An Evil Eye

74

The Kislar aga twitched the quilt back.

Yashim took one look and turned his head away.

The aga’s jaw dropped. His grip on the girl relaxed. She wrenched herself free and blundered to the door.

Yashim made no effort to stop her.

The girl on the bed lay naked from the waist down, her legs outspread above a dark stain between her thighs. Deep welts were scored across the skin of her belly, as though she had been clawed by a great cat; fresh blood still oozed from the livid marks.

Ibou put his hand to his mouth.

“Go, Ibou. This is what you must do. Get green tea and ginger, straightaway.” Yashim laid a hand on the aga’s arm. “Have it sent to this room. Immediately, do you understand?”

“She’s dead.”

“Yes, she’s dead,” Yashim agreed. “The tea is for me.”

He saw Ibou’s color beginning to return.

“Then go and find the girl. What’s her name?”

“I–I don’t know.” The aga yawned suddenly, flashing his gold teeth. “Her name is Melda.”

“Find Melda.” Yashim spoke slowly, with emphasis. “Find her, and take her to your room. When you are there, wait for me.”

Yashim steered the aga toward the door. All the man’s strength seemed to have drained away: he moved without protest, his head bobbing.

“Tea, Ibou. Then find Melda. I’ll join you in your room.”

With the aga gone, Yashim closed the door and rubbed his hands over his face.

He had no expectation of recognizing the dead girl. He knew a few of the harem girls by sight, but for the most part they were anonymous, like beautiful cattle. Naked, unadorned, only the manner of her death distinguished her from a hundred others behind these walls. He wondered what the aga could tell him; what Melda knew.

He spent some time examining the welts on her belly. He examined her hands. There were faint traces of blood on her thighs, and her skin had already begun to cool when he turned her carefully onto her side. There was a deep pool of blood on the sheet beneath her.

He plucked at the sheet. When it did not give way he looked and saw that it was the thin mattress, and the sheet had gone.

He found the sheet easily, under the bed. It was screwed into a loose ball and it was soaked in blood.