Chapter 6 The message

Chapter 6 The Message


An hour later Esmeralda left the garden and returned to the palace. She had been trying to figure out where to to begin her search for the white slave. Walking over to the pool she hoped to see him among those arranging the screens. However, as she approached and made as if to swim, he wasn't among them. Then she thought he might be working in the gardens but that too was a fruitless search. Finally she went to the kitchen and found him sitting in front of a bucket, peeling potatoes. She approached and nudged his foot with her toe. The slave looked up and seeing the queen tried to stand suddenly, and give homage, but his feet got tangled instead. Esmeralda caught his collar and shoved him back down onto his seat. She looked about furtively to see if anyone was looking and then said in a low voice.

“What's your name.”

The White answered, “Moses Badar.”

Are you a friend of “Eshmire?” she inquired.

Badar lowered his head and remained mute, afraid of what his answer might portend.

“She claims you are,” Esmeralda said.

“Does she?” said the slave, his voice remainign noncommital.

“Indeed she does. Hardly an hour goes by when she doesn’t sigh and whisper your name.”

“You bring hope to a dying heart," said Badar.

"Well don’t die on me yet, Moses, I have a message for you."

"A message?"

"She wants you to meet her tonight. I"m to take you to a private place where the two of you can be alone together."

“Heaven's be praised!" Badar cried out, "Allah hears my prayers and is merciful."

"Quiet down fool, or you'll spoil everything."

He trembled leaning over his bucket. He began to weep his body wracked with sobs.

"Get hold of yourself!" she admonished. "I'll come for you at midnight. Meet me outside the Pavilion on the partway to the walled garden."

"I will await with a debt of eternal gratitude."

With that she turned on heel and went back to the harem. Safely behind her curtain Esmeralda reclined on the couch and resolved to take a nap. She was tired from yesterday and tonight promised to be a long one. Closing her eyes she began to dream and once more heard a voice calling out.

“Come to me right now my lord Saeed." Suddenly a slobbering Blackamoor with rolling eyes jumped down from a tree.

She awakened with a jolt. Eshmire, was leaning over and shaking her shoulders gently.

"What do you want?" asked the Queen in a startled voice.

“I’ve been thinking about tonight and decided that maybe its not such a good idea.”

Esmeralda’s heart sank.

“That’s entirely up to you,” she said, concealing her anxiety. “There are others I can ask to go with me."

“Others?" inquired Eshmire.

"Plenty of others. I was about to go looking for you to explain my plans but since you won’t be going, I can save my breath."

"What were you planning?"

"First, I must know if you're going?

"It will be dark."

"Yes, but the moon is full."

"Oh all right! I'll go; but I fear curiousity will be my undoing. Now tell me what to prepare for."

"Only the greatest wonder of your life."

"Don't torment me Esmer....tell me what to expect.

"Very well." said Esmeralda, "but once I do there's no backing out....Promise?"

"I do," promised her young friend.

"When I first went into the garden, the king told me about the presence of a magic tree. Of course I didn't believe him for I have heard all that genie nonsense since I was a child.

"A magic tree?" said a wide eyed Eshmire.

"Yes, I know it sounds rediculous, but he told me that if a maid danced beneath, exciting its notice, that the tree would grant her a wish."

"Did you so danced beneath it?"

"Of course."

"Did it grant your wish?"

"It did!"said Esmeralda with a clap of her hands.

"Truely?" asked Eshmire, shaking with excitement

"I'm not joking."

"So what did you wish for?"

"Don’t you know anything about genies and magic?"

Eshmire was taken back. " A little bit, "she answered.

"Are you not aware that the first rule of wishing is to keep everything secret?"

"Seems I’ve heard that somewhere..."

"So I would hope, "answered Esmeralda exasperated.

"Will you show me the tree?"

"That's my intention. I will take you there and leave you for an hour, That will be your opportunity and you must dance beneath it like a Dervish. If the tree takes notice, it will grant your wish."

"Oh! my hopes are ablaze!" answered unsuspecting Eshmire, "thank you, Esmeralda!"

"Meet me here, at hour and a half past midnight."

When Eshmire departed Esmeralda reclined once more on her couch and tried to nap. Her sleep was broken and fretful, marked by weeping, groans and gnashing teeth. In a dream she searched a foggy wood, calling out...

”Where are you, oh Saeed?" Then the Blackamoor rushed up and cried out “I am Sa’ad al-din Saeed, the Auspicious one."

She awoke suddenly, bathed in sweat. From between her thighs came a glow of heat and yearning. She closed her eyes and imagined the Black plunging into her, rising up and down like the cog of a pump bringing water to the fields. Esmeralda bolted and jumped to her feet. Already the sun was setting.

"Still plenty of time." she reassured herself.

Getting dressed she decided to take a long walk. This she did until nearly midnight trying to escape a yearning that could not be placated. At the appointed hour she found Moses Badar waiting outside the Pavilion. They exchanged the briefest of glances, pretending not to take notice. As she continued towards the garden, he ambled along, a ways behind, unnoticed by anyone. At length she came to the corner of the wall and darted into the bushes. He followed and she instructed him.

"Wait here. I will go inside and throw the rope. Then you climb up and over. A guide will take you to the rendezvous."

With that she left him, went to the entrance and was admitted by the guard. Once inside she went to the apple tree where the Moor awaited. Together they walked towards the wall.

"Is the name of this slave Moses Badar?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Have you spoken with Eshmire?"

"It’s been taken care of, just as we discussed."

"Tell me then, what you told her."

"I told her to dance beneath the magic apple tree and it would grant her a wish."

A most innovative idea," complemented the Moor. Coming to the wall he continued." There’s the rope let me toss it over. This he did and Moses climbed up and jumped down to meet them.

The Moor took hold his shoulder and instructed.

"Help me Badar, lift Esmeralda up to the top."

Together they lifted her by the feet and pulling also on the rope, she reached the top. Thereupon she dropped down and headed off to meet Eshmire.

Esmeralda was relieved to find her friend waiting as promised. Taking her by the hand she said,

“Come, there is a rope by the wall that we can use to get inside."

So they walked down the pathway to the garden and scuttled into the foliage at the corner of the garden wall. The rope hung well hidden just as she'd left it. Grabbing hold Esmeralda climbed to the top.

“Now Its your turn, Eshmire," she said and her friend took the rope and joined her atop the wall. Then they dropped to the ground on the other side.

The garden was dark and quiet, but the full moon shone down illuminating the bonitanical splender in a green phosphoresence.

Taking Eshmire’s hand, Esmeralda led her down the path to the bridge and guided her to the tree.

"We are here ," she whisperd in a low voice.

"I'll leave you now and return in an hour. For the magic to work no one but you must guess the secret. Remember, to dance your heart out and the tree will reward you as it did me."

“How long will it take?" asked Eshmire

Ten minutes should give you an answer." Then she released her hand and ran back over the bridge.

Eshmire was wearing her favorite robes and stepped tentatively forward. Then she began clicking her castanets and danced boldly under the tree. Moving with fluid grace she whirled about like a apparition her body glistening in the moon light. Slowly she let the tempo build dancing uninhibited and with a wild abandon. Her breasts jiggled with seduction and her hips waved with enticement. Never had she danced with such enthusiasm, not even for the king, and the beat was fast and unrelenting. At length she began to tire and with a final burst of energy, spun twisting around four times before falling to the ground. She was breathing heavy as she lifted her head wishing above all things that she and her lover, Moses Badar, might once more be reunited.

Imagine her joy then she saw a familiar figure walking towards her. Imagine her excitement to see the face of her beloved with his arms opened wide. She sprang to her feet and they ran together, embracing in one other's arms. He picked her up, twirling her several times before embracing tenderly and kissing her lips. Desire followed quickly for their love had been stifled for two years. Laying her on the ground he tore off his garments while she slipped out of her own. Then he lifted her up and carried her over to a mossy bank. Putting her down he lowered himself atop and taking his erection pushed it hard into her. Their need was great that their bodies ravished each other without apology. His knees spread her thighs wide and he began pushing in and pulling out of with a wild and unrestrained abandon. She responded, lifting up and falling back in the practiced tempo of an intercourse neither had forgotten. At length he groaned and she cried out, as they both came together in a crescendo of unbridled passion. When it was over and they laid exhausted in each other’s embrace, Eshmire kissed her lover's lips and sighed,

"The tree has granted my wish."

"The tree did what?" Moses inquired.

"It granted my wish, don’t you see? The tree granted my wish. I asked that it deliver you into my arms and behold it did."

Moses scratched his head. "It was not the tree that granted your wish, it was your friend Esmeralda."

"I never told her my wish... she knows nothing about you ”

"It was the queen who led me to the garden." He informed her, "She said you wished to see me. That seldom an hour passed that you didn’t sigh and call out my name."

"That’s not true!" she answered, " I have kept our love a closely guarded secret. She didn’t discover it from me. Perhaps it was your blabbing mouth instead.”

"I talked to her today for the first time," answered Badar.

At that tender moment Esmeralda and the Moor walked up.

The lovers' surprise was absolute and they scrambled to cover their shame .

The Moor said, "Look fair lady, two lovers have stolen into the garden and futtered under the apple tree. If I’m not mistaken one of them is the slave, Badar and the other.... dear God, can it be....? Do my eyes deceive me...? Why it’s Eshmire, the king's wife, and the two have just finished fornicating... My! My!, this is so shocking. Did I not see it with my very eyes I could never have imagined it possible. Her a great lady, and him a common slave. Speak up you two, tell me what you have to say for yourselves.

There was a pause of absolute silence.

"By your wide eyes and mute voices I must presume that you have no excuse for this cuckholdary. Then its time I reported your obscene behavior to the King."

The two looked at him in sheer terror as they struggled to stand, half naked clutching their clothes in front of them.

At the sight of their fear and shame, Esmeralda interceded.

“Have you no compassion?" she berated the Moor, "these are my friends and I will not see them scolded, by you of all people. Get dressed now, both of you, and get back over the wall. On the other side go separate and speak of this to no one. What happened tonight will remain our secret. Further more, if you decide to share your love again, tell me and and I will make arrangements for you to meet here, without fear of discovery."

Joining hands the lovers steadied each other and fled the garden.

When they were gone the Moor laughed, “Could that have worked out any better? Have you ever seen such wanging and banging? It puts me in the mood to have a little taste of the same."

He began rubbing himself, and with many crude gestures mocked the lovemaking they had just witnessed, but when he turned for Esmeralda, she was gone.

The Moor laughed, “She’ll be back. Her oven is hot but the bread needs more time to bake.” He reached up for an apple, took a bite and stepped behind the tree to piss.