Silk and Secrets(92)

Abdul Samut Khan said shrewdly, "You do not trust me, do you? That is good, a wise man is cautious. But I was a friend to Major Cameron. Look, in his own hand he wrote a testimonial to all I did for him." Reaching inside his coat, he drew out a sheet of paper and handed it over.

Ross felt an eerie prickle along his spine when he unfolded the paper. There, in writing that was shaky but recognizably Ian's, were the words "I write this document to attest the good offices rendered to me by the Nayeb Abdul Samut Khan." After listing several instances of kindness, he ended, "I sign this Ian Torquil Cameron at Bokhara, the fourteenth of September in the year of our Lord 1840."

A letter from a dead man. His hands not quite steady, Ross refolded the paper and handed it back. "On behalf of the major's family and myself, I offer my most profound gratitude for what you did for him."

Abdul Samut Khan nodded gravely. "As I was his friend, I will also be your friend."

Perhaps he would be. But in spite of the nayeb's words, Ross did not trust him.

* * *

After Ross had gone off to meet with the nayeb, Juliet went in search of food for herself. Eventually she found the kitchen and an adjacent servants' dining area. Reza was there and he greeted her enthusiastically. Apart from acknowledging Reza, Juliet did not speak with any of the other servants, simply ate her bread, drank her tea, and left. As usual, she was watched with considerable curiosity, but after she ignored one or two attempts at conversation, no one disturbed her.

The real challenge came when Juliet went outside to the compound's main gate and started to walk through the archway. Immediately a watchman armed with a sword and a lance stepped in front of her and barked, "Halt!"

She stopped but did not back off. Letting her hand drop to the hilt of her knife, she stared down at the guard, who was several inches shorter than she, and said in her most guttural Persian, "I am prisoner?"

He hesitated, clearly unsure what the Targui's status was. Deciding that the ferengi's savage servant was unimportant, he stepped aside.

Without looking back, Juliet swaggered down the street as if she knew where she was going. Saleh had drawn her a map of the city, marking the major streets and buildings, and now she wanted to orient herself as quickly as possible. Fortunately the brilliant turquoise- colored dome of the Grand Mosque was a landmark visible throughout much of the city, and she used that to guide herself to the Registan.

It was interesting to see the life of the square from street level rather than camelback. Sobriety of dress was not considered a virtue here. Everyone who could afford them wore robes of brilliantly patterned ikat silks. They were the most famous product of Bokhara, for the city was a great producer of silk as well as an essential oasis on the ancient Silk Road.

Saleh had told Juliet that many families raised silkworms at home, incubating the eggs, feeding tender mulberry leaves to the voracious hatchlings, then patiently harvesting the valuable cocoons. He'd added dryly that silkworms were one thing he did not miss when he left his childhood home.

In the center of the Registan, Juliet bought a delicious concoction of crushed ice and grape syrup called rahat i jan, the delight of life. Cleverly designed icehouses made it possible for all Bokharans to enjoy iced drinks all summer. It was a luxury she had never experienced in Britain, but of course in Britain one didn't need ice. Quite the contrary.

After she worked her way around the giant square, she set off through the narrow, twisting streets to find the Djuibar quarter, where Saleh's brother lived. Aided by the map and her own excellent sense of direction, Juliet managed to reach her destination without getting seriously lost.

Saleh's brother Tura was a master weaver and his house was a testimony to the prosperity of the silk trade. The servant who opened the door for Juliet had been told to expect her, so she was immediately escorted to a well-furnished room where Saleh and Murad were enjoying a late-morning cup of cardamom-flavored tea.

The three exchanged greetings as effusively as if it had been months since they parted rather than twenty-four hours. Saleh was in high spirits from being reunited with his brother after a separation of almost thirty years, but he frowned sympathetically when he heard of the interview with the amir and the confirmation of Ian Cameron's death.

Then he relayed what his brother had told him about the amir's dangerous unpredictability and the poisonous atmosphere of suspicion and intolerance that the ruler deliberately fostered. It was fortunate that Juliet and Ross had been circumspect the night before, for Abdul Samut Khan's household certainly contained spies, possibly serving several different masters.

It was a sobering discussion, and when Juliet finally left to return to the nayeb's house, she had lost much of her earlier enthusiasm for exploring an exotic new city. The more she learned of Bokhara, the more she realized how dangerous the situation was. Ross had known from the beginning and had had the courage to come in spite of that knowledge. He had always had a patience and a steadiness of temper that Juliet lacked