1 a vizier's daughter - Hazara.net

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A VIZIER’S DAUGHTER – A TALE OF THE HAZARA WAR
the girls’ appearance. “Is that how you hope to win your way into
Ferad Shah’s favour?”
“I wish to win my wa y to Kabul, to the Ameer,” Gul Begum said, as if
by some sudden inspiration, “and if you will help me I will not forget
you.”
The man looked at her, surprised. “You have great ambitions,” he said.
“What will you do when you get to the Ameer?”
“God knows,” she said sighing, “but I might chance to find favour in
his e yes.”
“I don’t see how that is to be brought about,” he said. “I can see no
way of helping you to that.”
“I don’t ask you to help me,” the girl pleaded, “only do not hinder me,
and tell Ferad Shah, if he mentions me, that you think me ugly. See
how old and worn I look.”
“I see you have been disfiguring yourself,” he said; “but if I tell Ferad
Shah that you are ugly, there are plent y of others who will deny what I
have said. You don’t want to get me into trouble, do you?” And after
providing the women with a rough shelter for the night, the old man
left them, but not for long.
The sun was just showing above the horizon when Gul Begum was
summoned inside the inner enclosure, and she found herself in the
outer chamber of the hum hum where the Bibi had received her the day
before, and presently the Bib i herself entered hastily but noiselessly.
“Ferad Shah is asleep,” she said. “He came home in the best of
humours last night. He had travelled straight from Kabul, where he was
received with marked favour by the Ameer, and was presented with a
metal and a Khelat (coat of honour). He asked about you, and I told
him what we had arranged he should be told. He seemed more amused
than angr y, and then I begged of him to send you away to Kabul to the
prison, as a punishment for your having insulted me b y presuming on
my credulit y. He told me to do as I liked, as for the moment he has
more girls than he well knows what to do with. So now to horse and to
Kabul with you. I have done all I can for you. I have arranged that one
of the labourers shall take you, and you can have the horse you
brought, for Ferad Shah will never miss it, and you have far to go. May
God protect you, and do not forget that I have helped you in your
need.” So Gul Begum, to her astonishment, found herself in less than
an hour on her wa y to Kabul, guarded only b y one soldier and the
labourer, who lead the horse, and who received strict injunctions from
the Derwan to return it to the master, as he might hear of it and ask for
it.