Part 7 (2/2)
Ventimore had so thoroughly convinced himself that the released Jinnee was purely a creature of his own imagination, that he rubbed his eyes with a start, hoping that they had deceived him.
”Stroke thy head, O merciful and meritorious one,” said his visitor, ”and recover thy faculties to receive good tidings. For it is indeed I--Fakrash-el-Aamash--whom thou beholdest.”
”I--I'm delighted to see you,” said Horace, as cordially as he could.
”Is there anything I can do for you?”
”Nay, for hast thou not done me the greatest of all services by setting me free? To escape out of a bottle is pleasant. And to thee I owe my deliverance.”
It was all true, then: he had really let an imprisoned Genius or Jinnee, or whatever it was, out of that bottle! He knew he could not be dreaming now--he only wished he were. However, since it was done, his best course seemed to be to put a good face on it, and persuade this uncanny being somehow to go away and leave him in peace for the future.
”Oh, that's all right, my dear sir,” he said, ”don't think any more about it. I--I rather understood you to say that you were starting on a journey in search of Solomon?”
”I have been, and returned. For I visited sundry cities in his dominions, hoping that by chance I might hear news of him, but I refrained from asking directly lest thereby I should engender suspicion, and so Suleyman should learn of my escape before I could obtain an audience of him and implore justice.”
”Oh, I shouldn't think that was likely,” said Horace. ”If I were you, I should go straight back and go on travelling till I _did_ find Suleyman.”
”Well was it said: 'Pa.s.s not any door without knocking, lest haply that which thou seekest should be behind it.'”
”Exactly,” said Horace. ”Do each city thoroughly, house by house, and don't neglect the smallest clue. 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, again!' as one of our own poets teaches.”
”'Try, try, try again,'” echoed the Jinnee, with an admiration that was almost fatuous. ”Divinely gifted truly was he who composed such a verse!”
”He has a great reputation as a sage,” said Horace, ”and the maxim is considered one of his happiest efforts. Don't you think that, as the East is rather thickly populated, the less time you lose in following the poet's recommendation the better?”
”It may be as thou sayest. But know this, O my son, that wheresoever I may wander, I shall never cease to study how I may most fitly reward thee for thy kindness towards me. For n.o.bly it was said: 'If I be possessed of wealth and be not liberal, may my head never be extended!'”
”My good sir,” said Horace, ”do please understand that if you were to offer me any reward for--for a very ordinary act of courtesy, I should be obliged to decline it.”
”But didst thou not say that thou wast sorely in need of a client?”
”That was so at the time,” said Horace; ”but since I last had the pleasure of seeing you, I have met with one who is all I could possibly wish for.”
”I am indeed rejoiced to hear it,” returned the Jinnee, ”for thou showest me that I have succeeded in performing the first service which thou hast demanded of me.”
Horace staggered under this severe blow to his pride; for the moment he could only gasp: ”You--_you_ sent him to me?”
”I, and no other,” said the Jinnee, beaming with satisfaction; ”for while, unseen of men, I was circling in air, resolved to attend to thy affair before beginning my search for Suleyman (on whom be peace!), it chanced that I overheard a human being of prosperous appearance say aloud upon a bridge that he desired to erect for himself a palace if he could but find an architect. So, perceiving thee afar off seated at an open cas.e.m.e.nt, I immediately transported him to the place and delivered him into thy hands.”
”But he knew my name--he had my card in his pocket,” said Horace.
”I furnished him with the paper containing thy names and abode, lest he should be ignorant of them.”
”Well, look here, Mr. Fakrash,” said the unfortunate Horace, ”I know you meant well--but _never_ do a thing like that again! If my brother-architects came to know of it I should be accused of most unprofessional behaviour. I'd no idea you would take that way of introducing a client to me, or I should have stopped it at once!”
”It was an error,” said Fakrash. ”No matter. I will undo this affair, and devise some other and better means of serving thee.”
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