Chapter 24 Chapter VII

Sure enough, Lord Kerabon and his companions had just entered the caravansern, after leaving the carriage and mounts in the stables outside.Master Kidderos accompanied them, bowed three times with great enthusiasm, and placed the dimly lit lantern in a corner of the yard. "That's right, my lord," Kiedros said repeatedly, bending over, "come in!... Come in!... This is the Saar Caravan Inn." "Are we only two kilometers from Trabzon?" Lord Kerabong asked. "Only two kilometers at most!" "Good! Have our horses taken care of. We'll have them at dawn tomorrow."

Ahmey was leading Amasya towards a bench for her to sit with Najib when Kerabong turned to him. "All right!" he said in a cheerful voice. "Since my nephew found this little girl, he has only taken care of her, so I have to come and prepare for the hotel!" "It's only natural, Lord Kerabong! Otherwise, what's the use of being an uncle?" Najib replied. "Don't blame me!" Ahme said with a smile. "Don't blame me either!" the girl went on. "I don't blame anyone! . . . not even this honest Van Mettaine, who had the idea . . . yes! . . . the inexcusable idea of ​​abandoning me on the road! "

"Oh! let's not talk about it," said Van Mettaine. "Not now, not ever!" "In the name of Muhammad!" exclaimed Lord Kerabong, "why don't you talk about it? . . . It's perfectly fine to argue a little bit about this . . . or about any other issue . . . passionate!" "I believe, Uncle," Ahme reminded, "that you have decided not to argue." "Exactly! You are right, nephew, but if anyone argues with me, I will always have a hundred times as much reason!" "We'll see!" Najib said to himself. "Besides," went on Van Mettaine, "I think the thing to be done is to get a good few hours' sleep!"

"But can we sleep here?" Bruno muttered to himself, always in such a bad mood. "Do you have a room for us to spend the night?" Kerabong asked Kiedros boss. "Yes, my lord," replied Master Kiedros, "perfectly meet your needs." "Good!...very good!..." Kerabong said loudly. "Tomorrow we'll be in Trabzon, and in ten days or so we'll be in Śgutarí! ... We're going to have a good dinner there ... that's the one I invited you to, Van. Mythaine friend!" "You owe us this meal, friend Kerabong!" "A supper . "Not bad! . . . if only we could get to that place someday!"

"Well, Bruno," said Van Mittaine, "have some courage, hell! . . . even for the honor of our Holland!" "Alas! I am very much like our Holland," said Bruno, running his hand under the oversized garment. "Like it, there is nothing left of me!" Scarbunter listened to the travelers talking, watching for an opportunity to play tricks in his favour. "Hey," Kerabong asked, "which room is for these two girls?" "This one," replied Master Kiedros, pointing to a door on the left wall. "Good night, then, little Amasia," said Kerabong, "may Allah give you sweet dreams!"

"And you too, my lord Kerabong," replied the girl, "see you tomorrow, dear Ahme!" "See you tomorrow, dear Amasya," said the young man, after hugging Amasya. "Are you coming, Najib?" Amasya asked. "I'll follow you, dear mistress," Najib replied, "but I know exactly who we'll be talking about in an hour's time!" The two girls went into the room through the door which Master Kidderros had opened for them. "Where are these two brave boys sleeping now?" Kerabong asked, pointing to Bruno and Nissi. "In a room outside, I'll take them," replied Kiedros boss.

As he spoke, he walked towards the door deep in the courtyard, motioning for Bruno and Nisib to follow him.The two "brave lads," exhausted after a long day's travel, bade their host good night and followed without invitation. "Now is the time to do it, or you'll never have the chance!" Scarbant thought. Lord Kelabon, Van Mittaine and Ahme were walking in the yard of the caravanserai, waiting for Kidros to return. Uncle was in a good mood, everything was according to his wishes, and he would meet the agreed deadline Arrive on the shore of the Bosphorus.He was already delighted by the embarrassment on the faces of the Ottoman officials when they saw him appear!For Ahme, returning to Skutali means holding the long-awaited wedding!For Van Mettaine, going back... was going back anyway!

"Hey, what's going on? Have you forgotten us? ... Where's our room?" Lord Kerabong asked shortly. He turned and caught sight of Scarbunter walking slowly to his side. "Are you going to make room for Lord Kerabong and his companions?" he asked, leaning forward like a servant in a caravanserai. "yes!" "That is!" Scarbant said and pointed to the door on the right. He led to a corridor, which was the room of the Kurdish female traveler. Lord Yanar was watching the night beside him. All three entered the corridor, but before they could close the door, there was an astonishing commotion, shouting, and noise.An extremely terrifying woman's voice came out, and a man's voice was added immediately!

Lord Kerabon, Van Mittern, and Ahme, not knowing what had happened, immediately retreated into the courtyard of the caravanserai. Immediately various doors opened in different directions, and some travelers emerged from their rooms.Amasiya and Najib also came out when they heard the voice.Bruno and Nisib approached from the left, and then the ferocious Yanar appeared in the dimness.Finally, a woman bursts out of the hallway that Lord Kerabong and his companions inadvertently entered! "Catch the thief!... Killer!... Catch the murderer!" cried the woman. This is the venerable Sarabul, tall and strong, with strong steps, bright eyes, ruddy complexion, black hair, brutal lips, and worrying teeth-in short, Lord Yanar transformed into a woman.

Apparently the traveler was still on vigil in her room when the intruder opened the door, for she had not yet removed her day clothes: a woolen gown with gold embroidered sleeves and bodice, a lozenge His gleaming silk coat, cinched around his waist with a scarf, carried a filigree pistol and a cutlass in a green Moroccan leather sheath.On his head was a flared Turkish hat with a brightly colored brim and a long pendant like a hammer.He wore red leather boots, and a pair of trousers worn by oriental women, with the ends of the trousers tucked into the boots.Some travelers thought the Kurdish woman looked like a wasp in this outfit!By the way, venerable Sarabul fits the comparison perfectly, and the sting of this wasp is particularly terrible!

"What a woman!" whispered Van Mettaine. "What kind of man is there!" Lord Kerabong pointed to her brother Yanar and said. Yanar is yelling: "Another murder! Arrest everyone!" "We have to get ready," Ahme whispered in his uncle's ear, "because I'm afraid we're the cause of this row!" "Well! Nobody saw us," replied Kerabong, "not even Muhammad himself recognized us!" "What's going on, Ahme?" asked the girl, who had just run up to her fiancé. "Nothing! My dear Amasia," replied Ahme, "nothing!" At this moment, Boss Kidros appeared at the gate deep in the courtyard and shouted: "Yes! You have come at the right time, Mr. Judge!" The judge, summoned from Trabzon, had indeed just arrived at the caravanserai.He was staying overnight to begin the investigation the Kurds demanded the next day.He stopped at the door with the clerk. "What," he said, "have these bastards committed another crime they attempted last night?" "It seems so, Mr. Judge," replied Master Kiedros. "Shut all the doors of the caravanserai," ordered the judge in a solemn voice. "No one is allowed to leave without my permission!" His order was immediately carried out, the travelers were all prisoners, and the caravanserai became their prison for the time being. "Now, Judge," said the venerable Sarabul, "I will bring to justice these scoundrels who dared to attack a defenseless woman again..." "Not only to a woman, but to a Kurdish woman!" Lord Yanar added, making a threatening gesture. It is not difficult to imagine that Scarbunte was watching this scene intently. The judge had a sly face, with deep-set eyes, a pointed nose, and a set lip that disappeared into his beard.He tried his best to keep an eye on all the faces shut in the caravanser, but it was difficult to see, for only the dim light of a lantern stood in the corner of the courtyard.After a quick look, he spoke to the distinguished lady traveler. "Are you sure," he asked her, "that some criminals tried to enter your room last night?" "I am sure!" "Have they resumed their crimes just now?" "It's them or someone else!" "Only for a while?" "Only for a while!" "Can you recognize them?" "No!... My room is very dark, and so is this courtyard. I can't see their faces clearly!" "Are there many of them?" "I have no idea!" "We'll know, sister," cried Lord Yarnar, "we'll know, and woe to these rascals!" At this time, Lord Kerabong repeatedly said in Van Mettain's ear: "Nothing to worry about! No one saw us!" "Fortunately," replied the Dutchman, who was not quite sure how the matter would turn out, "because with these damned Kurds, things will be against us!" The judge was walking up and down all the time.He seemed indecisive, much to the displeasure of the two complainants. "Judge," said the venerable Sarabul, folding his arms over his breast, "is the law not in your hands?...Aren't we subjects of the Sultan, and should not be under his protection?...A Is a woman like me going to be the victim of such a murder while criminals with no chance of escape get away with it?" "She is indeed beautiful, the Kurdish woman!" Lord Kerabong quite rightly pointed out. "Beautiful...but terrible!" replied Van Mettaine. "What do you decide to do, Judge?" Lord Yarnar asked. "Bring a candle, bring a torch!" exclaimed the venerable Sarabul, "let me see... search... I may recognize a dare..." "It's useless to do that," the judge said. "I'm responsible for finding the criminal!" "Without a torch?" "No torches!" The judge motioned to the clerk as he spoke, and after making an affirmative gesture, he went out through the gate. At this moment the Dutchman could not help but whispered to his Kerabon friend: "I don't know why, but I'm always worried about the outcome of this matter!" "Hey, in the name of Allah! You are always timid!" Kerabang replied. Everyone was silent, waiting for the clerk to return with a reasonable curiosity. "So, Judge," asked Lord Yarnar, "you intend to recognize in the darkness..." "Me? . . . No! . . . " replied the judge. "I'm going to ask a smart animal to do this. In my investigations, it has given me very clever help more than once." "An animal?" cried the traveler. "A she-goat . . . a shrewd brute who knows how to expose the criminal if he's still here. And the criminal should be, because no one has been able to leave the caravanserk since the murder yard." "He's a madman, the Judge!" muttered Lord Kerabong to himself. Then the clerk came in, dragging a she-goat by the horns.Take it into the yard. This is an amiable animal, and they sometimes have stones in their bodies, which are gastroliths that are said to have health benefits and are highly valued in the East.This goat has a sensitive snout, a slightly raised beard, and smart eyes. In short, judging from its "temperament", it seems to be worthy of the role of a fortune-teller that its owner asked it to play.Throughout Asia Minor, Anatolia, Armenia, and Persia, there are huge herds of goats. They are remarkable for their keen eyes and eyes, well-developed sense of smell, and amazing dexterity. The goat--whose insight the judge admired so much--was average size, with a white belly, chest, and neck, but black forehead, chin, and midline on its back.It lay gracefully on the sand, shaking its small horns slyly, looking at the group of people. "What a beautiful animal!" cried Nisib. "But what does the judge want?" Amasia asked. "Probably some witchcraft," Ahme replied, "these ignorant people are going to be fooled!" That was the opinion of Lord Kerabon, too, who shrugged his shoulders openly, while Van Metertain watched the preparations with some unease. "Why, Judge," said the venerable Sarabul, "do you want the goat to recognize the criminal?" "That's it," replied the judge. "Will it answer?" "It will answer!" "How to answer?" Master Yanar asked.Being a Kurd he totally allows anything that seems superstitious. "It doesn't get any easier," the judge replied. "One by one, each traveler would come and put his hand on the goat's back, and as soon as it felt the criminal's hand, the sensitive domestic animal would bark." "This fellow is just a wizard in the fair!" Kerabong said to himself. "However, Judge, never..." reminded the venerable Sarabul, "an ordinary animal never..." "Just watch!" "Why not?..." Master Yarnar replied. "So even though it's impossible for me to be charged in this crime, I'm going to set an example and try first." As he spoke, Yanar walked up to the motionless goat and put his hand on its back, wiping it from neck to tail. The goat made no sound. "It's someone else's time," the judge said. The travelers gathered in the yard of the caravan inn imitated Lord Yanar and stroked the backs of the animals one by one, but none of them were obviously criminals, because the goat didn't make any cry to reveal the criminals.

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