Kismet Page #3

---

I'd better call off the parade

to the mosque.

Oh no, we can't do that.

That would disappoint my people.

But the court's this afternoon.

We'll have to dispense with that.

That would disappoint the Grand Vizier.

What's the matter? You look worried.

I am, very much worried.

You committed a blunder yesterday.

- A very serious blunder.

- Did I?

Name of Allah!

You summoned the Grand Vizier of Baghdad

to court like a common thief.

A thief's a thief.

But he's the most powerful man

in the empire.

My father let this jackal

skin people alive.

Taxes, tributes, plain robbery.

And I'm going to stop it.

But he hasn't even acknowledged

your summons.

He'll laugh at you.

And he won't come.

He'll come.

Or I'll go get him myself.

And like doing it.

I can only repeat that he is

the most powerful man in the empire.

Achmed.

Let me have this.

I want to keep it.

Her head was resting on your shoulder.

For the empire and her,

I will do my best.

And nothing on earth will stop me.

That was spoken like a king.

And why not?

If a king isn't a king,

he's just a yahoo.

Yahoo?

What is a yahoo?

You won't find that word in books, Agha.

Blessings of the Prophet

on this day of days.

This brand new caliph,

this presumptuous peacock,

has the gall to summon me to open court.

When he stands before the mosque today,

I want you to send an arrow

through his heart.

But see that the arrow flies straight.

Yes, milord.

If you fail, your head will come off.

I will not fail, milord.

That will be the shortest career

any caliph ever had in Baghdad.

- Good morning, father.

- Ah, my little lotus.

Fresh from the hills.

The dew is still on them.

I waited for the sun to open them up.

Enchanting!

- Aren't they gorgeous.

- Go on with you sining.

And how is my little nightingale

this morning?

- In good voice?

- Too good.

What's troubling my little Marsinah?

She's not in the mood for learning.

My mind is wandering this morning.

I'm sorry.

Why not? Everyone's mind should wander

on a morning like this.

I knew you'd understand, father.

And today, I am not your father.

Today I am the shah of Molla Bashi.

Bah!

And to what do I owe the pleasure

of this visit, your excellency?

Word of thy beauty

is blowing down the wind.

I am here to offer gifts at your feet.

It's lovely.

Where did you get it?

I never remember where I get anything.

Now, you sing for me.

Very well.

Bah!

Tell me, tell me little evening star,

is this world as lovely as it seems.

Did some magic carpet from afar

bring this love

to the land of my dreams?

Keep your light forever in his eyes.

Never let tomorrow break the spell.

And when autumn breezes hear us sigh,

- Did you teach her to sing that song?

- I did not.

...lips never say fare thee well.

Where did that song come from?

How do I know?

I dreamed songs like that at her age.

- Where did she learn it?

- I don't know.

Something's happened.

Who is it? What is it?

If there's any trouble,

there's no one to blame but you.

You brought her up on fairy tales.

You made fantastic promises.

Built walls around her then went roaring

through Baghdad and forgot about her.

Forgot?

You can't forget her any longer.

Do you think she's going to wither away

waiting for your fairy tales

to come true?

She's waiting for her fate

and all its splendor.

The fate for a beggar's daughter

is a camel boy.

Silence, misery.

Let no one make hash of fairy tales,

my rosebud.

They're the only things in the world

that come true.

Alms for the love.

What's wrong with him?

Oh, him.

He worries me.

Alms for the love of Allah.

Everybody's in a gay and festive mood

and you sit here.

What ails you?

Guess the rendezvous

must have made him sick.

Maybe he drank too much.

I never thought I'd have a problem

and no answer for it.

- He has a problem.

- What's that?

Oh. One of those things...

I never thought you'd have a problem.

I know the answer. Don't worry.

For a dozen years

I made golden promises

to my little girl.

Suddenly she's not a baby anymore.

What about the golden promises?

A prince and nothing less.

A handsome prince, fabulously rich.

I spread a carpet of dreams before her.

This morning, I'm just a beggar.

Princes live in another world.

My rose will bloom for some camel boy.

He'll never know how sweet she is.

I guess he has been drinking too much.

It's the Caliph.

That man will never make

another attempt of the kind.

I made sure of that.

Also, he can't answer any questions,

can he?

Dead men tell no tales.

Feisal.

What was that gossip of yours

about the big people?

About the Grand Vizier. He was invited

to the court like any criminal.

That's what I said.

I think he just replied

to the invitation.

He came within inches of being

ruler of the empire.

I could tie my chariot to such a star.

- Lord of the Grand Illusion.

- Or we just do nothing.

There's only one place

for the loveliest of daughters.

The household of the greatest of men.

The Grand Vizier?

You're closer to him today than

you will be in a thousand years.

Now, by the glories of Paradise to come,

Allah hath opened the gate

of action to me.

Lead me to a bazaar where

they trade in royal silks.

Jewels from India,

beads from Damascus,

sashes from Constantinople,

turban cloth from Vocarra.

My Marsinah was born to

make a palace dance.

Allah, save us.

That, my friends,

is the golden promise of a king,

and the word of a king is good.

Water, water, it's good.

I never knew it was like that.

Feisal, my friend, you have a face.

Yeah well, I had a bath.

Say, Bobo, why are we hiding here

in a public bathing place?

Don't worry. This is one place

they'd never look for us.

- No?

- Police, police!

Police, police!

They're here, the police. They're here.

Why not police?

There was an attempt

on the caliph's life this morning.

They're looking for accomplices

everywhere.

Attendant.

Attendant.

Yes?

Yes, your highness.

One of my men tells me

the police are here.

They're looking for a beggar

for robbery.

Tell the captain I wish a word with him.

- At once.

- What?

There's a wise proverb:

Seize the horns of the charging bull.

Your highness, the captain of police.

Why do you enter a place where

weary travellers relax?

Must the peace of the hammam

be disturbed?

- It's a matter of duty.

- Duty?

In my country, I allow no such

impertinence. What duty?

We are looking for a thief.

Must have stolen the sacred jewels.

No, milord.

Apparel of great value.

Trinkets a rat steals and a captain

becomes a ferret?

In my country my captains don't annoy

visiting royalty chasing petty thieves.

Look int he yard.

See if my elephant is still there.

Your highness, I did not know.

You didn't know.

What's happened to Baghdad?

My last visit here, eleven years ago,

when I was a day's journey away,

the police of Baghdad knew I was coming.

Your highness, no elephant.

By the dried skin of the hyena.

Have I come a thousand parasangs

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes