9-5 Inappropriate behaviour

At least the agas who are to escort Aysun to Ahmed's room arrive on time. I spend my final few minutes with Aysun trying to calm her nerves. Then she is gone. Ready or not, she is walking the golden path. Fadime and Didem don't linger and go to find Afife for their next assignment. A kalfa's life isn't an easy one. A working day can often extend to fifteen hours or more.

I join the other women in the harem. Our evening meal will start shortly and everyone is returning to their own dormitories and preparing the tables. Nuray tells me that Gülriz has finally been allowed to return to her dormitory, and likewise, Anna von Erdödy has been able to return here. I sit next to Anna and check that she's alright. She's wearing a new dress, which she admits is a reward from Irem. I don't intend to probe about her time with Irem, but I make myself available should she have a desire to talk. She reassures me that she is fine, but she is very subdued. She doesn't show any further inclination to talk at the moment.

The food arrives and, as usual, the ten of us around our table begin a discussion about what has happened during the day. Today has been more unusual than most. There has been no official statement about what occurred between Kadir and Ramazan, but there are plenty of rumours. As usual many of the rumours are inconsistent, but they generally agree that Kadir attacked Ramazan after a brief argument. The consensus is that Kadir was seeking revenge for Ramazan leaving with Emete immediately after the dancing. Much to Kadir's surprise, Ramazan put up a fight and injured Kadir. How badly injured is one of the details on which the rumours don't agree. Clearly his injuries weren't serious enough to stop him lashing out and wounding Melek in the process. Melek is apparently in the harem infirmary, but nobody is allowed to visit her at the moment. There are several other rumours which add to the story, but they from less reliable sources or simply too unlikely to be believed.

After the meal Anna asks if we can talk alone. There is nowhere completely private within the harem. At this time of night the rooms we use for the girls' lessons will be locked, and the passageways downstairs frequented by married couples. Nevertheless I think I know a place where we will be relatively free from eavesdroppers. I learned from my time in Constantinople that it's useful to know of such places.

We reach the place I found in my earlier explorations of the harem and I check nobody else is nearby.

"Şah Sultan is angry with me about last night," begins Anna. "She didn't like Irem and I leaving the party early and spending the night together. Irem and I received a stern lecture this morning, and tomorrow I'm to receive a harem punishment. I don't understand what that means. Irem wouldn't tell me."

"Oh!" is all I can manage to say at first. But I know I must say more. "It means that you are to be punished in front of the whole harem. Did Sah Sultan say why?"

"For engaging in lewd acts with Irem," says Anna. "I know you warned me about inappropriate behaviour with other girls in the harem, but Irem is a sultana and she made the first move. Besides, you know as well as I do that there are women in the harem who regularly engage in such practises. The agas never do anything about them."

"Don't expect fairness in your dealings with sultanas and hanimsultans," I reply. "Irem is only a hanimsultan, so she can't blatantly ignore the harem rules. She may receive the same punishment as you but in the privacy of her own room."

"What punishment do I face?" asks Anna.

"Probably a beating with a cane on the soles of your feet," I reply sadly. "They call it bastinado."

"And then what? None of the girls will want anything to do with me after that," says Anna, close to tears.

"A harem punishment is a warning to other girls as much as a sentence on you. Endure your beating and you'll find nobody will think any less of you. It's the way the system works. There's no lasting stigma once a punishment is delivered."

We talk for a while longer before returning to our dormitory. Anna sits with Şenay and Tülay for a while and seems to relax despite the ordeal ahead of her.

Aysun returns to the harem after breakfast the next morning. She seems physically okay; just the expected soreness and light bruising from a night of passionate games. She's still excited and eager to talk, but her language limitations prevent her from telling me everything she wants to say. To my mind she has done exceptionally well in spending the whole night with Ahmed. I hope she receives a gift worthy of her efforts. Ahmed is too young to have acquired wealth, but hopefully his parents will provide him with some money to buy a suitable reward for Aysun.

Araj Aga appears a short while later to escort Anna to the dungeon. She is to be held there until the rest of the harem is assembled to witness her punishment. I still feel that her punishment is unjust, but that's a slave's burden to bear. Şah Sultan will probably punish Irem in private, but she obviously feels a more public display of her disapproval is necessary for the harem. If only Anna hadn't danced the way she did. If only ... no! What is done is done. Wishing things were different gets you nowhere.

There hasn't been any announcement about the punishment, so Anna and I are the only ones aware of what is to occur. Unfortunately the delay in getting the girls together means the punishment won't be carried out until later in the day. I doubt Şah Sultan will want to disrupt work routines too much, so it's possible we won't be called together until later this afternoon. Although it is difficult for me to concentrate I know I must carry on as usual.

Today's language lesson at least enables Aysun to tell us more about her experiences last night. The other girls listen carefully and I observe a wide range of emotions to Aysun's story. I can see that Nuray is jealous, while Esmeray is fearful of being called on to do the same. Mehtap, Şenay and Tülay are more guarded in their reaction. I'm about to hand over to Didem for her session when Araj Aga enters the room.

"Şah Sultan has ordered that everyone in the harem is to assemble in the north wing at four o'clock," announces Araj Aga. "Make sure you aren't late."

He doesn't add the reason, which only starts a round of speculation. I distance myself from the discussion. It's not my duty to announce the reason, and for all I know, Şah Sultan may have rescinded her punishment order and the gathering is for an entirely different purpose.

I leave Didem and the girls, and go to the infirmary to see if Melek is able to receive visitors. I don't know her all that well, but I doubt any of her friends will be able to leave their duties to visit during the day. The aga and the two girls on duty in the infirmary are undecided whether to allow Melek a visitor. Apparently Şah Sultan simply ordered that Melek was to have no visitors yesterday. I persuade them to allow me to talk to Melek on the promise that I will take full responsibility should Şah Sultan object. The aga hovers within earshot while I move closer to Melek. Her visible injuries are extensive. She looks as though she's been wrestling a bear. Her face is badly bruised and her left arm is in a sling. She is very pale and her ragged breathing suggests some of her ribs may be bruised or broken. Despite her injuries she is conscious.

"I have come to visit you," I say. "But I'll leave if you don't feel up to talking."

"No. Please stay," replies Melek in Hungarian. "I need someone to know the truth before the sultanzades concoct their lies. Did he die? Did that swine Kadir die?"

"I don't know," I reply in Turkish, sensing the aga will intervene if we try holding our conversation entirely in Hungarian. "We've been told nothing."

"Emete knows," whispers Melek in Hungarian before having the good sense to switch to Turkish. "Ramazan and Kadir came to blows. I tried to stop them, but Kadir went berserk."

We carefully switch the conversation to more mundane topics. We are both aware that the little bit of information Melek gave me could get both of us murdered. If Kadir has been killed, or even seriously injured, then Serhan Pasha and Şah Sultan will be wanting blood. Ramazan and Kadir, if he's still alive, won't want any blame attaching to them. Melek is in considerable danger. She wouldn't be the first innocent slave girl to be used as a scapegoat for the wrongdoings of a member of the dynasty.

Melek can't keep up a conversation for long and I don't stay much longer. I briefly visit the two other patients in the infirmary; partly out of courtesy, but partly to make it appear that I was visiting all the patients and not Melek specifically. Both women are recovering from injuries sustained while carrying out their work duties and are grateful for my visit even though we've never met before.

I'm careful not to go and find Emete straight away. The aga may have overheard Melek mention Emete's name, and I don't want to draw suspicion on her. My experience at dodging Mahidevran's spies in Constantinople warns me to be careful and always assume that you are being watched. I return upstairs and take a short break.

We all assemble in the north wing shortly before four o'clock. The kalfas and agas make sure everybody attends. The room is packed to capacity. Everybody is made to stand facing the raised platform at one end of the room. The platform is sometimes used for dancing or music practise; but not today. I squeeze close to the new girls in case I'm needed.

Şah Sultan and her three daughters appear and make their way to the platform. Afife Kalfa and several kalfas are with them. I can see two armed guards by the outer door, but they don't cross the threshold into the harem itself. Agas are stationed around the edges of room ready to prevent any trouble. The many conversations around the room quickly fade as everyone waits for Şah Sultan to explain the purpose of this gathering.

"Some of you have mistakenly believed that I have been lax in my supervision of this harem," begins Şah Sultan. "Some of you have thought that you can disobey the rules of the harem with impunity. Those of you who thought so are wrong. The agas and kalfas are watching you even when you can't see them. Today you are to witness the punishment of three girls who thought they could ignore the harem rules. These three are not the only guilty ones, but let their chastisement be a warning to you all. Bring forward the girls."

Two girls are brought across the room from the direction of the stairs leading down to the dungeon. I can't see them properly until they mount the platform. I knew to expect to see Anna, but not the second girl; Emete. Both are dressed in nothing but the white slips we use as nightwear. Each has two agas holding her arms to make sure she doesn't resist. There are gasps of surprise and alarm from the assembled audience. The new girls edge towards me as though seeking my protection from what they must witness.

Anna and Emete are made to lie face up on the platform floor with their feet facing the audience. An aga produces a long wooden pole and several lengths of rope. The aga binds each girl's ankles together and then ties them to the pole. Once Anna and Emete are secured, Şah Sultan signals for the third girl to be prepared. Irem steps away from her sisters, removes her shoes, and allows the aga to put her through the same routine. The only concession to her status is that she is allowed to wear her normal dress. The pole is then raised a metre off the ground forcing the girl's feet into the air. The ends of the pole are secured in place by two strong ropes dangling from the ceiling. Despite the order not to talk there is a buzz of conversation among the gathering.

"Silence!" snaps Şah Sultan. "These girls are guilty of inappropriate sexual behaviour. Each girl shall receive six stokes of the cane on her feet. Araj Aga. You may begin the punishment."