35053668-Empire-of-the-Soul-Paul-William-Roberts

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EMPIRE OF THE SOUL
turbaned figures X-ed with bandoliers and cradling semi-automatic
Kalashnikovs.
Salaam akeikums sounded enthusiastically from all sides. Ray
embraced each of the men, then individually introduced them to me
with a handshake. Pathans are very formal with introductions, and
very egalitarian, too: it is considered a major insult not to introduce
a guest to even the humblest servant. And major insults are not
something you want to hand any Pathan, especially one you employ.
Beyond a pair of massive and ancient double doors rose a flight of
stone steps. We were shown up these and then led into an open
second-floor courtyard furnished with low cushioned sofas and a
huge, ornately carved table no more than a foot high. More weapons
were propped in corners, and from a peg in a worn leather holster
hung the kind of handgun Clint Eastwood claimed could knock a
wall down. Ray threw himself onto the cushions as if he owned the
place, and I sat myself somewhat uncomfortably at his side. Hadji
barked orders to various men, who disappeared through the
numerous doors leading off the courtyard. Above, in the unfamiliar
night sky, stars raged, strange constellations striving to snare the
blazing wedge of moon in their jewelled web.
Through one door stepped an excruciatingly shy woman, swathed
in folds and layers of material from head to toe and bearing an
elaborate copper teapot and glass cups on a tray. She set these on the
table and scuttled off. Hadji opened a monstrous cupboard and
hefted a duty-free sized bottle of Chivas Regal from it, slamming it
down before us.
‘Cheee-vass!’ he roared. ‘I like too much this whisky.’
With tea and whiskies, we listened to Hadji’s account of exploits
with ‘dancing girls’ in Lahore. Then Ray opened his camera bag
and extracted some gifts for his host: twenty-odd envelopes that
turned out to contain reels of eight-millimetre porno films; two
cartons of Dunhills; four atomisers of Paco Rabanne; and a Cartier
wristwatch.
Hadji examined the photographs on the film packages with
professional eyes, occasionally laughing dangerously and calling
over some henchmen to take a look. These other men obeyed
reluctantly, glancing over at Ray with faintly disapproving eyes.