I paused here, and again the eunuch bowed gravely.
“Are you to take many of the treasures and precious relics from the palace?” he asked.
“No. We are not to take anything that is of great value. But among the thousands of articles gathered here we will select modest gifts for the friends of the Prince, and you will yourself see what we have selected and advise us. If there is anything you prefer to have remain here, we will respect your wishes. The idea is not to rob the palace of its treasures; but the Prince gave us power to select whatever we pleased, so it is our desire to consult you and your pleasure in making our choice.”
He seemed pleased by this consideration on our part, and said:
“We cannot quarrel over that matter, since you are so courteous. Are there any other commands?”
“Yes. We are to get certain books that are in the rooms which were occupied by the Prince, and take them with us, to be given to His Majesty, the King of England.”
I thought it was as well to add to our importance by naming this important ruler as a friend of the Prince, and one who was to figure in this gift distribution. I did not know positively that the Prince had any books in the palace, but judged that a young man educated at the English universities would be more than likely to own something of a library. Moreover, books were heavy, and they would remove any suspicion caused by the weight of the cases we wanted to carry away.
Fortunately I had guessed correctly. The eunuch bowed gravely once more, but said:
“This is more difficult to carry out than the first order, for it is forbidden to allow any one to enter the royal apartments but the attendants.”
“We can arrange that by your bringing the books yourself to another room, where we can choose what we wish,” said Joe.