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tell me it became difficult and had to be put off. While the months went by
and I still hoped, there suddenly came you people upon us. Now you know
everything that I know. How he became Murad I do not know. What magic he uses
to look like Murad, I now know. As you see, not even the beard is his own. We
could change places right now; and if he went back between the walls, the
other servants would take him for me. With all that between us, why should I
leave?
 I don t think you should, said Jim. He looked at Sir Geoffrey.  What do you
say, Sir Geoffrey?
Sir Geoffrey raised his hands in a helpless gesture.
 Perhaps it will make no difference, he said.  Stay, then, Renel.
 I will stay; and insomuch as I can still fight I will fight for you and what
you need as things may turn out. I pledge you that
 And I pledge you equal succor, said Sir Geoffrey.  Renel, you are a friend
I do not deserve.
 Neither of us deserves much, said Renel with a tight smile.  Enough of
that. Let us listen to what you have to say.
 Very well, then, said Sir Geoffrey, lowering his voice even more, so that
Jim and Brian and Renel all had to move close to him to hear. Out of the
corner of his eye Jim saw the two hobgoblins on their smoke also edging
closer. He looked at them.
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 No, said Jim.
 Beg pardon, m lord, said Hob as both wafts of smoke backed up hastily.
 Should we leave the room?
 No, said Jim.  Just stay far enough away so that you don t hear and we have
privacy.
The two little Naturals backed off even farther, nearly the width of the
room. Jim turned back to Sir Geoffrey and the others.
 I am under a curse, said Sir Geoffrey, quietly and simply.  The curse will
fall upon me if I cease to do the bidding of him who is my master-and that is
Hasan ad-Dimri, Grandmaster of the Assassins. It happens-I do not know how, it
is undoubtedly magic-that as I move around through the passages in the walls
of this house of mine, I can find myself coming out, not here in Palmyra, but
in the White Palace up in the mountains where Hasan rules. I will know then
that he has called me for some reason. I know my way around there, also, as I
know my way around my own house here. I will go where I know I would find him;
and when I find him he will tell me what he wants, and I will obey.
 Why? asked Brian bluntly.  If he has no weapon but the curse, he can only
use it once and-
 Not so. It was a curse on him, said Sir Geoffrey,  that I agreed to take
from him, in exchange for all this-
He waved his hand in a wide, level sweep about him.
 How-? began Brian.
 Let me go on, he said.  Also, when he wishes, Hasan comes here. The
servants see him but do not know who he is. He takes what he wants and does
what he wants here. The hareem is his, not mine. I have not been near a woman,
slave or free, ever since I came to dwell here. It is part of the curse Hasan
gave over to me. Also, I can go to rooms where there is tremendous wealth,
silver coins heaped high and gold as well, and other precious things. But I
can no more touch them than I can touch a woman. They are Hasan s.
 How did you come to be under such evil influence? asked Brian.
 That which makes me look like Murad, answered Geoffrey,  was something I
had once learned to construct from a man in Italy who made masks, devil
costumes and other such things for religious festivals. He was very clever.
But I learned quickly; and when I left him, I knew enough to be able to make
myself appear as various different people. It happened that I fell upon evil
times-it was after we had parted, following the battle in the mountains,
Renel-
He had turned to his friend for a moment; but then he turned back to
concentrate on Jim and Brian.
 After that, I went back to England for a while, then was other places- no
need to tell all that-then came this last trip here; when it happened I found
that in spite of my armor and weapons I was in danger. I had to sleep
sometime; and it was only a matter of days before I would wake to find my
throat being cut and all I had taken-and that would be the end of me.
He paused, glanced around him and lowered his voice even a little more.
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 It was necessary for me to pass as a Muslim. Not only that, but as one whom
other Muslims would not only accept but see benefit in dealing with, rather
than killing. I still had some silver and gems with me from a recent battle
and our sacking of-a place. I went into the first place that could sell me
what I needed, and took this off into the desert. There, where I was alone and
safe, I made up a Kurd disguise I had perfected. It turned me into one with
the appearance of the Murad you have seen; and I used what wealth I had left
in the manner of one who is a rich but parsimonious Kurd merchant. I was
traveling down toward Tripoli, where I hoped to find at least one friend left;
so that I could lay aside my disguise and borrow the extra money I needed to
start me homeward to England. But before I got there, the group with which I
was traveling was waylaid by Hasan s Assassins; and I was taken with the
others to his White Palace.
He stopped speaking.
 Then what? asked Jim.
 Then Hasan offered me all this that you see around you, the wealth I told
you of, the hareem, the power, the position-provided I would accept his
curse, said Sir Geoffrey.  I was in his power. He could do anything with me
he liked; and I thought it most likely he would have me killed if I did not
agree. Also, at that time I foolishly thought I could find some way of getting
free of the curse. I was wrong.
 And what is this curse? demanded Brian.  What happens when it strikes you?
 That, said Sir Geoffrey,  is the one thing I will not tell you. I will only
tell you this. It is a curse that no sensible man would wish to dare- let
alone pass it on; for it was that if I managed to escape him after accepting
it, the curse would follow me to the ends of the earth to still fall on me, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]