The King by Abdolah Kader

Author:Abdolah, Kader [Abdolah, Kader]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Canongate Books
Published: 2014-01-15T23:00:00+00:00

40. The Telegraph Service

Malijak became the shah’s pet. His sister cared for the boy and was given a separate room with the servants, which she shared with her brother. During meals Malijak was allowed to sit on the floor next to the shah, just where Sharmin used to sit. At first the women took pity on Malijak and treated him kindly. But before a year had passed the child became troublesome. He hit the other children and pestered the women of the harem. No one dared say anything, and the shah let Malijak do whatever he liked. He poured out his heart to the boy.

Malijak ate more than was good for him and soon became big and fat. The undernourished child had disappeared. The servants kept out of his way, and the women of the harem popped sugar cubes in his mouth whenever he unexpectedly made an appearance. The boy always wore exactly the same clothes as the shah: the same jacket, the same boots and the same hat. In the evening Malijak played in the shah’s company until it was time for him to go to bed.

The stories about Malijak spread across the land. You never knew what was true and what was false. It was said that whenever Malijak began to cry because he missed his mother and father, the shah would get down on all fours like a donkey and give the boy a ride around the hall of mirrors.

No one ever saw the shah without his tall cylindrical hat, but it was said that Malijak was allowed to grab the shah’s hat and play with it. The child was always dirty and he stank. He was afraid of water and never let anyone wash him.

‘The shah washes him himself in a big tub,’ people said. ‘And he cuts his hair with a pair of scissors, since Malijak doesn’t even let his own sister touch his hair.’

It was said that the shah didn’t want Malijak to learn to read and write. Education was unnecessary because he regarded the boy as a pet. The only thing the shah taught him was to play a good game of chess so he could keep the shah amused.

Malijak also liked to play tricks on Sheikh Aqasi. The shah enjoyed it whenever anyone teased the sheikh, and Malijak quickly caught on. As soon as the sheikh came into the room Malijak would run up to him, hang on his clothes and search his pockets for sweets. He loosened the scarf that Sheikh Aqasi used as a belt and ran through the room with it. The poor man would have to chase him to get his scarf back – but carefully, so his trousers wouldn’t fall down. The shah enjoyed this immensely and laughed out loud, and his pleasure egged Malijak on.

The shah felt good when Sheikh Aqasi was around. By getting rid of the vizier he had the freedom to be himself again. He had always felt inferior to the vizier, and the words of his mother echoed in his head: ‘You act like the vizier’s errand boy.

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