BORTE: Yes, if I call you ‘Kagan’ or ‘Khan’, then you seem to pull away, and by saying ‘Temujin’ I seem to draw you closer. GENGHIS KHAN: How many years has it been since I last heard my own name? And where did those two disappear? BORTE: Did you miss it in any way? Those two will be here soon. As soon as I said ‘leave,’ they happily skipped out. It was not in vain that I said even in the old days – they need Genghis Khan, and I need Temujin. I have stood and stand for this still. GENGHIS KHAN: I don’t remember you being the kind of person to come over just to tell me something so trivial; what do you want this time? BORTE: As if having renounced the whole world, whether you like it or not, have you not become a bed patient? The riots have already begun among the people. GENGHIS KHAN: (Lifting his head) What happened in my kingdom that has led to these riots? BORTE: One wealthy man from a people that is subordinate to you presented an old friend with gold the size of a horse’s head at a festive gathering. Believing that such a generous gift would not go unanswered, he expected a gift in return from his friend. He waited a long time, waited and waited until finally he decided to send a messenger to his friend. The recipient of the gold declares that there would be no response. Enmity broke out between them. Which of these two do you think is right? GENGHIS KHAN: The recipient of the gold is wrong. He should have made an appropriate gift. BORTE: We seem to think the same, great Kagan. The Creator gave us Jochi, then decided, ‘if you don’t need him, then I need him,’ he took him for himself. When God creates a person, he creates that person himself, and when he takes the person away, he takes him away along with other people. Having considered everything, he cleaned up Jochi. There is no benefit to be had from sorrowful outpourings. We will take care of the rest of our children. Raise your head! Rule your people! GENGHIS KHAN: (Without meeting Borte’s gaze) From some of your words I can
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