There were two reasons which determined the Wanderer to turn to Keyork
Arabian for assistance, besides his wish to see the bad business end
quickly and without publicity. Keyork, so far as the Wanderer was aware,
was himself treating Israel Kafka’s case, and would therefore know what
to do, if any one knew at all. Secondly, it was clear from the message
which Unorna had left with the porter of her own house that she expected
Keyork to come at any moment. He was then in immediate danger of being
brought face to face with Israel Kafka without having received the least
warning of his present condition, and it was impossible to say what the
infuriated youth might do at such a moment. He had been shut up, caught
in his own trap, as it were, for some time, and his anger and madness
might reasonably be supposed to have been aggravated rather than cooled
by his unexpected confinement. It was as likely as not that he would use
the weapon he carried upon the first person with whom he found himself
face to face, especially if that person made any attempt to overpower
and disarm him.
The Wanderer drove to Keyork Arabian’s house, and leaving his carriage
to wait in case of need, ascended the stairs and knocked at the door.
For some reason or other Keyork would not have a bell in his dwelling,
whether because, like Mahomet, he regarded the bell as the devil’s
instrument, or because he was really nervously sensitive to the sound
of one, nobody had ever discovered. The Wanderer knocked therefore, and
Keyork answered the knock in person.
“My dear friend!” he exclaimed in his richest and deepest voice, as he
recognised the Wanderer. “Come in. I am delighted to see you. You will
join me at supper. This is good indeed!”
He took his visitor by the arm and led him in. Upon one of the tables
stood a round brass platter covered, so far as it was visible, with
Arabic inscriptions, and highly polished--one of those commonly used all
over the East at the present day for the same purpose. Upon this were
placed at random several silver bowls, mere hemispheres without feet,
remaining in a convenient position by their own weight. One of these
contained snowy rice, in that perfectly dry but tender state dear to
the taste of Orientals, in another there was a savoury, steaming mess of
tender capon, chopped in pieces with spices and aromatic herbs, a third
contained a pure white curd of milk, and a fourth was heaped up
with rare fruits. A flagon of Bohemian glass, clear and bright as
rock-crystal, and covered with very beautiful traceries of black and
gold, with a drinking-vessel of the same design, stood upon the table
beside the platter.
“My simple meal,” said Keyork, spreading out his hands, and smiling
pleasantly. “You will share it with me. There will be enough for two.”
“So far as I am concerned, I should say so,” the Wanderer answered with
a smile. “But my business is rather urgent.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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