Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (53 page)

“Lord
Nasir,
Daoud
bids
me
tell
you
that
the
Rashid
have
sent
warriors
from
the
boats;
they
were
seen
creeping
along
the
coast
to
the
north.
He
thinks
they
are
attempting
to
infiltrate
the
town.”

Nasir
cursed.
“Does
he
need
more
men?”
Even
as
he
asked,
he
wondered
where
he’d
get
them
from
out
of
the
ranks
of
the
already
over-stretched
defenders.

“No,
he
has
sufficient,
he
says,
he
sent
the
message
merely
to
warn
you.”

Nasir
nodded,
grateful
as
ever
to
the
burly
garrison
commander.
Whilst
he
doubted
the
loyalty
of
many,
he
had
never
had
a
moment’s
uncertainly
about
Daoud’s
commitment.

He
found
out
later
that
the
experienced
fighter’s
suspicions
had
been
aroused
when
he’d
received
a
message
from
a
guard
in
one
of
the
twin
fortlets,
guarding
the
harbour’s
mouth.
The
man,
sharp-eyed
and
alert,
had
noticed
how
empty
the
Rashidi
boats,
placed
out
in
the
Gulf
but
straddling
the
harbour
mouth,
were
becoming.
He’d
messaged
guards
on
the
harbour
wall
and
Daoud,
being
informed,
had
personally
led
the
reconnaissance
that
found
them,
having
killed
the
guards,
scrambling
over
a
lightly
guarded
and
vulnerable
portion
of
the
north
wall.
The
defending
force
had
arrived
in
the
nick
of
time,
catching
some
of
the
would-be
infiltrators
on
both
sides
of
the
walls
and
thus
weakened.
They
swiftly
killed
those
who’d
got
into
the
town
and
chased
off
the
remainder.
It
had
been
very
close
run
and
an
oversight
from
which
the
defenders
learned,
which
was
to
help
them
when
another
great
attack
threatened
the
town
some
years
later.

In
the
meantime,
re-assured
by
Daoud’s
message,
Nasir
moved
to
rejoin
the
others
in
their
grim-faced
watch
of
the
drama
unfolding
outside
the
walls.
Neither
side
were
moving,
either
toward
the
other
or
away,
so
the
watchers
knew
something
was
going
to
happen
–
and
soon.

Then
suddenly,
everything
changed,
yet
again!

Just
as
Nasir
had
turned
back
to
the
viewing
platform,
everyone,
defenders
and
attackers,
were
stunned
by
a
huge
explosion
coming
from
the
harbour.
All
eyes
swivelled
to
the
sheltered
waters
which,
ultimately,
were
the
cause
of
all
the
fighting.
It
took
several
seconds
for
everyone’s
brain
to
interpret
what
their
eyes
were
seeing.
A
huge,
grey
shape,
black
smoke
billowing
from
its
sides,
was
astride
the
harbour
mouth,
framed
between
the
two
little
forts
perched
on
their
rocky
pinnacles.
Even
as
they
watched,
a
second
explosion
rocked
both
the
town
and
the
teeth
of
everyone
within
earshot.
Panicked
horses
reared
and
threw
riders;
berserk
camels
raced,
uncontrolled,
away
from
the
sound,
many
unseating
their
riders
in
the
process;
panicked
crowds
poured
into
the
narrow
alleyways
of
the
town.
It
was
only
seeing
their
ruling
emir
and
his
family
calmly
looking
across
the
waters
that
helped
calm
and
steady
them.
Afterwards
all
the
royal
party
quietly
agreed
that
it
was
total
shock
that
had
immobilised
them,
gave
them
the
air
of
glacial
calm
that
their
people
needed.
All
felt,
however,
that
sharing
this
knowledge
would
help
no
one.

A warship! But whose?
was
the
frantic
question
racing
through
both
Zahirah
and
Nasir’s
minds.
The
smoke
wreathing
the
sides
of
the
huge
vessel
obscured
its
nationality,
with
a
strong
off-shore
wind
obscuring
the
flag
flying
from
its
masthead.
It
was
just
possible
that
an
Ottoman
warship
had
slipped
through
from
the
extreme
north
of
the
Gulf
and
somehow
avoided
the
British
battle
fleets.
Their
wish
to
reclaim
Narash
was
certainly
incentive
enough.
If
it
were
a
Turkish
ship
they
knew
the
Rashid
would
be
entering
the
town
within
minutes
–
and
as
occupiers,
not
friends.

Their
situation
could
scarcely
be
better
if
it
was
a
British
ship.
With
no
time
to
have
confirmed
their
acceptance
of
the
British
alliance
the
vessel
may
well
be
outside
their
harbour
as
an
invader,
not
succouring
friend.

It
was
Daoud,
hurrying
up
the
steps,
blood
spattering
his
beard
and
robes,
after
his
killing
spree
with
the
Rashidi
infiltrators,
who
gave
them
the
identity
of
the
new
arrival.
“It’s
a
British
warship,
Lord
Nasir,”
he
gasped,
breathless
from
his
run
from
the
town’s
northern
walls.