He went the way the exotic gypsy told him to, arriving in an exotic land.
Far up on a great hill Allen saw a great palace. He found the walk long, but most pleasant. He saw many trees and flowers.
When he arrived at the palace, another guest suddenly arrived. It was at that point Allen knew he was dreaming.
Standing before him...no, floating..... What was he? Allen could only describe him as a Genie.
Allen was so surprised by the appearance of the Genie, he hardly noticed the man descending the stairs.The man was as surprised by the Genie's appearance as Allen. He welcomed them both, annoucing that his land is called the Orient. He announced himself as the Emperor of this great Empire.
The Genie introduced himself promptly. Allen took a moment to respond, a bit befuddled in his dream.
The Genie told them he lives in a castle in the clouds, above the Ottoman Empire. He said he would have visited long ago, but the way had been sealed by some sort of magic.
The Emperor of the Orient told them a legend.
"My ancestor, the Emperor in his day, had been walking alone, just outside the empire. He heard the screams of a woman. He rushed forth to find a massive man struggling with a girl who was barely a woman. He had her hands bound and seemed ready to make the girl a woman in the way only a man can. The Emperor swiftly killed the man with his sword. The man likely didn't even see the Emperor, so stealthy and swift was he. By rights the woman was his. The girl knew this and wept."
"'Do not cry. I am not a brutal man.'"
The girl wept on. The Emperor had pity on this girl. He cut her bindings, then gasped. Her wrists were so raw from the struggle, she had bled. The girl, too exhausted now to flee, dropped at his feet.
He carried the girl to a hot spring nearby. Leaving her clothed, to protect her innocence, he sat her in the pool, next to himself. The water was so warm, and the girl so exhausted, she did not wake. He did not touch her body, letting the water take the dirt from the road. Ever so gently he bathed the wounds on her wrists, praying that the hot spring would heal her quickly.
He then wrapped her in his kimono."
"Please, excuse me Your Highness. What is a kimono?"
"A kimono is the name of the robes many of my people still wear for clothing."
"Night had fallen. The Emperor not naked, for he wore a tighter fitting outfit beneath his robes, such as the ninjas wear." The Emperor saw he was about to be interupted again. "Ninjas are the greatest warriors of my people. Many are trained as ninjas who are not warriors. It is a great honor."
"The girl shivered, still unconcious. The Emperor built a fire to warm the girl and slept nearby.
"Early in the morning the Emperor awoke. He realized he had forgotten something important. He had not tended the girls wounds properly. He tore a cloth from the clothes he wore and dipped it in the hot spring. He bathed the wrists of the sleeping girl. He took a salve and gently tended her wounds. The girl stirred and cried out. She tried to flee, but fell, and shook. The Emperor had seen this before. Not in a young girl, but in training. When a man trains too hard, his muscles seize up the next day, and he can barely move, and will sometimes shake with the effort. In a bad case this can last for days."
"The Emperor wondered how long the girl had struggled before he had heard her cries. He approached the girl, telling her he meant her no harm."
"Still the girl tried to flee, though she moaned in agony with the effort."
"The Emperor took off the robe he had wrapped her in. The girl cried piteously. He gently picked her up, and she thrashed about in that shaky painful way. He tried to soothe her with his words, tried to tell her that her struggles would only cause her pain. The girl gave up her struggle due to weakness. She didn't seem to believe he meant her no harm. She could barely move now, as she had moved too much already in this state. Her head fell upon his shoulder and she wept into his neck.
"Now that she was still he walked again to the hot spring. He stepped in carefully and set her beside him. He leaned her carefully against him. She was so weak, he feared she would slip under the water and drown. He did his best to keep her innocence in tact. She still wore her clothing from the night before. He pointed this out to her. He told her again he meant her no harm. He told her the hot spring would help to heal her aching and her wounded wrists.
"After much time, he gently picked her up, then lay her softly upon his robe. Again the girl wept. The Emeperor wrapped her in the robe and her cries softened. He took out the salve and showed it to her. He told her it would help her wounded wrists heal. The girl only looked at him fearfully. He took her little hands in his again, and put the salve on her wrists. As he did so, she cried out again, though he had been gentle. Her wrists were already growing hot and red.
"The emperor built another fire. He told her he would not be gone long, and that she should try to sleep.
"The emperor ventured back to the gates of the Orient. He met with a guard and listed off things he would need, and that they be brought immediately. The guard sent several other guards off in different directions. The Emperor told the guard to send word to the palace after he left that he would be away for an undetermined time. He demanded that no one go after him. No sooner had he spoke these words, than the guards were back with the provisions and servants to carry them."
"'I shall go alone.' The servants were surprised, but obedient. They quickly dressed the Emperor and repacked so that he may carry the provisions easier. The emperor would be back to the girl before an hour had passed.
"When the Emperor returned, he found traces of blood upon the ground. A less observant man may not have noticed. He followed the traces to find the girl in nearby woods, collapsed, her wounds reopened."
"He gently picked her up and brought her to the hot spring again. She felt feverish now and her wounds had reopened. This time he put the salve on and wrapped her wrists before taking her out of the hot spring, being careful to not let her wrists fall into the water once they were wrapped.
"He laid her down upon a great cloth, wrapped her in a kimono fit for an emperess, and covered her with a blanket. Then he set to work setting up camp. When it was ready he put the feverish girl into a tent. He cooked the fresh fish he had brough with him with some vegetables and herbs to make a soup.
"The girl was so weak with fever and pain the Emperor had to prop her up and put the bowl to her lips. The fever weakened her further. The Emperor tended to her night and day, sleeping nearby, lest she parish in the night. He nursed her in this way, all the time maintaining her innocence."
"After much time, she seemed to be doing better. The fever had left. He still held her soup bowl to her lips, lest her wrists hurt, but he no longer had to hold her head up.
"The girl's eyes still look frightened, but she no longer struggled when he tended her."
"One morning the girl's fever had returned. Her bandages stuck to her wounds. The Emperor soaked her wrists in the spring until the bandages came off. He found the wrists oozing white beneath. He feared she may lose her life.
"Wrapping her in another fine kimono before the fire, he tended her wounds again. As he put the salve on, she cried out as she had not before. The Emperor finished with her wounds, then looked in her frightened eyes. Filled with anguish, tears rolled down his cheeks. When the tears fell upon her wounds they healed without leaving so much as a scar.
"'You have saved this gypsy girl's life by your kindness.' These are the first words the girl had spoken to him. 'For this I owe you mine.'"
"The Emperor was in awe. He bowed low to the gypsy girl.
"'It has been an honor. I grant you your freedom.' The Emperor gathered only his personal clothing and began to walk away.'
"'I must repay you.'
"'I am an Emperor, I want for nothing.'
"The girl lowered her face a moment. Slowly she raised frightened eyes to him. She struggled over her words. 'That leaves my womanhood. I am yours to take, as wife or-'
"The Emperor hushed the girl. He stood before her, then asked what he had dared not.
"'That man, did he hurt you?' She held up her wrists, now healed.'
"'And your innocence? I can only hope I was in time to protect your innocence.'
"Tears poured down the girls face. He was sorry he had asked. Then very softly she said, 'No, he did not take it.'
"'I did not fight to protect your innocence only to take it myself. Where is the honor in that?' He bowed again. 'Peace be on you.' He turned to leave again.
"'Then I shall reward your honor.'
"'Please, I cannot take your innocence or your coin.'
"'Then give me your hands.' The Emperor stood before her in silence. With the way her wrists had healed he could only conclude she be a great sorceress. If she wanted his hands, he knew she would have them. As if she could read his thoughts, she said, 'You tended to my hands, now let me tend to yours.'" She gently took his hands, as he had so often taken hers.
"She turned the palms up and studied them a long time. Then she looked up at him gravely. Many years after your death a great plague will come. People the world over will die. Your people will be wiped out.
"The Emperor was stricken.
"'I shall take care of you, as you have cared for me. I am destined to be the Gypsy Queen. When I become queen I shall seal your Empire off from all others. Before this time you must send all outsiders away, 'till none live among you. After the seal, no one shall go in or out until all the world is safe from the plague. After the plague one who is both wise and of good heart will break the seal. Those who try before the world is safe from the plague, or who are foolish or cruel hearted, shall not be able to find the way, despite direction. After the seal is broken, your people may come and go as they please, and outsiders may live among you again.'
"'Then I shall do as you say. Outsiders will be sent away, except for you of course.'
"'No, I cannot either.'
"'Then I leave this land to you and your people.'
"'I am a gypsy girl, we travel about.'
"'Than this land will be here for you when you or your descendents return.'
"'They may or may not know why, but when the time is right my people will return here.'
"'Will my people know when to expect the seal to break?'
"'There will be not one child in your Empire. No one my age or younger.'
With the conclusion of the legend the Emperor stared at the 2 of them.
"Up until now, I thought this only a legend. I thought my Empire to be...all the world. And there has never been a plague. Although...currently there are only adults and elders...."
Allen stared.
"Your Highness, there has been a great Plague. A few of my people are traveling the world, looking for other people. We weren't certain if there were other people left alive... I haven't seen children anywhere. Only adults and elders..."
The 3 grew silent.
The genie spoke at last. "I followed this man here. He must be both wise and of good heart."
Allen left the beautiful palace, still absorbing the story.
Allen went back to the ship where he slept. When he awoke he puzzled over his vivid dream.
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