headwear, put a black dress with a closed chest on my body, and tighten my waist near my lower back. The maid begins to dress Borte Borte re-wraps Jochi’s finger with sintered blood in blue silk and hides it by wrapping it around the black dress at her waist. Well, let’s go! KEIKUAT: Where to? BORTE: To Temujin. Let him say goodbye to his son. (To Korshi) I know you will still resent me for letting thirty of your girls go home. Keikuat-apai, is there a boiled egg in the house? KEIKUAT: There is. Only one chicken out of six didn’t give us anything yesterday. The rest of the five eggs have already been boiled. BORTE: Bring two of them here, one in red, the other in yellow. (Keikuat leaves in bewilderment and brings in two eggs). Here are two eggs painted in different colours. Take them. (Offers Korshi the eggs) KORSHI: What for? BORTE: Eat them whole while I dress. (Korshi takes the eggs one by one and eats them). BORTE: And what are they? Do they taste different? KORSHI: I don’t think so; I didn’t notice anything. BORTE: It’s the same with women, too. Although they are coloured differently, they all taste the same. You better live with four wives in peace and harmony, and raise seven children in abundance. Well, we talked about our trifles and improved the mood. Now I can go.
* * *
The room where Genghis Khan rests. He is sick in bed. Lying in shock from the death of Jochi, he cannot raise his head and faces the wall without moving. On both sides, two beautiful girls take care of him. One massages his head, and the other strokes his legs. Opening the doors wide, without asking permission, Borte enters. At the sight of Borte, both girls bow respectfully. BORTE: (To the girls in an imperious voice) Get out, wait outside. I need to talk to the Kagan in private. Both maids leave. Borte stands at the feet of Genghis Khan, looks at him and is silent. She can hear the barely audible murmur of Genghis Khan. GENGHIS KHAN: Jochi… Jochi… onager. No, not an onager… I… it’s me… BORTE: Temujin. Genghis Khan, for the first time in many years, having heard the name ‘Temujin’, shudders
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