Part 29 (2/2)
”Eight hundred,” snapped Tsa at last a little heat
”Nine hundred,” replied Ayoub
Tsaain, white noith fury
”Is this a jest, O father of wind?” he cried, and excited laughter by the taunt implicit in that appellation
”And thou'rt the jester,” replied Ayoub with forced cal Tsaain to the dalal ”A thousand philips,”
said he shortly
”Silence there!” cried the dalal again ”Silence, and praise Allah who sends good prices”
”One thousand and one hundred,” said Ayoub the irrepressible
And now Tsamanni not only found hieous lio further, dared not do so without first consulting the Basha Yet if he left the sok for that purpose Ayoub would irl
He found himself between sword and wall On the one hand did he perht visit upon him his disappointment On the other, did he continue beyond the li far beyond all possibility, it ht fare no less ill with hiesticulation ”By the beard of the Prophet, this bladder of wind and grease makes sport of us He has no intent to buy What irl?”
Ayoub's ansas eloquent; he produced a fat bag and flung it on the ground, where it fell with a rinning in the very best of hue and disco it at no cost to himself ”Shall I count out one thousand and one hundred philips, O dalal”
”If the wazeer Tsamanni is content”
”Dost thou know for whom I buy?” roared Tsamanni ”For the Basha himself, Asad-ed-Din, the exalted of Allah,” He advanced upon Ayoub with hands upheld ”What shalt thou say to hi to outbid him”
But Ayoub remained unruffled before all this fury He spread his fat hands, his eyes twinkling, his great lips pursed ”How should I know, since Allah has not ? Thou shouldst have said so earlier 'Tis thus I shall answer the Basha should he question me, and the Basha is just”
”I would not be thee, Ayoub--not for the throne of Istambul”
”Nor I thee, Tsae”
And so they stood glaring each at the other until the dalal called them back to the business that was to do
”The price is now one thousand and one hundred philips Wilt thou suffer defeat, O wazeer?”
”Since Allah wills I have no authority to go further”
”Then at one thousand and one hundred philips, Ayoub, she is”
But the sale was not yet to be co a crisp voice--
”One thousand and two hundred philips for the Frankish girl”