"Where did you
learn such accomplishments?"
"Learn them?" answered Jeremy, still juggling. "I am a dervaish. I was
born, not taught. I can ride through the air on cannon-balls, and
whatever I wish for is mine the next minute. Look, I have one piastre.
I wish for twenty. What do I do? I spin it in the air--catch it--d'you
hear them? There you are--twenty! Count 'em if you like."
"A dervaish? A holy person? You? Where do you come from?"
"I was born in the belly of the South Wind," answered Jeremy. "Where I
come from, every shell-fish has a pearl in it and gold is so common that
the cattle wear it in their teeth. I can talk three languages at once
and swear in six, use sulphur for tobacco, eat sardines without opening
the can, and flavour my food for choice with gun-powder.
"I've been everywhere, seen everything, heard all the lies, and I found
that big effendi in Jerusalem. I saw him first. He calls himself
Ramsden, which is derived from the name of a creature bearing wool,
which in turn is a synonym for money. He's on his way to supply Feisul
with money, and I'm going to show him the streets of Damascus. Anything
else you want to know?"
"Supply Feisul with money? That is interesting.
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