Achmed Abdullah

“ A prophecy is a prophecy. But a human heart is a human heart, a human soul is a human soul, and it is only the dust and the grime and the sufferings which purify the truly great. Thus, when Al Nakia came to me, I gave him but little help. Nor did I tell him of the prophecy. For Tamerlanistan needed a man who could follow his own mind, unhampered, unclogged, by prophecies and traditions.
“If, thus, Al Nakia proved himself to be a good and strong man, the prophecy proved true; if he proved himself bad and weak, the prophecy proved untrue. ”

“ Tamerlanistan will be developed. But not with foreign money, nor for foreign profit. Through our own work—for our own profit!” ... not many days later, the princess, turning to Hector at the end of the daily durbar, said that she was a little depressed. ”