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Despite that, he stepped forward boldly, though his heart beat to suffocation. For Kumran's face was cruel indeed. Still, for one second, the latter's attention was distracted. He had wanted no witnesses to what he meant to do. "How camest thou hither, slave?" he asked fiercely. And Roy gave him back the simple truth, no more, no less; but it was sufficient.
He could admire them, though he did not seem in the least ashamed of having yet once more turned his coat; for he was again on Kumran's side. How time passed none of the prisoners cared to count. But one day the sudden roar of a great gun told them that the city was once more besieged.
"And anyhow it matters little if either or both of you be Kings, since ye are in cruel Kumran's power." "Not till my Dearest-Lady returns," dissented little Akbar gravely. "Head-nurse said so; and if cruel Uncle Kumran is to get me, Dearest-Lady won't come back. I know she won't so there!" And, as events turned out, the Heir-to-Empire was right!
So Kumran's charming polished manner vanished in an instant, and one day, without any warning, little Mirak, playing in the garden, was kidnapped by two stalwart Abyssinian slaves and carried off, howling horribly and fighting with his fists, to the palace where Kumran's wife lived.
Meanwhile notice of Her Highness Dearest-Lady's arrival had reached Kumran's wife and she hastened to little Akbar's prison room. But once more Dearest-Lady was bold and took the first word. "I came to bid the boy farewell, content to trust him to thy kind care, my niece," she said; "and also to leave with him this Râjput singer, who has the art of amusing the child and other folk also.
For Kumran's promise of safety to the Heir-to-Empire was only during her absence, and who knew whether his craft might not claim freedom to do as he chose ere she started! So she made her arrangements for that very evening, and she had much to do. To begin with she must see the Heir-to-Empire the very last thing, and make certain that he was well cared for.
So it was Kumran's turn to grow pale. "August lady," he replied, evading her question, "this is a matter of policy with which women have naught to do. King Humâyon hath taken Kandahâr, he hath imprisoned and degraded his brother Askurry, and for this, I, Kumran, challenge him!" "And wherefore?" asked Dearest-Lady boldly. "Did not Askurry deserve it? Nay! did he not deserve death?
The women, as a change, were walled up in a tiny room, where, bread and water being thrust in to them, they might eat and live, or starve and die as they chose. But the Heir-to-Empire? What of him? Ah! fool that he had been to make that promise to a crafty old woman who had died in order to spite him. Kumran's anger rose fierce; he would have given anything to break his oath; but he could not.
Save for this, due to Head-nurse's precaution in not allowing the Heir-to-Empire sweet milk for supper, all was as cruel brother Kumran's agents had planned when they had sent the pretended messenger from the palace with the platter of delicacies. Even the sentry below was sleeping sound after his share of kid curry.
For Foster-father's suspicions had been correct, and he had been sent to try and entice the child by some of Prince Kumran's partisans who, booted and spurred, and with a swift pacing camel for the child, were waiting eagerly for the return of their messenger. Their faces fell as he flung the little cap upon the ground. "The old fox is too wary," he said. "We must get at the child some other way."
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