The Mahdi Quotes in Khartoum (1966)

The Mahdi: It is sometimes wise, Gordon Pasha, to provide the man with a few sunny hours of fraudulent hope so that when night comes he will have a more perfect inward vision of the truth of his hopelessness.

The Mahdi: [in horror: seeing Gordon's decapitated head on the end of a pole] Take it away! Where is Abdullah? I forbade it, I forbade it!

The Mahdi: I should prefer, Gordon Pasha, that you leave Khartoum now. You are not my enemy. Why should your blood sweeten the Nile?

The Mahdi: [removes a head from a large pot] Is it the Englishman whose name was Frank Power?

[removes another head from a second pot]

The Mahdi: Is it the Frenchman whose name was Herbin?

[places a severed arm and hand in Gordon's hands]

The Mahdi: Is it not your own ring?

Gen. Charles 'Chinese' Gordon: [stares horrified]