“A man talks about eating and drinking and jewels and clothes for he knows nothing better,” she said and looked at me sternly with her green eyes. “But a woman can long for something else that a man does not understand, and I do not understand how you can say that you don’t want to touch me for that really hurts my feelings. It is already commonplace to me how all men want to touch me, and I have seen it on their faces and heard it in their breathing while I am dancing. But best I saw it in the slave market when men were goggling my nakedness and eunuchs groping me to be sure of my virginity. But we can talk about this later, if you want, for first you need to take me away from here and help me to escape from Babylon.”
Her impudence was so great I failed to find words, but finally I snapped at her, “I have no mind whatever to help you escape for that would be an injury to the King who is my friend and who has paid a great deal of gold for you. Moreover, I can tell you that the blown-up leather bag who was here is but the false King who reigns for today only, and tomorrow the real King will visit you. He is still a beardless boy and agreeable in his person, and he expects to find much delight with you when he has once tamed you. I do not think the power of your god can reach you here, and you would lose nothing by submission to the inevitable, so it will be best for you to make an end of this folly and to clothe and adorn yourself for him. You look far from comely with your wet hair and with the colour from your eyes and lips smeared all over your face.”
These observations had their effect, for she felt her hair and wetting her finger tip rubbed her eyebrows and lips with it. Then she smiled at me, and she had a small and lovely face, and said softly, “My name is Minea, and you may call me that when you take me away and we flee together from this evil land.”
I raised my hands in exasperation at her impudence and turning walked quickly away, but her face so tormented me that I retraced my step and said, “Minea, I will speak for you to the King, but more I cannot do, and meanwhile dress and compose yourself, and if you wish it, I will give you a sedative drug so that you no longer care what is done with you.”
But she said, “Try that if you dare. Nevertheless, since you take my part, I will give you this knife, which has protected me hitherto, for I know that once I have done this, you will protect and not betray me and that you will take me out of this land and flee with me.” She smiled at me and put the knife in my hand even if I shouted, “I do not want your knife, crazy girl!” And she refused to take the knife back, even if I tried to force it back to her hand, but looked at me smiling under her dripping hair until I left her, carrying her knife and suffering deep mortification. For I perceived that she was more cunning than I in that by giving me her knife she bound her destiny with mine, and I could not evade her.
229
Burnaburiash met me on my way from the women’s house and was most curious to know what had happened. “Your eunuchs have done a poor stroke of business,” I said him, “for Minea, the girl they bought for you, is raving mad and will not come near a man because her god has forbidden it. It will be best, therefore, if you leave the girl in peace until she changes her mind.”
But Burnaburiash only laughed merrily and said, “Truly I anticipate much delight with her, for I know that kind of girl, and with them the stick is the best argument. I am still young, and my beard has not grown. I am often weary in the arms of women, and I find greater pleasure in looking on and listening to their cries when the eunuchs lash them with thin wands. Therefore, this stubborn girl pleases me well since she gives me occasion to have her whipped by the eunuchs, and I swear that this very night she shall be beaten until her skin swells up and prevents her lying on her back, whereby my pleasure shall be ever greater.” He rubbed his hands as he left me and tittered like a girl. As I stood and watched him go, I knew that he was no longer my friend, nor did I wish him well, and Minea’s knife still lay in my hand.
6
After this, I could not join in the general merrymaking, although the palace and its forecourts swarmed with people who drank wine and beer and wildly applauded Kaptah’s endlessly innovative clowning, for he had already forgotten the awkwardness in the women’s house, and his black eye had been treated with slabs of fresh raw meat so that it was no longer painful though black and richly coloured. But what was amiss with me I did not know.
230
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