The Earth Is the Lord's by Caldwell Taylor;

Author:Caldwell, Taylor;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2018-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Temujin sent his old foster father, Toghrul Khan, the head of Targoutai, wrapped in silk in a basket of wrought silver. With this engaging gift was enclosed a letter, which Temujin had dictated to the literate Jamuga Sechen.

“Greetings, O venerable and revered father! It hath been many moons since I last sat at thy side, but in truth it doth seem many years, and I gaze back across the arid waste of time to those resplendent hours I spent with thee.”

Reading this, Toghrul Khan made a wry face. He glanced distastefully at the silk-wrapped head, and pushed it aside with his foot. He continued to read, and as he did so, his features became sharpened and more wizened, as though sucked together by an acrid fluid. “Hah,” he remarked, as he read.

“Thou didst have faith in me, and I have not betrayed thine astuteness. Thy power and thy glory have come from thy knowledge of men. Thou didst know me, O my father! And now I am overlord of the Northern Gobi, and have just begun.

“Thou knowest how safe are thy caravans. None hath been seized by marauders, because of my endless efforts. Thy last gift was munificent. For this I thank thee.

“I am sending thee the head of my kinsman, Targoutai, as a symbol that the sword of the Taijiut raiders and murderers and robbers hath been broken, and new caravan routes may be reopened through their former territory.”

Toghrul Khan raised his brows, and mused with pleasant surprise at this. The new routes would save time and men for the traders and merchants, exceedingly much time. New markets would be obtained. New riches for his coffers. He absently lifted a sweetmeat from the gold and enamel bowl at his side and chewed with slow pleasure. “There is something in all this,” he reflected. “Nevertheless—”

He continued to read. “Ofttimes caravans were about to be attacked, and then the word went forth: ‘Temujin has guaranteed these!’ And the marauders scattered like dust in wind, with cries of terror. My name is worth a thousand warriors to those who travel on thy business, and the business of those who have been kind and astute enough to trust, and reward me.

“I salute thee, O my father. I am thine to command. Thy son, Temujin.”

Toghrul Khan sat in a deep aura of thought after he had finished this letter. Then his eye fell again on the silver basket containing the head of Targoutai. He grimaced. He thrust at the head again with his foot, and said to one of his servants: “Take it away. And, ah yes, fill it to the brim with silver coins. Nay, half silver, half gold, and a necklace of pearls wrapped in five lengths of cloth of silver embroidered with turquoises, for the wife of Temujin Khan. And tell my scribe to come to me at sunset, for a letter to my noble son, Temujin.”

As the servant bowed deeply and was about to go, Toghrul Khan added: “And a herd of three hundred stallions for my son, also, to accompany the messenger and his bodyguard.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.