The words were not reaching Meshang. His mind was exploding with hope. “He… my father… I get our… property back?”
“Our Islamic government is the government of law. Sovereignty belongs to God alone. The law of Islam has absolute authority over everyone - including the Islamic government. Even the Most Noble Messenger, upon whom be peace, was subject to the law that God alone revealed, alone expounded by the tongue of the Koran.” The mullah got up. “It was the Will of God but Excellency Jared Bakravan was not judged according to the law.”
“It’s… it’s true?”
“Yes, the Will of God, Excellency. Everything will be returned to you. Didn’t your father support us lavishly? How can Islamic government flourish without bazaari help and support, how can we exist without bazaaris to fight the enemies of Islam, the enemies of Iran and the Infidel? …”
OUTSIDE THE BAZAAR: The taxi stopped in the crowded square. Lochart got out and paid the driver as two of a mass of would-be passengers, a woman and a man, fought their way into the space he had vacated. The square was full of people streaming into and out of the mosque and the bazaar and surrounding the street stalls. They paid little attention to him, his uniform and cap giving him free passage. The night was chill and overcast. The wind had picked up again and guttered the flames of the oil lamps of street vendors. Across the square was the street of the Bakravan house and he walked briskly, rounded the corner, and stepped aside to let the mullah Sayani and the Green Bands pass, then went on again.
At the door in the high wall he stopped, took a deep breath, and knocked loudly. Then knocked again. Then again. He heard footsteps, saw an eye behind the spy hole. “Doorkeeper, it’s me, Excellency Captain Lochart,” he called out happily.
The door swung open. “Greetings, Excellency,” the doorkeeper said, still not over the shock of the abrupt arrival and departure of the mullah and Green Bands - bowed out humbly by Excellency Foul Temper himself, he thought in awe, who the very second the door was bolted had jumped up and down like a madman, drummed his feet on the ground, and rushed back silently into the house, and now here’s another apparition, by God, the Infidel who once was married to the betrothed of Excellency Piss. A squall blew dead leaves across the patio. Another pop-eyed servant stood at the open main door. “Greetings, Excellency,” he mumbled, “I’ll… I’ll tell Excellency Meshang you’ve arrived.”
“Wait!” Now Lochart could hear the excited buzz of voices coming from the dining salon, glasses clinking, laughter of a party. “Is my wife in there?” “Your wife?” The servant collected himself with difficulty. “The, er, Her Highness, Captain Excellency, she’s gone to bed.” Lochart’s anxiety soared. “Is she sick?” “She did not appear sick, Excellency, she went just before dinner. I’ll tell Excellency Meshang th - ”
“No need to disturb him and his guests,” he said, delighted with the opportunity of seeing her alone first. “I’ll see her, then come down and announce myself later.”
The servant watched him go up the stairs, two at a time, waited until he was out of sight, then hurried to find Meshang.
Lochart went along a corridor into another. He forced himself to walk, relishing how surprised she would be and so happy and then they would see Meshang and Meshang would listen to the plan. At last he was at their door and turned the handle. When the door did not open, he tapped and called out softly, “Sharazad, it’s me, Tommy.” His spirit sang while he waited. “Sharazad?” Waiting. Knocking. Waiting. Then knocking a little louder. “Sharazad!”
“Excellency!”
“Oh, hello, Jari,” he said, in his impatience not noticing that she was trembling. “Sharazad, darling, unlock the door, it’s me, Tommy!” “Her Highness said she was not to be disturbed.” “She didn’t mean me, of course not! Oh! She’s taken a sleeping pill?”
“Oh no, Excellency.”
He put all of his attention on her. “What’re you so frightened about?”
“Me? I’m not frightened, Excellency, why should I be frightened?” Something’s wrong, he thought. Impatiently he turned back to the door. “Sharazad!” Waiting waiting waiting. “This is ridiculous!” he muttered. “Sharazad!” Before he knew what he was doing he was hammering on the door. “Open the door, for crissake!”
“What are you doing here?”
It was Meshang, raw with rage. At the far end of the corridor, Lochart saw Zarah come into view and stop. “Good… good evening, Meshang,” he said, his heart pounding, trying to sound reasonable and polite and why the hell doesn’t she open the door and this isn’t the way it’s supposed to happen. “I came back to see my wife.”
“She’s not your wife, she’s divorced, now get out!”
Lochart stared at him blankly. “Of course she’s my wife!” “By God, are you simple? She was your wife. Now leave my house!” “You’re crazy, you can’t divorce her just like that!”
“GET OUT!”
“Get stuffed!” Again Lochart hammered on the door. “Sharazad!” Meshang whirled on Zarah. “Go and get some Green Bands! Go on, get some Green Bands! They’ll throw this madman out!”
“But, Meshang, isn’t it dangerous to involve them in ou - ” “Get them!”
Lochart’s temper snapped. His shoulder went into the door. It shuddered but did not give so he raised his foot, slammed his heel against the lock. The lock shattered and the door burst open. “Get Green Bands!” Meshang shrieked. “Don’t you understand they’re on our side now, we’re reinstated…” Then he rushed through the door too. Blankly he also saw the room was empty, bed empty, bathroom empty, nowhere else she could be. Both he and Lochart turned on Jari who stood at the doorway, staring with disbelief, Zarah cautiously behind her in the hall. “Where is she?” Meshang shouted.
“I don’t know, Excellency, she never left here, my room is next door and I’m a light sleeper…” Jari howled as Meshang belted her across the mouth, the blow sending her reeling onto her hands and knees.
“Where’s she gone?”
“I don’t know, Excellency, I thought she was in be - ” She shrieked as Meshang’s toe went into her side. “By God, I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know!”
Lochart was at the French doors. They opened easily, already unlatched. At once he went out onto the balcony, down the stairs, and to the back door. He came back slowly, in turmoil. Meshang and Zarah watched him from the balcony. “The back door was unlocked. She must’ve gone out this way.” “Gone where?” Meshang was flushed with rage, and Zarah turned on Jari who was still on her hands and knees in the bedroom, moaning and weeping with fear and pain. “Shut up you dog or I’ll whip you. Jari! If you don’t know where she’s gone, where do you think she’s gone?”
“I… I don’t know, Highness,” the old woman sobbed. “Thinkkk!” Zarah shrieked and slapped her. Jari howled. “I don’t knowwww! She’s been strange all day, Excellencies, strange, she sent me away this afternoon and went off by herself and I met her near seven o’clock and we came back together but she said nothing, nothing, nothing…” “By God, why didn’t you tell me?” Meshang shouted. “What was there to tell, Excellency? Please don’t kick me again, please!”
Meshang groped for a chair. The violent pendulum from total terror when the mullah and Green Bands were announced to total euphoria at his reprieve and reinstatement to fury finding Lochart here and Sharazad gone had momentarily unhinged him. His mouth moved but there was no sound and he saw Lochart questioning Jari but could not understand the words.
When he had rushed back into the dining room to stutter the God-given news there had been rejoicing, Zarah had wept with happiness and embraced him and so did the women, and the men had warmly wrung his hand. All except Daranoush. Daranoush was no longer there. He had fled. Out the back door. “He’s gone?”