Harold Lamb

“ Aye, each buffoon of us has his part to play. Behold Signor Dominus, the consul-general Clavijo—the great lord-treasurer, provveditore, Soranzi—likewise Rudolfo, the lord-general and master of armies. ”

“ Breaking from the Tatar warriors who held his arms, he fell on his knees.
“Mercy, great lord,” he bellowed. “Oh, mercy. Grant me royal clemency if I have offended. Make me a captive, but spare my life!”
This being interpreted, Tamerlane smiled.
“Verily,” he said shortly, “the Frank is frightened by my face. Nay, Timur the Tatar has harmed no ambassador. Fear not, but join in our feast.”
He signed to the men who held the visitors. Soranzi, a-tremble with anxiety, took this to be a signal for their destruction. ”

“ Clavijo frowned.
“Tamerlane will see us this noon,” he said. “We have been kept waiting long.”
“Aye, verily. The delay measures our importance i' the eyes o' these gentlefolk. Two days agone Lord Gutchluk and a baron who looks like a prince of Eblis took our gifts to the king, along with the camels of a khan of Karabak and the painted giant beasts with a tail where their nose should be—the beasts that are gifts from a lord of Khorassan. Now our turn has come and you must lie cleverly or be fed to the beasts, see you? ”

“ They were, in fact, at a serai where a huge fire glowed over which the Tatars roasted the pieces of animals whole. The serai was almost the only building in what seemed to the travelers to be the encampment of a limitless army. ”