Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (19 page)

He
paused
as
the
room
erupted
in
a
storm
of
growls
and
shouts
of
agreement.
Many
in
the
chamber
had
been
alive
during
the
last
of
the
Saudi/
Wahabbi
occupations
little
more
than
forty
years
previously,
and
had
no
wish
for
a
repeat
of
the
bitter
experience.

“Nor,”
Nasir
continued
when
the
tumult
had
died
down,
“do
I,
like
yourselves,
feel
their
violent
and
intolerant
way
of
life
is
one
any
Narashi
would
willingly
undertake.
It
is
our
family’s
duty
to
safeguard
the
well-being
–
even
perhaps,
the
happiness,
as
far
as
that
is
possible – of
all
in
Narash.
I
do
not
see
that
well-being,
even
less
so
the
happiness,
being
protected
under
ibn
Saud
and
his
Wahabbi
supporters.
Their
cold,
hard
and
joyless
way
of
life,
their
violent
interpretation
of
the
Koran
and
the
words
of
the
Prophet,
blessed
be
his
name,
are
all
alien
to
us
in
Narash,
and
I
wish
it
to
remain
so.
That,
I
see,
as
our
first,
perhaps
only,
duty.”
He
paused
and
then
continued.
“Indeed,
we
are
a
family
that
is
blessed
with
many
talents.
Talents
we
need
in
these
fearsome
days
we
now
live
in.
It
is
also
true
that
without
strong
leadership
from
within
the
family,
Narash
will
fall,
if
not
this
month,
this
year,
then
soon.
I
say
from
within
the
family,
but
in
reality
I
mean
by
the
family.
But
should
we
choose
one
of
us
over
another,
the
successful
man
will
not
have
the
full
support
of
his
defeated
rivals,
or
the
family
groupings
they
represent.
I
say,
and
say
clearly,
we
can
stay
united
as
a
family
only
by
uniting
behind
Talal
and
what
he
represents.
Only
then
can
each
family
faction
feel
it
will
have
an
equal
chance
to
be
heard,
have
influence
over
Narash’s
future.”
Again
he
paused
for
effect.

“My
kinsman,”
here
he
gestured
to
Abdul,
“and
I
have
had
disagreements
on
many
issues
and
will,
I
have
no
doubt,
continue
to
do
so.”
He
smiled
briefly
at
Abdul
and
received
the
faintest
of
smiles
in
return,
“but
I
tell
you
publicly,
that
I
applaud
his
wisdom,
which
putting
aside
any
understandable
bitterness
he
may
feel,
has
him
seeing
clearly
the
only
safe
route
for
us
to
travel.”

He
stopped
speaking
and
raised
his
hands
to
signal
that
he
had
finished.

Zahirah
and
Firyal,
invisible
behind
their
screens
allowed
themselves
smiles
compounded
in
equal
parts
of
pride
and
admiration.
Firyal,
however,
glancing
across
at
the
younger
woman,
saw
something
she’d
not
expected,
a
shadow,
swiftly
disguised,
of
something
else;
something
else
entirely.

Badr
indicated
he
now
wished
to
speak.
The
gathering
let
him
and
heard
him
out
with
the
courtesy
his
rank
and
reputation
entitled
him
to.
But
it
wasn’t
enough.
Nasir’s
words
had
hit
a
chord,
several
chords,
and,
as
he’d
intended,
a
prime
one
was
equality
of
influence
under
Talal’s
rule;
something
that
each
faction
in
the
room
knew
would
not
be
theirs
should
a
rival
grouping
triumph.
Badr
recognised
something
of
this,
so
was
content
to
speak
briefly,
setting
out
a
marker
should
a
new
ruler
become
necessary.

Then
he
ended
his
short
speech
with
his
own
master-stroke.
He
advised
the
gathering
to
confirm
Talal
as
their
new
Emir.

Chapter
Nine

A
sheikh
almost
as
old
as
Abdullah,
and
in
ill-health,
was
heard
to
mutter
loudly
that
one
more
shock
would
finish
him
off.
He
had
a
sympathetic
audience.
Lovers
of
the
dramatic
and
theatrical
though
they
were,
many
men
felt
they’d
had
more
than
enough
to
last
a
lifetime.
To
get
them
one
after
another
in
one
meeting
was,
all
were
beginning
to
feel,
somewhat
excessive.

Caught
off
guard
by
Badr’s
sudden
proposal,
Zahirah
and
Firyal
exchanged
alarmed,
almost
frightened,
glances.
Their
rival’s
swift
reading
of
the
assembly’s
intentions,
and
his
even
swifter
response,
ensured
that
whilst
his
proposal
bowed
to
the
inevitable,
the
making
of
it
put
him
in
the
strongest
position
for
what
came
next.

And
what
came
next,
came
quickly.

Even
before
Talal
could
be
confirmed
Omar,
a
long-time
ally
of
Badr’s,
and
almost
as
fast
a
thinker,
spoke
quickly.
“A
truly
wise
and
magnificent
gesture,
which
I’m
sure
we
will
all
concur
with.
Talal
will
doubtless
become
as
great
a
leader
and
warrior
as
his
father
was, in
time,”
he
added,
after
the
briefest
of
pauses.
“During
the
time
before
that
day
comes,
however,
he
will
need
the
guidance
and
support
of
the
best
amongst
us
and
who
would
be
better
or
stronger
than
Badr?
I
would
therefore
suggest
that
our
brother
becomes
the
boy’s
regent.”

Ay
!
Zahirah
and
Firyal
had
anticipated
that
the
suggestion
would
arise
if,
or
when,
Badr
saw
that
he
couldn’t
yet
have
the
supreme
prize
by
direct
means,
but
not
that
it
would
be
proposed
so
swiftly.
They’d
also
been
caught
unawares
by
his
masterly
strategy
of
proposing
the
boy’s
elevation
himself.
He
was,
they
knew,
now
unstoppable.
And
Talal’s
life
would
count
for
nothing.
He
would,
they
were
chillingly
aware,
be
dead
within
three
months.
Badr,
already
the
regent,
would
then
be
unassailable
and
would
step
easily
and
unchallenged
into
the
dead
boy’s
shoes,
however
bloody
his
hands
were.
So
stunned
were
they
by
the
rapid
and
dangerous
turn
of
events,
that
they,
at
first,
didn’t
hear
what
the
next
speaker
was
saying.
When
they
did
hear,
they
couldn’t
believe
what
their
ears
were
telling
them.

“An
excellent
suggestion,
Brother,
and
one
we
should
all
accept
and
be
grateful
for.
To
have
the
experience
and
prowess
of
such
an
uncle
to
draw
on
in
the
difficult
days
we
know
we
face
can
only
be
a
relief
to
Talal,
indeed,
to
us
all.”

They,
along
with
the
rest
of
the
gathering,
listened
in
stunned
astonishment
as
Nasir
spoke
and
supported
his
half-brother’s
elevation.
All
knew
the
consequences
to
the
young
boy
seated
next
to
him,
the
boy
he’d
sworn
only
minutes
before
to
loyally
support,
consequences
that
he,
they
were
chillingly
aware,
was
also
fully
aware
of.

Nasir
paused,
again
gauging
the
effect
his
words
were
having,
then
continued.
“But
the
burden
is
great
and,
in
these
warlike
times
no
man’s
life
is
secure.
What
would
happen
should
something
happen
to
Badr,
before
Talal
becomes
of
age?
We’ve
seen
how
we
have
nearly
torn
ourselves
apart
this
time.
Next
time
would
only
be
worse.
We
must
avoid
the
risk
at
all
costs.
I
suggest
therefore
the
burden
of
the
regency
be
shared.
And,”
he
continued,
gambling
everything
on
one
last
desperate
throw,
“because
I
love
Talal
and
respect
Badr,
I
would
offer
myself
to
share
that
burden
and
be
co-regent
with
my
brother.”

Zahirah’s
black
eyes
gleamed
as
she
took
in
Nasir’s
audacious
move.
Badr
would
not
welcome
a
sharing,
a
diminution,
of
his
powers
as
regent.
The
question
now,
was
would
the
rest
of
the
family
see
it
as
the
only
way
left
open
to
curb
the
already
powerful
prince.
Or
would
Badr’s
supporters
use
the
assembly’s
jealousy
of
Nasir,
his
youth
and
his
known
closeness
to
Talal
and
herself,
to
fight
off
his
challenge?
Such
was
the
importance
of
the
issue
that
every
second
seemed
to
stretch
into
minutes,
but,
in
truth,
she
didn’t
have
long
to
wait
for
her
answer.
Although
everyone
had
been
caught
unawares
by
Badr’s
move,
Talal’s
supporters
suddenly
found
themselves
joined
by
other
factions
who
were
as
keen
to
avoid
a
too
powerful
Badr
as
they
were.