The Physician Page #6

on twitching corpses.

But then, over time...

I became used to the sight, the smell...

and the screams.

In time I felt nothing.

My father had succeeded in turning death...

into a subject of objective study.

And now I am the Shah, ruler of

all we see.

The king of feeling nothing.

What was the name of your heroic friend?

Karim.

I shall be your new friend,

Jesse ben Benjamin.

And perhaps one day I shall

mourn your passing.

When Aristotle said that the world

had no beginning.

He was not saying there was no creator.

He simply wished to absolve the creator...

of the charge of ever having been idle.

I must apologize, Jesse.

- For what?

- For not engaging you with Aristotle.

When the plague came...

you were as helpless as a beach is

to the advance of the sea.

The tide washed over us and dragged

our people away...

and we could do nothing to stop it.

You ask of medicine that only

Allah can perform.

Or Yahweh.

Do you never doubt your calling?

Every morning and every evening.

In between I work too hard

to think about it.

We've just received new patients.

I can offer you a broken hip, worms...

or a terminal case of acute side sickness.

Good day, sir.

My name is Jesse ben Benjamin. and with

your permission, I'd like to treat you today.

Call me... Qasim.

Can I... give you something for the pain, Qasim?

Can I still talk to you then?

No, the opium does dull the senses.

Then I respectfully decline your

generous offer.

I might fall off the ladder.

The ladder?

The ladder my soul must ascend to heavens.

It is very long and it is easy to fall off.

May I nevertheless... examine you

and ask you some questions?

Will it shorten the time before I...

Jesse.

You know I am dying, don't you Jesse?

Yes

I didn't want to frighten you.

Would you do me a favor?

When I am gone...

take my corpse to the tower and leave

it for the birds.

You don't want to be buried or cremated?

We Zoroastrians leave our bodies

to the vultures.

They cleanse our souls of earthly remains.

What about resurrection?

Muslims...

Jews...

Christians...

doubt the immortality of the soul.

They want to take their bones with them.

Just in case.

So you care nothing for your body?

Why should God worry about the house...

when he can have...

the fruit inside?

Jesse...

Jesse...

Thank you.

I hope you found your paradise my friend.

O my God, have mercy on me.

It's been a long time since we

have laid together.

You will have to wait a little

while longer.

Why?

I have my impurity.

My husband would defile himself.

You still have it?

I'm sorry.

No matter.

I will tell the servant to prepare a bed

for you in the other room.

The lungs, are...

a large circle in which the

heart resides...

with the stomach in front.

A tube runs from the throat to both...

the lungs... and the stomach.

- So gentlemen, lungs...

- [students] lungs...

- heart...

- heart...

- stomach...

- stomach...

- tube.

- tube.

What sin did Allah strike us

through with the plague?

Why did our women and children

have to die?

And I say onto you...

it is the sins committed each and

every day in the University...

whose godless philosophy corrupts

our city.

Allah wishes...

that we finally open our eyes and

look the enemy in the face.

He gives us the insight and the wisdom.

His mercy allows us to recognize...

who is responsible for our misery.

Allahu Akbar!

Allahu Akbar!

Mirdin...

- What's going on?

- Where have you been all night?

Working in the library.

The whole city is up in arms. The

mullahs have taken to the streets.

You're on the wrong side, Davout.

Maybe.

One day a great koran school will arise

within the walls of this godless university.

and Allah willing, I will be its dean.

I bring you the word of God,

father of all Seljuks.

I give you his sword, Keeper

of the faith.

The faithful of Ispahan need your help.

You promised me a city in chaos,

yearning for a strong ruler.

As a man dying of thirst

yearns for water.

Under the Shah, the city of Isfahan...

is adrift in the desert...

decaying from vice and apostasy.

But when the Seljuks have driven out both

the Shah and his Jews...

we can tether Ispahan to our faith...

and rebuild it clean.

And the Seljuks?

Could conquer all Persia.

Ispahan is your first step.

Expect my army in 10 days.

It will be my greatest honor.

Jesse Ben Benjamin, you are

to come with us.

It has attacked and killed

countless people.

All the villages around here are being

deserted for fear of it.

Finally my boredom ends.

The blood is still wet.

It's beautiful.

You should capture it, my lord. Take

him back to your palace for company.

Where it will grow old and fat

in a gilded cage!

No, he deserves a glorious death.

I shall not deny him.

- My lord, what are you doing?

- Do not worry, Englishman.

We man eating beasts have the greatest

of respect for one another.

Did Allah ever create a more lowly

beast than you?

Your eyes are still of this

world, Jesse ben Benjamin.

The other world is so much better.

Only the road of excess can lead

to the palace of wisdom.

You're in pain, I... I should examine...

Our Lord is the very blessing of health...

and if anything, illness fears him.

Go ahead. Quench your desire.

They are very beautiful, sire, but...

But...

The female body holds no attraction

for you.

Am I right?

We should get back soon.

Only the Shah may end an audience.

Are you the Shah?

No.

Bored me after only one day.

Would you permit me to examine your

wife in private?

Of course.

I'd like to congratulate your husband.

But there is no reason to, is there?!

You know whom to congratulate.

- Your husband will cut you up.

- I cannot wish for more.

Don't be naive.

He will have to hand you over to the

others and they will pass judgment on you...

and we both know that

judgment will be.

I want to go home.

This is your only chance.

You must lie with your husband tonight.

I'm back my old friend. Let's work.

Rebecca?

Rebecca?!

Rebecca?

I've always known you were a fraud.

But never in my wildest dreams did I see

you as a fraud and necromancer.

Take him.

Jesse!

Rebecca.

It's time for you to tell your secrets

to your husband.

You have no right to arrest me. The

Shah will punish you for this.

The Shah's time is over. Now there's

only God.

It can't be God's will to kill an unborn.

Is there no other solution?

The child is not yours. What do you care

about the Englishman's bastard?

Mirdin!

Rebecca has been found guilty of adultery.

She will be dead by tomorrow.

You promised me you'd be a good Jew.

You promised you'd stay away from her.

But you dishonored her and now

she is with child.

What have you done, Jesse?

May the witness Davout Hossein arise.

These men trespassed against Allah.

They have desecrated and defiled

a corpse...

committing the sin of necromancy.

What proof do you have for

your accusation?

They recorded their misdeeds.

Drawings... depicting the inside

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