twenty or thirty. We will personally select them for
you after the wedding."
Arangbar turned and motioned to Nadir Sharif. The prime minister came
forward and one of the eunuchs handed him a small box, of teakwood
worked in gold. He motioned for Hawksworth to kneel directly in front
of Arangbar. The nobles around them still could not disguise their
astonished looks.
Nadir Sharif moved directly above where Hawksworth was kneeling and
opened the box. "His Majesty, by this symbol, initiates you into
discipleship. It is bestowed only on the very few." He took out a small
gold medal, attached to a chain, and slipped the chain over
Hawksworth's head. Hawksworth noted that the medal had the likeness of
Arangbar imprinted on both sides. "Now you must prostrate yourself
before His Majesty."
"May it please His Majesty, the ambassador of a king must show his
gratitude after the custom of his own country," Hawksworth replied to
Nadir Sharif, then bowed lightly to Arangbar. "I humbly thank Your
Majesty in the name of King James."