"Craig Shaw Gardner - Arabian 1 - The Other Sindbad" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gardner Craig Shaw)

with not a little bit of awe.

The child glanced distractedly at his fingernails. "Those songs always
end like that." He pulled open the gate, then spun upon his heels and
walked back toward the garden. "Come on," he called over his
shoulder. "You're the featured entertainment." He waved distractedly at
a large fellow of the sort I sometimes expected to be sporting one of
those sharpened scimitars. "You can leave your burden with Hassan."

And so it was that I entered the household that would change my life.
The well-dressed child led me through the perfumed gardens and into a
well-appointed building that seemed to me as large as a palace.

After proceeding down a short corridor, carpeted with fine rugs of the
deepest red, the child brought me into an inner courtyard where fully
fifty of the guests had gathered. On the far side of this enclosed yard I
saw a man who I presumed must be my host, a worthy gentleman of
late middle years and substantial girth, whose clothing was of such
color and refinement that it made all the garments of his slaves and
servants seem like nothing more than mere rags. Truly, I thought, this
could not be the home of a
mere merchant, but must be the palace of a mighty djinni or even
mightier king. What could I do but bow and call my blessings to all
those assembled here?

My host bade me to come forward and sit by his side. Before I should
sing, however, he instructed me to partake of some of the refreshments
that the servants carried forward upon golden trays. And what
refreshments! The tenderest of meat, the sweetest of fruit, and the finest
of wine all passed between my lips as the gentleman and his audience
waited patiently.

When I had finished, my portly host asked my name. I did my best to
answer him with sufficient style:

"I am called Sinbad the Porter, and I carry great amounts for small
reward."

With that, the portly man laughed. "This truly is the work of
Providence! My name is also Sinbad, for I am known as Sinbad the
Sailor."

Yes, it was the very same Sinbad so famous in song and story. I was
astonished that my fortunes had taken such a turn. This man, Sinbad the
Sailor? I could scarce believe that this portly fellow before me was that
august personage. For one thing, I would have thought he would be
taller and thinner, but no matter. I was here, and it was time to sing my
song.

So I sang the same sweet verses that I have mentioned before, to a