The Sultan’s Obsession: A Bargain of Blood and Steel
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Donovan presents pages from Professor Jones' diary to the Sultan, outlining the Grail's location and seeking permission to cross the Sultan's territory, promising suitable compensation.
To entice the Sultan, Donovan and Vogel offer a trunk filled with gold and silver valuables. The Sultan dismisses it, instead fixating on a Nazi staff car, a Rolls-Royce Phantom Two.
Donovan gifts the car keys to the Sultan. The Sultan, pleased, grants Donovan camels, horses, an armed escort, provisions, desert vehicles, and tanks to continue their quest. This shows the Sultan valuing modern technology over ancient artifacts.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Urgent and tense, with a hint of frustration at the setback, but also a sense of relief at delivering the critical news.
Elsa Schneider descends the stairs and interrupts the negotiation, delivering the urgent news that 'Indiana Jones and his father have escaped.' Her arrival shatters the Nazis’ triumphant moment, introducing a new complication and forcing Donovan and Vogel to react swiftly. Her tone is tense and urgent, reflecting the high stakes of the situation.
- • To inform Donovan and Vogel of the Joneses’ escape, ensuring they are aware of the immediate threat to their plans.
- • To maintain her position as a trusted (if double-agent) ally while navigating the escalating tensions.
- • That the Joneses’ escape is a significant setback that could derail the Grail quest.
- • That her role as a double agent requires her to balance her loyalties carefully in this high-pressure situation.
A mix of fascination and calculated ambition, masking a deeper longing for power through technological dominance.
Initially seated in his royal chair, the Sultan dismisses the offered gold and silver treasures with a mere glance, instead fixating on the Nazi Rolls-Royce Phantom II. He meticulously recites the car’s specifications—engine displacement, acceleration, carburetor type—revealing his mechanical fascination. After a brief negotiation, he agrees to provide armed escorts, provisions, and tanks to Donovan and Vogel in exchange for the car, his obsession with modernity and Nazi technology now fully exposed.
- • To secure the most advanced technological symbol of power (the Rolls-Royce) for his own prestige and military advantage.
- • To leverage the Nazis' resources for his own political and military ambitions without fully committing to their ideology.
- • That modernity and technology are the keys to true power and respect in the modern world.
- • That the Nazis’ offer of the Rolls-Royce is a rare opportunity to align with a rising global force without direct subjugation.
Confident and calculating, with a subtle undercurrent of urgency to secure the Sultan’s cooperation before any disruptions occur.
Walter Donovan holds the Grail Diary pages and presents them to the Sultan as leverage, emphasizing the Grail’s proximity and the need for compensation. He seizes the moment when the Sultan’s obsession with the Rolls-Royce becomes apparent, offering the car as a 'gift' to secure the Sultan’s military support. His opportunistic negotiation style is on full display, as he adapts to the Sultan’s unexpected priorities and turns the situation to his advantage.
- • To secure the Sultan’s military support for the Grail quest by any means necessary, including leveraging the Rolls-Royce as a bargaining chip.
- • To maintain control over the negotiation and ensure the Sultan’s cooperation without revealing the full extent of the Nazis’ desperation.
- • That the Grail’s power is worth any compromise, including pandering to the Sultan’s obsessions.
- • That the Rolls-Royce, as a symbol of Nazi ingenuity, is a valuable tool to exploit for his own ends.
Highly alert and tense, with a sense of urgency to gather information that could thwart the Nazis’ plans.
Kazim watches the negotiation from the shadows as a spy for the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword. His alert gaze captures the Sultan’s interaction with Donovan and Vogel, likely gathering critical intelligence on their plans. His presence is subtle but charged with tension, as he observes the Nazis’ manipulation of the Sultan and the unfolding of their Grail quest.
- • To gather intelligence on the Nazis’ negotiations and plans, particularly regarding the Grail and their military support.
- • To assess the Sultan’s complicity and potential as an ally or obstacle in the Brotherhood’s mission.
- • That the Nazis’ quest for the Grail poses a grave threat that must be stopped at all costs.
- • That the Sultan’s cooperation with the Nazis is a betrayal of the region’s spiritual and historical heritage.
Neutral and obedient, with no visible emotional investment beyond fulfilling their orders.
Two Nazi soldiers bring forward a huge steamer trunk and open it to reveal gold and silver objects as part of Donovan’s offering to the Sultan. They follow Vogel’s command ('Bring den Schatz!') without hesitation, their actions reinforcing the Nazis’ collective display of wealth and power. Their presence is neutral but obedient, serving as extensions of Vogel’s authority.
- • To execute Vogel’s commands efficiently and reinforce the Nazis’ display of power and wealth.
- • To ensure the negotiation proceeds smoothly by providing the required visual aids (the gold and silver treasures).
- • That their role is to support the Nazi mission without question, regardless of the moral implications.
- • That the display of wealth and power is a necessary tool in securing the Sultan’s cooperation.
Authoritative and composed, with a quiet intensity that underscores the Nazis’ collective resolve and power.
Vogel stands beside Donovan, flanked by the Sultan, and orders the Nazi soldiers to bring forward the steamer trunk filled with gold and silver. He remains largely silent but supports Donovan’s negotiation with the Sultan, his authoritative presence reinforcing the Nazis’ collective demand. His role is that of a disciplined enforcer, ensuring the transaction proceeds smoothly and the Sultan’s cooperation is secured.
- • To ensure the Sultan’s cooperation is secured through any means, including the display of Nazi wealth and military might.
- • To reinforce Donovan’s negotiation with his silent but imposing presence, ensuring the Sultan understands the stakes.
- • That the display of power and wealth is essential to securing the Sultan’s allegiance.
- • That the Grail quest justifies any compromise or manipulation of local leaders.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The steamer trunk, filled with gold and silver objects looted by the Nazis, is brought forward by two soldiers at Vogel’s command. It serves as a traditional offering to the Sultan, symbolizing wealth and power. However, the Sultan dismisses the trunk’s contents entirely, focusing instead on the Rolls-Royce. This rejection highlights the Sultan’s modernist priorities and the Nazis’ miscalculation in their approach to securing his support.
The keys in the ignition of the Rolls-Royce symbolize the ease with which the car can be transferred to the Sultan. Donovan’s mention of the keys—'The keys are in the ignition, Your Highness'—emphasizes the car’s immediate availability and the Sultan’s ability to claim it without delay. This small detail underscores the transaction’s simplicity and the Sultan’s eagerness to possess the vehicle, further solidifying the deal.
The gold and silver objects, looted by the Nazis from German families, are displayed as part of Donovan’s offering to the Sultan. These treasures are meant to symbolize wealth and generosity, but the Sultan ignores them entirely, walking past the trunk without a second glance. Their rejection underscores the Sultan’s disdain for traditional forms of wealth and his fixation on modernity, embodied by the Rolls-Royce. The objects serve as a failed bargaining chip, highlighting the Nazis’ misunderstanding of the Sultan’s priorities.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The courtyard archway serves as a transition space within the Sultan’s palace, where Donovan and the Sultan move during their negotiation. The archway frames their interaction, creating a sense of formality and ritual. As they walk through it, the Sultan’s gaze shifts from the steamer trunk of treasures to the Rolls-Royce, symbolizing his rejection of tradition in favor of modernity. The archway’s shadows and the warm daylight create a contrast that underscores the tension between the old and the new.
The stairs leading to the courtyard serve as the entry point for Elsa Schneider’s disruptive arrival. Her descent is urgent and dramatic, her heels striking the stone steps as she delivers the shattering news of the Joneses’ escape. The stairs command attention, turning a moment of negotiation into a crisis. The sunlight glaring off the steps and the shadows from the palace walls frame her intrusion, emphasizing the high stakes and the sudden shift in the scene’s momentum.
The courtyard of the Sultan’s palace in Iskenderun serves as the neutral ground for the high-stakes negotiation between the Nazis and the Sultan. Sunlight bathes the space, casting long shadows and highlighting the gleaming gold, silver, and the Rolls-Royce. The courtyard’s open layout allows for the display of wealth and power, while its architectural grandeur reinforces the Sultan’s authority. The tension between tradition and modernity plays out here, with the Sultan’s throne, the steamer trunk of treasures, and the Nazi staff car all vying for dominance in the scene.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword is represented in this event by Kazim, who observes the negotiation from the shadows. His presence as a spy underscores the Brotherhood’s commitment to protecting the Grail from unworthy seekers, particularly the Nazis. Kazim’s alert gaze captures the Sultan’s interaction with Donovan and Vogel, gathering critical intelligence on their plans. The Brotherhood’s influence in this moment is subtle but charged with tension, as Kazim’s observations could potentially thwart the Nazis’ quest. His role as a hidden observer highlights the organization’s strategic approach to countering the Nazis’ ambitions.
The Nazi Regime is represented in this event through Walter Donovan, Vogel, and the two Nazi soldiers. Their collective action—displaying looted treasures, offering the Rolls-Royce, and negotiating with the Sultan—embodies the Nazis’ aggressive pursuit of the Grail. The transaction with the Sultan, secured through a combination of leverage (the Grail Diary pages) and modern allure (the Rolls-Royce), highlights the Nazis’ willingness to exploit any means to achieve their goals. The organization’s power dynamics are on full display, as Donovan and Vogel manipulate the Sultan’s desires to secure military support for their quest.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
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Key Dialogue
"DONOVAN: *These pages are taken from Professor Jones’ diary, Your Highness. And they include a map that pinpoints the exact location of the Grail.* *(Subtext: Donovan frames the Grail as a tangible prize, appealing to the Sultan’s desire for power—yet his true leverage lies in the car, not the diary.)*"
"SULTAN: *Rolls-Royce Phantom Two. 4.3 litre, 30 horsepower, six cylinder engine, with Stromberg Downdraft carburetor. Can go from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in 12.5 seconds. And I even like the color.* *(Subtext: The Sultan’s mechanical recitation reveals his fascination with Nazi engineering, exposing his prioritization of modern power over ancient artifacts. His fixation on the car’s specifications mirrors the Nazis’ obsession with technological supremacy.)*"
"ELSA: *We have no time to lose. Indiana Jones and his father have escaped.* *(Subtext: Elsa’s interruption disrupts the Nazis’ moment of triumph, introducing urgency and forcing Donovan and Vogel to abandon their celebration. The escape of Indy and Henry shifts the narrative from negotiation to pursuit, raising the stakes.)"