law, where old maids sat until Fate sent them a man, and lovers chained themselves together in the hope of achieving eternal union. Through the mist of opium and arrack that permanently clouded their visions, members of the Shah's household cavalry saw Esther approach, and immediately recognized the soothsayer in Fath Ali Shah's dreams. She was bald and unveiled, her skin was the color of oil, the air around her smelling of long distances and unknown ways.
“Allahuo Akbar!" the soldiers fell to their knees. They were certain Esther was a ghost. "Allahuo Akbar! God is great.”
They took her into the palace, and sent for the Chief Eunuch. He rushed to Esther with a hundred other eunuchs, avoiding her eyes to guard against her evil, and took her into the Hall of Mirrors: the walls and the ceiling here were composed of a mosaic of small mirrors reflecting the light that poured in from arched portals around the room. Mirrors, everyone knew, protected against demons.
The Chief Eunuch went to call the Shah. All the way from the Hall of Mirrors to the Royal Quarters, he prayed aloud for his own life: Fath Ali Shah was ruthless to those who interrupted his sleep. The night before, he had spent furious hours trying to gain access to his own harem. He had wanted to sleep with his newest acquisition—a woman called Miriam, who was suspected widely of being a Jew. Early in the day, the Shah had sent the Chief Eunuch to prepare the girl for his arrival. Miriam had bathed in goat's milk and rubbed herself with rosewater, lined her eyes with antimony, and reddened her cheeks with a paste made by crushing the dried insect called shan-djarf. She had waited for the Shah in a bed of roses and chiffon, but the moment His Majesty had tried to touch her someone in the next room had sneezed.
The Shah left immediately. A sneeze, everyone knew, was a sign from God to refrain from the act one was about to engage in. Back in his quarters, Fath Ali Shah had waited an hour, entered the harem again, and again heard a sneeze.
He waited another hour. There was another sneeze. The
Shah realized then that one of his wives must have hired a “professional sneezer"—a woman disguised as a harem maid and hired by a jealous wife to keep His Majesty from sleeping with new virgins. The punishment for a false sneeze, everyone knew, was death. Fath Ali Shah ordered the execution of all the maids, and divorced all the wives in rooms within ear's reach of Miriam's. But he did not dare defy the sneeze: he resolved to wait another hour, in the course of which he fell asleep without ever having satisfied himself with Miriam.
Outside His Majesty's chambers, three soldiers greeted the Chief Eunuch. He went through the eunuchs' room, into a first bedroom where the commander of the palace guards slept every night in uniform, a naked sword by his side. From there he entered Fath Ali Shah's bedroom.
“May I be thy sacrifice," he said, trying to awaken His Majesty, who did not respond. The Chief Eunuch bit his lip and summoned courage.
"May I be thy sacrifice," he said again. "It seems the demon of your fate has come to call."
Fath Ali Shah turned as white as the pillow he rested on. He remained motionless, his eyes still closed, then sat up and gripped the sheets under him. In another time he would have rejoiced at Esther's arrival. Now, with the Czar at his doorstep and the mullahs calling for his ouster, the Shah feared Esther had come to predict his downfall. He looked up at the eunuch, who saw his wrath and fell immediately to his knees.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. It was my misfortune to carry the news to you. If you grant me permission, I will have the woman flogged, cut up, and thrown to your most voracious dogs."
Fath Ali Shah descended the bed. His hands trembled visibly. He motioned for his dressers to approach.
"Keep her under guard," he told the eunuch. "Give Us time to prepare for her."
An hour after noon, the King of Kings arrived at the Hall of
“Allahuo Akbar!" the soldiers fell to their knees. They were certain Esther was a ghost. "Allahuo Akbar! God is great.”
They took her into the palace, and sent for the Chief Eunuch. He rushed to Esther with a hundred other eunuchs, avoiding her eyes to guard against her evil, and took her into the Hall of Mirrors: the walls and the ceiling here were composed of a mosaic of small mirrors reflecting the light that poured in from arched portals around the room. Mirrors, everyone knew, protected against demons.
The Chief Eunuch went to call the Shah. All the way from the Hall of Mirrors to the Royal Quarters, he prayed aloud for his own life: Fath Ali Shah was ruthless to those who interrupted his sleep. The night before, he had spent furious hours trying to gain access to his own harem. He had wanted to sleep with his newest acquisition—a woman called Miriam, who was suspected widely of being a Jew. Early in the day, the Shah had sent the Chief Eunuch to prepare the girl for his arrival. Miriam had bathed in goat's milk and rubbed herself with rosewater, lined her eyes with antimony, and reddened her cheeks with a paste made by crushing the dried insect called shan-djarf. She had waited for the Shah in a bed of roses and chiffon, but the moment His Majesty had tried to touch her someone in the next room had sneezed.
The Shah left immediately. A sneeze, everyone knew, was a sign from God to refrain from the act one was about to engage in. Back in his quarters, Fath Ali Shah had waited an hour, entered the harem again, and again heard a sneeze.
He waited another hour. There was another sneeze. The
Shah realized then that one of his wives must have hired a “professional sneezer"—a woman disguised as a harem maid and hired by a jealous wife to keep His Majesty from sleeping with new virgins. The punishment for a false sneeze, everyone knew, was death. Fath Ali Shah ordered the execution of all the maids, and divorced all the wives in rooms within ear's reach of Miriam's. But he did not dare defy the sneeze: he resolved to wait another hour, in the course of which he fell asleep without ever having satisfied himself with Miriam.
Outside His Majesty's chambers, three soldiers greeted the Chief Eunuch. He went through the eunuchs' room, into a first bedroom where the commander of the palace guards slept every night in uniform, a naked sword by his side. From there he entered Fath Ali Shah's bedroom.
“May I be thy sacrifice," he said, trying to awaken His Majesty, who did not respond. The Chief Eunuch bit his lip and summoned courage.
"May I be thy sacrifice," he said again. "It seems the demon of your fate has come to call."
Fath Ali Shah turned as white as the pillow he rested on. He remained motionless, his eyes still closed, then sat up and gripped the sheets under him. In another time he would have rejoiced at Esther's arrival. Now, with the Czar at his doorstep and the mullahs calling for his ouster, the Shah feared Esther had come to predict his downfall. He looked up at the eunuch, who saw his wrath and fell immediately to his knees.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. It was my misfortune to carry the news to you. If you grant me permission, I will have the woman flogged, cut up, and thrown to your most voracious dogs."
Fath Ali Shah descended the bed. His hands trembled visibly. He motioned for his dressers to approach.
"Keep her under guard," he told the eunuch. "Give Us time to prepare for her."
An hour after noon, the King of Kings arrived at the Hall of
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