In a cold fury he went to face the vizier, but received no satisfaction from the calm Turk, who, having as he believed secured his master’s interests, cared little for the rage of the fugitive King of Sweden.
“I have the right,” he said, “to make war and peace.”
“But you had the whole Russian army in your power!” cried Karl.
“Our law,” replied Mahomet Baltadgi, “tells us to give peace to our enemies when they demand our mercy.”
“And does it order,” retorted Karl, “that you make bad treaties when you might make good ones? Do you not know that you could have led the Czar prisoner to Constantinople?”
The vizier replied gravely and dryly in words that Karl never forgot.
“We cannot shelter all the Kings of Europe in Turkey.”
The King, turning with disdainful haste, caught his spur in the Turk’s long robe, purposely tore it with an angry movement of his foot, and galloped back to Bender, blacker despair in his heart than there had been after Poltava.
He then resolved that he would not leave Turkey until he had secured the punishment of Mahomet Baltadgi and another army with which to march against Peter.
The vizier took care that his plaints and protests should not reach the Sultan; all letters from Bender were intercepted on the road, but after a while Karl’s hopes were flattered by the Porte which became indignant at the behavior of the Czar. The Keys of Azov did not arrive, the tribute was not paid, and Poniatowski was able to convey to the Sultan the news that Muscovite troops were still in Poland.