Страница 35 из 38
When she understood this, Shahrazad understood the time of her destiny had truly come. So she got up and washed her face, tidied her garments as best she could, and went to stand once more upon the balcony, her blind eyes toward where the sun would come. For she did not doubt that it would reappear.
And so the second brother found her, will set, demeanor calm. And thus it was his heart that quailed as he led her down the long stairs to the great audience hall. His heart, not Shahrazad's. All the way, the second brother searched his mind to find the flaw in the plans that had been laid, but could discover none.
But neither could he shake the feeling that with every step he took, events were slipping by him like the current of a river, moving faster and faster until they were beyond his control.
"Where do you take me?" asked Shahrazad.
"To the great audience hall," the second brother answered. And as he spoke, they arrived, the doors were thrown open, and they passed inside. Down the long length of the hall they walked, through a room thronged with as many people as had witnessed Shahrazad's marriage to Shahrayar.
Long had the brothers argued over this, but in the end, the king's will had won. For he wanted many eyes to see what was about to take place, to witness Shahrazad condemn herself and Shahrayar. In this way he hoped report might make him blameless in their deaths and proclaim this fact both far and wide. Both common people and courtiers had the king brought together so that all might perceive how great his power was.
"Let the prisoners be brought forth," he commanded when Shahrazad had been led in and made to kneel before his throne.
At this, a great gong sounded, and all those who had been imprisoned since the king had come to power were led forth, including Shahrayar. But he had been kept in so dark and terrible a place that none who looked upon the prisoners recognized Shahrayar for who he was. At the sight of those who had been imprisoned, a murmur swelled up from among the ranks of observers in the hall, for many of the prisoners stumbled, as if their limbs had lost the sense of movement. Matted, filthy hair hung down over their faces, masking their features. At the early morning light streaming into the hall, some cried out and covered their eyes. Much as they longed to see the sun, they could not do it. They had been kept in the dark too long.
The king waited until the prisoners had halted and the hall had grown silent before he spoke once more.
"Look well on what befalls all who would stand against me," he said. "Lest their fate be yours. Let the lady Shahrazad rise and stand before the prisoners."
At this, another murmur of wonder arose from the prisoners themselves, for none knew why they had been brought, let alone that their fate might involve Shahrazad. The mention of her name provoked such turmoil in Shahrayar's breast that he took his hands down from his face so that he might see her, though his eyes could hardly bear the light.
"Hear now the trial that you must face," the usurper told Shahrazad. "It has come to our ears that you are steeped in magic, and I will not suffer a sorceress to live among us. For your life, there can be no reprieve. Whatever follows, you must die. But I will give you a chance to do a great good before you breathe no more."
Here he paused. All knew this much already, except for the prisoners, who were hearing it for the very first time.
"If, neither by word nor touch nor any other sign, you can find your husband among these prisoners, I will spare his life, though he must live out the remainder of his days in exile."
At this, many assembled within the hall cried out in joy. But Shahrazad was not among them. Liar!
she thought, for since coming into the chamber, she had discovered an amazing thing: Having learned to see her own heart truly, she could now see other men's as well. And so she saw the blackness of the usurper's heart and knew he would not keep his word.
I am like the water bearer's daughter, Shahrazad thought. And as she realized this, she almost laughed aloud. Had not the water bearer's daughter triumphed in the end, though she had faced an impossible trial? I thought the story was for Shahrayar. But now I see that I was wrong. It was for me, that I might remember to have both purity of heart and strength of mind.
"What say you, Lady?' the king asked. "Are you content to undergo this trial?'
"No, I am not content," Shahrazad answered. "For who can be content to undergo a tyrant's trial? But I will submit, for I greatly desire to spare my husbands life."
"You must find him first," the king reminded her. "Let us see what your blind eyes can do." And then he laughed, and the sound was cruel.
So Shahrazad began her trial. Three times she paced before the line of prisoners seeking to know what was in each man's heart. In this way she saw much that gave her hope. In only one heart did she find a thing that brought her grief. And so at last, her footsteps halted before the man who stood in the very center, the others stretching around beyond him in equal measure on both sides. Even so was Shahrayar still balanced between light and dark.
"This man is Shahrayar, my husband, and true king of this land," she said, and her voice was the only sound in the great hall. Tears began to stream down her face, unchecked.
"Let your second queen now break the curse the first laid upon you in bitterness and anger," she went on. "I have seen your heart, and I know it does not love me. But I will do what I must and so be unafraid to have my own heart known. Look upon me then, and see what my heart holds for you. Only then will the curse be broken."
At these words, Shahrayar began to tremble, a thing that caused him shame, for he did not yet see this for what it was: Hope, rising up. His heart, yearning to break free.
"I am afraid," he said in a voice for her ears only. "I am afraid to look, Shahrazad."
"And I am afraid to let you see,’' she answered, her voice low. "But if you don't, then she has won, and her brothers with her. Is that what you want? Remember the tale I told you when the sun shone upon us, and take heart."
At this, Shahrayar became more steady, for he thought he caught a glimpse of the direction that she was going.
"I will," he said. And he did a thing that only Shahrazad understood. He closed his eyes. For suddenly he remembered the way in which the water bearer's daughter had given herself over to the sea to find her treasure. Even so, he gave himself over to thoughts of Shahrazad. With his eyes closed, he could no longer see her as she stood before him. And so he looked to find her within himself.
A thousand images seemed to fill him, all of them dazzling. There was no deceit or darkness in her.
She was filled with light. She could not have betrayed him as he had feared. And so realizing, Shahrayar suddenly perceived the thing that he had hidden from himself for so long: his heart. For it was from this place that all his beautiful visions came. It was no longer stone, but flesh and blood. And realizing this, he was no longer afraid to gaze into the heart of Shahrazad. He opened his eyes. Straight into her heart, he looked. And there he found himself. For he dwelt in her heart as she in his.
But even as joy filled him like clear water poured into a crystal flask, Shahrayar knew a great fear also.
For he remembered Shahrazad's words. She had looked into his heart but not found love. And so he reached for her, taking her hands in his, not noticing the way the people all around them cried out.