Its elements were golden houses with door and
window-frames of cedar, sandal, and teak; fretwork golden balconies
overhanging streets and gardens where delicate palm-fronds
swayed--balconies whence no doubt kohl-tinted eyes of women were
peering at the strange men in khaki, as henna-dyed fingers pulled
aside silken curtains perfumed with musk and jasmine; mosques and
minarets carven of the precious metal; dim streets, under striped silk
awnings; a world of wonder to the Legion.
The Master saw, as the cavalcade swept along at unabated swiftness,
glimpses of terraced roofs and cupolas tiled with blue and peacock
hues; open-fronted shops hewn out of the all-present gold and
displaying wares whereof the purchase-price could not be imagined
since gold was everywhere; bazaars heaped with _babooshes_,
_cherchias_, and robes of muslin, wool and silk, with fruits and
flowers, tobacco, spices, sweetmeats, and perfumes, and with strange
merchandise unknown.
He caught swift vision of a wide _mirbad_, or open court for drying
dates; and then, through a low, golden arch, a camel-yard with a
vast number of kneeling, white dromedaries. And everywhere he saw
innumerable hosts of the people of Jannati Shahr.
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