Khaled by F. Marion Crawford (best e book reader android TXT) ๐
Description
Khaled is a hard-working and faithful genie who, in his zeal, goes a little too far and kills a faithless man. This puts him under scrutiny from the powers above, who curse him to live as a human. Since genies have no souls, he will vanish from existence when he dies; but, if he can find true love, heโll be granted a soul and thus be allowed into heaven.
Written in the style of the โoriental romancesโ popular in those days, Khaled was F. Marion Crawfordโs favorite novel out of all of the ones he wrote in his successful career.
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- Author: F. Marion Crawford
Read book online ยซKhaled by F. Marion Crawford (best e book reader android TXT) ๐ยป. Author - F. Marion Crawford
โShe is yours,โ Khaled answered. โSend her away. Or we will give her in marriage to one of the sheikhs who will take her away to the desert. In this way she will not be able even to visit you except when her husband comes into the city.โ
But they decided nothing at that time. Some days later Khaled was sitting alone upon a balcony, Zehowah having gone to the bath, when Almasta came suddenly before him and threw herself at his feet, beating her forehead and tearing her hair, though not indeed in a way to injure it.
โWhat have I done?โ she cried. โWhy is my lord displeased?โ
Khaled looked at her in surprise, but answered nothing at first.
โWhy are my lordโs eyes like frozen pools by the Kura, and why is his forehead like Kasbek in a mist?โ
Khaled laughed a little at her words.
โKasbek is far from Riad,โ he answered, โand the waters of the Kura do not irrigate the Red Desert. I am not displeased. On the contrary, I will give you a husband and a sufficient dowry. Go in peace.โ
But Almasta remained where she was, weeping and beating her forehead.
โLet me stay!โ she cried. โLet me stay, for I love you. I will eat the dust under your feet. Only let me stay.โ
โI think not,โ Khaled answered. โYou weary Zehowah with your silence and your sullenness.โ
โLet me stay!โ she repeated, over and over again.
She was not making any pretence of grief, for the tears ran down abundantly and stained the red leather of Khaledโs shoes. Though he was hardhearted he was not altogether cruel, for a man who loves one woman greatly is somewhat softened towards all such as do not stand immediately in his way.
โIt is true,โ he thought, โthat I have given this woman some occasion of hope, for I have treated her kindly during many days, and she has probably supposed that I would marry her. For she is less keen-sighted than Zehowah, and moreover she loves me.โ
โDo not drive me out!โ cried Almasta. โFor I shall die if I cannot see your face. What have I done?โ
โYou have indeed done nothing worthy of death, for I cannot prove that you killed Abdul Kerim. I will therefore give you a good husband and you shall be happy.โ
But Almasta would not go away, and embracing his knees she looked up into his face, imploring him to let her remain. Khaled could not but see that she was beautiful, for the midday light fell upon her white face and her red lips, and made shadows in her hair of the colour of mellow dates, and reflections as bright as gold when the burnisher is still in the goldsmithโs hand. Though he cared nothing for Almasta and little for her sorrow, his eye was pleased and he smiled.
Then he looked up and saw Zehowah standing before him, just as she had come from the bath, wrapped in loose garments of silk and gold. He gazed at her attentively for there was a distant gleam of light in her eyes and her cheeks were warm, though she stood in the shadow, so that he thought she had never been more beautiful, and he did not care to look at Almastaโs face again.
โWhy is Almasta lamenting in this way?โ Zehowah asked.
โShe desires to stay in the palace,โ Khaled answered; โbut I have told her that she shall be married, and yet she wishes to stay.โ
โLet her be married quickly, then. Is she a free woman, that she should resist, or is she rich that she should refuse alms? Let her be married.โ
โThere is a certain young man, cousin to Abdul Kerim, a Bedouin of pure descent. Let him take her, if he will, and let the marriage be celebrated tomorrow.โ
But Almasta shook her head, and her tears never ceased from flowing.
โYou will marry him,โ said Khaled. โAnd if any harm comes to him, I will cause you to be put to death before the second call to prayer on the following morning.โ
When Almasta heard this, her tears were suddenly dried and her lips closed tightly. She rose from the floor and retired to a distance within the room.
On that day Khaled sent for the young man of whom he had spoken, whose name was Abdullah ibn Mohammed el Herir, and offered him Almasta for a wife. And he accepted her joyfully, for he had heard of her wonderful beauty, and was moreover much gratified by being given a woman whom the former Sultan would probably have married if he had lived. Khaled also gave him a grey mare as a wedding gift, and a handsome garment.
The marriage was therefore celebrated in the customary manner, and no harm came to Abdullah. But as the autumn had now set in, he soon afterwards left the city, taking Almasta with him, to live in tents, after the manner of the Bedouins.
VIIIAbdullah ibn Mohammed, though a young man, was now the sheikh of a considerable tribe which had frequently done good service to the late Sultan, Zehowahโs father, and which had also borne a prominent part in the recent war. Abdul Kerim, whom Almasta had murdered, had been the sheikh during his lifetime, and if the claims of birth had been justly considered, his son, though a mere boy, should have succeeded him. But Abdullah had found it easy to usurp the chief place, and in the council which was held after Abdul Kerimโs death he was chosen by acclamation. It chanced, too, that he was not married at the time when he took Almasta, for of two wives the one had died of a fever during the summer, and he had divorced the other on account of her unbearable temper, having been deceived in respect of this by her parents, who had assured him that she was as gentle as a dove and as submissive as a lamb. But she had turned out to be
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