The Prodigal Page #4

To you, Samarra, I would give anything.

But to a hollow, bronze idol, nothing!

Why? Because your God forbids it?

Because you fear the wrath of this

Jehovah who cannot be seen or touched?

Because I believe in Him

and in what He commanded.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

"Thou shalt not bow down to them,

nor serve them.' '."

You will buy the pearl

that Solomon gave to Sheba.

And it will be for my goddess.

Astarte will be grateful.

And you will be grateful, too.

Your one piece of silver.

The price I offered for you

on the Tinted Wall.

Micah.

You will return with more

than a mere piece of silver

and with less faith in your God

and more in mine.

May your every moment be peaceful

till next we meet.

My son, attend unto my wisdom,

and bow thine ear to my understanding

that thou mayest regard discretion

and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

For the lips of a strange woman

drop as an honeycomb,

and her mouth is smoother than oil,

but her feet go down to death.

Hear me now therefore, O ye children,

and depart not from the words

of my mouth.

Remove thy way far from her,

and come not nigh the door of her house.

Master, you didn't even observe

my two new dancers.

And I swear to you by any god, new or old,

that of all the beauties

I've brought to make you smile...

Carmish, the difference between

two women and ten women

is only a difference in numbers.

You could bring me 100 women,

and it would still be the same thing.

A hundred.

Master, even for a man like you...

Here!

And may life always be as simple for you.

You knew it all the time, Asham.

You knew the burning inside me

couldn't be burned out.

What am I to do?

Back to Joppa?

A voice inside me always murmurs,

"Back to Joppa.' '".

Perhaps, Asham, it's time.

Green.

Yellow.

Green. Yellow.

Blue.

Red.

Green.

Black.

The reading of the numbers.

Fifteen of the blue,

seven red, four of the green.

Fifteen.

Renounce seven, restore four.

Result, twelve.

Twelve being made up of the numbers

one and two becomes a three.

Announce it.

The sacred pheasant

proclaims it a day of the Three.

- A favorable number, three?

- Most favorable, Bosra.

No better day for marrying,

the breeding of cattle

or the offering up of blood sacrifices.

Favorable for plans concerning Micah?

A Hebrew who, so the people say,

went so far as to call you a... What?

A pig!

- What of Micah?

- He's returning to Joppa.

When? As soon as he is able

to sell his estate.

His asking price, a mere half its value.

Console yourself.

You'll have his estate before long,

somewhat scorched by the desert tribes,

but you will pay nothing for it.

What do you intend to do with him?

Take away his gold?

That alone would not be enough.

Some men, Bosra,

are not humbled by poverty.

True, true, true.

You mean to make him a slave.

A beast of burden

building your new granaries.

What could be more fitting

for the man who took away my slave?

I can't think of a more fitting revenge.

I can.

I'll break him.

I'll break his body

and what he calls his soul.

The trumpets shall blare.

The crowds shall gather.

And Micah, son of Eli,

an illustrious Hebrew,

shall stand on the north steps

before my people and renounce his faith.

Baal and Astarte will be most grateful.

What do you find amusing?

Oh, nothing, nothing, nothing, l...

Forgive me, l...

You really believe in all these things?

Sacred pheasants, auguries, idols...

I started in life with nothing,

and see where I have risen.

Will yet rise.

Laugh once more at my gods, Bosra,

and I'll slit your tongue!

The Egyptian girl!

Ten pieces of gold for each one

wagered on the Egyptian.

Fortune's wheel! Watch it turn!

Watch it stop!

The wheel turns and turns and turns.

Now the winner! The Phoenician girl!

Quickly! Quickly, collect your winnings.

Place your wagers on the next...

Place your wagers! Place your wagers!

Little Yasmin!

Come, I command you to stand by me.

- I sorely need a change of fortune.

- Gladly, Your Excellency.

Well, why are we waiting? Come on.

Activity! I like...

Oh, my turn.

Do you need this for the game,

Your Excellency?

If that dropped from my garment, I'd...

l would be cheating.

The Governor of Damascus never cheats.

The wind from Fortune's wheel

blew it this way. I saw it.

- I swear it by Baal and Astarte.

- What a high priestess she'll make!

- You've not looked at your buried card.

- No, I have not.

The Persians who invented this game

have a saying.

"He who meets fortune at cards

meets misfortune at love.' '."

Remember that, little one.

But Asham!

Asham has no fortune,

neither at cards nor at love.

A pity!

The child should be in bed.

Take her away, Elissa.

Come, Yasmin.

Elissa!

What?

Your Excellency,

I propose a wager with Nahreeb.

My night's winnings against Elissa!

On the turn of a card! One card each.

His winnings are enough

for dozens of slaves!

Joppa should send us

more such bearded fools!

Nahreeb, do you accept the wager,

or do I have to command it?

- I accept, of course.

- Good.

No!

I make an appeal

to His Excellency's sense of sport.

The girl is trembling.

She is the stake.

Let her be the one to draw the cards.

Agreed.

Five.

Six!

Asham, she is yours.

Bring her back to the villa.

Damascus has dealt generously with you.

Even your slave has a slave.

Micah! Micah, come, come, come!

Stay with me.

Or if you'd rather leave this place,

so would l.

We'll leave at once.

Anything you want to do

and anywhere you want to go.

You deserve happier company, Uba.

Unhappy the day

that brings me what I deserve.

Departing so soon?

- When will you find a buyer for my estate?

- Oh, soon, soon.

The prospects are bright, bright as noon.

Your banquet lacks that brightness.

After your fabulous fortune at cards,

young man?

You still feel the lack of a something

or someone?

- That's it, a somebody.

- You said she would be here.

She is.

You're not enjoying the banquet?

From here it looked entertaining.

Not from where I looked.

I'm surprised.

The women in the wheel

are the pick of the market.

Did you not notice how superb

were the haunches of the Grecian woman?

And how the lips of the Egyptian parted

when she looked at any man?

I saw all that, but I did not see you.

What do you wish to say, Micah?

That the worid isn't wide enough,

long enough,

to let me escape the memory

of your touch.

L, too, have thought of you.

Of your handsomeness,

arrogance and unholiness.

Yes, Micah,

I have thought much about you

when I've been alone and when I haven't.

The pearl?

I told you once. My faith forbids it.

Does your faith not forbid you me?

I say again, to you I'd give anything.

To a hollow bronze idol, nothing!

Look at me

and know that whatever

you give my goddess

is nothing compared to what

you will receive in return.

Oh, Micah, they tell of a man,

a man among men,

who would not rest until he learned

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