Halil Patrona was
the life and soul of the lot.
He inspired them with magnanimous, enlightened resolutions, and when in
his enthusiastic way he addressed them, the worthy cobblers and
fishermen felt themselves turned into heroes, and it seemed as if _they_
were the leaders of the nation, while the pashas and grandees sitting
beside them were mere fishermen and cobblers.
Everyone of his old friends and his new colleagues looked up to and
admired him.
Only one person could not reconcile himself with the thought that he
owed his power to a pedlar who had risen from the dust--and this man was
Kaplan Giraj, the Khan of the Crimea.
He was to be Halil's betrayer.
He informed the Grand Vizier of the projects of Halil, who wished to
persuade the Sultan to declare war against Russia, because Russia was
actively assisting Persia. Moldavia and the Crimea were the starting
points of the armies that were to clip the wings of the menacing
northern foe, and thereby nullify the terrible prophecies of the "Takimi
Vekai."
Kaplan Giraj informed Kabakulak of these designs, and they agreed that a
man with such temerarious projects in his head ought not to live any
longer--he was much too dangerous.
They resolved that he should be killed during the deliberations at the
house of the Grand Vizier. For this purpose they chose from among the
most daring of the Janissaries those officers who had a grudge against
Halil for enforcing discipline against them, and were also jealous of
what they called his usurpation of authority.
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