Chapter 2: Happiness is a warm Gunes, baby
May the Father of Greatness lead my walk through this flawed life. There is a girl here in Kirghiz that I used to play out in the steppe with. She was not the most beautiful of women, and she did not follow Mani’s teachings, but she was my friend. We built dirt piles to tear them down. We ran through the endless fields of shrubs. It was fun, while it lasted. But then my father died and I became the Great Chief. We had drifted apart by the time we were 13 and Alp-Qutlugh thought it not best to associate with the girl any more. Upon becoming a man and fully taking on the mantle of Great Chief, I brought Gunes to me and told her she would not be leaving. Perhaps I should have heeded Alp-Qutlugh’s advice and informed her parents first but I never got around to it. Alp-Qutlugh also wanted me to take a wife from the Chach tribes, maybe a sister of the Chief, but I had my eye set on Gunes. She followed the Tengri beliefs, but I knew she would see the light still left in the world through Mani’s teachings in time. Still, Gunes hated me for the way she was brought to my yurt.[1] I told Gunes that I would be a faithful husband and dote on her. She alone could break through my shyness.
While holding council in my yurt it was brought to my attention that a well-known man from Ket had come seeking my help. Alp-Qutlugh suggested the man be allowed entry to beseech my help. I hesitated once, fearing having to speak to a stranger, but Alp-Qutlugh huffed and brought him in anyway. I but on a face I saw my father use with those coming to his presence in the hopes of hiding my shyness. The man pleaded his case quickly, asking for my help in resolving matters of the division of sheeps and goats with tribal members who wanted to leave the tribe. I kept trying to find the right words to say. I knew the answer the man wanted but time past as I fought to say the words. Alp-Qutlugh was about to lead the man out of the tent when I finally let out a few words. With the barrier cracked, I finished as quickly as possible with my answer. The man thanked me again and again, for my wisdom. Slightly emboldened I let my indignation show when he attempted to leave without properly compensating my great wisdom. Maybe if I put most matters into terms of gold I could speak more openly?
With the man gone I decided not to let my newfound words go. I issued orders for all of my council. Alp-Quthlugh would travel to Chach to let the chief there know about my friendly and cooperative intentions with his tribe. I ordered Saru to gather up men from the tribe in order to begin raiding, he began to protest, but I cut him off. Tolossu I asked to begin informing the tribe of my how great my rule will be and how this greatness was instilled during my upbrining. I asked Itlar to remain close to me to sort out any rumours or plots against me or Gunes. Kuntuvdi I asked to spread the teachings of Mani, as best he could.
By myself again I began to think of how best to find the Saoshyant to spread Mani’s teachings. We Manichee were not very great on the steppe. But those who stuck solely to the Zoroastrian beliefs were many, as well as the Mohammeds. With the raiding party I hope to strike fear into the local tribes, maybe if I could grow my influence over some of the Suomensuko fools to the North or to the Mohammedans to the west I could win better holy men to my tribes who could instruct me on how best to find this Zoroastrian Saoshyant?
Within a month or two Saru informed me of a great host of men who were eager to pillage the tribes nearby.
As the men gathered Saru jested if I would not be more comfortable sending him out to lead the raiding party. “Why should I let you get your hands on the gold first Saru? Perhaps what you brought back may not be as much as was actually raided?” Saru bristled at my words. “Saru, no one gets between money that should be mine and me. No, you will stay here to see that all is taken care of.” I thought I heard something about my fool religion, I needed to remember to tell Itlar to watch Saru.
I led the raiding party north first to the Suomensuko people. We found their tribe but the men defended their caravan and we simply had no way to loot or steal any livestock. I grew tired of the long journey through the steppe and instructed my commander to take the men south into the khan’s lands and left with men enough to protect me until I arrived in Kirghiz once again.[2]
When I arrived, I immediately went to see Gunes. I had been gone so long and we had not been getting along very well so I thought there would be no great need for speed to return. But as the tribal village came into view, I found myself wanting to see Gunes. To touch her, to be satisfied with her company...in more than one way. I did need an heir after all. So I went to her and embraced her in our private yurt. She looked very startled to see me back so soon, which I took to be a good omen. Had she been desiring my return? Or??? In any event, we spent almost every moment together through the next week and we began to act as we did as children.
As the winter began to set in, a runner came with word from Alp-Qutlugh that Chief Wakhushakk was becoming more agreeable and understanding of my stance towards his peoples and my desire to find the Saoshyant.
I had just ended a vigorous time in between the blankets with Gunes when I heard a call from outside my yurt. Excusing myself from my dear wife, I went out and found Itlar, cloaked in black. I then remembered that I never asked Itlar for help in keeping eyes on Saru’s actions. But what Itlar told me confirmed my suspicions, someone was out to get me. But they were cowardly, Itlar’s “eyes” had told him rumours that a member of my tribe was looking to strike out at me by killing Gunes. Itlar asked me if I wanted to hide my wife among the Ket or Urzhar tribe. I scoffed at the idea. “I may not have very many wits, but one does not hide his gold under a basket, my Master of
madde´â.” Itlar protested but I was confident I would start to win over my people by producing an heir soon.
The morning after Itlar gave me this grave news, I had to leave to attend to matters of the Urzhar tribe that called upon my authority as the Great Chief. Although I asked Gunes to accompany me, she asked to stay behind since she was not feeling well. I gave her my permission to stay behind while I attended to my official duties. Those duties, upon arrival in Urzhar, consisted of telling the local leaders that they were still beholden to the power I derived from my father and my father’s father, just as their father’s and father’s father’s were. I dealt with some family issues that were disrupting the cohesiveness of the tribe but were really minor, when one got down to the realization that everything could be solved with money. Not my money, but other people’s money. Usually, I took a share for the aggravation it caused the tribe.
The winter began to wane when the old women came to me with Gunes and informed with great joy that the chieftess was with child. The happiness that I showed on my face masked my inner turmoil.
I knew it took women a few months to show that they were with child but I was away for two months in the south. But, maybe, perhaps our last night together was enough? I consulted Itlar who told me his eyes had seen nothing improper, he offered to have a handmaiden of my wife’s bribed to find out the truth. I thought it over, waste 5 precious gold pieces to have one of my wife’s handmaidens, who were really her childhood friends, potentially find nothing? What a waste of money. Plus, Gunes and I had been very close before I left for Urzhar. I could not betray the lifetime of friendship we shared for suspicions.
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[1] This is probably not the right word for the dwelling of the Kirghiz people of this time. But the Uyghurs did use yurts and Qutlugh is from the Uyghurid dynasty.
[2] Always check to see if people CAN be raided. Make sure that all of their gold isn't protected by their fort level. I will not be raiding again for a long time...sigh.
