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Updated: June 16, 2025
His bold and gallant bearing, his resolute mode of speech, and the bountiful way in which he scattered the piastres which he had received from Janaki, had made him a prime favourite among his new comrades. Musli, on the other hand, was still drunk.
Mahmud hid his face so as not to see what was about to happen. "Halil! we are betrayed!" exclaimed Musli, and placing himself in front of his comrade he received on his own body the first blow which Pelivan had aimed at Halil. "In vain hast thou written thy name above mine, Patrona," roared the giant, waving his huge broadsword above his head.
"Yes, I rather fancy I have," replied Halil coolly. Musli rushed towards the prostrate form of Ali Kermesh, felt him all over very carefully, and then turned towards the hearth where the others were sitting. "Dead he is, there is no doubt about it. He's as dead as a door-nail. Well, Halil, that was a fine blow of yours I must say. By the Prophet! one does not see a blow like that every day.
The Janissaries remained rooted to the spot, staring after him with astonishment. Suddenly Musli leaped forth from amongst them, and anticipating the Kapudan, seized the flag himself. "Give me that banner, my son!" said Abdi with all the phlegm of a true seaman.
I have it," he said, and sitting down on the floor at his ease, he took the list from his bosom and extending it on the floor, began reciting Halil Patrona's nominations seriatim. The Grand Vizier approved of the whole thing, he had no objection to make to anything. Musli left Janaki's elevation last of all: "He you must make Voivode of Moldavia," said he. Suddenly Kabakulak went quite deaf.
Here Irene was seized by a black eunuch a horrid, pockmarked man, whose upper lip was split right down so that all his teeth could be seen." "Just like the present Kizlar-Aga!" cried Musli laughing, "I fancy I can see him standing before me now!" "The Moor commanded Irene to fall on her face before the Sultana.
Musli clapped his hands together in his desperation. "Halil! dost thou dream or art thou beside thyself? Dost thou imagine thyself to be one of the Princes of the Thousand and One Nights who can hew his way through monsters and spectres, or art thou wearied of beholding the sun from afar and must needs go close up to him?"
"By Allah!" said he, "it shall not be long before we see each other again." And thus their ways parted right and left. Musli conducted Janaki away in one direction, through a subterranean cellar, whilst Halil fled away across the house-tops, and within a quarter of an hour the pair of them arrived at the Etmeidan. What a noise, what a commotion in the streets of Stambul!
Musli willingly offered Halil's guest a night's lodging. In return Patrona invited him to share with him a small dish of well-seasoned pilaf and a few cups of a certain forbidden fluid, which invitation the worthy Janissary accepted with alacrity. And now they crossed Halil's threshold.
Everybody knew that already. Musli had told the story hundreds of times with all sorts of variations. He had described to them how Halil had slain Ali Kermesh with a single blow of his fist, and how the latter's jaw had suddenly fallen and collapsed into a corner, all of which had seemed very comical indeed to the Janissaries.
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