Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (5 page)

“Tell
us,”
he
commanded
quietly,
his
camel
manoeuvred
next
to
Zahirah’s
at
the
head
of
the
column.

“He
ordered
us
to
tell
you
that
he
received
your
message,
sped
to
the
town
and
that
the
Lady
Firyal,
and
the
Lady
Zahirah’s
family
are
safe,
under
his
and
Daoud’s
protection.
And,
for
the
moment,
he
has
the
citadel,”
he
added.

Any
relief
that
they
felt
was
obliterated
by
the
chill
his
next
words
caused.

“He
begs
you
all to
make
all
haste.
The
town
has
received
news
of
–
of
the
Lord
Fouad’s
death
and
there
is
much
unrest,
and,”
he
added
ominously,
“some
gatherings
of
various
forces,
who
may
wish
the
the
Prince
Talal
harm.”

Nasir’s
reaction
was
immediate.
“So
be
it,”
he
said
calmly,
as
he
swiftly
ordered
three
riders
to
race
ahead
of
the
main
column
and
seize
Salman,
before
the
young
sheikh
realised
his
spy
had
been
caught.
His
reasons
for
planting
the
man
may
have
been
benign,
but,
until
they
were
sure,
the
stakes
were
far
too
high
to
leave
him
at
liberty
Then,
transferring
to
a
horse
and
ordering
himself
to
be
strapped
to
the
beast’s
back,
Nasir
quickly
had
his
whole
force
move
into
a
lumbering
trot
that
swiftly
turned
into
a
gallop
which
soon
ate
up
the
remaining
distance
to
the
town, and
their
family.

The
column
swept
into
town
and
raced
through
the
narrow
streets
to
the
citadel,
outriders
warning
the
population
crowding
the
narrow
roads
to
clear
a
way
for
the
galloping
warriors.
The
town
gates
were
theirs;
would
those
of
the
citadel
also
still
be
held
by
loyalists?
They
would
soon
know,
Nasir
thought
grimly
as,
pain
ripping
through
him,
he
forced
his
lathered
horse
even faster
through
the
narrow
streets.
He
felt
his
weakened
body
tense
as
their
frenzied
approach
brought
them
quickly
to
the
great
gates
and
–
they
were
opening!

Thanks be to Allah!
he
thought,
as
they
raced
through
into
the
square
and
pulled
their
over-weary
mounts
to
a
savage
stop.

Mish’al
hurried
down
from
the
walls
to
greet
them.
“Nasir!
My
friend!
You
arrive
not
before
time!
Lady
Zahirah,”
he
said,
turning
to
her
as
her
attendants
helped
her
down
from
her
litter.
“Your
children
are
safe
inside
the
citadel,
with
the
Lady
Firyal,”
he
assured
her
quickly.

“The
Lady
Firyal
is
aware
of
her
son’s
death?”
she
asked,
after
thanking
the
young
fighter
for
his
swift
action.

He
nodded
sadly,
his
open,
handsome
features
creased
in
pain.
“Indeed
she
is.
There
was
too
much
shouting
and
chanting
for
her
not to
know
that
something
was
amiss.
When
I
arrived,
she
asked
me
what
was
happening.”
He
paused
unhappily.
“I
couldn’t
lie
to
her,
though
I
wish
to
Allah
that
I
could,”
he
finished.
“And,
more
ill
news,
Salman
has
gone.
As
soon
as
we
got
your
message,”
he
continued,
turning
back
to
Nasir,
“we
sent
guards
to
his
palace,
but
he
had
already
fled
–
leaving
everything
behind.”

Both
nodded,
unsurprised.
“No
matter,
there
will
be
time
later
to
catch
him
and
have
him
explain
his
actions
–
though
his
fleeing
itself
tells
us
much,”
Nasir
replied,
grimly.

“I
must
go
to
the
Lady
Firyal,”
Zahirah
said.
Like
her
young
brother-in-law,
she was content
to
put
the
problem
of
Salman
to
one
side
for
the
present.
Turning
to
Nasir,
swaying
on
his
feet
as
he
leant
against
a
wall
of
the
square
for
support,
she
urged
him
to
have
his
wounds
seen
to.
“We
can’t
afford
to
lose
you,
also”
she
said
quietly
as
she
turned
and
hurried
off
to
Firyal’s
private
apartments.

Nasir,
with
the
last
of
his
iron
self-control,
turned
to
Mish’al.
“You
did
well
in
securing
the
citadel.
Do
we
know
how
the
information
reached
the
town
so
quickly?”

The
other
man
nodded
his
thanks
but
then
shook
his
head.
“Much
of
the
work
was
already
done
by
the
time
I
got
here.
Daoud
secured
the
citadel
only
minutes
before one
of
the
mobs
tried
to
enter.”
Nasir
face
lost
what
little
colour
it
had
remaining
in
it.