Okay, so if you haven't read the book, you may not know about the Persian dude here in this chapter, but regardless of whether you have any prior knowledge of him or not, I do give him a proper introduction/explanation, so you're all set here. :)
And a HUGE thank you to Guest, for being my very first reviewer! *applause* I really do appreciate the feedback, and yes, there will certainly be more story!
Thank you and happy reading!
~TPWG
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A Persian man rushed through the streets of Paris, trying to keep his frantic movements as smooth as possible. In his arms was a nondescript basket full of puffy quilted blankets. He caught the man at the ticket window just before it closed and panted out the words:
"One ticket for the ferry to America, please."
"Sorry monsieur, we're all booked," the man at the ticket window explained.
"I don't need the ticket then," the Persian said, keeping his tone low so he wouldn't raise a fuss. "I just need you to tell me how I can possibly get on that ferry."
"You'd need a ticket for that, monsieur," the man at the ticket window said again, "My sincerest apologies for the inconvenience." The man behind the window, no more than twenty, probably new to the job, was about to close down the booth, but the Persian caught his attention before he did.
"Tell me," the Persian inquired as he pulled out a handkerchief, "does this rag smell like chloroform?" The Persian reached across the counter and thrust the hankie in the man's face, smothering him with it. The man fell to the floor behind the counter in a heap, and the Persian looked at him sadly. "I wish I didn't have to do that, you were such a nice boy. Oh, and don't worry, you'll wake up in a few hours, spick and span." He replaced the handkerchief, dusted his hands, and discreetly reached for a ticket from behind the counter. He scratched out the destination and penned in the words "Etats-Unis" instead. After apologizing profusely over the ticket man's unconscious form, he hurriedly strode up to the dock and walked up the ferry ramp. He presented his forged ticket to the collector, who was at the present time yawning, and with little effort, got his ticket stamped, and boarded the ship. Smiling once he passed the guard, he went to find a roommate for the remainder of the trip.
"Salut, monsieur, would you perhaps be opposed to sharing a room for the trip?" He asked, approaching a French gentleman after thoroughly observing every move he made for several minutes. The gentleman glanced at the dilapidated Persian man and smiled warmly.
"Yes, I do mind, go bother someone else with your strange customs . . . and get some sleep while you're at it, you look like hell."
"Very well, enjoy your trip as well, you insolent, flea-infested carcass," the Persian quipped angrily, quickly shuffling onward to find someone else to 'bother with his strange customs'. He was eyeing the basket resting in his arms warily as he moved through the throngs of people socializing on the ferry. "Pardon moi, pardon moi, oh, excuse me monsieur," the Persian recited as he continuously cut through crowds of people. He was glancing down at the basket once more when he ran into another man, tall, blonde, and muscular, that did not speak his language.
"Es tut mir leid!" The man said, recoiling in horror as he realized he'd run into someone else.
"Excuse-moi?" The Persian replied, not quite sure of what the man had said.
The tall man cocked his head at the funny speaking little Persian. "Sprechen sie französisch?"
The Persian took a moment to process, then he realized the tall man was speaking German. "Ja," the Persian replied, taking great care to get his pronunciation right.
"Sprechen sie Englisch?" The German asked.
"Yes," the Persian answered, breathing a little sigh of relief that the man standing in front of him could understand what he was saying. "I'm going to need some clarification on what you said previously, if you wouldn't mind telling me what you said at the beginning of our encounter?"
"Certainly," the man replied in English, lacing each word with a thick German accent. "I said I was sorry for running into you, I didn't mean to harm you, then I asked you if you spoke French, because I thought I heard it."
"Indeed you did."
The tall German smiled brightly. "Where are you going?"
"America."
"No kidding, where in it? It's a fairly large country!" A hearty laugh spilled out of him from what must have been the pit of his stomach as he made small talk with the curious Persian.
"Wherever my old friend is. I need to meet him, deliver something to him," the Persian said, gently patting his basket.
"Oh, okay," the German said, nodding his head.
"For now, though, I need to find a roommate."
"Easy, I'm not sharing with anyone else, you stay with me!"
"You mean it?"
"Of course! Anything for a friend!"
The Persian accepted his offer graciously and without hesitation, wasting no time in landing a spot to lay his head down for the night.
"Come, come, I will show you," said the German, gesturing for the Persian to follow.
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"Nice room you've got here," the Persian observed as he was ushered into the cabin.
"You can set your basket-thing down here, if you would like," said the German, smiling amiably and patting a spot on the bed. There were two, each drawn up in white linens and red fleece blankets in case of a cold spell. The walls were wooden, with circular windows on each side of the cabin. "As for the room, it will do for several days," the German man replied, removing his shoes and sitting down on his bed. Suggestive reasoning made the Persian do the same, and soon he sat down, his basket of blankets resting against his side. "Your name?"
"Pardon?" The Persian said, looking up, half-dazed.
"What is your name?" The German asked again. "There must be some name you are known by."
"Ah, right," said the Persian, as he removed his astrakhan cap from his head. "My name is Khan. Nadir Khan. I was the Daroga in Persia before I . . . moved to Paris."
"My name is Audwin Albrecht, I am a traveler."
"Traveler, eh? Where have you been?"
"I think the more appropriate question is where haven't I been?" Audwin laughed heartily; he seemed to make the cabin floor quake. Nadir clenched his teeth and his eyes darted uncomfortably from side to side, causing Audwin to suddenly cast him a confused look. Nadir grabbed the basket, hurriedly standing up and moving towards the door of the cabin.
"Be sure that your travels interest me, but I have to go take care of something at the moment, and it can't wait. I'll be back later."
Audwin sat on the bed, his eyes trailing the queer Nadir as he left the room.
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Later that night, Nadir was sitting on his bed in the cabin alone, his arm swallowed up inside the basket that was currently sitting upon his lap.
"What is inside your basket?"
Nadir's head shot up suddenly at the voice, and he realized it was Audwin. He reeked of liquor. "Just my provisions for the trip, that's all," he said.
"Anything good inside?"
Nadir thought for a moment. "Nah, nothing special or anything." He let out an undetectable sigh when he thought the game of twenty questions was over.
"Why do you keep it so close then?"
Nadir discreetly rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I suppose because it's all I have," Nadir explained, shrugging off the question as casually as he could.
"I understand."
"Good. Then you'll kindly stay away from my basket at all times, but definitely stay away while you're drunk."
"Is there something dangerous inside?" Audwin teased.
"No, but you're drunk, so anything could be dangerous in the wrong hands."
"Sure thing," said Audwin, "as I'm sure a basketful of feathers could be rather dangerous in my possession."
"I am not sure you are seeing my point, dear friend."
"What am I not seeing? Do tell me."
"What you are not seeing, dear friend, is that this is the basket of life and death! Life and death! Tamper even the slightest with it and you shall pay a heavy price."
"So your little basket thing goes from being 'nothing special' to 'the basket of life and death'? You are most queer, my Persian comrade, most queer."
"So I am. That still gives you no right to go snooping through my basket." Nadir leaned in closer to the intoxicated Audwin, his voice almost at a whisper. "Listen here, you monstrous lump of German flesh, you keep off of this basket, got me?"
Audwin appeared unfazed by the insult. "Fine. I'm off to bed, goodnight to you and your basket," Audwin huffed, sending a puff of pungent liquor stench into the room. He decided that relenting in his rapid-fire questions for the time being would be a wise move, especially in his intoxicated state, when his brain was all static and fuzz.
"You as well," Nadir replied, "have fun with that hangover you'll have by morning. I suppose that it's a blessing and a curse that you won't remember any of this encounter come tomorrow."
By the time Nadir said his parting words for the night, Audwin was already out like a light, on his bed, asleep. Nadir chuckled and said, "Queer little German."
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"Oh God in heaven, my head!"
"What about it?"
Nadir heard a moan from Audwin's side of the room. "It huuurts," he said, clutching his head with both hands and rolling over on the mattress repeatedly.
"I'm afraid there isn't much I can do for you at the present time - you have a hangover and I'm preoccupied."
"You are terribly kind, my friend. Terribly kind."
"I realize that I'm overflowing with affection," Nadir murmured, speaking softly as he fondly gazed into his basket. Audwin saw his arm move slightly in the basket, like he was fishing around for something. "On a scale of one to ten, how painful is your headache?" He asked offhandedly.
"Excruciating!"
"I see," said Nadir, smiling. "You still haven't gotten the fuzzies from the alcohol out of your system yet."
"Huh?"
"Exactly. You are cloudy, Audwin, very cloudy." He smiled, getting up from the bed. "How about I go get us each some black coffee, it will help with your headache."
Audwin mumbled something unintelligible through his pillow as he slammed his face into it, and Nadir chuckled warmly. He casually whistled as he grabbed his basket and walked out of the cabin.
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"Afternoon, weak one."
"Wait whaaat? How'm I weak?"
"Your speech is still clearly slurred, you've slept through your hot coffee window, and it is now-" Nadir pulled his sleeve back to check his watch and said, "two o'clock in the afternoon. Can your poor liver not handle a little liquor?" He chuckled lightly.
"S'ppose not."
"Ah well, you should be better after some more sleep and coffee." Nadir smiled and started to walk away, but turned around and said, "We'll be making landfall within the next two days, so be prepared for it." Audwin gave him a thumbs up and a toothy smile, so Nadir strode out of the room.
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"Land! I see land! Can you see it too?"
People on the ferry could see the Atlantic coast from their spot on the boat. They were getting into a celebratory mood, going up and asking the bartender to pour them a shot of whiskey, or gin, or rum, toasting to the land of the free and the home of the brave, and their planned farewells to sealegs and sickness. Nadir got caught up in the excitement, willingly downing a round of scotch on the house. He thanked the bartender, set the glass on the counter, and was about to walk away from it, but was politely coerced into asking the bartender to refill it. He downed yet another glass and was met with loud cheering. He could feel the weight of the world roll off his shoulders with every glass he drank. He looked around at the crowd that he was attracting and noticed the French man that sneered at him when he first boarded the ferry.
"How about this for some strange customs, eh?" Nadir taunted loudly, much to the man's embarrassment. He could tell he struck a nerve when the man glared at him, then glared at the floor, massaging the back of his neck with his right hand. Nadir was poured yet another drink and once again he downed it in one gulp. He was feeling really light, like he could jump around without care . . . "Wait!" His mind raced. Light, he felt light, too light. He glanced down at his side and his eyes widened immediately.
The basket was gone.
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Please remember to rate/review, I feed off this stuff, like a vampire off of blood or something like that. Anyway, let me know what you think thus far! Sorry if this chapter was a bit of a snooze, expositions typically are, it'll heat up, I promise!
~TPWG