17 So close

  Joseph’s eyes widened. “You-you know English!” he blurted out as a statement rather than a question.

  The princess held his gaze. “Who are you?” she asked in a thick accent, surprising him even more.

  She felt as real as a human would. Joseph explored the details of her face now that she was close to him. Pushing her away would only provoke her, so he stayed still, clearing his throat before introducing himself. “I am Lord Mainwood of London, England.”

  The princess looked even more uneasy. “I mean, who do you work for?”

  “Wh-what? No one.”

  “Why do you spy on me?”

  “Heavens, no! I do not spy on you.”

  “You follow me around and invade my room.”

  Joseph’s heart raced. She was aware of his secret search.

  “Only a fool would not notice you,” she said, reading his mind. “Give me one adequate reason why I shouldn’t behead you.”

  “I am not spying on you. Can we please take a moment to breathe? I’m searching for the Pedlar.”

  The princess squinted. “The who?”

  “Pretending doesn’t help at this stage.”

  “I am not in a position to pretend. However, you are.”

  “Please,” Joseph said. “I’ve come a long way, Your Highness. I’ve searched for you day and night, through rain and sun. Desserts and mountains have seen me wander around like a madman. Meeting you has been my only goal for a year. I can’t find peace if we don’t talk to each other and you don't let me know who you truly are.”

  The princess loosened her grip and stood back. Her frown dissolved a little. Joseph couldn’t wait to hear everything about her. “So, you accept?” he asked.

  “I have absolutely no idea what you talk about.”

  “I saw your hair in the woods.”

  “My hair?”

  “You were running with a hood covering your face and hair. I called you. You fell down the hill.”

  Joseph was so close to shaking the truth out of her. He had traveled the world for months, and when he almost lost hope of finding the Pedlar, she had finally appeared. He couldn’t wait any longer. The princess opened her mouth a few times to deny it.

  “You are of royal blood,” Joseph said. “What fascinates me about you is that you can escape without anyone noticing. How does your family permit your long, dangerous travels around the world? Where do you tell them you leave to?”

  The princess looked frustrated. “Listen to me, Lord of England.”

  “Lord Mainwood,” he corrected her.

  “If I see you once again around me,” she said, ignoring his comment, “we will have a big problem.”

  “I don’t intend to harm you, Princess.”

  “Says everyone with an ill intention.”

  “I swear I mean you no harm. I only want to know how you’re capable of healing people.”

  “I am no healer.” She took some time to say her next sentence, and Joseph didn’t interrupt her. “Do you see that man over there?” She pointed at a man twice the size of Joseph with broad shoulders and a frown. He was standing close and waiting for the princess’s sign to intervene. Joseph gulped hard. He was glad that he hadn’t provoked the princess earlier.

  “Everyone believes his name is crusher,” she said, “But it's Peeler. He will peel your skin while you breathe without a knife.”

  Joseph was at a loss for words as he watched the big man. “Do we need to be this violent?” he asked.

  “An English man will betray in a blink of an eye.”

  “I won’t—“

  “If you utter another word, I’ll make it your last,” threatened the princess, her beauty and elegance defying her aggression. Joseph tightened his fists. She had to be the Pedlar.

  “I shall search again,” Joseph said, disobeying her. “I shall find the evidence to prove you are the pedlar. And when I do, we will speak with each other.”

  The princess raised an eyebrow. Without speaking another word, she did what she had promised and threw Joseph out of the palace. Joseph had never been disrespected like that. As he watched the gates close, he became more certain that the princess was the woman he was searching for. There was no other reason for avoiding him and being so aggressive.

  If he couldn’t enter the palace, he would search for her in another way. The next day, Joseph grabbed the book he had stolen from the princess’s room and made his way to Behzad’s room. Behzad was the only person he could trust to read the book and translate it for him without judging him.

  The door of his room was open. “Behzad,” Joseph said while standing in the doorframe, and Behzad looked up at him while sitting on the floor.

  “Lord Mainwood,” Behzad said, fixing his posture. “Please. Come inside.”

  “I’m sorry to bother you. I know you enjoy your nights in peace and quiet.”

  “Nonsense. Please come inside.”

  Joseph entered and sat next to Behzad on the floor on the beautiful colorful flat pillows. Everything in Behzad’s room looked even lovelier than the other places in his entire house. The details used in his personal belongings, the paintings, the beautiful red Persian rug, and the instruments looked comforting and eye-catching. The design and architecture fascinated Joseph.

  Behzad was drawing on a piece of paper. “What is that?” Joseph asked, slowly inviting himself into his solitude.

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  “This?” Behzad said. “Calligraphy.”

  “You’re writing? I thought you were drawing. The letters are beautiful.”

  “It’s called Nastaliq. The calligraphy is in a unique shape that makes the letters look as if they are floating on paper. You have the same thing with cursive English; I’ve always admired it.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  Behzad tapped on a spot close to him for Joseph to join him. Joseph sat next to him and watched the smooth swing of his pen between his fingers. It was the best time to ask Behzad for help. “May I ask you a question?”

  Behzad stopped his pen and looked at Joseph. “Of course. What is it?”

  “For how long have you known Lord Parlings?”

  “Not long. We saw each other once at the Indian Festival a few years ago.”

  “And?”

  “And we spent a lovely night, drinking and telling each other stories.”

  “That’s it? That’s the only time you have seen him before?”

  “Well, I saw him once in England. But he didn’t talk to me. I suppose he didn’t care about some Persian guy.”

  Joseph shook his head. “And you are so kind to let him in your house with his friend that you have never met?”

  “Why not?”

  “That is baffling to me. I’m sorry. But how do you know we’re not thieves?”

  Behzad shrugged. “I guess you could be.”

  “You can’t be that na?ve.”

  “My mother used to say that our door is always open, and she meant it. It always was. As you might have noticed by now, Asians are hospitable. They treat outsiders better than they treat their own people.”

  Joseph nodded. “For as long as I can remember, my father hated guests. He never treated them well. He was a difficult man.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t turn out to be like him.”

  Joseph looked at Behzad. “I didn’t?”

  “You’re a nice man. You’re not difficult at all. I enjoy speaking with you.”

  Behzad’s words warmed Joseph’s heart. It was easier to hate himself when he was like his father. Joseph realized that he had hated himself for so long now.

  “Thank you, Behzad,” he said, trying not to get lost in his memories. “I’m sorry for being here. I didn’t know you’re not a close friend of Lord Parlings’s.”

  “No. Please. I didn’t tell you that to make you feel bad.”

  “I know. I only think I mustn’t be more of a burden.”

  “You’re not a burden, Lord Mainwood. I enjoy your company more than Rufus’s.”

  Joseph smiled. “Call me Joseph, please.”

  Behzad nodded. “All right.”

  Joseph took the book out of his pocket and opened the page that he had seen in the princess’ room with a lake drawing. “I wanted to ask you something,” he said, placing the book in front of him. “Can you translate a few words for me?”

  Behzad tilted his head. “What is it?”

  “I have found something that might contain important information about the Pedlar. But it’s in Persian.”

  “I can help you.” He inspected it.

  “What is it?” Joseph asked impatiently. “Is it something bizarre?”

  “It’s not in Persian.”

  “Then what language is it?”

  “It’s Kurdish.”

  Joseph sighed. “I don’t know anyone Kurd.”

  “Where did you find it?” Behzad asked.

  Joseph didn’t want to answer that. “It’s better if you don’t know.”

  “Well, it’s a poem.”

  Joseph looked at Behzad again. “What?”

  “It’s a poem about a free dance around a lake.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I know a bit of Kurdish.”

  Joseph smiled. “You’re brilliant. What else does it say?”

  “Not much. It’s only talking about how peaceful Fairy Lake is.”

  “Fairy Lake?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is it a real place?”

  “As real as it gets.”

  Joseph wondered what that meant. “Where is it?”

  Behzad closed the book while shaking his head. “You can’t go there.”

  “Why? Where is it?”

  “It’s a crazy place. Let’s wait for Rufus and discuss it with him.”

  “No. No. We will not say a word about this to Parlings.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t trust him, Behzad. I know Persians are hospitable and easily trusting. But please, trust me on this one. Lord Parlings has secrets.”

  “He is a fine man.”

  “He followed me for ten months from England to Persia but didn’t show himself. Behzad, please. You have to keep it a secret.”

  “All right. Fine. I won’t tell Rufus.”

  “Please tell me where the lake is.”

  “It’s rumored to be by the Zagros mountains. It’s the deadliest place. You can’t go there, Joseph. Something will happen to you.”

  “What is so unspeakable about Fairy Lake?”

  “The Fairy Lake is a forbidden place. It is said to be full of fairies.”

  “Fairies? As in the little adorable magical creatures?”

  “Not exactly.” He got his voice lower as if someone would hear him. “Most of them are evil. They are considered worse than Divs. A Div is only a big monster. A fairy can look you in the eyes and bewitch you for the rest of your life.” Behzad looked serious. There was fear in his eyes.

  “Behzad. Please. Don’t tell me you believe in fairies and Divs.”

  “This is not a joke, Joseph.” Behzad got closer to Joseph to lower his voice. “Don’t think of them as beautiful creatures, spreading flowers while flying on a feather. They can bring years of unfortunate events in your life.”

  “That sounds absurd.”

  “Does it? I heard you burnt women in England, calling them witches.”

  Joseph opened his mouth to deny it, but Behzad was right. “You’re right. But fairies?”

  “Says the man who is searching for a myth.”

  He was right once again. As a Christian who had been raised by believer parents, Joseph believed in many things like Ghosts, demons, angels, Satan, and now another mythical creature called the pedlar. He couldn’t possibly question Behzad’s belief.

  “I believe you,” Joseph said. “I respect your beliefs. You must not speak about this book with anyone. It is a secret between us, yes?”

  Behzad nodded. “All right. Don’t worry.”

  “Thank you.”

  That night, the only thing that Joseph thought about was Fairy Lake. Even though he had promised Behzad that he would stay away from Fairy Lake, Joseph was determined to find that place and go there. Only one thing made sense to him; catching the Pedlar. He was obsessed with her.

  He remembered when the young valet at Mainwood manor told him the same thing. The valet said Joseph was obsessed with the Pedlar, but Joseph had denied it. Now that Joseph was calculating his next moves to go to the forbidden Fairy Lake, he knew there was only one explanation; He was obsessed beyond imagination. All he could think about was her.

  He stared at the ceiling while sleeping on the floor on a thick mattress. The moon refused to leave the sky. Joseph could see it through the colorful glasses of the window in the room. There was something so calming about the cold blanket covering him. It took some time to warm up to his body’s temperature. The canaries in the yard were finally asleep. Everywhere was pitch quiet. It took Joseph too long, but he finally closed his eyes and slept.

  The next day, Joseph went through his map of Shiraz. There was no lake by the Zagros Mountains, and it was strange. He asked locals for their maps, thinking maybe his wasn’t accurate. But unfortunately, Fairy Lake wasn’t visible in any of them, which led him to believe that it was merely fictional. But so was the pedlar until he decided to search for her and managed to track her down to Persia. He had learned one thing from his trip, and it was that he could find everything if he tried enough.

  So, he went through the book he had stolen from the princess. Nothing about the alphabet seemed familiar. He couldn’t possibly understand the language. But he could understand paintings and drawings. As he carefully inspected the pages, he came across a drawing of a door. It looked familiar with two gates surrounded by trees and flowers. He had seen a similar gate when he was travelling to Shiraz. That was a long shot, but he had to look for it and ensure if it was the same door. So, he left Behzad’s house and made his way to the approximate area.

  The green sight of the fields relaxed Joseph’s mind. His scavenge took longer than the last time he was there because he didn’t remember the exact place of the fates and he wondered if he was in the right track. The trees in his way didn’t look too familiar. It meant that he was lost, and now he was sure of it.

  Joseph looked around him to find any signs or houses to find his way. There was no sight of a home or a person. He realized that he was no longer in the road. But he was in a forest. The sound of animals echoed through the wilderness, scaring Joseph on his path. He kept walking until he heard the sound of water. There was a river nearby. That wasn’t a good sign because the last time he hadn’t seen a river. He must’ve been too far away from the city. His heart started thumping as the wolves howled. He should have asked someone to accompany him. In an hour or so the sun would set, and he would be all alone.

  He turned around to follow the sound of river, but a scream left his mouth as he saw someone standing before him with a bow and an arrow.

  “Jesus Christ!”

  The archer didn’t lower the bow and kept aiming at Joseph. A hood was covering them. Joseph was so lost in his worries that he almost forgot what he was searching for. It took him a second, but finally a sigh of relief washed over him as he realized who was in front of him. His hands started shaking, and his voice squeaked when he uttered the only name he knew of her.

  “Pedlar?”