{"id":516,"date":"2023-10-02T17:06:03","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T11:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/?p=516"},"modified":"2023-10-04T10:52:58","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T04:52:58","slug":"borte-a-historical-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/?p=516&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"BORTE (A Historical Drama)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cast: <\/strong><\/em> BORTE <\/strong> GENGHIS KHAN (TEMUJIN) <\/strong> HOELUN-UJIN<\/strong> \u2013 Genghis Khan\u2019s mother<\/p>\n

YESUGEI<\/strong> \u2013 Genghis Khan\u2019s father<\/p>\n

DAI ORATOR (DAI SETSEN)<\/strong> — Borte\u2019s father<\/p>\n

SATIN (CHOTAN)<\/strong> — Borte\u2019s mother<\/p>\n

JAMUKHA<\/strong> \u2013 A friend and later an enemy of Genghis Khan<\/p>\n

HASAR, BELGUTEI<\/strong> \u2013 Genghis Khan\u2019s younger brothers<\/p>\n

KORSHI<\/strong> \u2013 A warrior and later a Noyan (Noble Mongolian, Feudal Lord)<\/p>\n

AISHAN<\/strong> — Borte\u2019s peer, later a woman driven mad<\/p>\n

TOGHRUL (ONG-KHAN)<\/strong> — Khan of the Keraites\u2019 tribe<\/p>\n

TARGUDAI HRIPHUN<\/strong> Three MERKITs<\/strong> — Borte\u2019s Kidnappers<\/p>\n

KEIKUAT<\/strong> — Old woman NURSILIA<\/strong> — One of thirty captive-girls who perform in crowd scenes<\/p>\n

MALE ROLES<\/strong>: 12 |<\/p>\n

FEMALE ROLES<\/strong>: 5<\/p>\n

TWO BEAUTIES<\/strong> — Yesui, Khulan (Cameo Roles)<\/p>\n

Note<\/strong>: All the poetic passages said in the play are taken from «The Secret Legend of the Mongols».<\/p>\n

PART ONE <\/strong><\/p>\n

Somehow, forty clans and tribes have banded together, those who were called Mongols. They have roamed along the rivers and lakes for centuries, among the rocky mountains and vast steppes, deserts and forests. For centuries, strife and clashes between them did not subside; every now and then battles flared up for land and pastures, power and wealth. Each tribe was like a piece of an earthen jug broken in a violent brawl, striving to strengthen their supremacy over others. They could not rid themselves of the damned bells that alarmed them and the fights that happened every day; they could not get rid of the fears and anxieties of their semi-wild existence. In that troubled time, each tribe survived guided only by their own laws and their harsh concepts, never considering the idea of rallying, and therefore, falling apart\u2026 And so the bells sounded without respite; endless wars were fought where the loser could only raise their head after falling to scheme their terrible revenge. This is how the tribes grappled and accumulated grievances. Sometimes, there were periods of calm when people rested their sabres, spears and maces, and the losers licked their wounds whilst they lay unable to raise their heads. The people would come to their senses, rejoicing in this brief time of peace. Each tribe adjusted to this as the normal way of life as if nothing had happened, and they did so without distraction. That was how these people lived. Eventually, a day would come around for this brief truce, a time of calm and of reflection. There are wide ravines called Seksir and Shakyrgy at the mouth of the Kherlen River. Since antiquity, this land has been the domain of the Khongirad tribe, which was ruled by Dai Setsen at the time. On the bank of the Kherlen River, near a pine forest there are nine-winged and six-winged white yurts connected to each other. According to the tradition of the wealthy rulers of that time, the larger house was intended for receiving guests, whilst the smaller houses were made as living quarters where two adjacent yurts were brought together with a wide sliding door-partition. A large, nine-winged yurt, as if sliced in half by a sabre, can only be seen in part. It was made so that the very colourful interior decoration was visible. From above the lattice walls and fastened poles, many different furs hung \u2013 the pelts of a bear, wolf, fox, sable and a tiger. Since this yurt was considered a living room, everything was placed to provide an elegant, and the desire was to have the best decoration. The owner of the house, Dai Setsen, stretched out his hand to the back of Muzbalak (a mountain golden eagle in its prime, five years old) who is perched on a tightrope. Feeling that someone was stroking it and recognising its owner, the eagle let out a guttural screech. DAI SETSEN: Oh, Muzbalak, have you finally started to recognise me?! From now on, we will be inseparable; we will be friends… Yes, for a whole week you wouldn\u2019t close your eyes or even eat red meat. You were always so exhausted, and now I\u2019m putting you on a stand. Come, sit down here. Like this, like this! And don’t be afraid of me anymore, alright? You look pretty hungry. Satin, do you hear me? Satin! Bring some food, some cleaned up rabbit meat, I need to feed Muzbalak. Satin brings the food in a bowl on a wooden tray. <\/em> SATIN: He\u2019s been through a lot of hardships — we haven\u2019t let him sleep for over a week and we haven\u2019t even given food to the poor fellow. His eyes were closed a second ago until you pulled the rope and woke him up. Wasn\u2019t that awfully cruel of you? DAI SETSEN: Without such training, how can one hope to tame a wild golden eagle? It\u2019s not cruelty, just education. Dai Setsen takes a piece of thinly sliced meat from the round bowl andbrings the meat to the eagle\u2019s beak. Having picked up the smell, the golden eagle pecks ravenously at the meat and swallows it instantly. DAI SETSEN: That’s good! Your hunger and hardships are now behind you. In a week, you and I will go hunting. From now on, you will find food yourself and keep yourself fed. And if luck would have it, then you will not leave us without prey too, will you? The golden eagle screeches again, greedily pecking and swallowing the meat from Dai Setsen’s hands. At this time, the neighing of Dai Setsen\u2019s grey stallion can be heard coming from outside. DAI SETSEN: It seems that someone has come to us. Borte, go and find out who it is. SATIN: The grey stallion only neighs if people have come on horses. Listen, if a woman like me comes out to meet these strangers, then they\u2019ll think all the men have gone hunting. Let me go, I’ll find out who they are myself. Satin hands the bowl to Dai Setsen and goes outside. She returns almost immediately with confusion and anxiety etched on her face. DAI SETSEN: Who\u2019s out there? SATIN: Well, they rode up on two horses, with one led on reins, I saw an older man and a boy, both of whom have just dismounted. I think I\u2019ve seen the man somewhere before, but I can\u2019t put my finger on where. DAI SETSEN: Since they arrived on two horses, with one being led… It must mean these are quite respectable people who have arrived from afar. They must have had a rough journey, probably stumbling around in the dark woods. Let’s go and help tie their horses. No sooner do they reach the front door than an adult man enters to meet them. Dai Setsen freezes in surprise and disbelief. DAI SETSEN: Oh my god, I don\u2019t believe what I\u2019m seeing?! Are you not Yesugei?! YESUGEI: It has been a long time since we\u2019ve seen each other, but if you recognise me, then thank God! How are you faring, Dai Setsen? They greet each other cordially and hug. <\/em> Hello, beibishe! (first wife of the family with the Khan) I saw you turned back at the sight of me, and to be honest, I was worried, thinking you did not approve of our arrival. SATIN. Really? Well, there is no need to be worried. The reason or my haste was to tell your friends here that two respectable people had arrived on three horses.\u00a0Please, do not consider my haste an insult. Satin bows respectfully. <\/em> For us, your arrival is like the appearance of a holy angel; wouldn\u2019t anyone rejoice in the same way? YESUGEI: Well, a good first impression is a guarantee of success! Aren’t you Khongirads masters of talking their way out of any situation? (Laughs<\/em>). First, I will say I am sincerely glad to see you after so long. How are you? DAI SETSEN: As you can see, until the day we\u2019re wiped from the face of the earth, we\u2019ll spend our days bustling around the felt yurt like peas in a pod, remaining safe and sound. After all, we are people who are always glad to serve a simple guest, and when I saw you I seemed to imagine the messenger of the all-mighty descended down to earth, and I was stunned and could not come to my senses. How could one even guess that the Khan himself, the famous warrior Yesugei would come to me today? Please, sit in our place of honour! The other day I ordered for my men to make chests from pine for esteemed guests such as yourself so it would be easier sitting down and getting up. So far, only four are ready. Isn’t it fate that you will be the first glorious guest to lie on this chest? They approach a flat chest lined along the edge with sable fur, and, trying it out, they sit down. YESUGEI: (Looking around<\/em>) The decorations in your house are simply amazing and no less beautiful than those in the Khan’s horde. DAI SETSEN: They are dedicated to honourable guests such as you, and it is for that reason I have hung them. Though, I almost dare not ask, and yet I can\u2019t stop thinking about it… Where are you headed and for what purpose? YESUGEI: The question is understandably pertinent, so do not fret. My son has just grown up; this year he turned eleven-years-old. I went out to marry him off to a bride, visit my mother’s relatives and to stop by my beibishe, my elder wife, Hoelun-Ujin. On the way I thought, I may as well try to woo a young girl from the Khongirad tribe. But then I realised, it would be impossible to attempt this with the leader of this tribe around, the venerable Dai Setsen. So we turned up at your house especially to pay our warmest regards. DAI SETSEN: What do you mean \u2018we turned up\u2019? Who else has come with you? YESUGEI: My son is with me. As I said, he is almost an adult. I went out to pick a bride for him. DAI SETSEN: What are you talking about? Oh my god, where is he, your son? YESUGEI: He lacks the courage to come inside. He\u2019s outside in the courtyard. DAI SETSEN: If Yesugei is such a valiant warrior, why is his son so timid? YESUGEI: Well, his habit is that as soon as he steps into someone else’s yard, he doesn\u2019t even dismount from his horse as he\u2019s afraid the dogs will bite him if he does. A strange one he is. If you were to set him face to face against a bear, he wouldn\u2019t even flinch, but for whatever reason, he is terrified of dogs. DAI SETSEN: So, that\u2019s how it is. Satin! Quickly, go to the yard, help the boy get off his horse and bring him into the yurt. How shameful that this zhigite (brave young man of marriageable age) has travelled from afar after a bride and we keep him in the yard for so long in the freezing wind. YESUGEI: Not to worry, it was I who did not lower him from the saddle. I thought it would be a short greeting; that I would say hello and immediately go back. DAI SETSEN: It turns out that even the all-knowing Yesugei the Warrior did not consider it necessary to remind his adult son, \u2018Come in, say hello and shake this old man\u2019s hand\u2019. At this time, Dai Setsen\u2019s wife Satin enters the house with an eleven-year-old boy of average height with a keen gaze. He is wearing a quilted camisole\/jacket the colour of blood, a round-shaped borik hat, cloth pants made of Chinese silk and boots with thickened heels. As soon as he enters, the boy puts his hand to his chest and, looking at Dai Setsen, greets him with a low bow. YESUGEI: Here is my son that is afraid of dogs. His name is Temujin. (To his son) Say hello; this is Dai Setsen, the leader of the local clan. Come on now, shake his hand. Temujin, stepping confidently, approaches Dai Setsen and calmly, but at the same time uncompromisingly looks into his eyes and shakes his hand sturdily. Dai Setsen gives the boy a searching look. He does not take his eyes off him for a long time, involuntarily staring at his attractive appearance. DAI SETSEN: There is a fire in his eyes and his chiselled face is harsh. May the all-mighty keep that way. Temujin comes close to the golden eagle perched on the stand and examines it with interest. Temujin, take that bowl over there and let the golden eagle swallow the meat. TEMUJIN: Why is the rope pulled over here? DAI SETSEN: It is called a \u2018yyrgak\u2019 — a loose rope between two stakes. If the captured golden eagle turns out to be of age, then one must place it on this yyrgak and keep it swinging for a whole week, preventing the bird from falling asleep. For that entire week you must keep the eagle hungry and give it no meat. Only then does he start to obey people\u2019s orders. TEMUJIN: That\u2019s so cruel! DAI SETSEN: Thanks to such harsh training, he becomes a hardened hunting golden eagle — a Muzbalak. YESUGE: I Well, dear Dai Setsen, I\u2019ve met with you and made sure you are safe and sound. Now, if you don\u2019t mind, we will be taking our leave. DAI SETSEN: We haven\u2019t even done anything yet. I mean just judge for yourself — after sitting in Dai Setsen’s house as an honoured guest, without even having tasted the fresh meat of a one-year-old colt, without spending the night in the house, you are ready to leave right away? I just can\u2019t accept it, my dear Yesugei the Warrior. In the yard, my men have already started cutting through the carcass. Before you even have time to drink a couple of bowls of kumis, all sorts of worthy people of the Khongirad tribe will gather here to greet you. YESUGEI: Relatives of my beibishe, my older wife, are burning with impatience to see their cousin. Having overcome this painful three-day journey, both the horses and us are quite tired. We could only dream of reaching our destination and collapsing in exhaustion before it gets dark. DAI SETSEN: Oh, my warrior friend, wouldn’t it be unreasonable to meet your wife\u2019s relatives now whilst so fatigued; instead, you should spend the night here, rest and start out refreshed in the morning.\u00a0YESUGEI: If I was to tell them that on our way their nephew, a fianc\u00e9e no less, spent the night under the dome of Dai Setsen’s yurt, then Temujin’s mother’s relatives will not be offended. On the contrary, they may even be delighted. But you are well aware of our intertribal habits. If we were to be noticed going alone, we would definitely be ambushed. With this in mind, I took with me a dozen armed Taishuyt (a tribe) soldiers. Right now, they are letting the horses drink nearby, waiting for us on the banks of the Kherlen River. DAI SETSEN: Well, then, as they say, a flower to a flower! We will call all those people here. We will turn this into an event — for Yesugei the Warrior himself is visiting my abode and staying overnight — we will turn it into a general holiday. YESUGEI: Well, be it your way then. The Dai Setsen hearth is one of the sacred hearths of our area. But let’s hasten to notify the relatives of my beibishe, Hoelun-Ujin, otherwise, they will worry about us and start to ask what has happened. DAI SETSEN: That\u2019s all alright! (To his wife). Satin! You know that nimble shepherd who\u2019s carving the carcass? Send him to the relatives of Hoelun-Ujin! Tell him to say \u2013 \u2018Yesugei the Warrior, together with his servants and son are spending the night in the home of Dai Setsen, and they will arrive tomorrow before noon.\u2019 Send him off hastily. There is only one path he will have to ride on between a couple of villages, and he will have plenty of time to return before dusk falls. Satin, having politely bowed in a way that says, \u2018it will be done\u2019, backs away and leaves without turning her face from the two men. Temujin sits next to the golden eagle, serving food, admiring it, and stroking its back. Dai Setsen treats the guest with kumis and, stirring it, falls silent, deep in thought, before starting a conversation. DAI SETSEN: Yesugei myrza (lord), I had a special dream last night. I dreamt of a tremendous samruk bird from a fairy tale, which, whirling around, flew in the azure sky. Sometimes it would tremble, as if crawling along on biting winds, and then it would dive into the farthest part of a huge cloud and break out into the open space and screech in the clear sky.\u00a0Suddenly, miracles would happen and the bird would twist and claw the moon with one talon and the sun with the other. Then it would descend and sit on my shoulder. Under the weight of the moon, the sun and the bird itself, my shoulder became numb\u2026 it was being crushed. Then I woke up, and now I\u2019m bursting with impatience. I did not know who to tell about the dream, but you, my esteemed guests, appeared, and so I have laid it out for you. YESUGEI: Why didn’t you tell your beibishe? DAI SETSEN: In our family, special dreams are not revealed to women. I wanted to tell my daughter, Borte. She turned twelve recently, and from the age of nine, girls are sorted and ranked amongst the women. YESUGEI: I see; so it\u2019s not only the Khongirads, Mongols also adhere to this tradition. (Laughs). DAI SETSEN: Our ancient ancestors said that dreams should only be told to those who need be told. Which means you must have been led to our home by a Holy angel. YESUGEI: By the way, I don\u2019t see Borte anywhere. Is she home? DAI SETSEN: She\u2019s home, she\u2019s home, don\u2019t worry. She must be embarrassed to come out of the nearby yurt. Borte! Borte, my little lamb, come here. Say hello to grandfather Khan. Having straightened the blue skullcap on her head, with ribbons of red silk woven into two braids, wearing a light, fitted red beshmet and a dress made of white Chinese silk so long that it hides her heels, Borte, just like a grown-up girl of marriageable age, easily parts the white door partition, steps over the threshold and, looking at Yesugei, bows to him with respect. Both her courtesy and her elegant clothes are perfectly combined with a laugh which compliments her sweet smile. Her captivating beauty does not go unnoticed by Yesugei, who, admiring the girl for a while, cannot take his eyes off her. YESUGEI: The face shines like dawn, And those eyes do not burn in vain. DAI SETSEN: Yesugei myrza, you brought your son with you — it seems this must be the answer to my dream. There is no other way but that the patron saint, protector of the Kiyat clan, appeared to me and predicted something I am afraid to say aloud. Borte, show Temujin how to feed the golden eagle. YESUGEI: If that is what you believe, then the truth must be with you. When I was riding to my mother\u2019s relatives and approached your district, my horse moved his ears sensitively, then slowed down a little and began to turn in your direction. When that happened I superstitiously said to myself, \u2018not even a horse can bring itself to rush past Dai Setsen’s place, and perhaps this has its own meaning.\u2019 And so I ended up coming your way at the behest of the horse. DAI SETSEN: And if your horse not turned then I suppose you would probably be far away having gone straight past my home? YESUGEI: Well, I was overwhelmed by doubts, and the horse, apparently, also felt these doubts. DAI SETSEN: Yes, it\u2019s not for nothing they say, \u2018A reasonable horse always leads its owner to the right path!\u2019 Both, as if competing, laugh heartily. Now, please take a look at the adjoining house where we are going to dine. (Both enter the adjacent yurt). Borte approaches the confused Temujin, who has no idea how to feed the golden eagle properly. BORTE: And what is it they call you again? TEMUJIN: Temujin BORTE Temujin… What does it mean? TEMUJIN: I don\u2019t really know. Father once brought a captive Tatar commander back home, and it was then that I was born, so they gave me a Tatar name like his. BORTE: Interesting! Whatever kind of warrior he may have been, a prisoner is still a prisoner, no? So why did your father name you so? TEMUJIN: Probably so that I would become a warrior, like Temujin. BORTE: But he was captured. TEMUJIN: I don\u2019t like what you\u2019re saying; you\u2019re undermining respect for my father. BORTE: Oh, please! One shouldn’t be angry with such sensible speeches. Just imagine it yourself. You have become a famous warrior. You get married. Your wife gives birth to a son. So, would you reward your son by giving him a name of a prisoner? If I were your wife, I simply wouldn\u2019t allow it. What, why are looking at me like that? Am I speaking seditious words? TEMUJIN: Did you say \u2018if I were your wife\u2019? BORTE: Come on. You should know what I meant with my example. What do they call it again? Hypothetically or something, in the sense of \u2018if it happens.\u2019\u00a0TEMUJIN: We Mongols aren\u2019t allowed to question the will of our parents. BORTE: You\u2019re not the only ones; the Kazakhs are the same. TEMUJIN: Kazakhs? But aren’t you Khongirad? BORTE: Well, yes, I am Khongirad. Just like your people, our people consist of forty clans and tribes. If you include them all, then together they are called \u2018Kazakhs\u2019. TEMUJIN: This is the first time I\u2019ve heard of this. BORTE: Really? You never heard that before? But have you not ridden in a big flat cart? TEMUJIN: I have travelled many times and been to many distant lands. BORTE: Well, this cart is called a \u2018Kazakh carriage\u2019. If we use Kazakh carriages, then why shouldn’t we be called Kazakhs? If it wasn’t for China, then where would Chinese teapots come from? When famous warriors of any clan-tribe are buried, they are taken to their grave on a Kazakh carriage. That is the name of the big cart standing behind our house. TEMUJIN: Yes, yes, I remember now. We\u2019ve also travelled on such a cart, and more than once. But a carriage is just a carriage. There are Chinese carriages, Tatar, Mughal, and yet we don\u2019t call them so. BORTE: The son of a warrior must possess not only courage and intelligence, but also erudition. Shooting down a bird flying in the sky with an arrow from a bow would be a show of your accuracy, and knowing which bird you shot down would be erudition. You are missing that very erudition. From now on, learn to evaluate your every action, every vision or event from the point of view of the mind. TEMUJIN: How old are you? BORTE: Twelve. TEMUJIN: And I’m eleven. Therefore, if you teach me some wisdom it\u2019s because you\u2019re one year older, that\u2019s how you know so much. BORTE: No, it isn\u2019t that, I think it\u2019s because… well, sometimes my older brother would consult with me about things such as, \u2018should I marry or should I not?\u2019 He first introduced his betrothed bride not to our mother, but to me. TEMUJIN: And did they get married? BORTE: No. He kept going around, looking for a bride, and when he turned seventeen he was among the older bachelors. Tomorrow we\u2019ll see him make another girlfriend his betrothed, though knowing him that will only be for a bit, I don\u2019t doubt. Borte laughs especially loudly, and Temujin, imitating the laugh of the adults, laughs too, throwing up his shoulders and squealing. The son of the Khan should not laugh like a crazy foal. TEMUJIN: Then how should I laugh? BORTE: Exhaling a little, silently, and then closing your mouth … Like this. Borte closes her mouth, but cannot stand it and laughs loudly again. Temujin answers her with his natural laugh. Yesugei and Dai Setsen emerge from the adjacent yurt. YESUGEI: Oh, are you already laughing together? DAI SETSEN: Borte, go out to the yard and help your mother. BORTE: Come on, Temujin, I’ll show you a Kazakh cart. Both go outside together. DAI SETSEN: My Khongirad tribe has walked through the centuries — The daughter gave birth to nimble folk, Virgos are all up for selection. Do not fight in a foreign land, Don’t let litigation go, He walked from time immemorial. He did not like conflicts, disputes, He loved to raise red maidens, Put them in the carriage. Daughters that stand up for pride, A daughter’s son to match them, From time immemorial, people have honoured. And in need he is patient, And in trouble he only dreams To live in peace, the union is fastened\u2026 You know how the news warms me, Knowing that there are Khongirads in the world. YESUGEI: (Laughing, pleased) Well, I must confess, I thought — if he really is such a talker, why is he not pouring pearls of words out of his mouth yet, here you\u2019ve poured everything out! Our Kiyat family might have a good grip when it comes to business, but we\u2019re rather weak with words. If you and I seal our kinship, then both of our wings will flourish, won’t they? DAI SETSEN: Virgos are not given the chance to decorate their home. So, you brought your son, and therefore, you presented me with the solution to my dream. YESUGEI: Yes, yes, everything has led to this: how the journey meandered, the food that brought us closer, even the horse brought us together, furtively turning towards… fate, as you can see. Apparently, you are the matchmaker whom the Almighty brought before me. Come, let\u2019s seal our matchmaking as we should, with an embrace. They hug. At this moment, Satin enters. SATIN: Mister, dinner is ready. (She looks with surprise at the hugging men). Oh, Almighty and Holy Lord, what is it? You\u2019re acting as if you have just met.\u00a0DAI SETSEN: Beibishe, don\u2019t serve an ordinary dish, but a matchmaker’s dish! SATIN: What are you\u2026 my God, what is this matchmaker\u2019s dish you\u2019re on about? DAI SETSEN: You will understand at dinner. And now call the wandering Borte and Temujin over here! Satin goes out. Leaving, she says to herself in shock: \u2018Yes I see, they already planned to get them married and they have sealed the deal.\u2019 YESUGEI: So, matchmaker, tell me, what burden are you going to load upon me? DAI SETSEN: I do not adhere to such rules as \u2018a daughter will live in honour, if she asks for a lot and not in honour — if she asks badly». Borte is a sensible daughter; I consider it sacrilege to sell her for cattle. Among our people we have a saying: \u2018if there is an equal, then give it away for free\u2019. So, this is my offer, Yesugei myrza. It is but one wish — leave Temujin with us at least for a week. YESUGEI: To be fair, I also do not need any rumours to go around. They\u2019ll say, his son married Dai Setsen’s daughter, a beauty, and a clever girl without any kind of trouble, and he received his bride for free. I\u2019ll leave Temujin. For now, accept the grey stallion on which I arrived as a sign of the inviolability of our agreement. Use it however you wish. As for the gifts, I will tell you what they are once I go and get my son. DAI SETSEN: If I have a prophetic dream, and your horse is torn in my direction so you hear about that very dream with your own ears, then does this mean the Almighty brings the matchmakers together? If that is so then it is enough for me. Satin brings Borte and Temujin into the house, and pushing the young duo forward, puts them in a row in front of the adults. Dai Setsen and Yesugei look at Borte and Temujin, and as if having exhausted all appropriate responses, sit in silence. Dai Setsen, holding a white silk scarf in his hands, makes a sign towards his beibishe. Satin stands up. She is also extremely excited. SATIN: Now\u2026 you both… stand in front of the two parents and bow. Then Borte, you go up to father Yesugei and Temujin to father Dai, and get down on your knees. Borte and Temujin, not understanding the commands well, walk over to the parents and kneel down.\u00a0Now, get up. Yes… like this… Stand and look each other in the face. Borte and Temujin look each other in the face. Only now do they realise for what purpose this ritual is being executed. Temujin, stroke Borte’s hair like this. Temujin strokes Borte’s hair. DAI SETSEN: A long life to you to both! (He wipes his eyes with a handkerchief. Satin, having also shed a tear, kisses Borte on the forehead). YESUGEI: I will not hide it, matchmaker, the one and only weakness in my boy is that he is afraid of dogs. So, try to keep him away from them. DAI SETSEN: Dogs don’t get angry around good people. Oh God, save your mortal servants from tamed hounds. YESUGEI: Son, stay here for a week. Listen to the instructions of grandfather Dai, delve into his words, and in a week I’ll come and pick you up. Yesugei’s house. Night. Mongolian houses look different to Kazakh yurts in their external appearance, but in their interior decoration, they are not too dissimilar. The only difference between the house of Yesugei and the house of Dai Setsen is on the kerege (lattice walls of the yurt), where many different weapons are suspended at the top — spears, sabres, bows, armour and other attributes of military life. Having put seven-year-old Hasar, five-year-old Hachiun and three-year-old Temuge to bed whilst breastfeeding Temulen, her five-month-old daughter, Yesugei’s wife, Hoelun-Ujin puts her daughter in a cradle after she begins to cry. HASAR: Mum, when will dad and Temujin arrive? HOELUN: Well, they were supposed to return yesterday, but for some reason they are late. They’ll probably arrive soon. HASAR: Father said \u2013 \u2018as soon as I return, I will take you to catch onagers.\u2019 Why is he so late? HOELUN: To catch onagers? HASAR: Yes. He has already caught one onager, and now he wants to tame him. HOELUN: Onagers are wild animals so it won\u2019t be so easy; they aren\u2019t horses after all. HASAR: Mom, why did father take Temujin with him? HOELUN: Do you really want to know? HASAR: Yes, please. Temujin promised to take me fishing. HOELUN: Temujin grew up; he has become a zhigite. Father took with him to marry him off with a girl. HASAR: Marry him off with a girl? Is he going to take a wife for himself?\u00a0HOELUN: (Laughing) Yes, but not right now. Later. At that moment, Yesugei enters. The children jump out of bed and throw their arms around his neck. Yesugei sits down with an indifferent look. He is unable to caress the children and hugs them rather mechanically. YESUGEI: (To Hoelun) Everything inside me is on fire. I barely made it home. Can you go and make my bed? HOELUN: What horror! Your face is a mess! What happened to you? YESUGEI: Returning home from Dai Setsen\u2019s place, I ended up staying at a Tatars’ feast. They showed me respect, made me sit in a place of honour and treated me heartily. HOELUN: Tatars, you say? You\u2019ve had a feast? YESUGEI: Yes, a warrior got married and we celebrated the wedding. HOELUN: Oh, how gullible you are, my warrior. In the war, nine years ago you captured two Tatars, and when you brought them in bound, I gave birth and you gave your firstborn the name of the main prisoner \u2013 Temujin. Do you think they forgot about their defeat? I guess it\u2019s not for nothing that they say, \u2018those warriors are overly trusting!\u2019 But where is Temujin? YESUGEI: He\u2019s staying at Dai Setsen’s house. HOELUN: Dai Setsen? That man is close to me by blood. And what made you visit him? YESUGEI: God made me visit him. HOELUN: But you went to look for Temujin’s bride among my relatives. YESUGEI: I could not get to your kin. And actually, Dai Setsen is related to my children through their mother as well. HOELUN: But why did you leave Temujin in the house of grandfather Dai? YESUGEI: Dai Setsen has a daughter, and she is not deprived of intelligence and beauty. So, I have already married this girl off with honour. The daughter-in-law’s name is Borte. According to our agreement, Temujin will stay there for a while. HOELUN: I heard that Dai\u2019s beibishe, Satin gave birth to a daughter whose name is Borte. Has this girl really grown up already? YESUGEI: It feels like there is a fire inside me; my head is spinning. I have no strength to say another word… Yesugei looks physically weakened and is trembling. HOELUN: Get up. Let’s go to the place where you usually sleep. YESUGEI: Oh my, I can\u2019t be leaving towards the white light without first seeing Borte as a bride in my house.\u00a0Before leaving on my journey, they brought me a cup of kumis so my mouth wouldn’t dry from the long journey under the sun. HOELUN: So, the kumis was poisoned. Now, lie down and don’t move. I’ll call the doctor. Together, arm in arm, they enter the sleeping compartment. HASAR: Tomorrow my father will get up and lead me to catch a wild onager. HACHIUN: I want to go too. HASAR: You can’t. You\u2019re not old enough yet; an onager, the kicking kind, can kill if you\u2019re not careful. Better for you to stay at home and play with little Temuge. A strained moan \u2018ah, ah\u2019 is heard from the inner compartment. A little later, the silence is broken by the burning, desperate cry of Hoelun, \u2018Oh, my lord! My Lord, for what?\u2019 which seems to deafen the ears. Lying in the cradle, Temulen, waking due to the shrill scream, becomes worried and starts crying loudly. As the alarmed children rise, Hoelun comes in, her hair loose and her tear-stained face looking down in confusion. HASAR: Mum, mum, what happened, why are you screaming? HOELUN: Your father has passed away. You\u2019ve been left orphaned and I a widow. (Hoelun starts to swing the cradle.) The children rush to their mother, hug her and cry. What days await us?! There are many such enemies that could have poisoned your father! To them, in addition, we are kindred enemies who are fighting for the khanate (ruling powers\/position of Mongolia). They will not hesitate to destroy you, fearing that having matured, you will press them in the struggle for the khanate. Will I be able to protect you, or am I destined to lose you during my lifetime? Oh, Lord! There is no grief worse than the grief of a mother who has lost her child. Save them, keep my children healthy! To my fledgling chicks, where is the right, where is the left that does not understand our pain? Be a patron to these orphans, oh, Lord! Don’t cry, don’t cry, my dears. And you, tiny Temulen, please stop screaming in the cradle. The cradle starts to swing harder and harder. The crying and roaring of the children grows.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

A gang of Taishuyt under the command of Targudai Hriphun. <\/em><\/p>\n

TARGUDAI HRIPHUN: That’s it, Yesugei is no more. To avoid squabbling over the Khan’s throne, his children must be wiped from the face of the Earth.\u00a0Temujin, the eldest son, is especially dangerous — his eyes burn like fire and his face is chiselled like rock. Having got in a fight over fish, he shot an arrow from a bow at the carelessly sitting Behter, who is also the son of Yesugei through from his second wife, Sosha. Can we trust the one who killed his brother over prey; can we expect sympathy from him? We saw how at the moment of his birth he tenaciously held a blood clot in his hand. If we do not break them now, while they are still fragile like twigs, then when they grow we will not be able to overcome them. TODOIN: And how exactly are we to break them? TARGUDAI HRIPHUN: Let’s move away from here for now, and when they rise at dawn, we will leave them homeless and destitute. All of their property, all of their livestock we will take with us. By themselves, they will die of hunger; and if they don\u2019t perish, then you will return and finish them.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Holding a suckling infant, Hoelun-Ujin is surrounded by her small children. The people of the Taishuyt tribe left, leaving the family to fend for themselves. Having placed all his belongings on a wide Kazakh cart, Targudai also begins to leave. <\/em> HOELUN: Targudai! During your life, weren\u2019t you like a pillow for Yesugei? You helped him lay down and were his shadow when he got up. How can you walk away, leaving me in solitude with little children, driving all our cattle ahead of you? In this wild steppe where only wolves howl, we will die of hunger. Show respect to the spirit of the deceased Yesugei. TARGUDAI: And the river was full — but it flowed. And the cliffs stuck out here — but were ground to dust. And the mountain rose here — but they crumbled. Without looking at anyone, Targudai leaves. Hoelun-Ujin sits among the children for a long time, lost in thought. Suddenly, as if frightened by something, she jumps up. HOELUN: Temuge, take Temulen and put her on your back. You all need to quickly get to the forest thickets, and there you\u2019ll find shelter. Targudai has evil on his mind. They won’t let us live. They’re targeting you and want to kill you. Hand in hand, the frightened children run with their mother towards the dense forest. A reasonable being, Hoelun, So as not to lose her sons, Tightened the belt on her fur coat, Bending low down to the floor, Seeing the roots, digging them up, Collecting the currants and thorns; A troubled being, Hoelun, Like a wizard trampled the mountain with her feet, Taking the iron ketmen in her hands, Sorting through hillocks and ravines, Having dug out a branchy root, Her worthy sons She sent out to help collect a decoction of herbs. A stubborn being, Hoelun, Strengthening the fortitude of her sons, Drawing a net, catching fish, A mother protecting, containing, So they matured to become warriors. The spacious Dai Setsen palace on the banks of the Kerulen River. The day has come to see Borte off. The hosts, relatives and servants awaiting the groom and matchmakers (support group) are in a commotion, preparing to welcome the guests. Dai Setsen is by himself. He is extremely worried. Approaching a low chest lined with a sable skin, he impatiently sits then springs to his feet. DAI SETSEN: They should have arrived yesterday, it\u2019s already past noon, but they\u2019re still not here. I hope nothing bad happened. SATIN: The way is far; they\u2019re probably not here because of that. DAI SETSEN: It\u2019s a three-day path, and today is the fourth day. All around us are our hidden enemies. If everything was fine, they would have arrived a long time ago. Outside there is a hubbub of excited voices. SATIN: It seems that some people have come. I’ll go and find out who it is. She runs out. When the door opens, the noise and clamour in the courtyard increases. Satin rushes back into the house. Her face, which had been suppressed by fear, brightens. She pauses in confusion, not knowing how to communicate the good news. DAI SETSEN: Is everything okay? What\u2019s with the commotion outside? SATIN: They have arrived. All your matchmakers are safe and sound. They stand in front of the door asking permission to enter. DAI SETSEN: Thank God! Let them come in. With these words, he rises from his seat to meet the matchmakers. Enter Temujin, Belgutei, Hasar and their mother Hoelun-Ujin. As they step over the threshold, everyone bows respectfully to Dai Setsen. Only after that do they greet and hug the other members of the household. HOELUN: Two days of rain have delayed our arrival. All the ferries on the Kerulen River were flooded. Praise the lord, for we finally see you safe and sound again. DAI SETSEN: Well, of course, I can see all that. They say \u2018a wanderer in a foreign land swallows fat, but a homebody in his homeland swallows blood.\u2019 The mere thought that something happened to you was putting me at the end of my wits. It’s good you have arrived and everyone is safe and sound. HOELUN: It\u2019s been nine years since you became a matchmaker with Yesugei and entered into an agreement. Over the years, all sorts of hardships fell upon us. We ran in the forest thickets and the rocky mountains seeking protection from the leaders of tribes and clans, and only now have we finally come back to our senses. We have come to pick up our bride, if you don\u2019t mind. Dai Setsen, like a father according to tradition, is in no hurry to give an answer and remains silent. Looking at Temujin — who has matured and has become a stately zhigite — and at his brothers, he starts a speech with a contented air. DAI SETSEN: I know very well what dangerous obstacles and traps you had to overcome, dear matchmakers. My relative, Menlik has given you all the help he can. I am glad of your arrival here, but not because I want to get rid of my daughter. In fact, I live in constant fear that I might suddenly lose her. Many want to marry her, so the doors are downright breaking from the swoops of these bulls. Outside, we put sentries, and we keep her locked up, not letting her out because angry grooms could come in crowds at night and forcibly take my daughter away. This is how, without breaking the promise given to Yesugei, I have kept Borte safe in the fading darkness, depriving her of freedom. Seeing Temujin for the first time, I exclaimed in delight, \u2018There is a fire in his eyes and his chiselled face is harsh.\u2019 Was it not us matchmakers whom the Almighty brought together? This is our contract, and I hold on to it dearly. HOELUN: Well, if you had done otherwise, would you have been able to successfully rule an entire tribe? The spirit of the late Yesugei is probably pleased with you. DAI SETSEN: Since the news that your kindred, Targudai, burning with envy wants to destroy Temujin has touched my ear, I, having lost sleep and cannot be free from these sorrowful thoughts. Seeing you with my own eyes, I was delighted like a child. (To Satin) Prepare Borte for the honourable departure. I will dispatch twenty soldiers to accompany her halfway on your journey. A group of matchmakers represented by Hoelun, Temujin, Hasar, Belgutei and Jamukha are eagerly awaiting Borte, who is being dressed with special attention in the house. BELGUTEI: Eh, Kazakhs, they have no sympathy even for matchmakers. How long have we been stuck here as if frozen in our ranks? How much longer do we have to hang around for? AISHAN: What kind of child is this complaining about being on their feet? Ah, if it isn\u2019t Belgutei, Temujin’s younger brother. As long as you wait to see such a beauty as Borte, then you should not be grumbling about staying on your feet until the evening. HASAR: Our calculation is simple: the road is long, so it would be better to go whilst it is still bright. Besides, we can’t wait to see the face of the future daughter-in-law; and your son-in-law, Temujin will definitely run out of patience if he does not see his bride after nine years of separation. AISHAN: Then prepare your gifts for the bride. Do Mongols know what a bride is? Do they have such a rite? HOELUN Sometimes there is, sometimes not. It all depends on the person. AISHAN: Oh, apai (older sister, refers to an older woman that is close with the person, even if not directly related by blood), you are not a Mongol, you\u2019re a Kazakh. HOELUN: Do girls really live with such a concept as a nation? For whom she marries, she is akin. AISHAN: Well, yes, a Kazakh girl marries a Mongol and becomes Mongolian, and a zhigite marries a Mongolian and also goes to the Mongols. Hush now, please; Borte is coming to us! HOELUN: Hasar, Belgutei, Jamukha, prepare your own shashu (ritual showering of the bride with gifts — coins, jewellery, etc.) Here is Borte, Borte is coming! From the girl’s circle, Borte comes out, \u2018like a bird of paradise, shining like a falcon, smart and clean.\u2019 According to the tradition of Kazakh girls who are married off, she leaves her home putting on a saukele\u00a0(a bride’s headdress in the form of a cone) with owl feathers on her head, wearing a toe-length white dress with double straps, a fitted red camisole covering her chest and shoulders, and curved gold earrings. She walks slowly; it is an important moment for everyone. The assembled people are divided in two: one half — the taking part, the Mongols, the second — the accompanying part, the Kazakhs. The latter approach the Mongols, and then stop. AISHAN: Respectable matchmakers, is the soul in your body barely flickering? Why are you all standing at attention? HOELUN: We\u2019re waiting for the bride to come closer and stand in front of us. Not knowing what to do according to the Kazakh tradition, our family hesitated in confusion. After all, what rite can the Mongols try and abide by if all their wives, without exception, were taken not through matchmaking, but through kidnapping? Hasar, Belgutei, what did I instruct you to do? Where is your shashu? The group of Mongols, as if just now waking up, begins to throw shashu in the direction of the Kazakh group. It is made up of silver coins prepared in advance and hidden in skullcaps (headdress) prior to the celebration. AISHAN: Now the bride and groom can come together as one. Temujin and Borte approach and stand opposite each other. HASAR: Oh, our bride is a beauty! BELGUTEI: What a smart and careful man elder Dai is; he managed to save her from those lascivious Noyan-jackals and deliver her to us. JAMUKHA: Her face shines like dawn, and those eyes are not burning in vain. Her brow is wide open, and her facial features are an inexhaustible source of intelligence. If Temujin reached out to such a girl, then there will be no limit to his glory, his arrogance. AISHAN: (To Borte and Temujin) Now take each other’s hands. Temujin, kneel and ask her permission to take her hand. Temujin kneels in front of Borte and, smiling a little, looks at her burning with love and tenderness. TEMUJIN: Let me touch your palm as snow white as the wings of a swan, a moon-lit beauty. Borte, without haste, gives him her hand with dignity. BORTE: Even though it was nine years ago, my palms have not forgotten your then still childish hands. TEMUJIN: I also remember those youthful times. I am seized by dreams of those years.\u00a0BORTE: Oh, the palms might be a bit harder, but the tongue is softer and sweeter. Now you can get up. Temujin, squeezing her fingers, rises. AISHAN: Now let us say goodbye to Borte. First, the father and mother approach Borte and kiss her on the forehead. DAI SETSEN: May the place where you arrive shine bright with the light of dawn, my sweet little goat, Borte. SATIN: (After kissing Borte, she looks at Hoelun.) A sister by blood is coming to you, walking like a daughter-in-law, Hoelun-Ujin. This girl grew up listening more to her father than to me. She grew up hunting beasts, shooting a bow and participating in prestigious gatherings with her father. Apparently, therefore, her thoughts are not enslaved. I entrust my daughter first to God, and then to you. What can possibly please a mother more than the health of her own child? A happy journey to you! AISHAN: The bride and groom may now begin their procession along the white path forty yards long leading to the wedding carriage. Temujin and Borte walk along the path to the carriage. BELGUTEI: Seeing off girls from the Khongirad tribe is much more difficult than even the election of the next Khan. HASAR: Wouldn’t it be better to take her straight away, to kidnap her than to unravel all these problems? What strict rules they have, and we, not understanding what was required of us, just stood there frozen like statues. HOELUN: Everyone is looking at you; don’t talk so loudly. BELGUTEI: You see, we\u2019re not even allowed to open our mouths. This is worse than if the Tatars had captured and imprisoned us. The Kazakh side sings in chorus one of the traditional farewell songs which are performed when parting with a girl of marriageable age. Everyone takes out their handkerchiefs and wipes the tears from their eyes. The music of the song «Goose» is gradually gaining strength. (Folk song «Balapan-Kaz».) The upper reaches of the Kerulen River: Temujin’s house in the town of Burgyn, located on a steep bank. It is past midnight. All the households are silent and their occupants fast asleep. An old woman, Keikuat, a worker in Temujin’s house, suddenly raises her head and quickly gets up. KEIKUAT: Hoelun-Ujin, Hoelun-Ujin! Get up! Faster, please! HOELUN: Oh, did the bed catch fire or something; what happened? KEIKUAT: I hear the stamping of hooves as if the Earth is cracking. The enraged enemy is rushing straight at us!\u00a0HOELUN: (Listening carefully) Let\u2019s not get ahead of ourselves. I can\u2019t even hear the rustling of the reeds outside. Where are you hearing this horse’s stamping from? KEIKUAT: You might not hear them, but I do. He (raising her finger up) lets me hear. Borte comes out, pushing back the curtain. BORTE: I hear it too. Everybody, get up! Quickly, Temujin, get up! HOELUN: Hasar, Belgutei, Temuge, Hachiun! Get up, the enemy is on the way! In confusion, everyone begins to gather hastily. Quickly dressed, Temujin picks up a bow and sabre. BORTE: Temujin, get on your horse and gallop into the forest thickets on the slope of Mount Kaldun where not even a snake can crawl. They’re looking for you. Hasar, Belgutei, Hachiun, you will have to go with him. TEMUJIN: How can we leave you and run away? If you\u2019re going to die, I\u2019ll die with you. BORTE: Temujin, there is no time for stubbornness. He who dies in vain is not a hero. Only those who are like shields are heroic — meaning those who are cautious. Let’s not bicker… Run! Don\u2019t worry; we will not stay in this place either. Temujin, Hasar, Belgutei, Temuge and Hachiun say their goodbyes and leave. HOELUN: Hearing the pounding of the horses from which the Earth cracks, does it not strain our souls? KEIKUAT: Hoelun-Ujin, get your things together quickly. Let\u2019s go into the yard; we need to harness the oxen to the Kazakh cart. She hurries off. Outside, there is a hubbub and loud commanding voices. Without slowing, a group of armed soldiers burst into the house — these are Yesugei\u2019s long-time enemies — the Merkits. Hearing them approaching, Hoelun instantly pushes Borte into a voluminous chest and closes the lid. Upon entering, the Merkits conduct a search of the house. — Where is Temujin? — Where did he hide? — Who told him we were looking for him? KEIKUAT: The Sky… — If you don\u2019t tell me where Temujin is hiding, then we will not leave anyone alive. We will cut down everyone with our swords! They grab Hoelun by the hair and throw her to the ground. — Speak while you are alive. Where did Temujin run to? HOELUN:\u00a0 Yesterday they left to hunt for wild fowl; we\u2019re waiting for them to return. — Don’t lie, old-hag! It doesn\u2019t matter, we’ll find him anyway. — Damn, he escaped death again! KEIKUAT: I saved him. — How? KEIKUAT: Untie Hoelun-Ujin first, and then I’ll tell you. Hoelun-Ujin is freed from her bondage. — Well, tell me how you saved him. Did you know about our arrival? KEIKUAT: I knew. — How did you know? KEIKUAT: I had a prophetic dream. -A dream, she says. KEIKUAT: Yes, a dream. -Then you must be a seer. Tell me, fortune teller, are we to catch Temujin? Where is he? KEIKUAT: No, he will catch you. — Stop talking nonsense; you\u2019re out of your mind, you hag! If I cut you down with one blow right now, there would be no one to pity you later. (The man raises his sabre, but another soldier shouts.) — Wait! We must kill Temujin and take his wife with us — that was the order. Where is Borte? — Look for Borte! — Where did they hide her? If you don\u2019t hand her over immediately, we will burn you and your children. — I don\u2019t understand how he managed to get away from us again? That cowardly Temujin left you and ran, saving his own skin. He couldn’t have got far, though, so let’s catch up. Tie up these women and children, both their hands and feet. And for God’s sake just gag their mouths with a cloth so we don\u2019t hear their screams when they burn. As soon as the Merkits began to tie Hoelun and the old woman Keikuat together, pressing their backs to each other, Borte rises from the chest, pushing the lid up. Her sudden appearance is unnoticed by the Merkits BORTE: Temujin is not a coward. He went to gather his detachment. At the sight of the beautiful Borte in her nightie, the Merkits freeze in place with amazement and for a moment cannot come to their senses. — Who is this? An infernal fury or an angel? — Where did she come from? — Don’t you recognise her? It’s Borte! BORTE: Yes, I am Borte, the one you are looking for. — Well, well, she just fluttered into our arms. — Yes, tie her up. BORTE: Yes, tie me up. What else can robbers do when they burst into a house under cover of night? They can\u2019t do anything else but tie weak women hand and foot.\u00a0But do not forget that tomorrow Temujin will smash your wagons and yurts, and give your wives away as slaves to be concubines for other men. (A soldier starts to tie down Borte). Tst, it doesn\u2019t matter; you will soon be lying at Temujin’s feet, begging him not to destroy your souls! — Oh, what a beauty Temujin managed to snatch up. This wife of his must be the reason for his luck. I wonder which one of us will get her now? — \u2018Which one of us will get her?\u2019 There is no reason to ask. After all, the new owner of this woman is already here. (Coming close to Hoelun so that she can hear), Borte’s current husband is a brute, a wrestler, Shiligir! No doubt you haven’t forgotten this wrestler is the cousin of your first husband, the warrior Shiledu. At the mention of her past life, Hoelun begins to cry quietly. — Yesugei once took our grandfather’s wife, and now we are taking his daughter-in-law so our grandfather can be avenged. This will be the end of the case. Our thirst for revenge will be sated. Now, let’s track the footsteps of Temujin so we can get rid of him once and for all. BORTE: (to Shiligir) So you’re my husband now? SHILIGIR: Th-th-tha… That’s what they say. BORTE: In that case, without stuttering, untie my hands. If Temujin notices the traces of the rope on my wrists, he will burn you and then throw you to the dogs. Shiligir hurries to untie her hands. (Not hiding her mockery) You really are a brute! In two days, Temujin will gallop up with a large detachment and will not spare your men. If you want to stay alive, don’t come closer to me than half a metre. You got it? SHILIGIR: Y-y-yes. BORTE: Yes. Then let’s go. Stand in front of me. (To Hoelun) Don’t cry, mother, the moment when they fall at your feet, they will hug you and beg for forgiveness, and that moment will come soon. That is, if they don\u2019t die before then. They go out. Waline cries harder. The old woman Keikuat hugs her and comforts her. The palace of the Ong Khan, Toghrul, the owner of rich lands on the Tula River. Toghrul sits on a high throne throwing a sable fur coat over his shoulders and putting a sable hat on his head. Opposite him on the carpet with their legs tucked up are three people — Temujin, Hasar and Belgutei. Jamukha stands next to Toghrul. TOGHRUL: Oh Temujin, didn’t I tell you last year: Your shattered people, I will miraculously tether, Your scattered people, I will bring them together? It looks like your selfishness and arrogance prevented you from asking for help? TEMUJIN: Yes, I remember your kind words, Ong Khan. I know that with great difficulty, you painstakingly collect fragments of clans and tribes. I did not want to burden you. You begin to bring some together as others disintegrate, and just as you bring others in, the latter disperse again. I was late in getting married because of these endless efforts to unite the people. TOGHRUL: One time, your father, Yesugei helped to rally my own tribe, mired in strife, where everyone imagined themselves as rulers. These clouds are now gathering over you. Without asking advice from me, your father\u2019s replacement, you fell into a swamp of ignorance. I\u2019m here to receive you; it was not by chance I came out here, wearing a sable hat and a fur coat. These expensive things were sewn on a special order from Dai Setsen and were originally intended for the matchmaker, Yesugei Khan, but they were destined to be received by me. In the year of your wedding, Borte, the clever daughter-in-law said: \u2018You have replaced Temujin’s father, so the sable coat and hat rightfully belong to you.\u2019 So she gave them to me. Now that sweet girl named Borte was taken like cattle by the Merkits. TEMUJIN: That is what has happened, Ong Khan. HASAR: Yes, the villains came at night. What could we do? BELGUTEI: We were awakened by the old woman, Keikuat and daughter-in-law Borte. They warned us when they heard the stomping and whinnying of horses, and thus saved us from impending doom. TOGHRUL: Then I must repeat what I said a year ago. Your shattered people, I will miraculously tether, Your scattered people, I will bring them together. Merkits are rootless, Having stuffed their eye sockets with sand, Let’s chop them all down, and plunge them into sorrow. Borte, honoured as a Khansha, (honourable first wife of a Khan), We will return her to you, believe me. My warrior brother Jamukha, what do you say? JAMUKHA: This hostile plan of the Merkits to destroy Temujin and capture Borte was definitely unexpected, but Temujin turned out to be tenacious, escaped death and appeared before you. What have I left to say? Whatever you decide, that\u2019s what we\u2019ll do. But I will not rest until I avenge my friend and reunite the beautiful Borte with him. TOGHRUL: Then I will take one military tumen and occupy the right wing of the army, and you take another tumen and stand on the left. TEMUJIN: I too hope not to be alone when I charge onto the battlefield. JAMUKHA: Then why are we standing here? The rolling grass flies For fear, to know we are in a hurry Into a dense forest that will protect. We will beat Merkita Hama, Crashing through his front door with a bang, Let’s bring down the dome, the cradle. We will rake up everything precious, We’ll take back the pretty wife. So we will take revenge on the enemy in full, Let’s not calm down — not stall, We will not return in honour until Borte is found. TOGHRUL: (Toghrul rises from the throne, and then Temujin and his brothers get up) If you are willing to rush into battle, then tomorrow at noon we will meet in the town of Botakan, which is located near the Onon River. Everyone disperses. The stage is darkened. Screams and shouts are heard. From the neighing of horses and the cracking of sabres one can understand that there is a massacre and hand-to-hand combat taking place. When light falls on the stage, we open on a battlefield strewn with many dead warriors. The noise of the battle begins to subside, and Temujin enters, looking around anxiously. TEMUJIN: Borte! Borte! Where are you, Borte? Borte’s voice is heard from a covered brown wagon. BORTE: Temujin! I’m here, Temujin. Not knowing exactly where her voice is coming from, Temujin\u2019s eyes dart all over the place as he rushes around. TEMUJIN: Borte! Borte! Where are you? BORTE: I’m here! In the cart; it\u2019s locked. Temujin and Jamukha use an axe to open the door of the cart and see Borte bound. Jumping onto the cart, Hasar rips off the ropes. Freed, Borte immediately jumps to the ground and in a semi-faint state, throws herself on to the neck of Temujin, who grabs her. Temujin and Borte stand for a long time, unwilling\u00a0to unclench their strong embrace. Jamukha watches them intently. It seems that he looks at them with ill-concealed jealousy. JAMUKHA: Enough, that’s enough, that’s enough. What\u2019s with this unbridled tenderness? BORTE: I thought I was brought here to be killed. Thank God I’m still alive and can see you. TEMUJIN: (Looking at the corpses scattered around) So many dead\u2026 What a pity. All of these victims because of me. If I had stayed at home that night, they would have done the same with me. HASAR: Looks like a bull fell asleep in the corner of this carriage. Hasar jerks the wrestler Shiligir from the cart. TEMUJIN: Who was that next to you? BORTE: This is my appointed husband. TEMUJIN: (His soul wounded) What appointed husband? BORTE: My father-in-law, Yesugei, captured mother Hoelun from a close relative of this man. When you left, the Merkits threatened us, saying, \u2018If you don’t deliver Temujin, we’ll burn everyone.\u2019 They began to openly scoff, grabbing Hoelun-Ujin and old Keikuat by the hair. Unable to bear it, I left the chest where they\u2019d hidden me and stood up for them. Then I heard them say, \u2018Yesugei once took Hoelun from Shileda’s grandfather, and now by taking his daughter-in-law we will have our revenge. But Temujin has not gone far yet, so we will follow his footsteps. Let the wrestler, Shiligir, a relative of Shiledu be the new husband of Temujin’s wife.\u2019 So, here he is, my assigned husband. TEMUJIN: And you even spoke the words \u2018my husband\u2019 with some kind of sympathy? BORTE: Are you serious? Were you listening to what I said? Didn’t you catch the meaning of my words? Hey, my appointed husband, come here and kneel before Temujin. On all fours, Shiligir crawls up to Temujin. TEMUJIN: This is your assigned husband? Chop off his head! SHILIGIR: Temujin, I will be a slave, just don’t ruin my soul. BORTE: Don’t kill him. He kept his promise. TEMUJIN: What promise? BORTE: (To Shiligir) As you can see, Temujin did not shy away as you said that night. He did not flee; he went to collect his scattered detachment. He crushed your rabble to smithereens. (To Temujin) I told them, \u2018Untie my hands. If Temujin notices the traces of a rope on my wrists, he will burn you on the fire and throw you to the dogs.\u2019 Then I ordered him, \u2018If you want to stay alive, do not come closer to me than half a metre.\u2019 He kept his word. When there was a massacre here, fearing that one of the crazed Merkits might abuse me, he led me to this cart and hid me, and he lay down in the corner, crouched like an infectious patient. For added security, he tied me to the cart. (To Shiligir) Well, did my prediction come true; did you fall at Temujin’s feet? SHILIGIR: Yes, yes, it came true\u2026 I… I knew then … After all, I was not your husband, Borte, but one of your captors. (Looking at the piles of the dead) The Merkits, Toktabek and Ubas, they hammered the idea into my head \u2013 \u2018Take the Khan\u2019s woman, Borte, as your younger wife,\u2019 and so a demon hit me. I asked myself, what have I achieved? I\u2019ve stirred up the people living peacefully here and plunged them into blood and tears. And the Zanchak warriors having heard the name of Temujin fled to a mountain gorge. I was guilty for this massacre. I… I… I am no better than these unfortunate scum! (Points to the dead with his finger) I stretched out my hand for the unattainable, hopelessly moving forward, and so I ask of you… Kill me, Temujin. Temujin rests the tip of his sabre on his chin for a moment. TEMUJIN: I have a principle not to raise my sabre towards those who have sincerely confessed. Get up and go; catch up with your escaped relatives. All survivors can join me of their own free will, and those who resist will face a fate such as this (Pointing to the corpses). SHILIGIR: (Stretching out his tied hands) All the surviving Merkits are entirely at your disposal, Temujin. TEMUJIN: In this case, trot along and get down to business without any more fuss. Shiligir, not believing his luck, looks around and leaves. JAMUKHA: Now go and find Toktabek and Ubas and execute them! (Hastily leaves). Temujin and Borte are left alone. TEMUJIN: Now, tell me the truth, how was it really, Borte? During your week of living together, this black souled bull has not even touched you once? BORTE: (Gazing long and intently into Temujin’s eyes) Somehow I don’t understand your question, Temujin. What do you mean by that? TEMUJIN: I just want there to be no doubts in my soul.\u00a0Isn’t it strange how our eternal enemies, the Merkits did not avenge their old grievances and without causing any harm, let you go? This is the kind of doubt I wanted to dispel. BORTE: (Putting her hand on his shoulder) This doubt, it seems, will haunt me all my life like an indelible stain. Men are hungry wolves, and girls are grey lambs. TEMUJIN: That\u2019s where it comes from. With your assurance, allegedly, this brute kept his promise — what if it\u2019s just an empty bluff? BORTE: If an empty bluff, what will you do, return me to Shiligir or leave me among the wounded and dying and then leave? I told you the truth. The truth is mine, but the doubt is yours. If you need to decide, then decide for yourself. Deep in thought, Temujin stands in silence for a long time. Then he takes Borte’s hand in his and, carefully lifting it, puts it on his shoulder. Borte does not resist. At this time, a woman dressed in black with loose braids is heading towards them, stepping over the corpses. She has a five-month-old baby in her arms. She is talking to herself animatedly about something as if driven mad. AISHAN: Borte… Borte… Where is Borte? TEMUJIN: That woman is calling your name. BORTE: Yes, it seems so. AISHAN: Borte… I was told that Borte is here. The woman approaches Borte. BORTE: Are you looking for me? I’m Borte. AISHAN: Oh, is that you Borte? Do you know me? BORTE: No, I don’t. AISHAN: When you got married, I accompanied you home. Have you really forgotten? BORTE: Ah, I remember, I remember… are you not Aishan? AISHAN: That\u2019s right, the very same. You got married too late, and me too early. In this war, I lost two sons and a husband. My husband was one of the Merkits that you mowed down here like grass. BORTE: Oh, my Aishan; my dear blood! (Borte reaches out to hug her, but Aishan throws up her arms, evading her and trying to run away). AISHAN: Don’t touch me, you bloodsucking wife! You are to blame for the death of these people. TEMUJIN: If they died, then it is their own fault. They wanted to kill me and capture my wife. They orchestrated a midnight raid on my horde. I escaped death, but they tied up Borte and took her prisoner.\u00a0AISHAN: Tied up, you say? Then fight those who tied her up. Why on Earth did you have to mow down civilians? TEMUJIN: They are our old enemies, the Merkits. AISHAN: They are Merkits, but they are also children of men. For the sake of Borte alone, you covered all these people in blood — every wagon, every girl, every yurt, even the hags. (To Borte) This five-month-old child became an orphan because of you, and therefore I entrust him to you. I found him there, sucking on the breast of a dead mother. You will also be a mother. What would it be like if your child got into such a situation? Aishan makes to hand the baby to Borte, but at the last moment she takes it back. No! Forget it! Bloody hands cannot touch this angel. I will raise it myself. She leaves, hugging the child. Don’t cry, my child, don’t cry, I’ll breastfeed now. You hurry up and suckle on breasts, If you don’t want to drink milk to your heart’s content, Then I’ll treat you to bone marrow. Having wrapped you up, I will put you in a cradle. Don’t cry, my child, don’t cry\u2026 As the woman takes off, Borte sways from weakness, falls on her haunches and lets out her bottled up tears. BORTE: An orphaned baby, a soldier’s widow, corpses are lying everywhere. The steppe smells of blood, and all this falls on me. What unbearable cruelty, Temujin. TEMUJIN: Do not grieve, Borte. To unite a thousand people, sometimes a hundred must be sacrificed. For those who agree, I take them in arms, for those who disagree I take their cattle, for their obstinacy, I take their souls, and as for the aggressive, I take everything. There is absolutely no pity in war, Borte. You will see for yourself that very soon the scattered Mongols will unite as a single people, and then all this will be behind us. Tell me, how many countless battles have thundered on this steppe to this day? Does anyone remember them and burst into tears? Get up. If you grieve for every female or child’s expression of grief, then like a bone that has fallen into a fire, you will turn to black ash and crumble. BORTE: Temujin! (Rises from the spot) TEMUJIN: Yes, do you want to say something? BORTE: Didn’t you notice anything? The child in the hands of that woman did not have a thumb. The horse seems to have stepped on it, and now it\u2019s a dirty wound caked with blood. For a moment it seemed to me that this was my child, and tears gushed from my eyes. And now I\u2026 now… TEMUJIN: Speak. Why are you delaying? BORTE: I… I\u2019ve… lost my appetite, Temujin. I’m… I’m… pregnant. Temujin silently looks at Borte’s tear-stained face. Noticing something like joy in her, he looks at her merrily, squinting slightly as he carefully wipes away her tears. TEMUJIN: (Looking around) Couldn’t such news be communicated elsewhere? BORTE: I\u2019m saying it here in the hope that the spirits of the dead will hear. They, the spirits, are probably not divided there into tribes or nations. Is that not the case? TEMUJIN: Hah\u2026 I see you have not yet shed that childish mischief of yours. Temujin draws her to him, hugs her and strokes her hair. Hoelun-Ujin and Borte There are many excited voices outside. Individual shouts are clearly heard, such as \u2018Our ruler, Temujin!\u2019 and \u2018We have come to unite with you, Temujin!\u2019 BORTE: What are those screams? HOELUN: After the victory over the Merkits, all the other tribes came to Temujin to join him. Now, there are twelve leaders of such tribes outside. BORTE: For what purpose do they want to join forces? HOELUN: The dream of Yesugei Khan, Temujin’s father, was to unite the small scattered tribes of the Mongols who are mired in squabbles and bloodshed. He wanted to create an integral state with a single ruler, and Temujin’s goal is to make his father’s dream come true. BORTE: So, again with the alarms, the goalless wandering and the endless wars. HOELUN: This has been the life of the Mongols since time immemorial. Such is the fate of all tribes that have abandoned the central authority. Yesugei did not achieve his goal, for fearing he would become the sole Khan of all Mongols, his enemies poisoned him. Outside, voices are still heard: \u2018Temujin is our ruler!\u2019 \u2018May God grant Temujin a long life!\u2019 BORTE: (Opening the door, she looks out and closes it again) So many people have gathered they don’t even fit in the square. HOELUN: (Arms up) Oh, Almighty, keep my children healthy. After all, you saved us from many troubles and protected us with your mercy. Be it like a dense forest into which even a slithering snake cannot penetrate, a stormy stream that can twist boulders the size of a camel and drag them off like a skein of wool or the formidable mountain, Burkhan which will instantly freeze any living thing, thanks to you for not allowing our enemies to seize Temujin. You hid him securely. Since my son survived, when I went to you I bowed nine times. Nine times I scattered sacrificial coins. Oh, the Most High, a thousand times you have mercifully saved your slave, so save him this time too. BORTE: So, what will tribes do exactly when they become one? HOELUN: The Naimans and Tatars, our consanguineous enemies, having merged with the Chinese are going to oppose Temujin. Thus, he will be forced to fight them. BORTE: Will Temujin have the strength to do that? Those forces are countless. HOELUN: Honey, all I do is appeal to the Almighty. I beg him to save him for this reason. My sister, my daughter-in-law, you are those things as much as you are a Bortezhan (Mongolian woman). You too must pray daily to the Almighty and ask him to look over and save Temujin. BORTE: This life is like a bloody war which cannot be completed in one day or even a year. It seems our whole life will pass in continuous prayers and bows. Isn’t that right, aunt and mother-in-law, Hoelun-Ujin? HOELUN: Mortals, whoever they may be, should not forget for a moment to worship and entreat the Almighty, for everything is in his hands. Without the Creator’s command, even a leaf from a tree does not fall to the ground. BORTE: Auntie, mother-in-law, this morning I had an interesting dream. May I tell you? HOELUN: If the dream is good, then women shouldn\u2019t talk about it. BORTE: I wouldn\u2019t really call it either good or bad. HOELUN: Then speak. BORTE: The red steppe bull, enraged, beats and beats with its horns at Jamukha’s house. Suddenly, it breaks one of its horns. The red bull demands, \u2018Find my broken horn now!\u2019 and throws clods of dirt at Jamukha. Then the red bull, looking to the heavens, speaks humanly: \u2018If the firmament and the sky heed thy voice, They will make Temujin as their head.\u2019 Transforming into a man, he approaches Temujin and asks: \u2018If you become the head of all Mongols, what good will you do me?\u2019 Then Temujin burst out laughing and says: \u2018Ah, are you the same Korshi who brought this whole tribe to me? If I become the ruler of all Mongols, I will appoint you as Noyan of the whole tumen.\u2019 Then the fighter Korshi said: \u201cHow wonderful that I was elected Noyan of the tumen for planning in advance all the work for your government. But impeccably fulfilling my will, will you allow me to marry thirty of the most beautiful girls of a populous people?\u2019 To which Temujin replied, \u2018If you can handle it, then take not thirty, but a hundred. However, know all their names by heart. If one name slips from your memory, I will make you a bull again.\u2019 He laughs, after which the warrior Korshi turns into a bull again, puts Temujin on a cart and departs. I experienced a dual feeling upon awakening — both fear and joy. HOELUN: The Creator Himself, apparently, sent you a portent from above, so let’s interpret it as good. Yet why did the red bull make holes in Jamukha’s house? Didn’t he strengthen that friendship with Temujin since childhood through an oath? BORTE: Well, if he had strengthened it, then it will probably happen as in the dream. (Sighs sadly) HOELUN: Why are you sighing? BORTE: Jamukha’s intentions are righteous, but his hidden feelings are filthy. The Kazakhs have a saying: \u2018spoilage in cattle climbs outward, spoilage in people lurks inside.\u2019 HOELUN: Perhaps you might think so. But stop sighing about what is and what is not, grieving about the unrealisable. If God is willing, soon you will give birth. What higher joy is there for a woman than motherhood? We need to prepare for this joy. BORTE: If only it didn\u2019t need to be born holding blood in it\u2019s fist. HOELUN: What are you saying?! How did it get into your head to speak such words? BORTE: That’s what the women say — the ones who helped bring Temujin into this world. HOELUN: This is just gossip meant to discredit Temujin. Such rumours came about later. BORTE Hoelun-apai, would you like me to tell you about a moment I can never get out of my head? HOELUN: Yes, what is it? BORTE: There was one relative, her name was Aishan. She participated in seeing me off from my parental home. We were the same age. Do you remember her? HOELUN: Yes, I remember. BORTE: She married, but it was to a Merkit. When the carnage broke out for my release, her husband was in the battle and died, and her two children perished under the hooves of horses. Her hair turned grey, and she began to go mad. A five-month-old baby was in her arms. She found him among the ruins, sucking on the breast of his dead mother. Apparently, a horse stepped on his hand, tearing off his thumb. A large clot of sintered blood was blackened at the base of the wound. HOELUN: How horrible. Is it possible for me to meet this woman? BORTE: Why do you need to? HOELUN: I collect children left without parents. I look for them after each battle. I\u2019ve already found myself three pupils. This child can join them. Say what you like, a mother is always a mother. BORTE: She wouldn’t give him to anyone. At first she said to me, \u2018You are also a future mother,\u2019 and made to hand the child over, but then she stepped back and suddenly said, \u2018No, I can’t let your bloody hands touch this angel.\u2019 She pulled the baby away and, swaying, walked towards the Tula River. With her consciousness fading in and out, Aishan\u2019s hair turned grey, and she became an old woman in one day. How is that possible? Where did she go to comfort a baby without a thumb, a crying, sobbing, hungry baby? Is it alive or dead? I remember, I was already leaving when she suddenly turned and screamed at me, \u2018I curse you that the same fate befalls you!\u2019 HOELUN: Do not take it to heart. They say, \u2018An appropriate curse will strike the addressee, an inappropriate curse will find the one who said it.\u2019 BORTE: \u2018An inappropriate curse will find the one who said it,\u2019 you say, but what more destructive curse could strike this poor thing? (Wipes away the tears in her eyes) HOELUN: Calm down, my dear. When Yesugei died and our relatives migrated away all at once, they left us as beggars on the desert steppe. My eldest was nine-years-old, and my youngest daughter, like that foundling, was no more than five-months-old. Having no clothes or food, we were left alone to our harsh fate. Apparently, we redeemed Aishan’s curse with our bitter, painful life long ago.\u00a0BORTE: If you think about it, these burdens and bloodshed were my fault. I’m afraid I did not come to you as a good daughter-in-law, but as a dark curse. HOELUN: Do not think so badly of yourself, Borte. Even if you had not come as my daughter-in-law, we knew in advance that such a massacre was bound to happen. It has been brewing for a long time. You were just a pretext for the outbreak of the battle. BORTE: After listening to your stories, I came to the conclusion that our destinies are very similar. As Yesugei once took you away from your husband, the Merkits kidnapped me. But Temujin, Toghrul-Khan and Jamukha, those three brought their warriors and freed me, but the Merkits could not free you when the same happened long ago. HOELUN: They were afraid to speak against Yesugei. BORTE: When I was held captive by the Merkits, one day a man looked into my dungeon. He was tall, with a heroic physique and slightly grey hair. He looked different from pure Mongols; his face had a purple tint and his eyes were sharp. He entered and stared at me for a long time before asking: \u2018Aren’t you Hoelun-Ujin\u2019s daughter-in-law, whose name is Borte?\u2019 I quietly answered, \u2018Yes\u2019. Then he simply said, \u2018My name is Shiledu,\u2019 and without adding anything else, he left. Who is Shiledu? HOELUN: Shiledu? (Plunged into her surging memories, Hoelun sits in silence for some time.) Apparently, he must have deliberately sought you out. BORTE: Your face has changed dramatically. I’m sorry if I asked an inappropriate question. HOELUN: He was my first husband. His father was a Merkit, and his mother was from the Zhalair tribe. As a zhigite, he kept all his relatives close thanks to his hunting skills. Whilst hunting saiga, he stayed in our house and quenched his thirst with kumis. In the evening, when I went to fetch water with buckets, he kidnapped me and took me away. BORTE: Did you feel good about him? HOELUN: Yes, I liked him at first sight. But God must have judged us and decided we weren\u2019t destined to be together. As we were preparing for a hunt in distant lands, Yesugei noticed us on a country road. He glared at my face with greedy eyes, turned and galloped back home at full speed. My stomach clenched with apprehension. A little later, a pillar of dust towered from the stampede of approaching soldiers and engulfed us. We knew Yesugei was leading them. BORTE: What happened? HOELUN: What could we do after that? I told Shiledu, \u2018These people are plotting evil. You will not be left alive. Better to not perish in vain; save yourself and you will find another girl. If you miss me, then call your new wife by my name. If you miss me, then breathe in my scent, but now you need to disappear.\u2019 I threw him my blue handkerchief, and Shiledu caught it. The soldiers were rushing towards us with might and main, so he whipped the bay horse and rushed towards the Onon River. BORTE: I feel sorry for him. After all, they caught the poor man by surprise, so how can you not sympathise with him? Why did he not take two or three companions with him? Did he not know that bloody clashes often happen there because of young warriors? Also, why didn’t he get engaged to you? HOELUN: Mongols never get engaged. All wives are acquired through kidnapping or sudden capture from each other. BORTE: And so they don\u2019t pick out a wife? HOELUN: (Laughing). What kind of picking can there be? To these people, all men are participants in the sport of kokpara, with the girl being the torn goat. They will pick up a beauty and, throwing her on their horse’s rump, get as far away as possible. Such is the fate of a Mongolian girl, a Bortezhan. In these parts, you are the only one who got engaged and married. And despite this, did the perspicacious Dai Setsen not escort you all the way to your house with a detachment of soldiers? BORTE: Judging by your words, you still seem to remember Shiledu. HOELUN: (After a pause) Yes, you definitely noticed. It stuck in my memory. I occasionally recall… BORTE: He’s probably married already. HOELUN: For sure. Can any sane man live without women? I heard that he kidnapped another girl. BORTE: And what name did he… give her? HOELUN: He gave her my name and put my handkerchief around her. BORTE: I\u2019m guessing when you parted with him, you were very worried? HOELUN: Yes, I was worried to put it mildly. When Yesugei lifted me from his horse, I sat on the hillock and burst into tears. Then I dragged the Memorial Song from within my soul,\u00a0so much so that the forest and mountains seemed to droop.\u00a0I had a husband, called Shiledu, Ruffling his unshaven forelock, On a frosty day, you took me from him, You broke his heart without remorse. You\u2019re disgusting rabble, sick, broken, He wandered away, driven out by you. The mountains and rocks swayed, and the forests rustled, echoing, then Daridai the Archer came and offered me words of consolation: \u2018Your beloved has wandered off In flight, but not out of grief. Your protector and supporter, He renounced his relatives and hid. His roar was like a camel; He will not see you, Though they search the forest, He will scatter his tracks. You start to watch — only the darkness will tighten, Scream and your voice will fade, So don’t cry in the night, Don’t cry in vain.\u2019 How much more I have cried and yearned, but the day came when I said to myself, \u2018God decided on this, and I must submit.\u2019 And so I became the wife of Yesugei. All the relatives and friends of Yesugei, just as they rejoiced yesterday having defeated the Merkits, had fun, celebrated the wedding and danced in such a way that, in the old words of the Mongols, \u2018Their ribs were swollen and their knees buckled,\u2019 that is, to say they danced to the point of dropping. A wide plain between mountain slopes. The murmur of water in the Tula River is heard in this beautiful corner of nature, decorated with pines and firs. Temujin and Jamukha admire the landscape. JAMUKHA: I did not think there were such beautiful places in Altai, Temujin. Just look what rich colours are here. TEMUJIN: Yes, Jamukha, I share your delight. What have we seen? All we saw were orphans, children and people in fear for their lives. These poor souls survived, fell into captivity, survived, fell into captivity again, and continued with their tormented lives. There are no friends except for your own shadow; there is no support except for the Almighty, and when you cannot look for it, you have no time to admire nature. It seems that eternal battles with an inveterate enemy and struggles and showdowns with envious relatives are the only things that have occupied my mind for years. JAMUKHA: Now all that is left behind, Temujin. After all, our main opponents, the Merkits have been smashed to smithereens. Your fame has spread far; sixteen tribes have joined you and unanimously put forward their will to elect you Khan of the whole Mongolian community. You! It seems the time has come when we will realise the dream of our father Yesugei to bring together our people, divided according to the principle \u2018each tribe has its own leader\u2019, and to create a fully-fledged state with a single ruler. TEMUJIN: Yes, I see it, Jamukha, you who started all this from the ground up. And then everything moved, thanks to the Creator, who I must thank first and foremost, then to the Khan of the Kerey tribe, Toghrul, who became my father, and then to your courage, for you are my only friend. JAMUKHA: Yes, yes, once we were children too, and in the name of our friendship, I gave you the asyk (knee bone) of a gazelle, a titev and a bow made from the horns of the mountain argali, all fastened together. TEMUJIN: I also gave you my asyk bat and an arrow with a juniper tip. You know, we were inseparable. We lay in the same bed and covered ourselves with a single blanket. JAMUKHA: To strengthen our friendship, I presented you with a golden belt, which I inherited in the last war as a trophy from the Merkit warrior, Ubas, as well as his grey horse with a tied forelock. TEMUJIN: And I give you a belt with gold trim, taken from the leader of the Merkits, Toktabek, as well as his fiery chestnut horse. JAMUKHA: To fully consolidate our friendship, let’s embrace one more time, now as adults. They hug, lightly hitting each other on the chest (a sign of friendship). TEMUJIN: Jamukha, do you think that over there in the birch grove there might be a shack? JAMUKHA: Where? Ah, yes, yes. This is probably a fisherman\u2019s hut. I\u2019ll go and find out who they are. Jamukha cautiously approaches a hut made of dried branches, covered from above with straw and dead grass. He pushes back a door woven from grasses in the form of a lattice, and, looking inside, he fearfully freezes in front of a scene which raises his hair on end. A woman with dishevelled grey hair hugging a child no more than two-years-old is lying motionless on straw. TEMUJIN:\u00a0 What is it, Jamukha, why are you just standing there? JAMUKHA: Temujin, come here! Temujin approaches. He, too, freezes at what he sees. TEMUJIN: Is she…alive, dead? Jamukha taps her and the child. Neither shows any signs of life. JAMUKHA: What a horror! Who are they? The child is missing a thumb. Temujin, having guessed who they were, walks away. Temujin, what’s wrong with you? Your face turned pale and froze; do you know them? TEMUJIN: I do. She\u2019s the same age as Borte, the one who saw her off. JAMUKHA: But here lies not a young woman, but a grey-haired old woman. TEMUJIN: She suddenly lost her husband and two children, and her hair turned white in one day. She found this child when he was sucking on the breast of his deceased mother. JAMUKHA: Have you seen them before? TEMUJIN: Yes. As soon as you chased off Toktabek and Ubas, this woman appeared with a child in her arms. She did not want to give up the child, but she didn\u2019t want to stay with it either, and went towards the forest. Jamukha stands silent in thought. JAMUKHA: Then… this land is really becoming harmful to you. Was it not here that you, together with Hasar, killed Behter, the son of Yesugei from his second wife, with a bow? Temujin, shuddering as if an arrow has pierced his shoulder blade, turns sharply to Jamukha. TEMUJIN: Why do you now remember that long-forgotten story? JAMUKHA: After what I saw in there, I remembered him and saw him standing before my eyes. Both stand in silence for a while. TEMUJIN: Well, let’s get out of here. JAMUKHA: I think so, too. We’ll get home and send workers to bury these unfortunate souls. TEMUJIN: Yes, that will be the right decision. JAMUKHA: Temujin, we have been living on this plain for a whole year. I want to make you an offer. I will explain its meaning along the way. Something is restless in my soul. Let’s get out of here, quickly. Temujin’s house. Hoelun and Borte. Borte is not in a good mood. HOELUN: You’ve been preoccupied with something since last night, have you got sick? You have no appetite. BORTE: I don\u2019t get it myself; my head is spinning, I constantly feel sick. HOELUN: What happened? Perhaps something scared you, or is it stress? BORTE: Are we leaving this place? HOELUN; Yes. Summer has passed, the sky has turned white, the water has darkened, the mountains have greyed, and the forest has turned black. It’s time to prepare for winter. BORTE: I see, well\u2026 I had a bad dream last night. HOELUN: These dreams must be falling right on you. What kind of dream was it? BORTE: In the dream, I got lost in the forest. Suddenly, four tigers appeared in front of me, and all four rushed at me and ate at my breasts. Since this, the embryo inside me has begun to move. That’s why I’m worried. HOELUN: What can this mean? Well, you know dreams — they’re like fox droppings, as they say. Let’s not misinterpret it with what little information we have. Enter Old Keikuat. She has a cradle on her shoulder. She carries it to the place of honour in the room, puts it down and looks at the silently sitting Hoelun and Borte. HOELUN: Something happened, why were you late? KEIKUAT: Bortezhan… When you started getting picky about food, I asked the blacksmith, Kokish to make a cradle. I checked up on it yesterday but it wasn’t ready then. I had to wait. HOELUN: Oh, thank you. Long life to you, my friend! Come, show me. Hoelun examines the cradle, strokes it and is satisfied. KEIKUAT: Starting with the firstborn grandson, may all subsequent grandchildren grow up in this cradle. HOELUN May your wish come true. KEIKUAT: Why are you so gloomy, Borte? Does the cradle not please the firstborn? BORTE Oh, it\u2019s not that. May the creator watch over you, my friend. KEIKUAT: You seem kind of sad today. HOELUN: She had a dream in which four tigers tore at her chest. Since then, her mood has not improved. The old woman, Keikuat thinks, then her eyes close and she smiles, her whole face shining. KEIKUAT: Oh, Hoelun, the merciful Creator wants to bless us! This dream is not one to frown over, Borte, this is a joyous dream. (Comes up, hugs and kisses her). If four tigers gnaw and eat at your breasts, then you will give birth to four sons like tigers. It is swinshee, (good news\/a gift) Hoelun. HOELUN: That is what it means to \u2018trust only a well-meaning soul to unravel dreams.\u2019 You have brightly illuminated our gloomy mood, seer. Four types of livestock must be sacrificed as a token of gratitude for what has been said. Temujin enters, greets everyone and hugs his mother. TEMUJIN: Everyone is so cheerful; is something special happening? HOELUN: It’s time for Borte to give birth and Keikuat has already brought a cradle, so we rejoice. TEMUJIN: (Laughing) Well, then your joy is appropriate. (He hugs Borte). Let a son be born with a mind not yielding, courageous, formidable as a tiger, with a cry that drives away the enemy and a call that attracts a friend. HOELUN: We were visited by the leaders of the tribes Zhalair, Argyn, Uisin and Mangyt, who, having expressed their good wishes, want to elect you as the All-Mongol Khan. Visits from others do not stop either. TEMUJIN: I know about all this news, mother. Even Toghrul-Khan, who became my father, having said the same is going to call his people to the town of Naiman-Keri. To be honest, it won’t be soon, though, so today we are talking about something else. HOELUN: About what? TEMUJIN: In two days, we will begin to move for the winter. The carpenters have finished building a wooden house and all that remains is for us to move. HOELUN: No, we should stay here. Why are we leaving? After all, winter in these parts is mild and it will be easier for cattle. TEMUJIN: Recently, Jamukha and I were standing on the banks of the river and we came to a conclusion — we will change the situation, we will move from here. Jamukha said: \u2018Temujin, we will be brothers. Let’s go to the mountains, I will say without haste, And we’ll settle near the river together, Becoming protectors for the herd, Becoming protectors For all the lambs and the shepherds.\u2019 To such an argument, I could not answer. Therefore, I came to you for advice. What do you think? HOELUN: So, he wants to go? He’s not going to move away from us, is he? BORTE: Is it alright if I can answer Jamukha\u2019s wish? Temujin glances disapprovingly at Borte TEMUJIN: An incomprehensible manner for a daughter-in-law; it is impolite to interrupt the mother-in-law and insert yourself into her speech. I\u2019m not asking for your advice. BORTE: She’s not only my daughter-in-law, but also my older sister. (Not literal) TEMUJIN: Mother, you spoiled your daughter-in-law too much, you just want to appease her. (To Borte) Sit quietly. HOELUN: Don’t be angry, my son. I also cannot find an answer to your unexpected question. If your chosen one is the daughter of Dai Setsen himself, the daughter of the one who replaced your father, who could gallop on a horse from afar to cheer you up when the clouds were gathering over your head… If this daughter, who was raised free without harsh prohibitions, rejoicing that she had found a groom with \u2018burning eyes and a chiselled face\u2019 will say something of her own, then I will not grieve nor be offended that the cherished words were pulled from my mouth. Speak, Borte. BORTE: Jamukha wants to get along with us and live in perfect harmony, but according to my observations, friends and comrades quickly bore him, and he cools too quickly. It\u2019s important for him to get into your soul. One should stay away from this and respect each other at a distance. Long pause. HOELUN: What do you make of such words, son? Temujin is silent. BORTE: If you said such words, he would agree, but since these are the words of your wife, your pride, apparently, won\u2019t allow you to accept them. Well, did I speak the truth, Temujin? (Looks into his face with a smile) HOELUN: I think so, too. Let’s move on to our winter quarters. Temujin silently stares at Borte. Watching her laugh softly, squinting in a smile, he too begins to smile, though trying to hold it in. TEMUJIN: I want to agree — with women’s advice; I want to disagree — when I hear the speech of a mature husband. BORTE: The mind has no gender — it is not divided into masculine and feminine. Remember this, Temujin. TEMUJIN: Oh, you spoilt girl. If only this crazy side of you doesn\u2019t get passed on to your child in the womb. A crowd scene. The guests lift Temujin on a white felt mat, then place him on the Khan’s throne, trimmed with gold embroidery. TOGHRUL: Oh, fellow men! Oh, the community of all Mongols! Temujin has brought together the disunited Mongols, where each tribe leader considered himself an omnipotent sovereign. Temujin has created a great state. He has taken part of the Chinese Empire under his control. The whole world will know of this famous Khan. From now on, according to the custom of the Persian commanders, he will be called the ruler of the Universe, Genghis. Do you all agree? VOICES: — We agree! — Genghis is the ruler of the Universe! — Genghis is the ruler of the Universe! Jamukha, Hasar and Belgutei move away from the crowd. HASAR: The Persian word \u2018Genghis\u2019 in Kipchak sounds like \u2018Shenghis\u2019. BELGUTEI: From this moment, our other life begins. When \u2018Genghis\u2019 was still Temujin we could go up to our older brother and without asking drink as much kumis as we could from his wineskin. Now, they probably won’t let us anywhere near him. JAMUKHA: It has always been like this, brother. \u2018If you want to get away from your friend, put him on a horse,\u2019 says the commoner\u2019s proverb. HASAR: Jamukha, it might just be me, but it seems that your mood hasn\u2019t risen from the fact that our Temujin has become Genghis Khan. JAMUKHA: Don\u2019t worry about it. Tomorrow we will meet in the Khan’s palace during the military council. (Emphasising every word) Only then will I speak my most heart-breaking words. BORTE: (To Hoelun) Look, look at Jamukha. His face is frozen, angry, pale even. No single shred of joy; he is up to something. The shouting in the distance does not subside. — Genghis Khan! Genghis Khan! — Ruler of the Universe! Great Kagan Genghis! The Khan’s palace belonging to Kagan Genghis. On a high throne with gold embroidery sits not the noble Temujin, but Genghis Khan, full of anger and energy. The war council is in full swing. GENGHIS KHAN: \u2018You united the Mongols, made them a whole people.\u2019 With such exclamations you have chosen me as Khan. The Naimans and Tatars, gathering all their forces under one fist, are preparing for war against us. In the battle that broke out three months ago, after being defeated, they swore an oath they would be allies, and I, believing your assurances it was necessary to \u2018stop the bloody war,\u2019 ceased military operations halfway through. I admit my decision was wrong. It is not in vain that there is a saying, \u2018he who takes pity on the enemy himself will perish\u2019. From now on, the commanders, centurions and thousanders who spared the enemy will be considered internal saboteurs, and we will condemn them to death. I will take over the management of all military units and operations. HASAR: Almighty Khan, the army of the Naimans and Tatars numbers forty-thousand people. What if we wait until the number of our army increases?\u00a0GENGHIS KHAN: That is impossible, for we are running out of time. According to my intelligence, the Tatars’ attorneys went to the Chinese for help. We must hurry. I\u2019ll assign the command over these hostilities to Jamukha. Jamukha, what do you think about this? Jamukha is absent. He has not shown up for the council. Jamukha! I can’t hear your answer. BELGUTEI: Your Majesty, two messengers have come from him. He informs you he cannot take part in the meeting of the council. GENGHIS KHAN: (Frowning) I wonder what could have possibly happened to him that he would miss the council today. I truly wonder, what is his reason? BELGUTEI: The reason is…trivial, I am ashamed to say out loud. GENGHIS KHAN: Speak now that you’ve started. BELGUTEI: Jamukha\u2019s men, mistaking our three-hundred horses for the cattle of the Naiman and Tatars committed barymta (cattle theft). Our soldiers caught up with them and with a shockpar (a club with a weighty knob) killed the leader of the barymtas. The deceased turned out to be a close relative of Jamukha, and therefore, fearing your wrath, he did not come to the council. More precisely, he lacked the spirit. HASAR: Tsk! How can he \u2018lack spirit\u2019 if he, out loud, accuses Temujin’s men of deliberately killing his relative? Genghis Khan stands in thought. The Khan’s palace. Genghis Khan is on the golden throne. Borte enters and bows respectfully. GENGHIS KHAN: You have been trying to see me for several days now; what do you want to say? How is our firstborn, Jochi doing? We named him \u2018Jochi\u2019 (traveller) because he was born on the road during our nomadic wandering. BORTE: According to the ancient custom of the Kazakhs, a firstborn son is not the father\u2019s or mother\u2019s child, but the grandfather\u2019s and grandmother\u2019s. Jochi is currently in his grandmother’s care. GENGHIS KHAN: It\u2019s such a blessing to grow up in the arms of a grandfather and grandmother, to receive their wisdom. But a child raised solely by a grandmother can only mature so much. Like a plant in the shade, it can only grow to be gentle, just a grandmother’s son. In two years, take Jochi with you and make him into a real Mongolian warrior whose body will still thrash at the enemy even if you cut off his head. There are many battles ahead of us, and in these battles Jochi will become my firm supporter, advisor and reliable companion. So, what else do you have to say? BORTE: There are many things I want to say, O Lord. Just yesterday you were Temujin, but now, by the will of Heaven and Earth, you have become a great Kagan. When the husband becomes a ruler, the wife turns into a palace ghost. GENGHIS KHAN: Do not deviate from the topic; speak briefly and to the point. BORTE: Did you meet Jamukha after his failure to appear at the council? GENGHIS KHAN: Why do you need to know this? BORTE: Even though you consider me a woman and belittle me, unable to reach you, the commoners bring their petitions and complaints to me, respecting me as a Khansha. (Great Khan\u2019s first wife) GENGHIS KHAN: Yes, and so? BORTE: And although I am just a woman, I am still the first wife of the Khan himself. Therefore, many people who cannot reach you transmit their complaints and ideas through me. GENGHIS KHAN: Oh, the Khongirads like pounding down on water in a mortar, but as I said, keep it short and do not stall this conversation over trifling matters. BORTE: Be patient a little, will you, let me tell you, venerable Khan. You are no longer the old Temujin prone to fever; you are the great Kagan, and the Khan befits endurance. If the Khongirads are verbose, then it stems from their desire to bring their thoughts to maturity before putting them into the world. They don’t eat poorly cooked meat. They are not like you, swallowing half-baked, blood-streaked lumps. You too have not yet eradicated the habit of speaking words quickly without considering their meaning. GENGHIS KHAN: If another person were in your place, he would immediately lose his head. BORTE: Then keep in mind, it is much easier to cook meat properly than to cut off the head of your own wife. Or am I wrong? GENGHIS KHAN: (Jumping up enraged) I have no time to start a squabble with my wife! Say what you want to say, and hurry up or get out of here. BORTE: Jamukha will not come to your tent from now on; he will not join you. GENGHIS KHAN: How do you know this? BORTE: I know what you do not. I heard he is now talking between the Naiman and the Tatars. Not long ago I expressed my fears, which become truer with every passing day. The Zhazhir dynasty, from which your close relative Taishuyt came, has proclaimed him Gur Khan. GENGHIS KHAN: I don\u2019t need such predictions. The Mongols have a proverb: \u2018Women do not speak gossip, but simply hear things differently.\u2019 BORTE: Don’t worry — I know the Kazakhs also have such a proverb. All I did was tell the bitter truth. GENGHIS KHAN: You stubbornly want to drive a wedge between me and Jamukha. He is the Commander-in-Chief of all my troops. BORTE: From now on, he is not your Commander-in-Chief. GENGHIS KHAN: Enough! I’m tired of your chatter. Leave the horde. Genghis Khan rings a bell. The Khan’s assistant enters. Take this woman away. Take her away and put her in a separate yurt. From now on, keep her out of my horde. The guard takes Borte away. Proudly raising her head and straightening up, treading with dignity and without haste, Borte takes her leave. Genghis Khan looks at her and cannot immediately look away as he shakes his head regretfully. A small headquarters for the Khansha, Borte, placed on the mountainside. Although Genghis Khan moved her away from the palace, ordinary people still show her respect, for she is the wife of the great Khan. She also has her own workers and servants. Borte and the old woman, Keikuat are in the house. The old woman is busy with fortune telling on the forty-one round stone bones. KEIKUAT: Tomorrow will be a sultry day, and the moon is approaching an eclipse. The top five bones have fallen out. This means the child in the cradle will be happy. On the one hand, they are even, on the other, odd. Genghis Khan will have luck on one hand, and failure on the other. There is both confidence and anxiety in him. There is one bone in the centre. Something has torn his heart to pieces. In the last row, in three places, four bones have been laid down. This is a tough turn-out, the evenly unkind type. BORTE: What is the evenly unkind type? KEIKUAT: It represents death. BORTE: Who does it fall on? KEIKUAT: I do not know. BORTE: (Fearfully) Is there something holding you back from saying? KEIKUAT: As they say, \u2018a mysterious lie, and not a mysterious lie\u2019. I will try to read it through again. (She starts collecting the stones once more) Enter Hasar and Belgutei. Their movements are fussy, their faces cold. BORTE: What happened? You ran in here as if from a fire, and your faces are crazed. HASAR: Yes, we come with bad news. (Looking at the old woman) We apologise, but you must leave us alone with Borte-Khansha. KEIKUAT: I was going to get tea for myself. Oh well, I’ll go into the yard and light a fire. She walks out. BELGUTEI: We are saddened that father-Khan was so angry and has removed you from the horde, but it probably won’t last long. The dried skin is taking shape, the overflowing river will return to the channel. If we win tomorrow’s battle, then father-Khan will, of course, calm down in due course. But we came to say something else, however. BORTE: Well, tell me then, just calm down and don’t choke on your words. HASAR: Today at dawn, the warrior Korshi, a relative of Jamukha, rushed in and said: \u2018By blood, language and tradition, I am close to Jamukha. The other day I voted for his election as the Gur Khan. Therefore, it is not easy for me to break from him. Nevertheless, he was Temujin’s childhood friend who twice swore his allegiance and had become inseparable… and yet suddenly he broke from him. When everyone raised your brother as the All-Mongolian Khan on a white felt mat, then ours almost went crazy with envy and fear. Jamukha is preparing for an assassination attempt. This is what I came to report.\u2019 BORTE: An assassination attempt? BELGUTEI: Tonight, Jamukha will descend upon the horde with a detachment of eighty men to kill the sleeping Genghis. BORTE: Are you sure that Korshi is not playing us with his colourful story? HASAR: In order to prove his loyalty, he cut his thumb with a knife and, swallowing the blood, he swore an oath. BORTE: Assuming he is telling the truth, what are we to do? BELGUTEI: Borte-hanim, (Madam) we urgently need to inform the Khan of this news. BORTE: But why can’t you go and tell him yourself? HASAR: The ruler may get angry, they say, if you deliver bad news before a battle. He will order you to chop off your own hand. BELGUTEI: Well, that is if it\u2019s only a hand. BORTE: So what advice did you come for? HASAR: Although you have been removed from the horde, you are still the Khansha. Only you can convey this message to the great Khan. BORTE: Genghis Kagan issued a decree on my removal from the horde. BELGUTEI: A message such as this can perhaps break the rules of even the seven top-secret decrees. If you decide to inform the Khan, then you must do it quickly, now go! BORTE: So, an assassination attempt… I see. Well\u2026 (Trying to concentrate, begins to pace back and forth, sits in a chair and then springs to her feet) Well then… bring me a good horse. If he\u2019s telling the truth, then the Khan’s head will remain intact, and if he has told a lie, then mine will fly from my shoulders. Let it be. I’ll place my head on the chopping block.<\/p>\n

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A galloping horse is heard. <\/em><\/p>\n

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The Khan’s palace — guards are standing. Borte tries to enter and the guards block her path. <\/em> BORTE: Put away your spears; don’t cross them. I may have been expelled from the horde, but I am not deprived of the title of the legitimate Khansha. Let me through! Borte, not yielding to the guards, pushing forward reaches the entrance of the central hall where Genghis Khan sits, and desperately dashes into the hall. The Khan is holding a meeting with advisers and does not immediately notice the hubbub, but when Borte, dressed lightly, appears, everyone stares in bewildered silence. BORTE: What stunned you, gentlemen? You look like you\u2019ve just seen a black demon descend from the heavens. I am your Khansha, Borte. The advisors begin standing in surprise, as Borte swiftly walks to Genghis Khan, kneels before him and rises just as quickly, speaking confidently. Oh, imperious Khan! I apologise a thousand times for coming to you without an invitation or permission. I have an urgent message which cannot be delayed even for a moment, and one cannot remain silent. GENGHIS KHAN: (Frowning) How dare you come here and unceremoniously interfere with my council meeting? You can’t wait for me to punish you — do you want torture or death? What has brought you here? BORTE: I do not want to experience torture or death. I was carried away by the will of the Almighty, and I couldn\u2019t wait to tell you this. Having killed two horses, having overcome a two-day journey, I barely got here just to say this phrase. GENGHIS KHAN: So tell me. BORTE: To do this, take all these people out for a time, for only then can I feel relieved. Hearing this, in a great commotion, the remaining offended members of the council rise from their seats. Genghis Khan, after a little thought, raises his hand and gestures for them to leave the hall. Still agitated, they head for the exit. GENGHIS KHAN So, speak now. BORTE: Almighty Khan, today, without delay, you must leave this palace. GENGHIS KHAN: What? BORTE: You cannot stay here tonight. GENGHIS KHAN: Is everything alright with your head? BORTE: Your friend Jamukha will attack the palace tonight. GENGHIS KHAN: Jamukha will attack? BORTE: Exactly. GENGHIS KHAN: Who told you that? BORTE: It doesn’t matter who told me; it’s important you don\u2019t stay here. GENGHIS KHAN: Jamukha should be here at dawn tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow we will go hiking. So what other nasty nonsense do you have left to say about him? BORTE: Jamukha, along with eighty soldiers, will attack the horde in the dead of night when you are dreaming peacefully, and he will kill you. GENGHIS KHAN: Jamukha is my childhood friend. We grew up together and covered ourselves with one blanket. It can’t be… It can’t be! Apparently, when I ejected you from the horde, you decided it would amuse you to put him in this puddle of revenge to make fun of me. While your head is on your shoulders, disappear from here as soon as possible. If your words turn out to be a lie, then you can say goodbye to your life. From overflowing anger and lack of air, Genghis Khan suffocates and cannot speak further. BORTE: To be sure of the veracity of my words, change the place of your overnight stay for this night. If it turns out to be a lie — my head will fly from my shoulders, but if it is the truth — you will cut off a friend’s head. In one phrase, one of us two is truly yours. And with that, everything I wanted to say has been said. The rest, you must decide for yourself. (She heads for the exit, briefly turning to the address the dumbfounded Genghis Khan). Now you can call your advisors in and continue your meeting. She leaves GENGHIS-KHAN: Not a fury or an angel, God knows what she is! (He shakes his head in distress)<\/p>\n

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Jamukha makes an assault on the horde with a detachment of soldiers. There are screams and the crackling noise of battle. Together with four or five thugs, he breaks into the part of the horde where Genghis Khan usually resides, but he does not find him.<\/em> JAMUKHA: (Addressing the servants) Where is Temujin? Where is he hiding? SERVANT: He left with the military units to resolve a supply issue. He will not be here today. Jamukha clutches at her hair in a rage and almost falls on the seat. JAMUKHA: Clearly, there is a traitor among us. Temujin will come soon and arrest us all. SOLDIER: What do we do? JAMUKHA: We only have one path. SOLDIER: What is it? JAMUKHA: Withdraw two tumens from Temujin’s troops and go with them to the Naiman. SOLDIER: (Surprised) Does that mean we\u2019re going to fight Genghis Khan? JAMUKHA: We have no other choice. If we withdraw two tumens from Temujin, he will have only twenty-thousand, and we have forty-thousand. We can easily bring him to his knees. Dawn is already approaching. We must get out of here quickly.<\/p>\n

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The courtyard behind the Khan’s palace. Genghis Khan sits on a throne. Jamukha is kneeling in front of him with his hands tied. <\/em> GENGHIS KHAN: What punishment do you deserve, Jamukha? JAMUKHA: Death. GENGHIS KHAN: Will you plead for forgiveness? JAMUKHA: There is no forgiveness in such matters. GENGHIS KHAN: What kind of death do you prefer? Breaking your spine as in Mongolia, hanging you on the gallows as in China, or chopping off your head as in Persia? Choose one of them. That’s all I can do to help. JAMUKHA: Death is also divided into nationalities. If I must choose, then I choose the Mongolian death. GENGHIS KHAN: Words of a sincere patriot\u2026 Be it your way. Tell me, my friend, Jamukha, why did you want to kill me? JAMUKHA: It was out of envy. GENGHIS KHAN: Envy… Of what exactly? JAMUKHA: Everything. For your imperious appearance, posture, authority, your rising strength, your endless stream of riches, your khanate which is growing not by the year but by the day… and for Borte. GENGHIS KHAN: For Borte? When you pledged to me that we\u2019ll \u2018climb the mountains and settle near the river\u00a0together, becoming inseparable for another year,\u2019 was it all a lie? Was there even then a hidden intention devouring you from the inside? By suddenly attacking, you wanted to defeat the horde, kill me, seize my power, and make Borte your concubine? Was this not your goal? JAMUKHA: That’s right, Temujin. GENGHIS KHAN: Many years ago, Dai Orator instilled in me the phrase: \u2018You can cope with enemies yourself, but beware of friends\u2019. Now I am executing you, but you have executed my trust in my people, Jamukha. After this, I will no longer believe anyone. JAMUKHA: My dying dream is to know — who sold me out? GENGHIS KHAN: I took care of that in advance; you will not leave this world with your dream unfulfilled. (Clapping his hands) Enter! The guards bring the warrior Korshi and place him next to Jamukha. His eyes widening in surprise, Jamukha stares at him steadily. JAMUKHA: So it was you, Korshi, my relative? Korshi is silent. GENGHIS KHAN: There is only one punishment for betrayal \u2013 death. KORSHI: I saved you from death, great Kagan. You said, \u2018If I become the Khan of all Mongolia, I will make you a Noyan and give permission to marry thirty beauties.\u2019 GENGHIS KHAN: Wasn\u2019t what you saw a dream, warrior Korshi? Just a dream. You betrayed your Khan, and those who betray their Khans are not pardoned. KORSHI: Oh, great Kagan! Oh, my lord! Show mercy, I am not to blame. Borte approaches Genghis Khan and whispers something in his ear. GENGHIS KHAN: So, warrior Korshi, you betrayed your Khan, but showed your honesty in relation to me. Therefore, I will grant your freedom. KORSHI: Glory to the creator in Heaven, and on Earth to Genghis Khan. May God illuminate your deeds, great Khan! JAMUKHA: Honestly, Temujin, you are no better than me, and you have never excelled at anything. I was not inferior to you as a simple warrior or as a military leader. Your greatness comes from the fact that Dai Orator himself became your father-in-law, that you have a discerning mother in Hoelun-Ujin, and an intelligent wife in Borte. Now, thanks to them, you have reached an unprecedented height of power. And yet I did not have a shred of such support in my entire life. GENGHIS KHAN: You probably remember, Jamukha, that on the eve of my electio nas Khan of all Mongolia, I called on the tribal leaders and said, \u2018To avoid absurd rumours tomorrow, tell me now if there are worthy candidates among you and let them also vote.\u2019 When I, showing respect, offered you this, the answer followed, \u2018There is no such rock that can withstand the impact of the wave; there is no such person who is more reliable than you\u2019. So they picked me alone. Why then did they not say that you have your own proposal? JAMUKHA: We didn\u2019t have a rock that could withstand the wave; we didn\u2019t have support except for ourselves. GENGHIS KHAN: After which your envy grew like that of a red bull? JAMUKHA: Whatever you want to call it, it is your will. Let\u2019s not stretch this conversation out more than necessary. Have your justice soon. GENGHIS KHAN: (To the guards) Execute him in the Mongolian way. Let the soul not be tormented and not a drop of blood spilt. JAMUKHA: Before dying I will ask, so give me an answer, Temujin. GENGHIS KHAN: Ask away. JAMUKHA: Your army did not have more than twenty-thousand the last time I checked; how could you have collected fifty-thousand soldiers in a single day? GENGHIS KHAN: (Laughing) We didn\u2019t. Not a single warrior joined us. We simply surrounded you with fifty-thousand kindled lights. JAMUKHA: Frightened by the mass of the night lights, most of our army fled to the mountains. GENGHIS KHAN: (Laughs). Have you any other questions? What else do you want to know? JAMUKHA: When we were surrounded by those countless lights and the soldiers were seized by confusion, sometime after midnight an event took place that amazed everyone. One woman in a white robe looking like an angel, holding a sparkling sabre in her hand and in no way hiding the dead soldiers who had fallen around her, walked amongst their ranks and chanted the cherished words of the motif of the Holy ascetic lamas. \u2018Save your soul! Save your soul! I have come to save you. If tomorrow the hour of death comes, everything will perish in vain and you will become mindless victims. The Creator did not create you for murder, but so that you can taste the bliss of life, he breathed a soul into you. Your bodies belong to you, but your souls belong to the Creator. The Creator bequeathed you souls to protect you, and you killing\u00a0each other goes against his mercy. Tomorrow, you will again step over the line of blind extermination. I\u2019m rescuing God\u2019s trusted souls. Go home and save your souls!\u2019 These words put such fear into the army that the Naimans led by Tayan-Khan ran to the Aspan-Tau Mountain in the middle of the night and disappeared. And you, having taken in the ring the remnants of our troops, who were madly rushing about like sheep from the attack of a wolf, easily won. You took me prisoner. Now, did this angel visit your troops as well? GENGHIS KHAN: No. No, there was no angel, for that was one of our people. JAMUKHA: Who is this person who does not know fear? GENGHIS KHAN: It is the woman you are jealous of me over. JAMUKHA: Borte? (Long pause) Yes, there is no limit to your cunning. It is probably not worth living any longer or I will go to the next world insane. You had better carry out your order. (Casting a glance at Korshi) It\u2019s a shame. The most unforgivable mistake a person can make is his elementary promiscuity of the knowledge of his surroundings and the people that surround him. PART TWO: The stage is darkened. Many years have passed, but the flying thunder of war, the beating of war drums calling for battle, the clatter of galloping horses, and the ringing of clashing swords in military conflicts still remain. After the noise and din dies down, the palace chambers of Genghis Khan are revealed. Genghis Khan sits on the throne. We are in the presence of a formidable Khan, one who is still gaining in strength. A bell is ringing. The outlines of the guards are visible. GENGHIS KHAN: Let her come in. Borte enters. She stands in front of Genghis Khan and bows respectfully. You keep repeating the same thing — I have it, what else can I say, I have it. You\u2019re not letting my mother’s ears have any rest. So is that what you want me to tell you now? BORTE: No wonder they say, \u2018The Khan has no wife, and the wife has no husband.\u2019 Isn’t that about you and me? We haven’t seen each other for two years. GENGHIS KHAN: Get to the point. BORTE: You brought all the Mongols together and subjugated almost all of China.\u00a0Who has not yet obeyed then? Four sons from four different sides will be brought to your feet. GENGHIS KHAN: Yes, so be it. By the grace of Heaven and Earth, we subjugated the Chin Empire to the Mongol will. The four lions born by you are ready to take over all four cardinal points of the world. May Tengri help them. BORTE: Then why are you still ignoring me, keeping your distance as if I played no part in these victories? What have I done wrong? GENGHIS KHAN: (Laughing forcefully) And what are you going to demand this time? What do you want from me? To elect you as a Noyan and make you the Chief Warlord? Do not look for approaches to the palace, but rejoice that your head is still on your shoulders. BORTE: Thanks to the fact that this head has remained intact, your head has also escaped many misfortunes. Knowing this full well, why do you keep me away from the horde, why do you not let me near the palace? What is the reason for such a disgrace? GENGHIS KHAN: You unceremoniously meddle in my internal affairs; you behave too arrogantly. BORTE What do you mean when you say, \u2018too arrogantly?\u2019 Do you mean when I resisted your intention to make a trip to the West? At yesterday’s council of war, you put forward this idea again. So I will say it again — since China and the Mongols are united, there are prerequisites to bring them together as a single people. So why don’t we live without war, without predatory campaigns, without bloodshed, and live a calm and peaceful life? As long as we remember ourselves, fear closes our eyes before going to sleep, and a terrible cry awakens us from our dreams. Our children were born in nomadic carts and matured on tedious horseback trips. What I would do to bring up my grandchildren in a calm atmosphere. The Chinese you conquered have such a passion for learning, a thirst for knowledge. I would also like to teach my grandchildren. GENGHIS KHAN: These same Chinese with their \u2018thirst for knowledge\u2019 I defeated in two years and subordinated to my will for a long time now. BORTE: Nations conquered on horseback cannot be ruled on horseback. In the days of our ancient ancestors, the Huns were led on a campaign by such a leader as Attila. He also conquered the entire known world, but after his death the vast khanate fell apart and disappeared. One can easily deduce from this that physical strength alone is doomed to fail. GENGHIS KHAN: And the boundless ulus (nation) built by me will tomorrow become a prosperous eternal fortress. This ulus will be led by my descendants. Attila did not acquire descendants. Intoxicated by today’s victories, he did not think about tomorrow. BORTE: They say the ruler of the Chinese capital of Beijing gave you his seventeen-year-old daughter. How many wives does that make now? GENGHIS KHAN; I do not know. If you find the time, count for yourself. BORTE: They say that Attila died, suffocating in the arms of an eighteen-year-old beauty named Krimkel. There are many rulers in history who have found their inglorious end in the arms of young beauties. GENGHIS KHAN: So, what are you trying to say? Is this jealousy or a warning? BORTE: If I twitched with jealousy at your every young woman, wouldn’t I have burst a long time ago? I am also one of many poor Mongolian girls who are kept just to be bullied and violated. Is there anyone here who sincerely considers women to be human? I’m afraid that you, a ruler who has conquered half of the world, will be overtaken by death from a woman. GENGHIS KHAN: Is that all you wanted to say? No matter how many wives I take, your place is inviolable. You alone have the most honourable dignity of Khansha. BORTE: Even though they call me empress, the prefix \u2018baba\u2019 has not yet detached from me. GENGHIS KHAN: It is not worth it to get angry because of this; baba-khatun is an honourable nickname. BORTE: To our people, a cowardly man is called a \u2018katyn\u2019. GENGHIS KHAN: Well, in our people, there is a proverb: \u2018The tribe which is ruled by a woman has an awful flavour\u2019. I have already spoken with you about this. BORTE: Every second word of yours is \u2018katyn\u2019 (baba). You pronounce it with a kind of mockery in a humiliating fashion. Yes, we are all women. Both my mother and yours are women. If it weren’t for your mother, Hoelun, it remains to be seen whether you would have survived at all. In order not to starve to death, she walked around the steppe and caught mice, boiled reeds to their core and rhizome of grasses. Didn’t she save you from death? And when she got to her family and friends, wasn\u2019t she trembling with fear that you, especially you, were being hunted by the enemies who killed your father? How can you disparagingly call such a woman a katyn — a baba? Borte, as if feeling satisfaction that her words made Genghis Khan think, succumbing to the urge to cross along the floor, begins pacing back and forth and straightening the rumpled hem of her white dress. Throwing the braids that have fallen on her chest over her shoulders, she removes the borik hat with owl feathers from her head, revealing a moon-shaped miniature decoration on her forehead before putting the hat back on. Genghis Khan, as if only now, notices her beautiful posture. She is a beauty that has not faded over the years. He surreptitiously looks at her, admiring her and restraining a smile. GENGHIS KHAN: Seeing your vigorous movements and gestures, you do not look like a woman who has experienced oppression and suffering. On the contrary, you have bloomed. What is your secret for an appearance of such elegance? (Laughs lightly) BORTE (Looking serious) Laughter is unusual for the Khan. GENGHIS KHAN: Your tongue, though, is my main enemy. How many times do I have to warn you? BORTE: A woman’s skull is just a dish from which the Khan drinks kumis or wine. Why are you targeting my head? Why should I be discouraged just by being fenced off from the palace? After all, the rabble is in the corral and the Khan is on the throne. Your name and glory, both on Earth and under the heavens, blaze like a fire that engulfed thickets of reeds. All four of my sons are safe and sound, and all, as you asked God, have become mighty tigers. They didn\u2019t complain that their father had alienated their mother from the palace, and enquiring as to my health, all four of them take turns to visit me. These sons are four pillars, four walls of mine. Knowing this perfectly well, why should I walk like a repentant sinner, like a drowned woman? GENGHIS KHAN: (To himself) This woman… this woman does not say such words for no reason. There is a terrible meaning behind them. If I continue to remove her, then in time, in a situation where her four sons become the rulers of four uluses, they may not be on the side of the then powerless Khan, but on the side of their mother. BORTE: The West… the West! An unprecedented and unheard of mysterious world. What awaits us there? \u2018The robber is exterminated by the robber, and the Khan is exterminated by the Khan,\u2019 they say. Who can guarantee that a sabre which has cut down many heads will not once rise above your head? GENGHIS KHAN: Was it then that you came to scare me, or to warn me? BORTE: Both. GENGHIS KHAN: I hope I don’t hear such words anymore. Of course, it would not be superfluous to chop off such a head that now and then jumps from one fantasy to another. In my opinion, at times you completely forget who you are standing in front of. BORTE: (Kneeling) Oh, my great lord. I’m not so crazy as to forget who I’m standing in front of. You control half the world, and I am just one of your many wives. All I have is the title of Khansha. Before you, the whole world should tremble, and you want your own wife to tremble. There are millions of heads like mine, and your head is one and only, so you need to take care of it. You shouldn’t worry about my unfortunate little head. Instead, possibly you should laugh in your manner. How did your laugh sound, the one just now? It was something like this, right? Ha ha ha ha! Although it turned out embarrassingly, Borte, laughing loudly, managed to avoid the anger of Genghis Khan and even made him laugh in return. He laughed out of his old habit, that is, with his whole body swaying. GENGHIS KHAN: Oh, you wretch! Everything is the same as before; the same laughter as in my younger years. Do you remember in my youth when my father brought me to your house, and you and I saw an interesting scene? A lamb was grazing by itself behind the barnyard, and a huge ox kept butting and crumpling him and not allowing him to rest. Then a ram walked fifty or sixty paces away from the menacingly, bellowing ox that was beating the ground with its hoof, quickly accelerating as it hit it with its ornate horns.\u00a0The ox the size of a mountain roared in surprise and fell on its back. You laughing so loudly now reminded me of this. (Both laugh merrily) BORTE: If you will not give up on your plans to move West, I will go with you. GENGHIS KHAN: No. You will remain in Karakorym as the keeper of our hearth. BORTE: No, if I do not go with you, I will go to the Karatau mountains, where I was born and raised. One of my grandchildren, Sain, is four-years-old, and Batu is two-years-old. I will show them the homeland of my ancestors, Zhideli-Baysyn. I will take care of their upbringing. If you meet me there, then do not be surprised. Borte, without haste, steps out proudly. GENGHIS KHAN: (Shaking his head) Like a ridiculous branch on a pine tree, it grows across itself, and that’s all it does.<\/p>\n

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The twelve-winged yurt, set up not far from the Khan’s palace and at a distance from some of the nearby grazing lambs, is full of girls today. These are teenagers from fourteen to fifteen-years-old, captured from the forest peoples. These captive girls are intended for the brute Korshi, who asked the Khan, \u2018if my dream comes true and you become the ruler of all Mongolia, then, having chosen me as Noyan, will you give permission to marry thirty beauties?\u2019 They have been cut off from their parents and loved ones. Some are sobbing quietly, others crying loudly. All are in tears. Approaching each of them is Borte, stroking their heads and consoling them as best she can. <\/em> BORTE: What tribe are you from? GIRL: Oirat. BORTE: Well, what about you? GIRL: Buryat. BORTE Are you also a Buryat? GIRL: No, I’m from the Torgouts. BORTE: And where are you from? GIRL: I am from Khongirad. BORTE: Khongirad? How did you end up among the forest peoples? GIRL: Father and mother came to the Oirat. As soon as they began the matchmaking rituals, they were ambushed by your soldiers and I was taken prisoner. BORTE: Are your parents safe and sound? GIRL: When they strapped me to the saddle and drove away, my parents, clinging to the horse’s rump, ran after me, crying. BORTE: Are you with a white hem or a red one? GIRL: Sorry, I did not get that. BORTE: I\u2019m asking if you have you become a victim of an insatiable Mongol rooster? 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.<\/p>\n

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Khan’s palace. Genghis Khan and Korshi the Warrior. <\/em> 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\u2019t 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 over. Even without some extra wives, right now, I think I will be fine. I am not dry from melancholy quite yet. GENGHIS KHAN: How many wives do you have right now? That is, at home? KORSHI: Four. It was five, but last year a cow gored one. GENGHIS KHAN: Borte will soon come up and explain the matter herself. (With a sly smile) Stay with four wives for now and be healthy. Korshi exits. Borte enters. BORTE: Have you called me because you finally decided to cut off my head? GENGHIS KHAN: Where are the thirty girls? BORTE: I let them go to their relatives. GENGHIS KHAN: How do you have the heart to disobey my orders again? BORTE: Jochi and Chagatai attracted all the forest dwellers to us without a war, without shooting or threats, having carried out explanatory work. They joined of their own free will, but you yourself paid special attention to those who joined and showered them with gifts. I remember the Uygurov Khan, Idikut voluntarily coming to meet you with many gifts, singing the following words from the bottom of his heart: Dispelling the clouds, The sun seemed to rise. Having melted the ice, As if water was spilt. On your belt — let me become a clasp, On a sable fur coat — let me become an undercoat, Calling your fifth son as yours accepts me. After that, you liked Idikut Khan so much that we gave our daughter, Alal-tun to him. And now, expelling mournful tears from young girls and their forest parents, you have decided to keep those who surrendered to us out of their own free will? Aren’t you breaking the promise you made long ago, \u2018I take a handshake from those who agree, I take the soul from those who do not agree?\u2019 So that your oath would not be broken and dark shadows fall on your glory and your good name, I returned the girls to their homes. The aged warrior, Korshi, who wanted to sell his dream for thirty girls, can find women elsewhere. Genghis Khan cannot object to Borte’s arguments in any way. He pulls himself together, and having calmed down, asks. GENGHIS KHAN: It turns out that you took one of the thirty girls for yourself. What for? BORTE: Our Tolui is still single. GENGHIS KHAN (Dumbfounded): Weaving nets again to marry your youngest son to a girl from your own tribe? BORTE: What is reprehensible in this? GENGHIS KHAN: You brought all the children together with girls of your kind. Are there really no other worthy brides from any of the other tribes? BORTE: There are plenty. I don\u2019t know whether you remember or not, but in the old days our Yesugei-ata, having come to my father and finished with matchmaking said, \u2018Our Kiyat family might have a good grip when it comes to business, but we\u2019re rather weak with words. If you and I seal our kinship, then both of our wings will flourish, won’t they?\u2019 And then my father replied, \u2018The sabre cannot be controlled by the conquered people; their language must be ruled.\u2019 The results of the control of language are obvious — my father’s daughter’s grandchildren, Jochi and Chagatai, brought the entire forest people under the shade of your power without ever firing a shot or hurling a spear. They did it with their consent. GENGHIS KHAN: Do you think if I did not take you as a wife and if all my children did not marry your sisters then we would turn into a tribe of half-breeds unable to either lead or rule the people? That if it was not for your tribe, I could not be called a great Kagan and extend my power to China? When will you stop passing off all my achievements as the successes of your relatives? BORTE: We can forget the truth, but the truth does not forget us, domineering Khan. To be more precise, the blood of my relatives is also raging in your veins. Is it worth boiling so much about it? GENGHIS KHAN: I don’t know, but your every word boils and boils my raging blood, which you know well. BORTE: If you have forgotten, then I will remind you of something else. After you were elected the Khan of all Mongolia, in your first Great Khan Decree you wrote the following words, \u2018If a girl is born in the Khongirad family, then she will undoubtedly be called a Khansha from generation to generation; if a boy from the same generation, he is obliged to marry and give his offspring to the Khansha. This Decree applies to everyone in the initial month of each of the four seasons and must be read from generation to generation, continuously.\u2019 Do you remember this decree, or did you long ago consign it to oblivion? GENGHIS KHAN: Why would I cast my first decree from my mind? I remember. I haven’t forgotten it, but time passes, events unfold, new things become old, and decrees are updated. BORTE: Everything grows old, but the blood in your veins does not age. Your mother’s relatives are not renewed. GENGHIS KHAN: You better tell me, did you show Tolui the girl? And my mother? BORTE: I showed her to both of them. GENGHIS KHAN: Did mother like her? BORTE: She liked her very much. She was worrying and fussing like a sheep which has found a lost lamb. GENGHIS KHAN: Oh, my God. And the woman who is getting married, did Tolui say anything about her, his fianc\u00e9e? BORTE: He said, \u2018As long as you two and grandmother like her, I don\u2019t mind.\u2019 GENGHIS KHAN: What a compromiser; a grandmother’s pupil. He nods his head at everything. Though as soon as I saw the girl, I immediately agreed. Well done! (Laughs). BORTE: Where will we hold the wedding? In the capital of China, Beijing, or in the capital here, Karakorym? GENGHIS KHAN: It will be more correct to hold it in Beijing. BORTE: That\u2019s probably a good idea. Let the Chinese admire this spectacle to their fill and see how the Mongols ‘ribs swell and knees buckle’ from violent dances. Like this, for example. Borte performs the dance of the Mongolian Kazakhs called the dance of joints, \u2018Kara Zhorga\u2019 (Black pacer). Genghis Khan watches her with a smile. Like this! Well, after we celebrate the wedding in China, we\u2019ll probably go to the West immediately, although I don\u2019t want that. Borte finishes the dance and exits. GENGHIS KHAN: (Shaking his head in sorrow again) This ba… This woman — neither fear nor old age will ever take her.<\/p>\n

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The scene starts in darkness. Drumming is heard. Again, it is the drawn-out howl of military alarm. The clanging and crackling of swords and spears clash together. Genghis Khan lies bedridden. In a silver cup, Borte brings him a drink, goes to the headboard and, lifting his head, helps him drink its contents.<\/em> BORTE: Oh, how hard it pulled you when you chased the onager. It didn\u2019t come with age; it didn\u2019t come from crazy foolishness. From all the troubles your head managed to get out of, a wild horse is what made you this way by throwing you, and now you are bedridden. Raise your head. Drink this tincture of mint and golden root. Genghis Khan, with the support of Borte, raises his head with difficulty. He drinks two or three sips of the tincture and then rests his head on the pillow. GENGHIS KHAN: There is still no news from the ambassadors sent to the inhabitants of Sardaul. Why are the messengers late? BORTE: Between Yasy and us the road is eighty days, it seems, so they may still be going. GENGHIS KHAN: Where did Yesui and Khulan go? BORTE: One of your lovers went fishing with a group of young guys on the Tula River. Yesui has not yet returned from Tolui’s wedding in Beijing. GENGHIS KHAN: All of them, both the wedding planners and the guests have returned, so what\u2019s taking her so long? BORTE. She probably missed her family. When she was returning, some messengers caught up with her on the road saying that her mother was dying. There she sits, apparently, next to her mother. She cannot leave her. GENGHIS KHAN: My youngest wife is named Khulan. Here I am trying to chase down Khulan whilst broken in bed. Meanwhile, she\u2019s busy enjoying herself fishing. BORTE: How would she know that you were going to fall off your horse? (Slightly ironic) She will probably arrive before our departure for the Kipchak steppes. GENGHIS KHAN: The older wife should be the protector of the younger ones. BORTE: When there are a hundred of these younger ones, taking care of everyone will only drive the older wife crazy. Here, drink the tincture one more time. Truth be told, what these juniors need is to be with Genghis Khan now more than ever. GENGHIS KHAN: And what about you, who do you want to be with? BORTE: Temujin. GENGHIS KHAN: In any situation, you always manage to find the right words. BORTE: I don\u2019t look for the right words, the right words find me. Borte peers at the face of Genghis Khan and stays there for a long time. This gaze, as it were, warns Genghis Khan she has stopped speaking because she wants to say something important. BORTE: Whatever news comes from the steppes of Sardaul, you have ninety-five tumens ready to be sent to the West. You’re not going there for fun. I intend for us to subjugate those people who are a complete mystery to us. There will be many wars, many bloody battles. If I tell you about my long-standing concerns that torment me from night to night, then please do not shout or growl with your sword in hand, and please do not shout, \u2018If a woman intervenes, any business is bound to end badly!\u2019 GENGHIS KHAN: What possible concern of yours could even make me that angry? Borte passes and stands in front of the Khan, bows to him respectfully and, sitting next to him, begins her speech. BORTE: Oh, my Khan, great ruler of all Mongolia and countless heavenly countries. Many difficult trials await you. The Kipchak steppes and the Kingdom of Khorezm will not resist your crushing blow. And yet, war is war. If something happens to you in any of these battles, who will rule over these innumerable peoples? Who will become their next ruler? After the death of Ambag, the most famous Khan of the Mongols, his five sons, competing with each other, began to mercilessly tear his khanate into five parts. And didn\u2019t the enemies who were waiting for this not crush them to smithereens? May Tengri save us from such a fate! You, too, think about what lies ahead while you are alive and well and your forces are still stable. Name one of your four sons as a successor. In case you leave this white world, then, these four, so as not to drown in the swamp of discord, will hopefully not become victims of third-party enemies as the sons of Khan Ambag once did. Genghis Khan raises his bowed head, gathers himself and, having steadied himself, begins thinking intensely. GENGHIS KHAN: Where are the children? BORTE: I don\u2019t approach you like your spoiled beauties just to laugh in vain, but I\u2019ve come prepared with what needs to be said straight from my mind. So, in preparing to lay out my thoughts, I\u2019ve called all four of your sons here. They are now waiting for us in a nearby yurt. GENGHIS KHAN: (Bursting with laughter) If you were a man, I would immediately appoint you commander of the tumen. BORTE: At the time when Tayan the Khan of the Naiman tribe took up the construction of the khanate, he collected one army of women tumen and appointed a woman as a commander. It is thanks to the steadfastness and intelligence of these women the Naiman-khanate was created. GENGHIS KHAN: I feel sorry for the poor things, many of whom probably died in vain. Anyway, call the children. Genghis Khan gets out of bed limping, goes to a high seat covered with a sable fur coat, and settles down on it. Enter Genghis Khan’s four sons — Jochi, Ogedei, Chagatai and Tolui. Three sons look battle-hardened, large in physique, formidable in the habits and gestures of generals. Only Tolui is seemingly thinner and more delicate in build. Nevertheless, he also looks like a young warrior who has already experienced some troubles in life. Having entered, according to the custom of the Mongols, they kneel down, first greeting their mother, Borte. Then all four approach Genghis Khan, bow respectfully, and sit at his feet. GENGHIS KHAN: Are you happy with your wedding in Beijing? TOLUI: Yes, I’m satisfied. GENGHIS KHAN: How do you like the bride? TOLUI: Not bad. GENGHIS KHAN: Is that all you have to say? TOLUI: I mean, what else can I say? As long as my grandmother and mother like her. Genghis Khan only grins in response and no longer pesters him. Borte, obeying the Mongol tradition, brings his innermost thoughts in verse. BORTE: Oh, Kagan! If your body is going uphill, Death will come, then we will respect, We will accept, but what shall we say here? The Mongols are not a small people, Who will lead, becoming the guard after? Your body saved us, If you die, we will respect you for eternity. We will keep silent, but we will rise, Though who is your holy banner? We are looking forward to hearing this from your lips, It is impossible not to ask. Here are your four sons, So who do you think should sit on the throne? Genghis Khan, after sitting in deep thought, begins a speech in response. GENGHIS KHAN: Aside from being a woman, your mother said the wisest words. I am sad that such a thought did not enter the head of my relatives and sons. I, too Feel the fleetingness of life; I\u2019ve almost completely missed it. So that death does not make a call soon, Let\u2019s sort through as to disallow it. I have gathered you to notify you of this — all four of you. My eldest son, Jochi, you first. What do you say? Jochi gets up to speak, but Chagatai is ahead of him, jumping from his seat.\u00a0CHAGATAI: Having given the word to Jochi, what purpose have you set, father-Khan? GENGHIS KHAN: Only that he is the eldest among you, which means he has more right to take the throne. CHAGATAI: Although he is older than us, his blood is someone else’s. If you choose him, we will be forced to remain and obediently bow to this filthy Merkit offspring. Jochi rushes at Chagatai and grabs him by the chest. JOCHI: Father-Khan has never alienated me. And what do you even have to do with it? Two-faced bastard; when will you stop freaking out? Grabbing each other, they begin to strangle each other. Genghis Khan, abruptly quitting with \u2018finish it!\u2019, sits without saying another word\u2026 Tolui and Ogedei separate the grappling brothers. GENGHIS KHAN: Isn’t Jochi your elder brother? Therefore, you have no right to push him aside. Make it so that I no longer see and hear about friction between you two. Offended by Chagatai’s insolence, Borte cannot hold back her tears. TOLUI: Mother, don’t cry. You know Chagatai’s hot temper. When he\u2019s in a fever, he\u2019s not able to control himself. CHAGATAI Tolui, I did not say these words in a fever. Everyone knows that Jochi is not from our clan-tribe. BORTE: Oh, Kagan! Chagatai did not begin to express these reproaches today. All his life he has considered Jochi to be alien in his own family. Although I am mother to all of them, I am first of all a woman, and therefore did not have the spirit to lay out the whole truth. Why, having talked to your sons without witnesses, did you not even try to free me from the slander that stuck as soon as I returned from Merkit captivity? Although it is a shame, I will speak the truth — I came to you with a white hem. When the Merkits took me prisoner, I was already pregnant with Jochi. I pestered at the beginning due to my pregnancy and did not want to eat anything except a tiger kidney. After three days of searching in the forest with the hunters, you brought these buds, fried them on the fire and gave me them to eat. On the way, when we broke away from Jamukha’s nomad, he was born. Therefore, they called him Zholshi (Jochi) that is, born on the road. You are all born of one mother, nursed by one breast, Now all get up, take turns inhaling the smell of my chest and leave. All the children rise, take turns hugging their mother and, inhaling her scent, return to their places. Know that the smell of your mother’s breast will soften your hardened hearts. Please, try to awaken a cooled mercy towards each other. GENGHIS KHAN: (Excitedly) We are, until we are born At the mercy of Heaven. We often went to bed on the ground Under the blizzard that rushed forward. There is no blanket to keep warm, There is no home in which to hide. With a lump in my throat, we are tired of the cold, To rise, there is no relief, To enter in a group whole, After all, there is no turning back. We were on an equal footing with her, Noble mother, with Hanim. You have cooled the heat of her heart, You intensified the pain in the temples, Think and pity everything, Spleen smashed. Wound you — think fist and twirl your moustache, You blurted out nonsense, Chagatai. Chagatai, after listening to his father’s reproach, jumps up and, bowing his head on his mother’s lap, asks for her forgiveness. CHAGATAI: Forgive me, mother, who fed me your milk. Each meeting with Jochi left a bitter taste in my mouth. Just like the gossip of the crowd, it offended our image, our honour. I could not remain silent. Forgive me for such far-fetched slander. Borte strokes his long hair, lifts his head from her knees and stares into his eyes. BORTE: There is sincerity in your heart and purity in your eyes, it seems that you’re alright; I believe you. GENGHIS KHAN: Well, Jochi, do you have anything to say? JOCHI: As we did not fight at each other’s throats, in the end we will not become enemies. Chagatai and I, having united, have decided to call Ogedei the next great khan. GENGHIS KHAN: What does \u2018united\u2019 mean? The territory is vast, the rivers and lakes countless. Foreign countries are subjugated by you; divide into different khanates and command them. Do not be too lazy to expand and strengthen the boundaries of the peoples under your control. Either way, what do you say, Ogedei? OGEDEI: You give permission to speak, father-Khan, but I don’t know what to say.\u00a0Since Jochi and Chagatai have already decided, then, in all likelihood, one cannot refuse. I agree. It is not easy for me to sit on the throne of our father-Khan, though, a throne which he built from scratch, defending it in battles for forty years. Only one concern pesters me — that the next generation which has risen from us does not shrink. According to the saying, \u2018wrap it in grass — the cow will turn away, wrap it in meat — the dog will turn away,\u2019 I hope it does not become worthless. God forbid this to happen. GENGHIS KHAN: From the subjects of Ogedei, perhaps a worthless generation may be born, but from me this next generation has birthed one brisk son. So, my youngest, Tolui, for some reason you are silent. Do you have something to say? TOLUI: It is more convenient for me to be next to my brother whom Jochi and Chagatai raised. I want to serve him with faith and honour. What he will forget, then I will remind, If he takes a nap, then I will wake up. I will click a cry, then become a voice, If he joins races, I will be his whip. I will be a travel companion, I will be a bat in forays too. GENGHIS KHAN: You don\u2019t pass for any of your older siblings, instead picking up from the upbringing of your grandmother. My grown up Tolui, achieve your goals. And you, Jochi and Chagatai, may all your dreams come true. Everyone approaches and congratulates Ogedei. Borte kisses him on the face. BORTE: Not everyone who has sat on the throne found happiness. How long this happiness will stay with you and not fly away depends on you. After all, happiness is not a moth that sits on every head it meets; it sits only on the worthy. Let power exist with happiness and let happiness exist with power. Be it a harmony you will carry with you. GUARD: Great Kagan, Noyan Korshi asks permission to enter. GENGHIS KHAN: What’s with him? Let him come. Korshi enters. Confusion is on everyone’s faces. GENGHIS KHAN: What brings you here today? KORSHI: The entire ambassadorial delegation sent to Otrar was exterminated by Kadyr Khan, every single one of them.<\/p>\n

GENGHIS KHAN: What did you say? How dare he? All present, as if struck by thunder, freeze in place. * * *<\/p>\n

The stage is darkened. Again the alarm signals — the drumbeat; again the ground-shaking thunder of the hooves of the racing horses at full speed. The stage is illuminated — Genghis Khan sits in a place of honour in the centre. His sons, Ogedei and Chagatai are seen a little further away. The event takes place in the capital of the Khorezm Shah, the city of Urgench. <\/em> GENGHIS KHAN: How persistently you\u2019ve been weighing on me, insisting there is an urgent problem to discuss. What is the complaint, what is the problem? Report, I’m listening. CHAGATAI: Oh, like the highest mountain, our spirit and support, our wisest father-Khan! Having seized the capital of Khorezm Shah, Urgench, we held a feast for the whole world. And on this holiday, despite twice being invited, Jochi did not appear. OGEDEI: You yourself heard his promise that \u2018we, united, will be like a pair of boots\u2019, the promise given to us in Karakorym. But our brother, having moved to the Kipchak steppes, has begun to deviate from his promise. GENGHIS KHAN: From which of his actions did you draw such a conclusion? CHAGATAI: Firstly, he did not come to the holiday held to celebrate the capture of Urgench. What reason does he have — he was closely engaged in hunting wild animals, though only once, they say. But this has shown us that now he will not be happy with just our victories. Secondly, during the capture of Bukhara and Samarkand, he delayed the offensive by two weeks which was being prepared to be carried out from the right flank. Not only did he stall, he cleared the way for Jalaladdin to escape towards Baghdad. GENGHIS KHAN: What other misconduct have you noticed? OGEDEI: He started and supported my appointment as Khan, but now it seems he does not want to admit it. He half-heartedly listens to the appeals I make to him; he\u2019s even beginning to ignore my commands and advice. CHAGATAI: When we confronted him with why he delayed the offensive from the right flank, he coldly remarked: \u2018The city from which its rulers fled will itself come to surrender. There is no need to destroy such a historical monument with such beautiful architecture in vain, to shed the blood of the civilian population\u2019. After that, we had to push back his troops and cancel their participation in the attack on the city. For this reason, your order to take Samarkand and Bukhara lasted for an entire month. OGEDEI: I have one more doubt, father-Khan, about which I dare not speak. GENGHIS KHAN: (Jerking his chin) What is\u2026 what is this doubt? OGEDEI: With his arrival here, he has completely changed. His every second word is about the beauty of the Kipchak Valley. He never tires of standing with his hands on his hips, surveying the mountains and steppes, the wide river and the dense forest thickets where even a dog will not dare stick its nose. All of the people that inhabit the Deshti-Kipchak don\u2019t call you the great Kagan, but instead, they call Jochi that. In the near future… I can\u2019t dare to say this. GENGHIS KHAN: (After a long pause) Since it has come this far, what do you propose? CHAGATAI: The final word is yours, father-Khan. We have brought everything to your attention as quickly as possible so you do not get angry later and say, \u2018Why didn’t you tell me at the time?\u2019 GENGHIS KHAN: Around me there are a lot of detectives, different spies that are darting. I have already heard this information of which you speak, and more than once. OGEDEI: It turns out that he even betrays us by saying, \u201cCities in the dust of devastation, villages smelling of blood, the heart-rending howling of widows and tearful cries of babies. I am against the nationwide bloodshed created by father-Khan!\u2019 CHAGATAI: When I touched my head to mother Borte’s knees, I said, \u2018Now I won’t say anything dirty and scandalous against Jochi.\u2019 I swore an oath. After this news, however, I could not keep this oath. How nice it would be for you to talk with Jochi face to face. Genghis Khan gets up and starts pacing up and down the wide palace room. All his thoughts scatter. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he places them on his hips, and then begins impatiently fiddling with his short beard. Anger and vengeful feelings overwhelm him, seizing his entire being. His heart begins to beat faster, palpably, as if intending to jump out of his chest. CHAGATAI: I also wanted to report. GENGHIS KHAN: Stop it! Enough! Stop tormenting me! Get out of here! Having experienced terror from the loud, bewitching volume of their father’s scream, Ogedei and Chagatai do not even notice how, forgetting about their regalia — one khan, another ruler of Urgench — jumps up like arrows fired from a bow.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

The same picture. Genghis Khan is alone. He is like a tiger in a cage, walking up and down in extreme anxiety. Then he stops and in a fit of remorse hits the palm of his other hand with his fist and again begins to pace the room. Having passed to the middle, he becomes rooted to the spot. <\/em> GENGHIS KHAN: Did I issue an order too harsh? In the heat of anger, did I rush? Why did I doom him to such a cruel punishment? For what? Why did I so easily believe the crackling, scattered rumour \u2013 \u2018Having recruited an army from the Kipchaks, he is preparing a strike against his father at a convenient moment?\u2019 To check the veracity of this, I spoke with him personally, but I did not notice any hint of latent enmity or rivalry for the throne. First, I fulfilled Borte’s wish: While healthy, divide the lands among the children indicating the share for each son, and for Jochi, leave my native lands — the Kipchak steppes\u2019. Then, at the choice of Jochi himself, I gave him all the vast space from the Volga to the Almaly Mountains, where there are many rivers and lakes. Didn’t he frankly admit, \u2018I don’t need anything other than this steppe. If I die, your second grandson, Batu will own this land\u2019? And when I asked, \u2018Why did you evade military operations before the capture of Bukhara and Samarkand? Don’t you know that your troops, looking like sheep in a fence under the sultry southern sun, will lose their combat capability?\u2019 But he gave the following justification: \u2018Since Jalaladdin and other rulers, who had heard about your glorious victories and power, were not able to resist and, leaving the people, fled, I did not want to waste the blood of ordinary people. They themselves were ready to surrender.\u2019 I was wrong. In a state of passion, I passed a hasty verdict. What should I do now? Should I try to change it? Yes, the punishment must be changed. My son, my firstborn… and as soon as his little hand went up! Will they not call me a bloodsucker Khan who greedily seized the throne and killed his own son? There is no time to think. Faster! Otherwise it will be too late. A knock on the door. The figure of a guard appears. GUARD: Great lord, Noyan Korshi has arrived. GENGHIS KHAN: I myself wanted to call him. Let him in, quickly! Enter Korshi. He tries to say something, but Genghis Khan hastily mutters something to him. GENGHIS KHAN: (Jumping up close to Korshi, insinuatingly, quietly) I have corrected the order. Let the punishers\u2019 not even think about killing Jochi. Tell them not to come close to him. KORSHI: Bu… Bu… But lord, Khan, that… won’t work! GENGHIS KHAN: Won’t work? Why? How? Is he… is he… KORSHI: Whilst I was rushing to deliver your order, the punishers… of your priceless Jochi… painlessly, without shedding blood… in the Mongolian way… GENGHIS KHAN: (Clutching his head, shaking and losing his composure) My precious son, before your enemy you were fearless. They might have hurt him and bruised him, but he stood firm, motionless, expanding my possessions. He was truly raised to bathe in glory, but he went away in ignorance, not knowing why he died. Forgive me! No, I’m not asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness will do nothing. Grief for you has sunk into my soul as a smouldering coal, and in the end it will burn me to ashes. (To Korshi) Deliver the remains here. At least I will see him at last and, having said \u2018see you in the next world,\u2019 I can say goodbye. KORSHI: That\u2026 won\u2019t seem to work either. GENGHIS KHAN: Why? Why doesn\u2019t it work? KORSHI: It will not work. Before your order for a pardon could arrive, these executioners found where your precious Jochi was staying. He was hunting for onagers; having executed him, they were frightened of your anger and, in order to blame his death on the angry animals which supposedly kicked him to death, they threw his body into the midst of the herd. GENGHIS KHAN: How could they! Cowards, liars and villains! No one will be spared! Deliver Jochi’s remains here, immediately! KORSHI: Yes, great Khan. Korshi the warrior, as if fearing that the ground under his feet might collapse, steps out carefully and leaves. Genghis Kagan puts his hand to his forehead, and then to his chest, reaches the bed and, swaying, almost falls without the strength and the desire to fight.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Borte’s house in Urgench.<\/em> Borte, having delved into the details of Jochi’s death, tired of crying and sorrowful experiences, walks alone in confusion, not able to find a place for herself. The old woman, Keikuat, as is customary among eastern women who conduct funeral rites, sits with her hair down, her hands on her hips, swaying. <\/em> BORTE: Keikuat-apai, spread your bones again; what will they say this time? KEIKUAT: If the alignment is sorted for good, then the bones are good; if they are not sorted for good, then it is because the fortune-teller is bad. What I\u2019m trying to say is, it is impossible to continually throw the bones — the alignment loses its intelligibility of interpretation. Maybe that’s why in the old days they used to say, \u2018both a lie made by fate, and an unrevealed lie\u2019. BORTE :You made me languish in anticipation of news not from the living, but from the deceased, oh, our Creator! Why am I, alone and miserable, so displeased that you squeeze out of me only a sigh and sorrows? Open up, Keikuat-apai, and tell me what the bones say? KEIKUAT: Behind a thin layer of dust, a foggy dot is barely visible. I have not yet figured out what this is. BORTE: Though vague, if only the message would come as soon as possible. The child inside me didn\u2019t fit outside of me. Oh, this stigma, this «alien baby», stuck as soon as you appeared in my womb, my colt. This slander deprived you of your khanate. Between the brothers I gave birth to discord, and then the gossip began: \u2018He is preparing to seize the throne of his father,\u2019 which planted suspicion in his father. One sage said, \u2018Fear is the guardian of Kings,\u2019 and you have fallen victim to such fear. There is a knock on the door. KEIKUAT: Someone seems to be knocking. BORTE: Yes, indeed, someone has come. The old woman Keikuat, having gathered the fortune-telling stones in a heap, slowly goes to the door and opens it. Enter Korshi the Warrior, confusion writ upon his face. In his hands he holds something wrapped in a rag. KORSHI: I came to talk to you, Borte-Khansha. BORTE: Well, of course you must. Ever since that time long ago, when I took the thirty girls home, you were deeply offended. Yet, why do you come to me now? Just because? KORSHI: Not just like that, Borte-Khansha. We… We visited the steppe abode of the onagers. BORTE: The abode of onagers? Why did you go there? KORSHI: Before the order of the great Kagan for pardon was received, the executioners who killed Jochi were mortally Afeared of the Khan’s anger and threw Jochi’s body into the midst of a herd of onagers to hide the traces of the crime. Borte and the old woman Keikuat fearfully look sideways at Korshi, as if they just saw the angel of death. BORTE: What did you say? What am I hearing? Keikuat-apai? And what happened next? Did you find Jochi’s body? KORSHI: We have not found him, Borte-Khansha. They searched every corner. Either he turned into an angel and flew into the sky, or, having turned into a spirit, fell through the earth. In one phrase, we could not find his remains. BORTE: Speaking such terrible words, is it not you then, Korshi the Warrior, who has come to strangle me? I am already heartbroken, so strangle me down into an abyss of mourning, but there was a time when I saved you from death. KORSHI: No, not to strangle you, Borte-Khansha. Having searched every inch of land, we came across this item. Korshi hands the thing wrapped in a rag into Borte’s hands. Borte unties the knot and, having looked at what is inside, at first cannot understand what it is. She turns it over with his fingers. BORTE: What is it? KORSHI: Only this part remained from Jochi. The dust adhered to the bloody clot and hardened. Borte, seeing Jochi’s thumb in the wrapped bundle, losing consciousness and collapses onto the ground. Korshi and Keikuat sprinkle water on her face, they give her a medicinal infusion to drink from a silver cup. Borte comes to her senses. She suddenly jumps up. BORTE: (To Korshi) Was that why you were looking for me? KORSHI: No one else has the determination to show a bloody thumb to the great Kagan. Only you can do it. I have come to ask you. BORTE Father often recalled the following proverb, \u201cWoe is as bottomless as the sea — you risk, you\u2019ll drown — a boat, and you’ll swim.\u2019 If you grieve all the time, then you can drown in the abyss of sorrow. So, Keikuat-apai, get me ready; dress me up. Weave my hair in one braid with black 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\u2019t 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

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. <\/em> 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 \u2018Temujin\u2019, shudders and turns his head in the direction from which the voice came from. GENGHIS KHAN You called me Temujin? BORTE: Yes, if I call you \u2018Kagan\u2019 or \u2018Khan\u2019, then you seem to pull away, and by saying \u2018Temujin\u2019 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 \u2018leave,\u2019 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\u2019t 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, \u2018if you don\u2019t need him, then I need him,\u2019 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\u2019s gaze) From some of your words I can tell, death will not be avoided, from others — they will begin to respect you… Either way, where did you drive these two? BORTE: They will come soon. (Aside) Well, it would not be superfluous to feed this one too. GENGHIS KHAN: What are you muttering over there? BORTE: (As if not hearing the last phrase) You seem to be rid of your old mood. You’re beginning to come to your senses. Now we can start the main conversation. Genghis Khan looks at her in extreme excitement. Borte walks back and forth, takes a cup in her hand in front of Genghis Khan, and sips water from it a couple of times. GENGHIS KHAN: (Observing Borte’s actions) I see you are tormented by thirst. BORTE: Before dying, a person is thirsty. GENGHIS KHAN: What is it; you\u2019re about to die now? BORTE: Yes. As soon as I speak my piece, you will definitely take my head. GENGHIS KHAN: If you want to be rid of your head, then speak. Borte, approaching Genghis Khan from the side, stands silently. Her eyes bore at him and then she turns away. BORTE: You said that until you see the body of your son with your own eyes, you will not believe the statements about his death. Here, behold this. Borte unties the knot of the bundle wrapped in blue silk and gives it to Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan cannot take his eyes off it, but not understanding anything, sits in bewilderment. GENGHIS KHAN: What is it? BORTE: The only piece left of Jochi. GENGHIS KHAN: This little bit? What kind of piece is this? BORTE: Jochi’s thumb. GENGHIS KHAN: His thumb? Jochi? Really? BORTE: Korshi found it in a pile of dirt and gave it to me. GENGHIS KHAN: How so? If the thumb is found, why is the body not found? BORTE: It hasn\u2019t been found yet. He probably turned into an angel and flew into the sky. It seems that by this he has made it clear that all the value acquired in those bloody battles is not even worth one of his fingers. GENGHIS KHAN: My Jochi… My power and protection… My lion\u2026 My warrior for an unrealisable dream. (Putting the thumb to his forehead, he weeps). BORTE: Do you remember, Temujin, scattered corpses all around, the wounded moaning, and stepping over the corpses a maddened Aishan came to us. In her arms is a baby who she found sucking on the breast of its dead mother. He was also missing a thumb. GENGHIS KHAN: Yes, yes, I remember. BORTE: That digit has grown and seems to have turned into the thumb of Jochi. And that child without a thumb, that image that has come to me a lot recently. GENGHIS KHAN: This is probably because the more years a person accumulates, the more they are inclined to remember the past. (He puts the thumb to his forehead again.) BORTE: It is all in vain. You cannot wash away the crime committed by putting a severed thumb to your forehead. A rumour has spread among the people that Jochi was bitten by angry onagers, but no, it was not the onagers who killed him; it was you who killed him, his own father. Yes, his own father. When you were young, you and your little brother, Behter, born of Yesugei by his second wife, played out in the wild, and then you killed him with a bow, and now you have killed your own son by breaking his spine. To hide the crime, you made sure to kill him where the onagers graze, and you ordered them to throw the body in the same place — it was all you! After these words of his wife, Genghis Khan, unable to control himself, twitches as if having a fit. GENGHIS KHAN: You… To me… To the Great Kagan? A mere woman? Your hair is long, but your mind is short. Genghis Khan reaches to the wall to remove the sabre hanging next to him and take it out of its sheath. Seeing how badly his hand is shaking and cannot cope with this matter, Borte comes up and, taking his sabre out of its sheath, holds it out to Genghis Khan. BORTE: All your life you wanted to take off my head, and now the hour has come. My fault came from telling the truth. I can’t help but tell the truth. The smarter the head, the more it sacrifices for the truth; and I can tell now my already old head is no good for you. You know it\u2019s strange, for the convenience of cutting off the head the Creator implanted a neck between the head and the chest. Just look at how convenient it is. After all, my neck is not like that of men; my neck is thin, meaning that hacking at it will be easy. Borte lies prone at his feet, neatly dividing her hair, throwing it off on both sides and exposing her neck. Blinking her eyes, she waits, counting to ten. The sabre does not fly up. At this moment, the door quietly opens, and two girls look into the room. Oh, the written beauties of China and Khakassia, my beloved legal spouse. Can you two quickly bring two basins of water and put them here? TWO GIRLS: (Eagerly) Is this the order of the Khan? BORTE: It is Khansha’s order. ONE OF THE GIRLS: (Cannot understand why Borte is lying like that) Are you sick? I don\u2019t understand why you lie like that. BORTE: To understand this, just massage his legs and head and later that should be enough. Now go and do what I have commanded, and leave once you have. The two girls bring two basins of water and, setting them down, leave. If you have no power to swing your sabre, you can summon one of your executioners. Silence again. It doesn’t look like the sabre will swing. Borte raises her head and looks at Genghis Khan. He, putting his sabre next to him, rising, sits in the bed. There are tears in his eyes which he does not wipe away. Noticing these swelling tears, Borte quickly gets up. BORTE: If the Khan is crying, then what will happen to the rabble? Why do you ooze tears instead of chopping off my head? Gather your strength and wipe your tears. Pull up your belt and splash water on your face. The water was brought here to wash away the blood on my neck after the execution, but it is destined to spill on your face. Get up and splash the water onto your face. Genghis Khan gazes upon her intensely, as if seeing her for the first time. Should you really study me so closely? Is it the first time you see me? GENGHIS KHAN: Yes… For the first time I see. Genghis Khan takes her hand in his and places Borte on his right. Embracing her, he puts his hand on her neck and smoothes her hair. BORTE: (Looking at the face of Genghis Khan, squinting with a smile) Do you remember how, having beaten off from the Merkits, you stroked my hair in the same way? GENGHIS KHAN: Entering like an angel into my life, it turns out that for all these years you were my companion, wife, protector, keeper, source of jealousy and relentless adversary. If I have not always treated you with dignified understanding, then forgive me. Borte is also moved. She places her hands on his shoulders. The two girls, looking through the ajar doors, enter. Seeing that Borte and Genghis Khan are embracing, they turn back, but Borte speaks to them loudly. BORTE: Hey, pretty ladies — pretty eggs, don’t leave in vain, take your basins with you. The girls take the basins of water. There is a short knock on the door and old Keikuat enters. BORTE: Keikuat-apai, what happened? KEIKUAT: A messenger has just arrived from Karakorym. Hoelun-Ujin is there. (Crying, she puts her hands to her eyes, and unable to continue further, she quickly leaves). Both Genghis Khan and Borte, after such a message, instantly forget their quarrels, forget the harsh words recently spoken, and jump up like anxious ducks. GENGHIS KHAN: Gather all the children and grandchildren. We will all go to Karakorym together. BORTE Everyone will probably gather except for Batu. It turns out he went on a campaign to the Russian lands. They say he wants his grandfather’s dream to exist. Once he turns everyone to his side, he will begin to build an integral state called the Golden Horde. Only he would dare to reach out to the unattainable. GENGHIS KHAN: What hasn\u2019t she experienced when raising us, that poor mother? BORTE: She also raised the eleven orphans who remained without a patron after the battles as her children, not counting them as the offspring of the enemy. Now, they are her support and protection. So generous and merciful at the same time was my daughter-in-law and sister. She, poor thing, did not even hear what happened to her firstborn grandson whom she raised for ten years. We must get under way faster. We have to pass a two-month road. GENGHIS KHAN: If you think about it, have I also been reaching out my whole life for unattainable goals. Looking back at the past, I see that the human race, as soon as it was born into the world, did not spend a day without war. My goal is to subordinate the whole world to one power, to create one state where there will be no war. But one human life is not enough to achieve this. All my hope is in my grandchildren.\u00a0They will continue my life’s work. (Pauses) My mother — how she fought to raise us in health; what hardship has she not experienced? (Looking at Jochi\u2019s thumb wrapped in the blue silk cloth) Let’s not leave the single thumb here. We will bury it at the Khan horde laid near Ulytau. BORTE: Let’s do it; it is the right decision. (Moving forward three steps towards the audience) Farewell to the Kipchak steppe miraculously saved from the strife of history. Farewell to the homeland of my ancestors. We leave you a vast region from the Volga to the very Almaly Tau (Apple Mountains) as testament to my son, Jochi Khan. I probably won’t come back here again. If I am alive, then in this life, if I leave for another world, then out of conformity I will pray for your well-being, for your happiness. Goodbye!<\/p>\n

THE END<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cast: BORTE GENGHIS KHAN (TEMUJIN) HOELUN-UJIN \u2013 Genghis Khan\u2019s mother YESUGEI \u2013 Genghis Khan\u2019s father DAI ORATOR (DAI SETSEN) — Borte\u2019s father SATIN (CHOTAN) — Borte\u2019s mother JAMUKHA \u2013 A friend and later an enemy of Genghis Khan HASAR, BELGUTEI \u2013 Genghis Khan\u2019s younger brothers KORSHI \u2013 A warrior and later a Noyan (Noble Mongolian, Feudal Lord) AISHAN — Borte\u2019s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plays"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=516"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":543,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/516\/revisions\/543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isabekov.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}