A PRINCE IN THE PANTRY by May McGoldrick

Author:May McGoldrick [McGoldrick, May]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MM Books

10

They turned west and made their way along the wide street she’d referred to as the Strand. The clanging of bells from boats on the river occasionally reached them as they walked, and the moon was a white disk in the sky.

They passed businesses of all kinds that lined the thoroughfare—from printing houses to millinery and clothing shops to tea and chop houses. The eating and drinking establishments were all open and busy, and the streets were filled here, as well, with carriages, pedestrians, and vendors.

“Will you tell me the rest of the story?”

Timour glanced at Pearl’s beautiful face, glowing beneath the light of street lamps.

The epic poems of the Shahnameh were a part of every Iranian’s education. It was a pillar of their history and culture. Regardless of their wealth or place in society, everyone knew the stories, and most could recite lines and even long sections of the poems word for word. The tales were told and retold by parents, by teachers in the schools, by mullahs in the houses of worship. Quranic study groups and Sufi dervishes all used the text quite often as a starting point for philosophical and spiritual debate.

He was touched that Pearl cared to hear the rest of the story.

“Where was I?”

“Tehmina had a son named Sohrab, and Rustam was gone.”

He picked up the tale from there. “Years passed without the father and son ever meeting. But the child grew, and Sohrab became a strong and skilled warrior. And he was young and made the mistakes of the young.”

There were always those wolves at court who benefited themselves at the expense of an ambitious youth. Timour knew too much about court life.

“What did he do?”

“Unaware of the ways of the world and overconfident about his strength and ability, he declared that he would raise an army, defeat the king of Iran, and make his father and mother king and queen.”

“So Sohrab knew his father was Rustam?”

“It was no secret. Although they had never met, he had heard many stories from his mother of Rustam’s prowess as a warrior.”

“And could he do it? Could Sohrab raise an army?”

“There were many self-serving wolves in the court who helped him. They were men who had ambitions of their own.”

“And he attacked the country?”

“He was quite successful. The epic gives an impressive account of his victories. Of how he built his reputation. He grew even stronger and more formidable until there was no one brave enough to challenge him.”

A dismayed frown clouded her face. “Except Rustam.”

“Yes. The poet Ferdowsi tells us that the king of Iran lured Rustam back from retirement. He sent him to do battle against this new enemy.”

“Father and son. Facing each other.”

“And neither knew the identity of the other.”

“Oh, no.”

“Shall I stop?”

“No, no. Please continue.”

“Rustam was reluctant to go into battle. But kings have their own plans and ways to get what they want.” No one knew that better than Timour himself. “In the days before the battle, the two foes first took stock of each other.

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