UNCI,E DEI'ffI|RIOS I PBOPAI{E ACT IN pEnGA,t't0N
Of all peoplcr W fatherra noat ploua brothcrn
Denetrlos, got lnto serlous troublo outatd.e nodern Farganon,
whtls galloplng hle rlne-coloursd 6rc from DlkcLl, hc falt
the urgc to reLlevc hlneclf and allghted to urlnatc agelnet
a, tr81L.... rt ras pltch dark, and hc fallod to notloe that
he war oomlttlng a aaorllogor... The wall bcl,onged to
the Moaquo of sulelnen Ahmed ALl, the thlrd foudEr lord
of tho goLd.cn valley of Pergenoilr
unfortunately, hc had not flnlehcd urlnstlng before
the arrlvel on thc epot of two fanatloal d,orvlehce. Fortu-
nataly, howevcr, bctng aavagos, ?hcy dld not rupprcrs thclr
cnotlonsl uphcaval, and ehouted nKlopcku (Doql and, ttlaqrrn
(Infldel) fron a d,latrnoc of com two hund,rcd, fest, whcn
they hcar,{ thc sound of ry unolc re nlnor watcrfaLr. Tho
elght of thoso tro fcroolous dcrvlehce, rho had danocd on
llvc oosls thet ?ery nornlng on ths mrnlolpal plor at
DikcLlt tcmlfled ny chrlgtlan uncre. Belng streanllned
all hla llfa, hG lcapcd, erlftly on to hls nrc cynthle end
gall0pcd eray torards tho alty of, psrga8on. rn hls frlght,
he nd.a thc nsartry fatal nlatakc of galLoolng alL tha way
throtrgh tha uln strcct of tha torrn and flnally haltcd hlr
f,oanlng horee ln frsnt of the vlzlr Han, n6ar the auphl-
thea'trlo Eomn bothe. Ths dcrvlehos oould not oatoh up
rlth hlm, even by n:nnlng aB feet aa they oould.. But thelr
-Z -
berbarlo cor€ams ;uooasd.cd ln slcrtlr$ tho oltyte Turklsh
populet!,o'n, and so!!c fanstloe ralked or rode to thc !{olqt16
to lnapcot lte wet anCl emll.y GornGr tr411....
sThe giaotr" thc glcour (trra lnftdclr the lnfldcl),
bou kl,opck of klopck oglou (thtg dog, the ton of a d,og),
th ls nru touslrr (Grcck ncrohant) . . . . t {cr l l tcer hln to
plcoccrn tho lcrdar of ths aob chotrt60.
Lrrohtlyr ny unol6 had urgcnt tnrslncse rlth Mtr. Ar18-
todlnos $oflrnoa, ths Managar of thc Banque dt0rlcnt, rho
was also Curator of ths Pergamon Antlqultles. As auoh, hc
enJoyed. ertra-terrltorlal lnrnunlty (fron any klnd of lntcr-
ferenoe from tho Turklsh authorlt leg, So ny unolc wag vcry
fortunats lndccd, to flnd, arylun arrl thuc to aaoapc thc sed,
fatc of lynohlnE by thc bloodthlraty Turklah Eob.
Mr. Softanos advlged ny unola to ctey lndoore for e
ccnrpla of daya, untll hc oould arrsnge for an lntcnrtew
wlth tho $g5!![r the rallslouc Judge.
At Lunohccr nert day, Hr. Softanos asgursd. ny unole
thet cvcrytlrlng had becn takcn oarc of, thanka to htc
thorough aoquelntanca wlth Nestredtnc }lodyrta wledornt hor-
c?er, hc advLsed extroue oautlon. rstey out of publlo
vlew, ard do not Loevef lttr. Kaldlr' for the bleEaed aoaport
of Dlkcll untl l early tonorror..r, Iou rl lL trcvcl ln a
olosed Landau, antd for your proteotlon you w111 be csoortcd
by two powcrful !{ontoncgran gusrds of the Gernan Arohsao-
logloal $oolctf,.,.. I do not nsod thon mrch hcrof alnoc
-X-
the Glente arc alrsady rafsLy lnstallcd ln the!.r apaolal
EuEoum 1n Bcrllrt... l l
Ii*rrtly hcd they flnlshad tho rloh tknpl kandptf
( shrodd.ed rcheat, horney and. thtok purG crcan) and tho blnoh
Arablsn ooffoe, when tho ucEsengGr of the Banque dt0rlent,
KJrr Sotlrl, brought thc happy tldlnse that ny unole had
besn aoqultted by thc hlgh benoh of fourtacn Sglllg of the
pertphcry of Pcrgcmon.
Arlstod,luog $oflanor rar not at alL curprleod....
fle hsd arrtngctt ovcrythlng carly ln tho botrlng.... But
ny unoLe,r{as en[loug to know hotr t,hose rell,glous fanatloa
hail rsaohed thab favourable vordlot ao rapldly. Hlt ra0
syos bore wltnoss to the aleeplcra nlght hc hed epcnt tn
oonf,lnensnt st thc Arohecol,ogloal. Curatortg nmslon, when
6vory hqtrr had sccnad lllce a long, thlrty*snc-day monthl
but st Hr. $oftenosf house hs hed fal,t relntlvely eafo.
ItIt le eo eluplo, uy frland Domtrloor... The Turka
havs nany d.efoota, lt !,4 true, tnnt lf you know hcrr to touoh
thelr ted,or ohord.s, thelr rosponso ls eo advantegeoue
to ue a l l . . . . "rDo not kcep ne ln euepcnoc, your Exoelleno|...t|
pLeadod rny trncLe.
[Iour pothar was patlent for nlns nonthe, ard. you
osnnot walt srsn for e few ulnutce whlle I tell- you thls
slupl,e Bto!f,. . . . Lct ue hlve anotbar oognee. . . tt And he
egked. hle ulfe to bri.ng aonG nore coffee end ocnntlnued.
-&*
ttTha flrst thlng I nantcd to knwr about our nes K$dX
?ilag rgbst klnd of f,rult he llkcs...r Hlo vslat. thst bnlght*
looklng Xust*fa suletmn oglou, told ua that he le ars'zy
ebout froch flga.... I{e11, elnoi our flgs *re not yat rtpat
1 wf,red to our d.lstr!.ct Eneser ln Dlke1l to Eond m a
baeket of tnanty tergc flgs.,.r Thcy arrlved at tcn thls
nornlng, and. I set asldo uy prlds and convontlonE snd
oarrlsd. thc beckot of trcnty flgs nyeclf, to tha dooratep
of thc ourtpotcnt S$llf,. ..
I'Although tt was e quarter pest tcn, thc @l[ was
6tll.1 aeieep and the val,ot wss afreld to awaken hl&....
i thoght thct lt wap ssfe to lseve thc preolqra flga wlth
ths vaLot, al-thmrgh, hevtng etuok trcnty goLd colns Lnalde
thon, I norrl,td a l ltt l"c blt. tnrt I had no a1tornative..,.
Un ny d.eparture, tho valet tol0 In6 thet 6ven 1f I had glven
the @$l* a hurulred, poundr ln gold and a thoreend sll.ver
ured.zlte ln aodltlon, I could not havc plcascd hln oo nruah
&.s I had wlth thooo tsenty fraah f!.$e, $o early ln Eunmor...r
$tSoftsnoglou Effendler ths l{lghty Al1eh wll l bleaa
ths hcert of, thc ptqrs Kyrloa Douctrlss l(aldls, thc poor
vlotln of the bl-ackmalXlns dor"vlshss I s lesatonatel.y cfo*
lne the bsskct of fmah f,19a, Iluetafa sddsd,'tf l hnw these
doge , they are al,rayo ceusln$ troublo, to Turks and Grecke
all.kc.n.r alrd whlle utterlng thece ayrpathotlc wordr' ha
alnost grabbcd mG of th* f lga rlght ln frmt, of ay eyes. r r r
*5'
fiow I felt. dear Denttrlos, at thst uoncnt nhcn I snw hlu
stretchlng hte left hand. towarris tho preolqra betkott....
UntlL thls gentlc Kyr Sotlrls arrlved ulth the bleseed
netrn, I wae very womlcd that thc Sovarcnd i(Frd& worrld not
recelve then lntaot, elnce, I reflected qulte logloal.J.y,
thp hwrgry-looklng lfuetafa nlsht well ewa1low not onLy
the flgs - whlohr aftcr a1L, wsrc onl,y a oovGr for ny rutlc r
but the preolous gold solns eE we1"1.... Havtng no alter-
natlvcr &F I havs already teld, and not darlng to offand,
the lggg by awakcntns hlm eo earl,y ln the nornlng, tr Left
thsm ln : luetgfalg curtody.. . . I had. no other oholoe.. . t f
$y unole wae onerwheLned by the flne handllng of ruoh
a d.elLonta sltrretl.on, end thsnkcd hle hort frm the botton
of hle heart.
At that uoment, the lawyer who had. bsorr asalgned to
d.efcnd ny uncle ln oourt, the lngenlous Arnenlan Stefan
$lvrlsearlan, entered the cllnlne roon, pufflng and splttlng
lnto hls hand.kerohtref . IIe produoed. a goJ.d ooln fronn hle
vost pocket and shouted.:
BA,XIZ tsAXIZ
nThe bsrls, l*dles nnd qontlomen, was nore ei).oquent
tiran ny prepared. epeeoh, whloh, to !4/ sor:rsr, I had, no ohanoe
to de1lvo?.... Except for e rlnor lntra-nural lnetdent,
everythlng went ernoothLy, r.. The Heversrul K*Ut soleunly
calLecl tho court to ord,er an0, wlthout botherln$ to oaLl
the two derrrtehee to taettfy or ne to epeek for the defend.ent'
-5*
saldn Ln a tr*nbllng sonlle voloer
stthls ls * eertous offonsa agalnet the oaorod, &lcaquo
of our patron aalnt, Sulelna,n the i lagn1ftcer1t.... To hsvc
a gl*our contsnlnate lt wlth... .rrlth.... I hed bsttcr
keep slJ,snt,... f iven to nentton rrhat ha le al. leged to
hava d.one wou1d be a raor11ego..." I{onrr6vor, I am here to
rend,er Justlos wlthdut raclel or rellglous preJudlc€rrrr
.tnd slnce I an a nelrsomar to thls qlorloue dletrtct and
lntand very aoolt to glve a thorough aaoo'r.rnt of ln}r long
Ilfets d.eed"sr 6orns good" and sono evll, to thu ALnlshty
All,ah, I thought lt propor, bsfore I pasaed fatr Judgnont
on thls aertous offsnse, to obtaln the oollsottvo advlcr
of ey estoemed colloagusa and, othar rellglous paroowrgour.
At thet polnt, hc ral,eed hle voloe and. sald, wlthout
blushlng, fPourteon of tireu told. ne that stnoe lt wa.s
pltch d.a,rk we ahould. glvo thXe glaour, Denetrl,os ltaldls,
the benef lt of tho d^oubt and aoqult h1&... I
Itl,{ustafa, hls valet, ahocked. the fanatto audlonce
by sayl^lrgs
stlour ad,vtsorc, your hoaour, rof6 tw*nty, end, not
four teen . . . I
'rThe li**l trted t,o oount the gold plaoae ln hle
pocket, but stoppsd abruptLy.... He Mnged the gavel
and lnterrupt,ed the proooed.lngs for f lve mlnutos...
rflle retlrsd to hl"s prhnte chamber, and. there he
oourted, olowly. once, trLce, threo ttneg... To hls surprlcc
* 7 n
and dlaappolntnent, the gold Oolns would not lnerease ln
ntmber.... Thers w6r6 $txll fourtoen, &5 ho hnd announoed
so sorr€etly to the paoked a'udlence ln the oourt.
f'Obvlously annoyedl by the audaolty of trls ssrvant end
trylng to control hlnself, he roturned, to the htgh ahalr
and g:rraveLy awrognoed to the eqrprlaed. sudtenoe that they
Iiefe fqrfteen, &8 he hg.rt sAid. before...r I{O nOre anrd'
no l "es6 . . | . l i xao t ly fo t l r t cGn. . . . f ! {e re le the 119t .
effendln, I eatd the @![ arrt s].owly anl dtstlnotly r6ad
out tho nanes of fourtogn luaglnary hdgass€cr*r
"The velet i{ustgfe. f lrose, apploglzlng f or the lntor*
ruptlon.
ntlou are rlsht, yanr honourrr he gaLd, rfbut I an
rtebt too, r+hon I tnelst thst they xtcra tiqonty, and 1f
you w111 pernl t l !e, I shal l orplaln th le s l lght oonfuslon.. . l
f r i l rocosd"r sald thc l tn$ t lntdLy.
tr rTh* Dlur l rg l (b leoksnl th) , the Bataksl (chlsel1er)r
the l i lunerLl (tax coLlector), and. also bhe Ylmldgl oglou
(seomnrs son), , '-1or A1l (tttna Al.1) and, t ire Borlket-Ogl.or
ttiro son of Abunda,noe) * 411- thase elx hod.gasssa, be1n6
CfIPPLJD
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