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Her voice trailed off, and in spite of himself, Prince Khasib leaned forward on his seat of ivory.
"'What?
'"I have heard of a treasure that rests at the bottom of the ocean,’ the court lady went on. 'A treasure so remarkable, only one who possesses both strength of body and purity of heart has even the slightest hope of finding it. Many have tried, but so far, all have failed. Surely this would be a fitting gift to bestow upon a prince to ransom the life of a much-loved father.'
"At these words, the swell of wonder from the courtiers within the audience chamber grew so great that Prince Khasib perceived an astonishing thing: His mind was already made up. For to refuse such a remarkable request would be unthinkable. And so he turned back to the water bearer's daughter and said,
'Find this treasure for me. When I hold it in my hand, I will have proof your cause is just and free your father. Not only that, on that day, I will make you my bride. For any who can find such a treasure must surely be a treasure herself and fit to be a prince's consort.'
"And with that, the prince smiled at the court lady. See what happens to all those who would try to outsmart me, he thought.
"But the water bearer's daughter hardly noticed the prince's offer to make her his bride. She was too filled with dismay at the task he had set her, for it seemed to her that it was impossible. She had never even seen the ocean, did not even know where it might be found. But she rallied her courage, for she was her father's only hope, and she knew she must be strong. So she bowed low before the prince and said,
'Majesty, may your will be done.'
"With her words, the day's audiences were over, and the water bearer's daughter returned home. There, she changed her finest garments for her most sensible clothes. Into a knapsack she placed a loaf of bread and some dried figs, which was all the food she had in the house. She filled one of her father's water skins and was just on the point of setting out when she heard a knock upon her door. Opening it, she discovered the court lady who had helped her get into the palace.
'"Forgive me,' the court lady said, casting her eyes down modestly. 'But, after you left the audience chamber, I had you followed. I feel responsible for the fact that you must undertake such an arduous quest, for had I not spoken—'
'"You must not blame yourself,' the water bearer's daughter interrupted swiftly. ‘I would do anything to save my father.'
"The court lady raised her eyes and gazed into those of the water bearer's daughter as if searching for something. After several moments, she said, 'You truly love him.'
'"With all my heart.'
"I am sorry for it,' the court lady said, taking them both by surprise. 'For your way must surely be difficult and long. You may fail. Your father may still die.'
'"I will not fail,’ the water bearer's daughter vowed. 'But worse than failing is not to try at all. For then there can be no hope of success.'
"At these words, the court lady gestured to the two servants who had accompanied her. "Then take these, and may success follow.' The servants placed a basket and a roll of parchment at the water bearer's daughter's feet. Then they bowed low, and all three departed.
"Unrolling the parchment, the water bearer's daughter discovered a map like a jigsaw puzzle, showing how her own country fit into those around it until, at last, the land ended at a great ocean. The distance between where she would begin, and where she must end was so great, it made her bones ache just to study it. But taking careful note of the direction in which she needed to travel, she rolled the map up again and tucked it into her knapsack, saying to herself, There is no sense on dwelling on what ca
"Opening the basket, she discovered a pair of shoes made of iron. They seemed a strange choice for such a long journey, but she supposed they had one virtue: They would not wear out. So she sat down upon the ground, removed her sandals, and slipped her feet into the iron shoes. They were so heavy, she could barely lift her feet to walk. But she said to herself, I am not afraid to work hard. Has not my father done so all his life? Besides, every step I take will bring me closer to the moment he is free once more.
"And so, shouldering her knapsack, the water bearer's daughter set off."
Chapter 17
H O W T H E W A T E R B E A R E R ' S D A U G H T E R F I N D S T H E F I S H E R M A N , T H E
T R E A S U R E , A N D H E R , H E A R T . A N D H O W T H E S T O R Y F I N D S I T S E N D . I N
T H A T O R D E R .
"How many days and nights, how the days and nights stretched out to weeks and the weeks to months and maybe even years, is not recorded in the cloth," Shahrazad's voice continued softly. "But this much I can tell you:
"The water bearer's daughter had walked so long, her hair had turned as white as a noonday sky. So far the heels and toes of her iron shoes were worn clean through so that the sand ran in one end and out the other, before she stood at last upon the shore of a vast and swirling blue-green ocean.
"But, though her heart rejoiced to reach her destination at last, it quailed also. For now that she was here, the water bearer's daughter realized several bitter things all at once: She did not know what form the treasure she was looking for might take, and there was no one she might ask, for she was quite alone. And she had remembered suddenly that she could not swim. How then could she hope to find a treasure at the bottom of the ocean?
"The bitterness of these things struck her with such force, her legs gave way and she fell to her knees, soaking her skirts with ocean foam. And there the water bearer's daughter might finally have given up hope when, through eyes grown dim with tears as salty as the great ocean itself, she beheld a sail dancing upon the horizon. The longer she watched, the larger it became, until she could clearly perceive a small boat with a single occupant.
"I can at least ask this fisherman, she thought. So she got to her feet and waited patiently upon the shore. But the longer she waited, the more concerned the water bearer's daughter became. For as she watched and waited, the wind came up and the sky grew crowded with clouds as fierce and dark as any she had seen. Without warning, a great needle of light shot down from the sky. It struck so near the boat, the water bearer's daughter swore she smelled scorched wood. With a shout, the fisherman threw himself overboard.
"The water bearer's daughter never even hesitated. Later, it seemed to her she simply moved, with no conscious thought at all. In spite of the fact that she could not swim a stroke, she kicked off what remained of her iron shoes and waded out into the thrashing water.
"It seethed about her, agitated as the brew of a witch's cauldron. After no more than a few struggling steps, the water bearer's daughter felt her feet slip, then leave the bottom. Still, she never faltered, her determination to save the fisherman as great as her need to save her father.
"One wave struck her. Then another. And another. Until the water bearers daughter's eyes stung with salt, her mouth choked with seawater. But still, she pushed against the waves with all her might, reaching out through the water. On the fourth wave, she felt something brush against her outstretched hands.
Something with fingers that reached to meet hers and clung having found them. Sobbing now, the water bearer's daughter held on with one hand, and with the other, reached back toward the shore.