r beckons a moment with its head;
all the world full of whispers, master, all
saying nothing; then the lightning, master, and
the anger of God; and men say it came
without warning? [Simply.] I hear those things
coming, master.

JOHN

Well?

DAOUD

Master, it is all silent in the market. Once,
when the price of turquoises was high, men
abused the Shereef. When the merchant men
could not sell their pomegranates for silver
they abused the Shereef. It is men's way,
master, men's way. Now it is all silent in the
market. It is like the grasses with the idle
winds, that whisper and sigh and die away;
like the flowers beckoning to nothing. And
so, master, and so....

JOHN

I see, you fear some danger.

DAOUD

I fear it, master.

JOHN

What danger, Daoud?

DAOUD

Master, I know not.

JOHN

From what quarter, Daoud?

DAOUD

O master, O sole Lord of Al Shaldomir,
named the elect, from that quarter.

JOHN

That quarter? Why, that is the gracious
lady's innermost chamber.

DAOUD

From that quarter, great master, O Lord
of the Pass.

JOHN

Daoud, I have cast men into prison for
saying less than this. Men have been flogged
on the feet for less than this.

DAOUD

Slay me, master, but hear my words.

JOHN

I will not slay you. You are mistaken,
Daoud. You have made a great mistake.
The thing is absurd. Why, the gracious lady
has scarcely seen Hafiz. She knows nothing
of the talk of the market. Who could tell
her? No one comes here. It is absurd. Only
the other day she said to me... But it
is absurd, it is absurd, Daoud. Besides, the
people would never rebel against me. Do I
not govern them well?

DAOUD

Even so, master.

JOHN

Why should they rebel, then?

DAOUD

They think of the old times, master.

JOHN

The old times? Why, their lives weren't
safe. The robbers came down from the
mountains and robbed the market whenever they
had a mind.

DAOUD

Master, men were content in the old times.

JOHN

But were the merchants content?

DAOUD

Those that loved merchandise were
content, master. Those that loved it not went
into the mountains.

JOHN

But were they content when they were
robbed?

DAOUD

They soon recovered their losses, master.
Their prices were unjust and they loved usury.

JOHN

And were the people content with unjust
prices?

DAOUD

Some were, master, as men have to be in
all countries. The others went into the
mountains and robbed t