Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (54 page)

The
smoke
was,
in
fact,
now
clearing
from
around
the
ship
and
they
all
saw
the
British
ensign
flying
proudly
against
the
vivid
blue
of
the
sky.

“They’re
lowering
boats!”
said
Talal
excitedly,
his
keen
eyes
spotting
the
hurried
activity
on
the
decks
as
two
boats,
loaded
with
what
they
learned
later
were
marines,
were
dropped
over
the
side.
They
watched
them
as
they
began
to
row
swiftly
towards
the
shore.

“Look!”
Mish’al,
whose
attention
had
never
left
the
land
forces
encircling
them,
said
in
excitement.
“They’re
leaving!”

The
others
turned
and
saw
he
was
right.
The
two
opposing
sides
had
seen
the
British
flag
and
realised
that
their
opportunity
to
seize
the
town
was
gone.
They
were
too
late
by
a
few
short
hours.
The
Rashid
forces
left
first,
turning
away
to
head
westwards
to
Hail,
their
capital.
The
Saudi
forces
also
turned
–
all
except
for
three
riders
whose
horses
trotted
towards
the
town
itself.

“It’s
ibn
Saud!”
said
Nasir
suddenly,
as
he
recognised
the
powerfully
built
rider
who
was
slightly
ahead
of
the
other
two.
They
came
to
a
halt
just
out
of
rifle
range
of
the
walls.
Whilst
ibn
Saud
and
one
of
the
riders
waited,
the
third
rider
walked
his
horse
slowly
forward,
until
he
was
directly
under
the
walls.

“I
have
gifts
from
my
master,”
he
said,
looking
nervously
up
at
the
heavily
armed
figures
just
three
or
four
yards
above
his
head.

“Who
are
the
gifts
for?”
asked
Daoud
suspiciously,
glaring
down.

“I
have
been
ordered
to
say
only
that
they
are
gifts
from
ibn
Saud.”

Nasir
moved
to
angrily
order
the
man
away,
but
was
stopped
by
Zahirah,
saying
quietly
“Let
him
in.”

Surprised,
he
nodded
the
order
to
Daoud
who
hurried
down
to
oversee
the
opening
of
the
gates.

The
man
looked
around
him
with
increasing
nervousness
as
he
was
hurried
up
the
steps
to
stand
before
them.
His
nervousness
increased
when
he
saw
guards
move
to
close
guard
the
family,
a
precaution
against
any
hostile
act.

“You
say
you
have
gifts
–
who
are
they
for?”
Nasir
asked
quietly

“Yes,
Lord.
I
have
two.
One
for
the
Lord
Talal
and... one
for
the
Lady
Zahirah,”
he
gulped
on
the
last
name.

Nasir
looked
at
Zahirah
in
astonishment,
but
her
features
showed
nothing
of
her
thoughts.
She
merely
nodded
and
asked
the
man
to
show
the
gifts.

He
opened
the
pouch
he
was
carrying
and
held
out
a
small
package
to
Talal.

“It
may
be
a
trick,
the
gift
could
be
poisoned
in
some
way,”
cautioned
Mish’al.

Nasir
shook
his
head.
“No,
ibn
Saud
is
many
things,
but
he
wouldn’t
stoop
to
poison
to
achieve
what
he
wanted.”

Talal
opened
the
package
and
gasped
with
astonished
pleasure
when
he
saw
its
contents,
as
did
those
gathered
round
him.
It
was
a
beautifully
crafted
dagger.
The
curved
blade
gleamed
and
flashed
in
the
sunlight
and
the
hilt
was
highly
polished
and
studded
with
precious
stones.
Ibn
Saud’s
Wahabbi
followers
would
be
angered,
Zahirah
thought,
had
they
been
able
to
see
the
luxury
of
the
deadly
weapon
and
the
worldly
indulgence
it
showed.

Talal’s
eyes
flashed
with
pleasure,
his
boy’s
heart
more
entranced
by
the
savagery
it
promised
rather
than
the
elegant,
glittering
beauty
of
the
object
itself.

The
gift-bearer
then,
with
obvious
unease,
handed
a
similar
sized
package
to
Zahirah.
With
a
nod
of
thanks,
she
opened
the
package.
Again,
although
she,
as
ever,
remained
impassive,
the
bystanders
gasped
as
the
glittering
object
was
exposed.
It
was
a
beautifully
engraved
revolver,
again
studded
with
precious
stones.
Its
grip
was
ivory
and
engraved
with
Arabic
characters.

“Lord
Abdul
Azziz
is
most
generous,”
she
said
quietly,
passing
the
gun
to
Ayesha,
who’d
just
joined
them.

“H... He... He
bade
me
give
you
a
message,
Lady,”
said
the
man,
his
unhappiness
increasing
rapidly.

Her
black
eyes,
wiped
clear
of
all
expression,
looked
at
him,
giving
him
no
clue
as
to
how
the
gifts
had
been
received.