SCENE V

 

 

The slave-market.

Muazzim with Anice-Aljalice exposed for sale.
Ajebe, AZIZ, Abdullah and merchants.

MUAZZIM

Who bids?

AZIZ

Four thousand.

MUAZZIM

She went for ten when she was here first. Will you not raise your bid nearer her value?

AZIZ

She was new then and untouched. 'Tis the way with goods, broker; they lose value by time and purchase, use and soiling. 

MUAZZIM

Oh, sir, the kissed mouth has always honey. But this is a Peri and immortal lips have an immortal sweetness.

AJEBE

Five hundred to that bid.

Enter Almuene with slaves.

ALMUENE

Ah, it is true! All things come round at last
With the full wheel of Fate; it is my hour.
Fareed shall have her. She shall be well handled
To plague her lover's heart before he dies.

(aloud)

Broker, who sells the girl and what's her rate ?

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AJEBE

All's lost.

MUAZZIM

Nureddene bin Alfazzal bin Sawy sells her and your nephew has bid for her .four thousand and five hundred.

ALMUENE

My nephew bids for me. Who bids against?

AJEBE

Uncle —

ALMUENE

Go, find out other slave-girls, Ajebe,
Do well until the end. (Exit Ajebe) Who bids against me ?
She's mine then. Come.

ANICE-ALJALICE

I'll not be sold to you.

ALMUENE

What, dar'st thou speak, young harlot? Fear the whip.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Vizier, I fear you not; there's law in Islam.
My master will deny the sale.

ALMUENE

Thy master
Shall be a kitchen negro, who shall use thee.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Had I a whip, you should not say it twice.

MUAZZIM

Vizier, Vizier, by law the owner's acceptance only is final

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for the sale.

ALMUENE

It is a form, but get it. I am impatient
Until I have this strumpet in my grip.

MUAZZIM

Well, here he comes.

Enter Nureddene and Ajebe.

A MERCHANT

Shall we go, shall we go?

ABDULLAH

Stand by! Tis noble Ibn Sawy's son.
We must protect him even at our own peril.

MUAZZIM

She goes for a trifle, sir, and even that little you will not get. You will weary your feet with journeyings, only to be put off by his villains, and when you grow clamorous they will demand your order and tear it before your eyes. That's your payment.

NUREDDENE

That's nothing. The wolf's cub, hunchback Fareed!
The sale is off.

MUAZZIM

Be advised by me. Catch the girl by the hair and cuff her soundly, abusing her with the harshest terms your heart can consent to, then off with her quickly as if you had brought her to market only to execute an oath made in anger. So he loses his hold on her.

NUREDDENE

I'll tell the lie. One fine, pure seeming falsehood,
Admitted, opens door to all his naked

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And leprous family; in, in, they throng
And breed the house quite full.

MUAZZIM

The Vizier wants her.
He bids four thousand pieces and five hundred.

NUREDDENE

'Tis nothing. Girl, I keep my oath. Suffice it
You're bidden for and priced in open market here.
Come home! Be now less dainty, meeker of tongue,
Or you shall have more feeling punishments.
Do I need to sell thee ? Home! My oath is kept.

ALMUENE

This is a trick to cheat the law. Thou ruffian!
Cheap profligate! What hast thou left to sell
But thy own sensual filth and drunken body, —
If any out of charity would spend
Some dirhams to reform thee with a scourge ?
Vile son of a bland hypocrite!

He draws his scimitar.

ABDULLAH

Pause, Vizier.

AZIZ

Be patient, Nureddene.

ALMUENE

I yet shall kill him.
Hence, harlot, foot before me to my kitchen.

ANICE-ALJALICE

He has abused me filthily, my lord,
Before these merchants.

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ALMUENE

Abuse thee, rag ? Hast thou
An use? To be abused is thy utility.
Thou shalt be used and common.

NUREDDENE

Stand by, you merchants; let none interfere
On peril of his life. Thou foul-mouthed tyrant,
Into the mire and dirt, where thou wert gendered!

ALMUENE

Help, help! Hew him in pieces.

The slaves are rushing forward.

ABDULLAH

What do you, fellows?
This is a Vizier and a Vizier's son.
Shall common men step in ? You'll get the blows
For only thanks.

ALMUENE

Oh! Oh! Will you then kill me?

NUREDDENE

If thou wouldst live, crave pardon of the star
Thou hast spat on. I would make thee lick her feet
But that thy lips would foul their purity.

ALMUENE

Pardon, oh, pardon!

NUREDDENE {throwing him away)

Live then, in thy gutter.

Exit with Anice.

ABDULLAH

Go, slaves, lift up your master, lead him off.

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Exeunt slaves with Almuene.

He is well punished.

AZIZ

What will come of this ?

ABDULLAH  

No good to Nureddene. Let's go and warn him;

He's bold and proud, may think to face it out,
Which were mere waiting death.

AZIZ

I pray on us

This falls not.

Exeunt merchants.

MUAZZIM

Here was ill-luck!

AJEBE

Nor ends with this.
I'll have a ship wide-sailed and well-provisioned
For their escape. Bassora will not hold them.

Exeunt.

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