Chapter 30: Tea Party

One afternoon on a whim, David decided to have a tea party in the harem with some of his concubines. He gave some fairly detailed instructions to the Chief Eunuch about the protocol to be employed on this occasion. He decided that Maryam, Ludmilla, Menar and Yenta were to be invited. Dress would be normal harem dress of open bolero and diaphanous trousers in pastel shades. The food choice he left to the staff of the kitchen. All went quite well considering Ludmilla's inability to speak much of any language but Russian and the fact that not all of the others spoke much English. It was soon made clear to the Chief Eunuch that it was not intended to be a sexual session and nobody needed to be sucking or playing with the Emir's penis during this meal; moreover the whipping frame would not be needed. The women were as perplexed as the eunuchs by this disturbing turn of events. Why would the Emir visit his harem if not for sex or punishment?

Nevertheless the women relaxed a little as the Emir seemed to be enjoying eating with them. For his own part, David was quite relaxed and enjoying watching how the different shaped breasts of his women bounced differently as they ate. It amused him to think that if he commanded it, in seconds there would be all four cunts and arses spread wide and presented for his use. Moreover, two women he had used and the other two were his sisters, and all four knew both those facts.

Menar and Yenta, his half-sisters, were both apprehensive and excited because they knew that he had decided to marry them off and out of his harem. Perhaps the purpose of this odd ceremony was to impart some information as to their new husbands' identities?

The dishes were many and varied; of course, David recognised hummus, but asked for the head of the kitchen staff to brought out to speak to him when some other items puzzled him. An old woman who had clearly been disfigured deliberately some years ago was brought forward. She was wearing a shapeless overall which appeared to conceal a fairly plump body.

'Never trust a thin chef, ' thought David, echoing his English step-father's golden rule.

The woman seemed not to be in the least overawed by the Emir's presence; she was positively annoyed to be interrupted, it seemed to the Emir.

Speaking in English he said, "Hummus, I know. It is made from sesame seeds and chickpeas. What is the salad called and what is in it?"

She looked totally bemused and he realised that she did not understand English.

"Maryam, translate please," he ordered.

The translation took little time and the woman indicated in Kobekistani that it contained onions, chopped tomatoes, radishes, parsley and mint, and was called tabbulah. Next he asked about an odd mixture which seemed to be some sort of cereal and meat mixture. This proved to be called kibbi and to consist of a ground up mixture of wheat and lamb. Finally he asked about the aubergine dip and what was used to produce such a hot seasoning.

When the question had been translated, the woman replied in Kobekistani, It is called baba ghanuj, and you can tell this English usurper that it is spiced with ground up scorpions' tails. He won't know the difference.~