GIRL: No, apai (aunt). BORTE: What is your name? GIRL: Nursilia. BORTE: Nursila… Nursila, how old are you? GIRL: Fourteen. BORTE: Then you will be my daughter-in-law. Is that right? NURSILA: We… we were given as wives to someone else. BORTE :All of you? NURSILA: Yes, all thirty of us. BORTE: And who wants to have you all? NURSILA: They say that Kagan Genghis gave permission to a warrior named Korshi to marry all thirty of us girls. BORTE: (Laughs). Korshi? The same old fool who, having seen it in a dream, thought only about the thirty wives that occupied it? NURSILA: They say he is not a fool, but a Noyan. BORTE: Well, if he is Noyan then why can he not also be a fool? Well, you know, these men, not to mention their decency, do not even pay attention to their own decline? If I let everyone go now, will you find your homes? GIRLS: No, we won’t. BORTE: In that case, we will all go to my little horde. From there it will be easier for me to take you home. And you, Nursila, will stay with me. NURSILA: I also want to be with my father and mother. They are probably still crying. BORTE: Don’t cry, we’ll send the cart for them and bring them here.
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Khan’s palace. Genghis Khan and Korshi the Warrior. GENGHIS KHAN: Well, Korshi the Warrior, now that you have seen the thirty beauties who were taken from the forest peoples, is your soul satisfied? KORSHI: If I give my answer, please don’t consider me guilty, my lord. I went to see them, but they were not in the sheltered houses. GENGHIS KHAN: What do you mean? Where did they go? KORSHI: My tongue doesn’t dare say, my lord. GENGHIS KHAN: Your tongue won’t ache. Tell me what happened? KORSHI: Borte-hanim came and took one girl for herself, and took the rest back to their homes. GENGHIS KHAN: She did what?! How could she arbitrarily violate my order? (Rings a bell. A silhouette of a guard appears) Call Borte! KORSHI: Oh, great Kagan! Do not rush to pour your anger out on Borte. Apparently, she has something on her mind, because she doesn’t make hasty decisions without thinking. I’ll go to her and talk it
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