Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (50 page)

The
party
below
gasped
as
the
meaning
of
his
words
became
clear.
Their
leader
himself,
however,
gave
nothing
away.
“I
see.
And
you,
yourself,
could
not
be
persuaded
to
open
your
gates
to
us
–
as
a
‘friend’?”
he
asked,
gesturing
to
the
force
behind
him,
though
in
a
voice
which
clearly
said
he
knew
the
answer.

Nasir
shook
his
head.
“Our
emir
would
allow
no
one
in
whose
friendship
there
in
doubt,”
he
replied
bluntly.

Obviously
impatient
at
the
slowness
of
the
conversation,
the
heavily
built
Turkish
officer
at
the
elderly
sheik’s
side
suddenly
spoke
up.

“I
bring
you
greetings
from
Kerim
Bey
,”
he
said
forcing
his
horse
forward
until
he
was
right
under
the
walls,
forcing
Nasir
to
lean
over
to
still
see
the
man,
making
himself,
he
knew,
an
even
easier
target.
He
gave
little
thought
to
that,
however,
as
the
import
of
what
the
Turkish
officer
said
hit
him.
Kerim
Bey
.
He’d
known
his
friend
was
well-born,
but
to
bear
the
title
Bey
meant
his
status
was
even
higher
than
he’d
realised.
The
title
was
used
either
for
high
officials,
or
for
some
of
the
Ottoman
nobility.
Young
as
his
friend
was,
Nasir
assumed
it
must
be
the
latter.
It
certainly
explained
the
young
soldier’s
self-assurance
and
the
feeling
he
exuded
of
being
entirely
at
ease
wherever
he
was.

None
of
this
showed
on
his
face
as
he
answered.
“Kerim
Bey
will
always
be
my
friend
–
but
friendship
must
take
its
place
behind other
considerations.”
He
bent
down
slightly
as
Talal
whispered
something
in
his
ear.
Ha! The boy certainly has much of his father in him
,
he
thought,
smiling
to
himself
as
he
straightened
up.
“The
Lord
Talal
reminds
me
of
my
manners.
He
bids
me
ask
yourself
and
your
advance
party
–
just
yourself
and
your
advance
party
–
to
enter
and
take
refreshment,
as
our
friends,”
he
added
with
no
trace
of
the
amusement
he
felt
at
the
invitation
in
his
voice.

The
elderly
Rashid
saw
the
joke
and
half-saluted
the
watchers
on
the
walls.
The
Turkish
officer,
however,
did
not.
“We
cannot
accept
the
‘hospitality’
of
those
we
suspect
of
betraying
their
allegiance!”
he
spat.

“Allegiance?
We
in
Narash
have
no
allegiance
to
anyone!
We
are
a
free
and
sovereign
people!”
Nasir
spat
back
in
his
turn,
genuinely
outraged
by
the
Turk’s
arrogance.

“We
would
be
foolish,
I
think
to
enter
your
gates,
and
then
find
you
are
no
longer
our
friend,”
the
Turk
replied
haughtily.

“Whatever
we
are
now,
our
hospitality
would
be
untainted
by
anything
but
genuine
welcome,”
Nasir
replied
icily.

The
Turkish
officer
started
to
reply
hotly,
but
was
silenced
by
the
Rashidi
sheik,
raising
a
hand.
“We
know
that,
Lord
Nasir,
but
it
seems
to
me
we
are
no
longer
on
the
same
side.
Am
I
correct?”

Nasir
nodded,
“That
is
correct,”
he
replied.

The
sheik
nodded.
“Then
our
time
would
be
better
spent
in
other
pastimes,”
he
replied
gravely.
“Yes,
to
see
our
friendship
go
after
so
many
years
is
sad,
indeed.
Although,”
he
added
with
a
sweeping
glance
at
the
town’s
walls,
“there
are
benefits
to
be
had
from
the
new
situation,”
his
tone
of
voice
making
clear
his
avaricious
intent.

Nasir
laughed
in
genuine
amusement.
“My
‘friend’
will
understand
if
we
do
our
utmost
to
stop
those
‘benefits’
from
too
easily
falling
into
his
hands!”

The
other
man
nodded,
smiling,
and,
turning
his
horse,
led
his
small
party
back
to
the
main
body
of
men.
Watching
him,
the
group
on
the
walls
had
little
doubt
that
he
would
soon
return
at
the
head
of
the
full
force
–
and
then
they’d
be
in
a
fight
for
their
very
lives.
Despite
the
imminent
threat,
they
watched
with
sadness
in
their
faces
as
their
one-time
friends
and
allies
rode
away
from
the
town.
Soon,
they
knew,
they
would
return
as
enemies;
enemies
moreover,
equipped
with
modern
rifles
that
would
take
a
heavy
toll
on
the
lives
of
those
defending
its
walls.