a lion! No! Healways smiles, even when contemplating nothing good."
And saying this he began to shout at the crowd standing in front of thehouse to make way for the prophet's "guests."
XVIII
When they entered the room, the Mahdi lay on a soft cot, surrounded byhis wives, two of whom fanned him with great ostrich feathers and theother two lightly scratched the soles of his feet. Besides his wives,there were present only the caliph Abdullahi and the sheref caliph, asthe third, Ali Uled Helu, was despatching at that time troops to thenorth, particularly to Beber and Abu Hamed, which already had beencaptured by the dervishes. At sight of the arrivals the prophetdismissed his wives and sat up on the cot. Idris, Gebhr, and the twoBedouins fell on their faces and afterwards knelt with hands crossed ontheir breasts. The Greek beckoned to Stas to do the same, but the boy,pretending not to see the gesture, only bowed and remained standingerect. His face was pale, but his eyes shone strongly and from hiswhole posture and head, haughtily upraised, from his tightly compressedlips it could easily be seen that something had taken an ascendancyover him, that uncertainty and fear had passed away, that he hadadopted an inflexible resolution from which he would not recede foranything. The Greek evidently understood this, as great uneasiness wasreflected on his features. The Mahdi observed both children with afleeting glance, brightened his fat face with his customary smile,after which he first addressed Idris and Gebhr:
"You came from the distant north," he said.
Idris struck the ground with his forehead.
"Yes, oh Mahdi! We belong to the tribe of Dongola; therefore weabandoned our homes in Fayum in order to kneel at your blessed feet."
"I beheld you in the desert. That was a terrible journey but I sent anangel to guard and shield you from death at the hands of the infidels.You did not see this, but he watched over you."
"Thanks to thee, Redeemer."
"And you brought those children to Smain to exchange them for his own,that the Turks imprisoned together with Fatma in Port Said."
"Thee we desired to serve."
"Whoever serves me serves his own salvation; therefore you have openedfor yourselves the path to paradise. Fatma is my relative. But verily Isay unto you that when we subjugate the whole of Egypt, then myrelative and her posterity will anyway regain liberty."
"And therefore do with these children whatever thou desirest--ohblessed one."
The Mahdi closed his eyelids, after which he opened them, smilingkindly, and nodded at Stas.
"Approach, boy."
Stas advanced a few paces with an energetic, as if soldierly, stride;he bowed a second time after which he straightened as a chord and,looking straight into the Mahdi's eyes, waited.
"Are you delighted that you came to me?" the Mahdi asked.
"No, prophet. We were abducted in spite of our wills from our parents."
This plain answer created a certain sensation upon the ruler accustomedto flattery, and upon those present. Caliph Abdullahi frowned, theGreek gnawed his mustache, and began to wring his hands. The Mahdi,however, did not cease to smile.
"But," he said, "you are at the fountain of truth. Do you want to drinkat that fountain?"
A moment of silence followed; so the Mahdi, thinking the boy did notunderstand the question, repeated it more plainly.
"Do you desire to accept my doctrines?"
To this Stas imperceptibly made a sign of the holy cross with his handwhich he held at his breast, as though he was about to leap from asinking ship into a watery chaos.
"Prophet," he said, "your doctrines I do not know; therefore if Iaccepted them, I would do it out of fear like a coward and a base man.Are you anxious that your faith should be professed by cowards and basepeople?"
And speaking thus he looked steadfastly in the eyes of the Mahdi. Itbecame so quiet that only the buzz of flies could be heard. But at thesame time something extraordinary had happened. The Mahdi becameconfused, and for the nonce did not know what reply to make. The smilevanished from his face, on which was reflected perplexity anddispleasure. He stretched out his hand, took hold of the gourd, filledit with water and honey, and began to drink, but obviously only to gaintime and to conceal his confusion.
And the brave boy, a worthy descendant of the defenders ofChristianity, of the true blood of the victors at Khoczim and Vienna,stood with upraised head, awaiting his doom. On his emaciated cheeks,tanned by the desert winds, bloomed bright blushes, his eyes glittered,and his body quivered with the thrill of ardor. "All others," hesoliloquized, "accepted his doctrines, but I have denied neither myfaith nor my soul." And fear before what might and was to follow atthat moment was subdued in his heart, and joy and pride overflowed it.
In the meantime the Mahdi replaced the gourd and asked:
"So, you reject my doctrines?"
"I am a Christian like my father."
"Whoever closes his eyes to the voice of God," said the Mahdi slowly ina changed voice, "is only fuel for the flames."
At this the caliph Abdullahi, notorious for his ferocity and cruelty,displayed his white teeth like a savage animal and spoke out:
"The speech of this boy is insolent; therefore punish him, lord, orpermit me to punish him."
"It has happened!" Stas thought.
But the Mahdi always desired that the fame of his mercy should spreadnot only among the dervishes but over the whole world; therefore hethought that a too severe sentence, particularly upon a small boy,might injure that fame.
For a while he fingered the rosary beads and meditated, and afterwardssaid:
"No. These children were abducted for Smain; so, though I do not wantto enter into any negotiations with the infidels, it is necessary tosend them to Smain. Such is my will."
"It shall be obeyed," answered the caliph.
But the Mahdi pointed to Idris, Gebhr, and the Bedouins and said:
"Reward these men for me, oh Abdullahi, for they made a long anddangerous journey to serve God and me."
After which he nodded in sign that the audience was ended and at thesame time ordered the Greek to leave also. The latter, when they foundthemselves in the darkness on the place of prayer, seized Stas' arm andbegan to shake it with anger and despair.
"Accursed! You have sealed the doom of that innocent child," he said,pointing at Nell. "You have ruined yourself and perhaps me."
"I could not do otherwise," answered Stas.
"You could not? Know that you are condemned to a journey a hundredfoldworse than the first. And that is death,--do you understand? In Fashodathe fever will kill you in the course of a week. The Mahdi knew why hesent you to Smain."
"In Omdurman we also would perish."
"That is not true! You would not have perished in the house of theMahdi, in plenty and comfort. And he was ready to take you under hiswings. I know that he was. You also repaid me nicely for intercedingfor you. But do what you wish, Abdullahi will despatch the camel-postto Fashoda in about a week and during that time do whatever you please!You will not see me any more!"
Saying this he went away, but after a while returned. He, like allGreeks, was loquacious, and it was necessary for him to tell everythinghe had to say. He wanted to pour upon Stas' head all the bile which hadaccumulated within him. He was not cruel and did not possess a badheart; he desired, however, that the boy should understand morethoroughly the awful responsibility which he had assumed in not heedinghis advice and warnings.
"Who would have prevented you from remaining a Christian in your soul?"he said. "Do you think that I am not one? But I am not a fool. You onthe other hand preferred to make a parade of your false heroism.Heretofore I have rendered great services to the white prisoners, butnow I shall not be able to aid them for the Mahdi has become incensedat me. All will perish. And your little companion in misfortune also:you have killed her! In Fashoda even adult Europeans die of the feverlike flies, and what of such a child? And if they order you to go onfoot beside the horses and camels, she will fall the first day. You didall this. Enjoy yoursel
f now--you Christian!"
And he left them while they turned from the place of prayer towards thehuts. They walked long, as the city was spread over an immense space.Nell, worn out by fatigue, hunger, fright, and the horrible impressionsof the whole day, began to lag. Idris and Gebhr urged her to walkfaster. But after a time her limbs became entirely numb. Then Stas,without reflection, took her in his arms and carried her. On the way hewanted to speak to her; he wanted to justify himself, but ideas weretorpid, as if they were dead in his mind; so he only repeated in acircle, "Nell! Nell! Nell!" and he clasped her to his bosom, not beingable to say anything more. After a few score paces Nell fell asleep inhis arms from exhaustion; so he walked in silence amid the quiet of theslumbering little streets, interrupted only by the conversation ofIdris and Gebhr,