Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (37 page)

“You
offer
assurances
of
support,
should
we
have
need
of
it
–
is
that
correct?”
His
fierce
eyes,
black
as
obsidian,
bored
into
the
emissaries
as
he
waited
patiently
until
the
diplomats
had
–
reluctantly
–
nodded,
then
went
in
for
the
kill.
“Yet
your
armies
are
at
present
surrounded
north
of
us
and
we
see
no
other
outcome
for
you
but
of
surrender!”
He
paused
and
continued,
his
voice
full
of
scarcely
veiled
contempt.
“Should
we
join
you,
and
the
Turks
attack
us
for
our
duplicity
in
joining
their
enemy,
how
can
you
come
to
our
aid?
Your
army
is
gone
and
we
have
the
Turk
and
the
Rashid
between
you
and
us!”

“We
of
course
do
not
see
that
outcome
as
at
all
likely,”
lied
the
urbane
diplomat,
with
such
conviction
that
it
brought
admiring
glances
from
his
audience.
That
he
was
present
at
all,
showed
both
the
importance
of
the
talks
–
and
sent
a
very
clear
signal
that
they
were
in
the
endgame.
Sir
Percy
Cox,
the
all-powerful
British
Resident
in
the
Gulf
and
normally
based
across
the
waters
in
Persia,
most
definitely
did
not
cross
those
waters
for
idle
chit-chat.
“But,
even
if
such
an
eventuality
were
to
occur,”
he
continued,
“we
have
warships
all
along
the
Gulf
and
aid
would
be
with
you
before
the
Ottoman
could
occupy
the
town.”
The
Narashi
merely
nodded.
The
response
was
nothing
that
they
hadn’t
expected.
Whether
or
not
such
aid
would
come
swiftly
enough
was,
of
course,
as
they
were
cynically
aware,
something
they’d
not
know
until
it
was,
perhaps,
much
too
late.
What
was
of
more
immediate
interest
to
them
was
what
sweeteners
the
British
would
offer
in
the
way
of
arms
and
gold.
In
preparation
for
this,
Nasir
had
ordered
his
men,
as
in
Kuwait,
to
be
seen
only
to
be
carrying
their
old
fashioned
weaponry,
not
the
powerful
modern
guns
the
Turks
had
so
recently
provided.
He’d
also
ordered
the
bulk
of
their
obviously
very
expensive
new
camels
to
be
stabled
well
away
from
any
embarrassingly
inquisitive
British
eyes.
He
had
no
objection
for
the
British
to
suspect,
strongly
suspect,
that
they
were
in
talks
with
their
enemy,
but
he
didn’t
want
either
confirmation
of
that
fact,
or
it’s
extent
in
tangible
payment.

The
discussions
–
and
the
bargaining
–
continued
for
much
of
what
remained
of
the
day.
The
British
offered
more
than
they
wanted,
but
less
than
they
were
prepared
to.
The
Narashi
happily
took
what
was
offered,
with
which
they
were
entirely
satisfied-
but
intended
to
press
for
more
on
the
following
day.
The
meeting
was
adjourned
with
both
sides
exhausted
by
the
negotiations,
but
each
having
gained
enormous
respect
for
their
opposite
numbers.

Then,
something
occurred
which
made
the
British
realise
that
the
day
had
been,
in
some
respects,
merely
the
warm-up
to
the
main
act.

Chapter
Fifteen

The
urbane
diplomat
found
that
he
had
no
need
to
create
an
excuse
to
get
to
meet
Zahirah
and
Firyal.
A
politely
phrased
request,
from
the
princesses
themselves,
brought
him
into
Firyal’s
private
audience
chamber
late
that
evening
when,
it
was
hoped,
most
were
asleep.
The
wide
windows
opening
onto
the
balcony
let
in
welcome
breezes,
cooled
from
their
passage
across
the
gulf
waters.
Both
parties
were
under
no
illusion
as
to
how
dangerous
the
visit
was,
not
only
to
the
prospect
of
a
Narashi-British
alliance,
but
to
Zahirah
and
Firyal
personally.
Not
only
would
the
Wahhabist
elements
of
the
population
be
outraged
by
such
a
breach
of
convention,
but
many
others
also.
And
if
the
powerful,
strongly
pro-
Ottoman
faction
got
even
a
breath
of
it
they
would
smell
treachery
and
–
quite
possibly
–
bring
out
their
supporters
in
bloody
riot
or
worse.
For
although
both
women
had
striven
to
keep
their
preference
a
secret,
it
was
increasingly
suspected
that
they
wanted
a
British,
not
Ottoman,
alliance.
As
added
security,
therefore,
the
attendants
serving
the
dates,
olives,
and
coffee
were
Zahirah’s
deaf
and
mute
slaves,
always
used
by
her
now
as
a
matter
of
habit,
so
dangerous
were
the
times.

Sir
Percy
was
curious
as
to
why
they
would
risk
so
much
when
a
great
deal
of
what
they
wanted
to
say
could
be,
had
been
already,
voiced
by
others.
He
was
not
left
long
in
suspense
and,
when
it
became
clear
why
the
meeting
had
been
arranged,
his
respect
for
the
two
women
grew
immeasurably
–
as
did
his
fury.
A
letter
which
surfaced
many
years
later
in
the
dusty
archives
of
Whitehall,
the
seat
of
British
government
and
the
centre
of
its
once
powerful
India
Office,
gave
both
the
content
of
the
famous
meeting
–
and
its
outcome.

‘… and so
,
sirs
,
the issue is clear
.
At the time of writing we do not
,
as yet
,
know whether the Narishi authorities will agree to enter into an alliance with us and become a protectorate of His Majesty’s Government
,
as are Kuwait and the other smaller Gulf states
,
or relapse back into their old alliance with the Ottoman
.
Many
,
indeed
,
perhaps most
,
including the older of the two regents
,
favour the latter
.
I would be more concerned about this grouping
,
were not certain
,
very strong
,
forces seeming to veer towards ourselves
.
Not the least of these is the prince Nasir
,
the second regent
,
who
,
although young
,
is a major influence in the Emirate
.
(
Indeed
,
should his loyalty to the young emir ever falter
,
I believe the boy would be dead within twenty four hours
.
) He
,
I believe
,
though circumspect in public discussions
,
sees us as a sturdier ally than the Ottoman
,
despite their current strength
.
He will
,
I believe
,
argue strongly for an alliance with us
,
should other pieces be in place
.
The major one of these is the subject of the remainder of this communication
.

Because of the highly probable wide
-
ranging ramifications of them
,
I feel it wise to apprise you of the final Narashi ‘suggestions’ as to what would enable them to become our allies
.
The proposals come direct from the princesses Firyal and Zahirah, presented to me in private audience
.
My view is that
,
unless we accede
,
they will seek a similar pledge from the Ottoman
,
who
,
regardless of whether they can actually deliver it
,
may well give such a commitment and we will lose Narash and all that it offers
.
A loss
,
I am aware
,
that we are not prepared to countenance under any circumstances
.

They would be willing to consider an alliance provided
–
and this
,
I believe is non
-
negotiable
–
that the treaty spells out very specifically
,
the land boundaries as laid out in the detailed map attached
.
As you will see
,
it greatly enlarges Narash from both the town itself and those lands previously
,
though vaguely
,
regarded as Narashi
.
It removes any ambiguity in phrases such as ‘and such lands as are externally and internally
,
generally recognised as traditionally falling under Narashi rule
,
’ or whatever phrasing that we would
,
on this occasion
,
choose to use
.

This very detailed
,
and one could say
,
startlingly modern and sophisticated
,
map was
,
I believe
,
produced under the direction of the Princess Zahirah
.
She
,
although entirely untutored
,
has an instinctive grasp of power and its workings that would challenge
,
if not shame
,
Signor Machiavelli
.
You will observe that these measurements
,
though given to me in the traditional terminology of the distance a fast camel could travel in a day
,
and so on
,
are pinpoint accurate when converted to our more traditional miles
.
The princesses are as aware as we
,
that although Narash does at present hold the land
,
almost all of it was gained either by Fouad or Talal the elder
,
his father
.
Some had previously been held at one time or another by the Rashid
,
and others are traditionally claimed by either the al Saud
,
or other tribal groupings
.
It will be a devil’s own brew to deal with once the Great War is finished
.
Bearing in mind
,
however
,
the utmost importance of stopping an Ottoman presence on The Gulf
,
it is a problem we must lay on one side
,
until victory is achieved
.

Conclusion
:
as you have given me all powers necessary
(
including force
,
though
,
naturally
,
I have neglected to mention that possibility
,
in my discussions with the Narashi
)
I shall be confirming the agreement of HM Govt
.
to their proposals and signing an appropriate treaty unless I hear otherwise
,
via radio communication
,
during the next ninety six hours
.

A
little
over
ninety
six
hours
later,
the
Narashi
regents
received
final
confirmation
that
the
British
government
acceded
to
their
demands.
Two
days
later
the
Ottoman
in
turn
confirmed
that,
as
some
of
the
lands
‘requested’
were
traditionally
–
or
at
least
frequently
–
under
the
rule
of
their
allies
the
Rashid,
they
couldn’t
concede
the
map
as
suggested
by
Narash.
They
did,
however,
offer
some
land,
the
precise
extent
of
which
would
be
decided
later,
that
bordered
both
Narash
and
Kuwait
when
Turkey
and
it’s
German
and
Austrian-Hungarian
allies
won
the
larger
war.
They
also
hinted
that,
in
the
event
of
such
a
victory,
they
would
look
favourably
on
dismembering
Kuwait
itself
to
the
advantage
of
its
Narashi
friends.