grufflehead
First Post
Mustapha closed his golden eyes and stood impassively for several moments, as if deep in thought. When he opened them again, his gaze seemed unfocussed, as if he were looking, not at the 3 other people in the Pinnace's front room, but to an imaginary figure in the distance. And in his melifluous tones, he began to speak;
'In the city of Kari, as the story was recounted to me, there lived a merchant. A successful man whose riches were beyond the dreams of most, he traded in fine silks imported from many lands. Each night he slept alone; no lovers did he ever share his bed with lest one of them try to cheat him of his fortune. And yet for all his great wealth, he was an unhappy, even bitter, man, because there was one other merchant in the city more blessed by the Gods than he. This man, a kind and virtuous man, who often opened his home to beggars and forgave any who tried to steal or cheat him, always seemed to find the most exquisite silks, the most enchanting fabrics, for which the rich of Kari paid him handsomely. His success was like a thorn in the side of his rival, although he knew not of the other man's envy of him.
One day the merchant was returning to his home after another day's business, when his eye was drawn to a peculiar stall in the bazaar which he could not recall having seen before on his daily trip home. The stall contained worthless junk, and yet this man could not resist trying to turn a profit, and so when he spied an old bronze lamp, tarnished and dented, he set his mind to haggling with the stall keeper to secure a lower price. If asked he could not have said why he chose to engage this man in conversation, nor indeed why he was so determined to have such an ugly lamp when his house was filled with beautiful objects.
He easily browbeat the man into accepting a few 'sh' aka' la' for it, and returned home, pleased with his efforts. Once there, he dismissed his servant for the day, and relaxed with tea and little 'hassas'. Remembering the mis-shapen lamp, he decided that he would rid himself of it the following day, as it was not fit to grace his dwelling. And yet, his greed would not allow him to simply discard it, so he determined to clean it, and sell it for coin. Cursing that his servant had left, the merchant searched for a rag and some oil with which to polish the grime from it. No sooner had he applied the cloth to the lamp than a thin stream of smoke began to issue forth from the spout. As the merchant watched in amazement, a head appeared from the misty vapours, followed by a body, 2 arms and 2 legs, until a figure stood before him. It was squat, with skin redder than the deepest sunset, and 2 small horns sprouted from its head - a genie, one of the fabled creatures who grant wishes to mortals. 'O, joyous day', thought the merchant, for now I shall have my heart's desire.
But unknownst to the merchant, the creature in the lamp was not a noble djinn, scion of the air, but a treacherous and malevolent 'ifrit', wicked fire spirits who live only to cause strife and mayhem. The ifrit's honeyed tongue promised the merchant anything, if only he commanded it. Without hesitation, the merchant cried 'I wish to be the richest man in Kari'. The ifrit eyed him slyly, in the manner of their kind, and asked with feigned innocence 'at what cost would your newfound wealth come?'. 'At any cost!' proclaimed the merchant. 'Your wish is my command, O master' intoned the ifrit...
When the merchant awoke the next day it was to the sound of commotion. Looking from his window, he spied a passerby and enquired where the people were running to. The man told him that a great fire had started in the night at the home of a silk merchant, and that although his wares were destroyed, perhaps the fire could be contained before it spread to neighbouring shops. And so, with his rival's business in ruins, the merchant was the wealthiest man in the city. Eager for another wish, he took oil and cloth to the lamp once more, but the ifrit's bond had been broken and it was no longer confined to its earthly prison.
For months, the merchant's wealth increased, for without a rival the people flocked to him to supply their needs. He bought a bigger house, and hired mercenaries to guard his fortune. Truly he was now happy.
Mustapha opened his eyes, blinked as if coming out of a trance, and sipped a little of the now cooling water on the table.
Looking to Lerissa and Leaf, he asked 'if you are ready, shall we go?'
'In the city of Kari, as the story was recounted to me, there lived a merchant. A successful man whose riches were beyond the dreams of most, he traded in fine silks imported from many lands. Each night he slept alone; no lovers did he ever share his bed with lest one of them try to cheat him of his fortune. And yet for all his great wealth, he was an unhappy, even bitter, man, because there was one other merchant in the city more blessed by the Gods than he. This man, a kind and virtuous man, who often opened his home to beggars and forgave any who tried to steal or cheat him, always seemed to find the most exquisite silks, the most enchanting fabrics, for which the rich of Kari paid him handsomely. His success was like a thorn in the side of his rival, although he knew not of the other man's envy of him.
One day the merchant was returning to his home after another day's business, when his eye was drawn to a peculiar stall in the bazaar which he could not recall having seen before on his daily trip home. The stall contained worthless junk, and yet this man could not resist trying to turn a profit, and so when he spied an old bronze lamp, tarnished and dented, he set his mind to haggling with the stall keeper to secure a lower price. If asked he could not have said why he chose to engage this man in conversation, nor indeed why he was so determined to have such an ugly lamp when his house was filled with beautiful objects.
He easily browbeat the man into accepting a few 'sh' aka' la' for it, and returned home, pleased with his efforts. Once there, he dismissed his servant for the day, and relaxed with tea and little 'hassas'. Remembering the mis-shapen lamp, he decided that he would rid himself of it the following day, as it was not fit to grace his dwelling. And yet, his greed would not allow him to simply discard it, so he determined to clean it, and sell it for coin. Cursing that his servant had left, the merchant searched for a rag and some oil with which to polish the grime from it. No sooner had he applied the cloth to the lamp than a thin stream of smoke began to issue forth from the spout. As the merchant watched in amazement, a head appeared from the misty vapours, followed by a body, 2 arms and 2 legs, until a figure stood before him. It was squat, with skin redder than the deepest sunset, and 2 small horns sprouted from its head - a genie, one of the fabled creatures who grant wishes to mortals. 'O, joyous day', thought the merchant, for now I shall have my heart's desire.
But unknownst to the merchant, the creature in the lamp was not a noble djinn, scion of the air, but a treacherous and malevolent 'ifrit', wicked fire spirits who live only to cause strife and mayhem. The ifrit's honeyed tongue promised the merchant anything, if only he commanded it. Without hesitation, the merchant cried 'I wish to be the richest man in Kari'. The ifrit eyed him slyly, in the manner of their kind, and asked with feigned innocence 'at what cost would your newfound wealth come?'. 'At any cost!' proclaimed the merchant. 'Your wish is my command, O master' intoned the ifrit...
When the merchant awoke the next day it was to the sound of commotion. Looking from his window, he spied a passerby and enquired where the people were running to. The man told him that a great fire had started in the night at the home of a silk merchant, and that although his wares were destroyed, perhaps the fire could be contained before it spread to neighbouring shops. And so, with his rival's business in ruins, the merchant was the wealthiest man in the city. Eager for another wish, he took oil and cloth to the lamp once more, but the ifrit's bond had been broken and it was no longer confined to its earthly prison.
For months, the merchant's wealth increased, for without a rival the people flocked to him to supply their needs. He bought a bigger house, and hired mercenaries to guard his fortune. Truly he was now happy.
Mustapha opened his eyes, blinked as if coming out of a trance, and sipped a little of the now cooling water on the table.
Looking to Lerissa and Leaf, he asked 'if you are ready, shall we go?'
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