He already sang as nobody on this earth had ever sung before; he practised
ventriloquism and gave displays of legerdemain so extraordinary
that the caravans returning to Asia talked about it during the whole
length of their journey. In this way, his reputation penetrated
the walls of the palace at Mazenderan, where the little sultana,
the favorite of the Shah-in-Shah, was boring herself to death.
A dealer in furs, returning to Samarkand from Nijni-Novgorod,
told of the marvels which he had seen performed in Erik's tent.
The trader was summoned to the palace and the daroga of Mazenderan
was told to question him. Next the daroga was instructed to go
and find Erik. He brought him to Persia, where for some months
Erik's will was law. He was guilty of not a few horrors, for he
seemed not to know the difference between good and evil. He took
part calmly in a number of political assassinations; and he turned
his diabolical inventive powers against the Emir of Afghanistan,
who was at war with the Persian empire. The Shah took a liking
to him.
This was the time of the rosy hours of Mazenderan, of which the daroga's
narrative has given us a glimpse.
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