Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (9 page)

“We
wish,
at
Talal’s
request,
to
offer
you
your
freedom,
Brother,”
Nasir
responded

quietly,
speaking
directly
to
Abdul.

Whatever
the
four
prisoners
were
expecting,
it
certainly
wasn’t
this.
Their
worn
faces
flared
with
sudden
joy
at
the
thought
of
again
breathing
air
fresh
from
the
desert
rather
than
that
eternally
circulating
in
the
dank
filthiness
of
their
cells,
before
they
again
breathed
it
in.
Then,
fearful
caution
set
in.
Breathing
deeply
to
keep
his
voice
steady
and
not
shame
himself
in
front
of
his
young
kin,
Abdul
spoke.

“And
what
must
we
do
for
this
gift,
this
belated
gift?”
he
asked,
with
some
flicker
of
his
old
bombastic
self
trying
to
compete
against
the
long
given
up
hope
he
felt
starting
to
well
up
inside
his
tired
body.

“Merely
let
what
is
past,
stay
past.
Commit
to
loyalty
to
Talal
as
Emir,
if
you
feel
able,
and
genuine
neutrality
if
you
can’t.
That
is
all
you
need
for
us
all
to
begin
again,
as
kin,”
responded
Nasir,
as
agreed
beforehand,
being
the
spokesman
for
the
group.

“And
if
we
don’t?”
Mansour
predictably
asked,
raising
an
angry
glance
from
his
father.

“If
you
don’t,
then
much
is
still
too
unsure
for
us
to
risk
giving
you
your
freedom
and
you
will
be
returned
to
your
cells,”
responded
Nasir
flatly,
silently
half-hoping
their
stubborn
pride
–
or
hatred
of
Fouad’s
line
–
would
keep
them
immured.

“And
if
we
do
agree
–
how
can
we
be
sure
our
lives
will
still
be
safe?”
asked
Salman.
Of
the
four,
though
he
fought
to
hide
it,
he
was
the
most
eager
for
freedom,
and
at
almost
any
price;
a
yearning
he
couldn’t
quite
conceal.

“You
have
our
word,
cousin,
on
behalf
of
my
nephew,
all
our
line
and
all
in
Narash;
that
should
be
sufficient,”
Nasir
again
spoke
calmly,
resisting
the
urge
to
order
them
back
to
their
cells.

“Safe
from
all?”
Mus’id,
Abdul’s
younger
brother
and
the
fourth
member
of
the
quartet,
asked
quietly.

Nasir,
knowing
what,
or
rather
who,
was
in
his
mind,
replied.
“Yes,
from
all.
Indeed
the
idea
to
free
you
came
in
large
part
from
the
ladies
Zahirah
and
Firyal.”

The
four
prisoners’
surprise
that
they
had
the
support
of
the
two
powerful
women,
neither
known
for
showing
gentleness
to
those
they
considered
enemies,
was
quickly
followed
by
relief
and
a
growing
joy
that
they
would,
could,
at
last,
be
freed.
And
given
that
their
very
freedom
was
due,
in
part
at
least,
to
two
of
those
they
feared
the
most,
meant,
perhaps,
that
they
would
live
long
enough
to
enjoy
it.
Seeing
their
involuntary
glances
towards
the
half-screens,
as
always
in
place
at
any
important
meeting.
Nasir
shook
his
head.
“The
Ladies
would
wish
to
meet
you
at
another
time,
should
we
reach
an
agreement.”
He
saw
them
relax
a
little.
No
man
wished
to
be
seen
at
his
weakest
and
dirtiest
by
any
woman,
particularity
two
as
powerful
and
vengeful
as
those
two.

“So,
do
we
have
your
word
that
you
will
become
our
friends
again,
plot
nothing
against
us;
and
should
you
so
desire,
support
our
kinsman
as
your
Emir?”
he
asked,
cynically,
little
doubting
their
answer,
or
it’s
worth.
He
asked
the
question
into
yet
another
of
the
silences
their
new
found
hope
had
plunged
the
captives
into.

Each
looked
at
the
other,
though
their
decision
had
already
been
made.
They
were
not
fools
and
had
little
doubt
that
this
offer
was
the
last
they
would
receive.
None
wished
to
return
to
their
dark
cells,
images
of
which
would
always
haunt
their
sleepless
nights
for
as
long
as
their
lives
lasted.

They
nodded;
after
all,
words
were
cheap
and
even
if
they
weren’t,
they
would
pay
almost
any
price
to
regain
their
freedom.

Nasir
nodded
to
the
guards
who
moved
forward
and
removed
the
men’s
chains.
When
they’d
done
so,
the
duo
left
the
dais
and
briefly
embraced
them.
“Water
and
fresh
clothes
are
ready
for
you,
as
is
more
food
and
drink.
When
you
are
refreshed
we
will
talk
further,
and
the
ladies
Firyal
and
Zahirah
have
expressed
a
wish
to
meet
with
you.
To
show
their
joy
that
we
are
as
one
again,”
he
added,
to
forestall
any
questions.
Though
there
would
have
been
none.
There
was,
after
all,
little
the
men
wished
to
say
or
do
that
would
risk
their
new-found
freedom;
not
yet,
anyway.