Since you are not one of the Sultan’s subjects, and this is not his day for receiving foreign embassies, it would be better not to draw attention to yourself.
The Sultan is adjudicating an inheritance case.
The problem is how to divide 49 sheep among two sons, three daughters, two sons of a deceased daughter, and one daughter of a deceased son.
The question under consideration is of great interest to jurists and arithmeticians, but perhaps not to you.
You are halfway up a narrow, winding staircase. You can go UP or DOWN.
It’s too dark to do much but go UP or DOWN the stairs.
Don’t be ridiculous.
Take my word for it: that would be a Very Bad Idea.
You should not have done that…
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
You can continue UP, or change your mind and go back DOWN.
The spiral stairs only go UP.
If you go that way, you will be passing directly in front of the Sultan—in fact, between him and his current petitioner…
and, as you may already have discovered, the cloak doesn’t work on everybody.
Better go the long way around.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Take my advice. Don’t start littering the audience hall with your belongings— most of which don’t, strictly speaking, belong to you.
