It seemed to me that he breathed inward as he said that. A Turk
would have added "Inshallah!"--if God wills!

"Make ready for a journey of two months," he said.

"When and where shall the start be?"

It would obviously be unwise to start from the consulate.

"From the Yeni Khan in Tarsus," said Will.

"That is very good--that is excellent! I will send Zeitoonli servants
to the Yeni Khan at once. Pay them the right price. Have you horses?
Camels are of no use, nor yet are wheels--you shall know why later!
Mules are best."

"I know where you can hire mules," said the consul, "with a Turkish
muleteer to each pair."

"Oh, well!" laughed Kagig, leaning back against the rail and moving
his hands palms upward as if he weighed one thought against another.
"What is the difference? If a few Turks move or less come to an
end over Zeitoon bridge--"

It was only for moments at a time that he seemed able to force himself
to speak as our inferior. A Turk of the guide class would likely
have knelt and placed a foot of each of us on his neck in turn as
soon as he knew we had engaged him. This Armenian seemed made of
other stuff.