World Affairs

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The king, who’s name was Ma’sud, watched his only son declared guilty in front of the crowd that gathered around his palace. The crowd roared and applauded at the outcome, and Ma’sud rose out from his balcony and shouted so all could hear. “Why have you forsaken my son, has he committed such a crime that you praise his misfortune?” A witness replied, “Have you not heard of your son’s crime, O’ Grateful King?” The king replied “What has my only son done to deserve the awful penalty of death, has he committed a murder or treason?” Another witness replied, “No my king he has not committed a murder or treason against the Almighty God. For the story of this unlucky man, which I was most unfortunate to witness, must be told in private so I ask your permission to enter your palace, O’ Kind One.” The king invited him to enter and said, “Now if this story is to be told, now is the time to tell it.” The witness began,

[The story of the King’s son, Mohammed]
“You may or may not know that I accompanied your son Mohammed on his journey across the Indochina region last year. During our year long travels I, Karamchand, supplied him with food and water. One night as we neared a valley with water and fruits we saw a man laying face down on the ground, Mohammed walked up to the man and said, ‘If you are well stand up.’ The man replied, ‘I am not well.’ Mohammed replied, ‘You say you are not well, may I ask what the cause of this is?’ The man replied, ‘Bartimus is the cause of my misery.’ Mohammed then said, ‘Who is this Bartimus? For I wish to harm him for your misery.’ The man said, ‘Oh how I wish one could, kind young man, but you see Bartimus is a demon and I doubt that you could put harm on him.’ Then Mohammed replied, ‘You say Bartimus is a demon, maybe we could pray to our God and his Son to punish him and deplete your misery.’ The man mourned, ‘For that is not possible because God will look down upon His earth and I shall no longer be here.” The king was puzzled and mused at his words for several minutes before he responded, ‘I do not understand how God could look down and not see you, when I look upon you at this second.’
The man stood and with sorrowful look on his face uttered the words, ‘I am going to disappear within the next couple of minutes, for the evil demon Bartimus has trapped me in a time paradox in which I live each day over and over again. You see I have met you hundreds of times.’ Mohammed laughed at this idea and responded sarcastically, ‘Tell me, man, if I met hundreds of times why do I not know your name or recognize your face.’ After Mohammed laughed the man replied, ‘I shall prove my misery to you, your name is Mohammed and you are nearing the end of you journey through the region of Indochina, you live in a big palace about a month’s distance away from this forbidden land.’ Mohammed stood still with a bitter look upon his face, ‘How dare you talk to me like that if you knew that I was a prince of a great land. But I do feel pity towards your distressing predicament, so tell me, man, how would one rid you of this situation?’ The man turned away with a surprised look upon his face and said, ‘How odd you should ask that, for out of each of our encounters you never have asked to help me. I will now tell how to rid me of my misery before my time is up…’

[The story of the Man’s Curse]
The man then said, ‘I walked into this valley rich of fruit and water, just as you did, and sat down under the shade of this tree and took of some of its fruit when Bartimus approached me and said, ‘You shall die because you intruded upon my home and stolen my fruit. I said, ‘Spare me of my life demon and I shall leave this place and repay with some spices I have collected.’ Bartimus replied, ‘Hand over your spices and I shall let you free with your life.’ I being foolish got too excited and ran over to him, and being in a hurry I tripped over a stone or a small hole of some sort and the spices flew into his eyes. Bartimus was furious and roared, ‘Because of this insolent act I will put a curse upon you. This curse will make you relive the rest of this day and come back to this moment for all eternity, you will never age and you must bow down before me each day.’
So I tell you Mohammed that is how this constant situation of grief came to be. If you still are willing to help I will tell of what to do. Mohammed was now in complete sorrow of this man’s life and in a low voice he said, ‘I will help.”
As dinner approached the witness, Karamchand, and the king, Ma’sud, stopped to go dine. Then Ma’sud said to Karamchand,”Surely my son does not deserve death if he offered to help the man.” After dinner it was late and Ma’sud and Karamchand decided to continue the story the next day.

[The Man’s Instruction to Mohammed]
“The man started, ‘Now listen closely, Mohammed the Great, about a week’s journey away from this spot over the mountains is a small town. At this small town is a demon that believes in the same Almighty God that we bow down to. This demon’s name is Ardashir; the demon has a powder that I may use to drug the ungodly Bartimus and escape with my life. You must return with this powder and bury it next to the tree we stand, for after the day is done we will live in different times as cause of Bartimus’ curse upon me. But before you depart I must warn that even though this demon holds God’s name as holy, he is still a wronged soul and one should have a watchful eye.’ Mohammed responded, ‘I will be watchful. I do, O’ wronged One, ask your permission for a question.’ The man responded, ‘Go ahead.’ Mohammed with a suspicious tone asked, ‘How do you know of this demon, for how is one supposed to trust another’s judgments if they point him to God’s lowest?’ The man responded, ‘O forgive me Mohammed, for I have not explained myself. If you do not mind I will tell you of how I encountered him.’ Mohammed nodded his head in agreement. ‘Well,’ started the man, ‘it all started…

[The Man’s Tale or the Demon]
‘About three years ago I was a troubled soul, I was immersed with debt and I was forced to flee my village. My wife and children gave me no hope in my lowest of times, for they left me and stayed at a neighboring village. I cried out, ‘O Lord what have I done to deserve this torment,’ at once after the words left my mouth a voice replied in a low, dark whisper, ‘For has the Almighty God forsaken you, tired stranger?’ I replied I fear, ‘The God I know does not leave his children, but tests their faith.’ As I spoke the words a mighty figure three heads taller than I stepped out a the bushes and replied, ‘If you are allowing, stranger, I shall let you accompany me on my journey home where you can stay until you are standing again.’ I fell to my knees and mourned, ‘O surely this is the work of the Merciful God to send such kind a man to help me out in my needs.’ The stranger spoke, ‘Well get up and we will be off.’ And so we traveled until we reached his village where I learned of his name, Ardashir. I stayed with him until he was angered by my presence and he ultimately sent me to the valley ‘full of water and fruits’ but as you have learned this is Bartimus’ home. That is why I warn you of his evil natures and be cautious when around him.’ Mohammed then departed until he reached the village of the demon name Ardashir. When he found the house of Ardashir, Mohammed stood outside and yelled, ‘Ardashir, in the name of the Lord, let us weary strangers in your dwelling for we wish to do business with yourself.’ Ardashir replied, ‘For one to let in strangers they must pay a fine of twenty dinars.’ Mohammed angered, calmed his voice and responded, ‘Why must one pay if he wishes to buy the masters supplies?’ Ardashir began, ‘Why would I, the Great Ardashir, let in two strangers without an insurance fee?’ Mohammed, who angered by the greed of Ardashir, paid the fine bitterly; once inside Mohammed asked for a powder that would be used to drug another. Ardashir responded, ‘Tell me stranger, why one would be willing to sell a dangerous drug to an unknown?’ Mohammed responded in a very agitated voice, ‘Because, O’ Great Ardashir, the unknown is willing to pay a great amount of dinars for these powders.’ Ardashir then replied, ‘The amount for five ounces of this drug is a minimum of two thousand dinars.’ Mohammed yelled, ‘How is one to charge so much for so very little?’ Ardashir then laughed and said, ‘For I am the only business, my friend.’ Mohammed drew his sword and Ardashir followed.”
As dinner approached the witness, Karamchand, and the king, Ma’sud, stopped to go dine. Then Ma’sud said to Karamchand,”Surely my son does not deserve death if he was willing to kill the for the man’s happiness.” After dinner it was late and Ma’sud and Karamchand decided to continue the story the next day.

The next the day the king asked Karamchand to finish the story with his son and Ardashir. Karamchand replied, “As you wish, my lord.”

‘Why do you draw your sword against me mortal, for have I done something to harm you?’ said Ardashir. Mohammed replied, ‘I draw my sword against you demon for inviting a guest to dwell with, and then betraying him by sending him to his eternal fate by Bartimus’ doing.’ Ardashir laughed, ‘Did that man send you hear for those drugs?’ Mohammed relaxed his arms and said in a low voice, ‘Yes he sent me, what is it to you?’ Ardashir sarcastically said, ‘I ask you, do you even know the name of this man?’ Mohammed replied, ‘No, Ardashir, I do not know the name of this poor man.’ Ardashir mocked, ‘Have you no common sense man, for this man you sent is Bartimus. He sent you hear so you could die by my sword, O’ Unfortunate One.’ Ardashir then attacked Mohammed cutting his upper right arm making Mohammed fall to the ground. Ardashir stood over Mohammed and said, ‘For it is your time, Mohammed, God wanted you to die this way. It is common politeness to ask of you to recite your last words.’ Mohammed replied, ‘O Ardashir, your choice to kill me was an awful mistake, for if you strike me dead, God shall do the same to you.’ Ardashir replied, ‘You have angered me and I wish to kill you, Mohammed the Foolish.’ As Ardashir finished the words, he raised his sword and came down with thunder for the final of blows, when Mohammed quickly took a dagger from his robe and stabbed Ardashir in is heart.
Ardashir fell to the ground with the dagger stuck in him and pleaded, ‘O Mohammed the Wise, you have outsmarted me. I plead for my life; give me the herbs which any traveler carries, for I need them for my survival.’ Mohammed responded, ‘I will not be so kind by giving you my herbs, in an ironic twist I feel it polite to ask you for your last words.’ Ardashir was now struggling to catch breath, ‘My last words are of hate, kill Bartimus! For he sent you here to kill me, not me to you.’ Ardashir then took his last breath, and God took him from there. Mohammed knew that Bartimus was architect of this ungodly trickery, then he and Karamchand left for the valley of plentiful water and fruit.”
“What a good story, Karamchand, but I wish to know where my son is?” Ma’sud asked. “Well my king he is being guarded until he has received his final judgment, which has been given to you Ma’sud. I wish for you to hear the rest of the story, and give him death or life if he deserves it,” Karamchand said. “My son will deserve his punishment if any, for I am an honest man. Now please, in the Lord’s name, continue the story.” And Karamchand did as the king requested.

“After a week’s work of travel Mohammed laid his eyes upon the valley of water and fruits below. Mohammed asked, ‘Karamchand, have you thought of what Ardashir said about the man in the valley?’ Karamchand responded, ‘My lord, do not be foolish, for the man said to have a watchful eye amidst Ardashir. Now let us continue down into the valley and bury this powder so that the man may be free.’ Mohammed then started down into the valley of water and fruits, and came upon the tree which they had stood before. Mohammed hesitated, ‘What are you thinking about, sir?’ asked Karamchand. Mohammed responded, ‘Let us ascend back to the top of this valley, for night has befallen us.’ Mohammed and Karamchand then headed back up to the outskirts of the valley, and lay hidden behind some bushes. After Karamchand laid slumber, Mohammed stayed awake watching the valley below in his hidden position. When the sun barely rose, Mohammed saw the man come out of a hidden area behind some trees and bushes. ‘I knew it, for this must be the demon Bartimus, let me alone go down and question him,’ whispered Mohammed to himself as he watched the man eat the fruit from the tree which he had stood the night before. Mohammed then awoke Karamchand and told him of his plan to venture down below, and Karamchand agreed.
As Mohammed neared the man he yelled out, ‘For I have returned with the powder you requested.’ The man was surprised and spun around to say, ‘O Mohammed for I thought one would never return, seeing you have been gone for nearly three weeks!’ Mohammed responded, ‘Why am I able to see you, if you are supposed to be in another time?’ The man mourned, ‘Alas, for you too must be cursed, forgive Mohamed for I have led you to an eternal doom. I am forever in you debt, for I have brought you suffering.’ Mohammed replied, ‘Why must one fraught of the paradise we have, do we not live in the valley of water and fruits?’ The man was puzzled, ‘Is this what you want Mohammed, no death and having to spend eternity in this valley?’ Mohammed answered, ‘Without pain and suffering, and having food to eat and water to drink, I say who would not take up such a glorious offer?’ The man spoke quickly, ‘This is not what you think Mohammed, for you are a fool among fools to enjoy this torture.’ Mohammed asked suspiciously, ‘Tell me, why have you not once asked about the powder I brought, or the demon, Ardashir, whom you lived with? It seems all you have been trying to do is put me in despair.’ With that being said the man suddenly the took out a weapon concealed behind his cloak and spoke, ‘For you have caused me great success, Mohammed, for you have killed Ardashir my loathsome friend. I must say it is a pity to see you die, but I must remember not to hurt you too bad for I need to use your spiritless body.’ And the demon charged for Mohammed, but Mohammed did not move he just reached to the drugs and through the powder in the air. Bartimus fell when he breathed in the drug and Mohammed stood above him and said, ‘For what happens now, Bartimus?’ Bartimus replied, ‘My spirit departs, I will go to another body, another time but I swear to the God in Heaven that I will put you to death…’

“After that Mohammed and I returned to your palace where he was greeted by a roaring crowd, and he was charged with having murdered Ardashir and the fisherman which Bartimus’ spirit dwelled. Now king Ma’sud I leave the decision to you” said Karamchand. Ma’sud replied, “Well Karamchand it is obvious that my son will not die today…”

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