'You can borrow,' answered the Greek.
'I am afraid not, my friend.' He turned to the Tartar leader again. 'You are a fool, Tocktamish,' he said calmly. 'As long as you keep me here I cannot get money at all. Do you suppose that we merchants put away thousands of ducats in strong boxes under our beds? If we did that, you would have broken into our houses long ago, to help yourselves!'
'What promise will you make, sir?' inquired the Tartar, beginning to waver.
But half-a-dozen voices protested.
'No promises!' they cried. 'Let him send you for the money!'
'You hear them?' said Tocktamish.
'Yes,' answered Zeno, 'I hear them. Their nonsense will not change facts. If you had the souls of mice in your miserable bodies,' he continued, turning to the men with a contemptuous little laugh, 'you would come with me now and seize the palace. The gates are open, and the guards are all beastly drunk. There will be more than eight thousand ducats to divide there!'
The men were silent; many shook their heads.
'The moment is passed,' answered the Tartar, speaking for them. 'The whole city is roused by this time.'
'We shall have so many more good men to help us, then,' Zeno said. 'Not that we need any one. A handful could do the work.'