‘No starch or myrrh in it?’ asked Baroni. ‘Do you think I am a Jew?’ said the man. ‘I never could make out what you were, friend Darkush; but as for scammony, I could throw a good deal of business in your way at this moment, to say nothing of galls and tragacanth.’ ‘As for tragacanth,’ said Darkush, ‘it is known that no one in Esh Sham has pure tragacanth except me; as for galls, every foundling in Syria thinks he can deal in afis, but is it afis of Moussoul, Effendi?’ ‘What you say are the words of truth, good Darkush; I could recommend you with a safe conscience. I dreamt last night that there would many piastres pass between us this visit.’ ‘What is the use of friends unless they help you in the hour of adversity?’ exclaimed Darkush. ‘You speak ever the words of truth. I am myself in a valley of dark shadows. I am travelling with a young English capitani, a prince of many tails, and he has declared that he will entirely extinguish my existence unless he pays a visit to the Queen of the Ansarey.’ ‘Let him first pay a visit to King Soliman in the cities of the Gin,’ said Darkush, doggedly. ‘I am not sure that he will not, some time or other,’ replied Baroni, ‘for he is a man who will not take nay. But now let us talk of scammony,’ he added, vaulting on the counter, and seating himself by the side of Darkush; ‘one might get more by arranging this visit to your mountains than by enjoying an appalto of all its gums, friend Darkush; but if it cannot be, it cannot be.’ ‘It cannot be.’ ‘Let us talk, then, of scammony. You remember my old master, Darkush?’ ‘There are many things that are forgotten, but he is not one.’ ‘This capitani with whom I travel, this prince of many tails, is his friend. If you serve me now, you serve also him who served you.’ ‘There are things that can be done, and there are things that cannot be done.’ ‘Let us talk, then, of scammony. But fifteen years ago, when we first met, friend Darkush, you did not say nay to M. de Sidonia. It was the plague alone that stopped us.’ ‘The snow on the mountain is not the same snow as fifteen years ago, Effendi. All things change!’ ‘Let us talk, then, of scammony. The Ansarey have friends in other lands, but if they will not listen to them, many kind words will be lost. Things also might happen which would make everybody’s shadow longer, but if there be no sun, their shadows cannot be seen.’ Darkush shrugged his shoulders. ‘If the sun of friendship does not illumine me,’ resumed Baroni, ‘I am entirely lost in the bottomless vale. Truly, I would give a thousand piastres if I could save my head by taking the capitani to your mountains.’ ‘The princes of Franguestan cannot take off heads,’ observed Darkush. ‘All they can do is to banish you to islands inhabited by demons.’ ‘But the capitani of whom I speak is prince of many tails, is the brother of queens. Even the great Queen of the English, they say, is his sister.’ ‘He who serves queens may expect backsheesh.’