Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 18, 2025
Nobody helped Jael Higg from her camel, for she jumped down like an acrobat and stood staring about her at Ali Baba's gang, and being stared at as they went about the business of off-loading the complaining beasts. I saw Ayisha get out of the shibriyah, face around slowly, and meet Jael's eyes.
The rest of us set about cooking breakfast after the morning prayers were over. My prayer-mat was next Narayan Singh's, and it was interesting to hear him curse the Prophet sotto voce while pretending to vie with those robbers in fervid protestations of faith in Islam. But more than the Prophet he cursed Ayisha, praying to his Hindu pantheon to wreak all wrath on her.
I said: "O Ali Higg, men said of you that you are a fierce man, swift in wrath and slow to take advice. And others said that you are sick with burning boils; yet who shall go into the Lion's den and heal him? And Ayisha said to me: "'Thou art a hakim, yet he will never listen to thee. But he is my lord, and shall I see him linger in agony? Give me a potion that will weaken him.
There was discipline in that man's camp, as long as he was looking. But Ayisha followed the woman out, and whether she herself found Shammas Abdul, or whether she contrived to pervert the junior wife, Grim presently became aware of that move to summon forth men, and governed himself accordingly. For about a minute Ali Higg fixed baleful eyes on me. "You are a Shia!" he snapped suddenly.
The woman brought the coffee on a tray in little silver cups as good and as well served as if our host were a Cairene pasha; but our irascible host took none, for Ayisha called out and warned him not to, saying it would heat his boils. She came like the wife of Heber the Kenite, who slew Sisera, "bringing forth butter in a lordly dish."
Ayisha accepted a cigarette, fitted it into a long amber tube, and watched him. "Very well," he said at last. "If I protect you you must answer questions. Are you Ali Higg's wife?" "Have I Your Honor's promise of protection?" "Yes. Are you Ali Higg's wife?" "I am his second wife." "Thought so! And you've been sent to make purchases for number one?" She nodded.
Grim had out his traveling water-pipe for the sake of effect, and was puffing away at it while he meditated on the information that was being drawn forth gradually. Ayisha was seated on the mat beside him. The man with the squeak in his voice, who did most of the talking, was a very dark-skinned fellow with a short, coal-black, curly beard.
"The farther we go the more we load up with sure-fire traitors. First Ayisha; she'd cut throats at so much per. Her four men, who'd change sides once an hour if they were made afraid that often. Now this Yussuf a professional spy, whose habit you say is to betray both sides." "Pretty good outfit, I'll tell the world," he answered. "Good for what?" "You got cold feet?" "I've got cold judgment.
So they all took turns to go in and pray fervently two-bow prayers as they called them reciting thereafter such scripture as Ali Baba thought suitable and could remember. Hunting about in the ruins I found indubitable human bones. Ayisha, when asked about it, said that Ali Higg had raided the place several months ago and killed or captured every one.
As it was, we slept all morning undisturbed, with only four watchers posted, relieved at intervals of one hour. And the only disturbance we suffered was from the lady Ayisha, who insisted that the black-faced prisoner was hers, camel and all, and that he should be taken to Petra for summary execution. She threatened Grim with all sorts of dire reprisals in case he should let the man go.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking