Equal of the Sun A Novel - By Anita Amirrezvani Page 0,55

An odd hush fell on the group. Some of the other eunuchs looked away or fidgeted.

“I remember my father well; he was a courtier before he was killed,” I blurted out, hoping someone could help. “I am still trying to find out what happened.”

Massoud Ali’s brow became so furrowed that I wished I hadn’t said anything.

“God willing, you shall,” replied Anwar.

In the distance, I spotted an old, ripped ball used by horsemen in their games of chogan. I got up and kicked it around until all the stuffing had leaked out of it, and then it was time to pack up and go home.

After Isma‘il was crowned, many people who had previously fallen out of favor with his father felt safe returning to Qazveen and attempting to win royal grace. One of them, a former court astrologer named Looloo, wrote to me unexpectedly to say that he had known my father and wished to see me.

Late one afternoon, I walked toward Looloo’s home in the southern part of the city. My path took me through the Ali Qapu gate and past the large, beautiful homes that lined the Promenade of the Royal Stallions, most of which were owned by nobles and their kin. Nearby lay the town’s main bazaar and just beyond it, a river full of cold mountain water that pierced the heart of the city. Families picnicked on its banks, their children dashing around with glee, and smoke from charcoal fires danced above them.

I took the long way through town just for the pleasure of it, passing the part of the bazaar where animals were sold. Sometimes there were rare animals like cheetahs for sale or strange creatures from as far away as Hindustan or China. The healthy odor of sheep and goats filled the air. The bazaar was crowded with men examining the animals’ mouths and flanks and bargaining for the best creatures.

The sound of young boys’ jeers made me stop. Surrounded by the youths was a small goat with its head bowed. A single eye dominated the center of its forehead. Its nostrils were missing, and for lack of another way to breathe, it drew rasping breaths through its mouth.

One of the boys poked the goat with a stick. Another pelted it with a stone. The animal backed away, though it had nowhere to escape, and its frightened eye darted around in fear. Rage coursed through me.

“Scatter, you brats! Leave the goat alone or I will whip every one of you until you bleed.”

I grabbed the ringleader and pulled the stick out of his hands. When I lifted it above my head, the pack scattered, leaving the boy alone. Fear blurred his eyes.

“Now you are just as scared as the goat. Have some mercy, illiterate!”

“Let me go,” he whimpered. I released him and sent him on his way with a poke in the back.

The sight of the Friday mosque’s turquoise dome restored my spirits, its swirling white lines seeming to carry all of mankind’s hopes heavenward. Past the mosque lay the flat stones in the town’s cemetery. I hurried my pace, my heart heavy. My father was buried there. It had been a long time since I had visited his grave. I knew I should pay my respects more often, but every time I thought about it, my stomach burned at the idea of going to him empty-handed. I wanted to visit only when I could rejoice that justice had been served, and when I could whisper to the soul of my mother, who was buried in the south, that I had heeded her cry for revenge.

Beyond the cemetery lay a cluster of small homes where people of modest means lived. The neighborhood, though not wealthy, was tidy and well kept. Looloo’s home looked as if it had only three or four rooms. How had a court astrologer come to this? Such men were usually well rewarded.

I found Looloo in his birooni with his two sons, who were about my age. The paint on his walls was old but very clean, as were the wool carpets on the ground. The men were sitting on simple cushions and drinking glasses of tea, their legs sprawled out in front of them. I thought with regret of how I had never been able to share such simple pleasures as a grown man with my father.

“Welcome, my friend!” said Looloo. A black cap covered his head, and the lines at his eyes looked like the rays of the sun. His