"
"A short cut into Paradise that would be," scornfully observed Orli,
who, despite his office of softa, did not hesitate to speak
disrespectfully even of Paradise, whither every true believer ought
joyfully to hasten.
Last of all "crazy" Ibrahim gave them a piece of advice.
"'Twill be best," said he, "to gather together from among us our least
useful members--any murderers there may happen to be, or escaped
gaol-birds for instance; call them Halil, Musli, and Suleiman, deck them
out in the garments of Agas, Begs, and Ulemas, and send them to the
Seraglio. Then, if we see them return to us safe and sound, we can, of
course, go ourselves."
This crazy counsel instantly met with general applause. Everyone
approved of it, of that there could be no doubt.
Halil Patrona regarded them all in contemptuous silence. Only when
"crazy" Ibrahim's proposal had been resolved upon did he stand up and
say:
"I myself will go to the Seraglio."
Some of them regarded him with amazement, others laughed. Musli clapped
his hands together in his desperation.
"Halil! dost thou dream or art thou beside thyself? Dost thou imagine
thyself to be one of the Princes of the Thousand and One Nights who can
hew his way through monsters and spectres, or art thou wearied of
beholding the sun from afar and must needs go close up to him?"
"'Tis no concern of thine what I do, and if I am not afraid what need is
there for thee to be afraid on my account?"
"But, prythee, bethink thee, Halil! It would be a much more sensible
jest on thy part to leap into the den of a lioness suckling her young;
and thou wouldst be a much wiser man if thou wert to adventure thyself
in the sulphur holes of Balsorah, or cause thyself to be let down, for
the sake of a bet, into the coral-beds at the bottom of the Sea of
Candia to pick up a bronze asper,[2] instead of going to the Seraglio
where there are now none but thine enemies, and where the very
atmosphere and the spider crawling down the wall is venomous to thee and
thy deadly enemy.
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