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Updated: June 18, 2025
It may be that we shall all die together, but what of that?" Ayisha, on the other hand, was getting nervous. Grim avoided her. She was reduced to questioning others, edging the little Bishareen alongside each in turn.
Then we all got under the shelter of the low tents to give the other camels a rest and wait for evening, and I think Jael Higg slept, but I don't know, for we gave her a tent to herself; she refused point blank to share one with Ayisha. And Ayisha, I know, did not sleep.
"Ali Higg will hold you answerable for my safety if he has to destroy armies to reach you!" she said simply. "Ya sit Ayisha," Grim answered solemnly, "may Allah turn my face cold if Sheikh Ali Higg shall have fault to find with me in this matter!" "How many is in your caravan?" she asked. "Twenty armed men." She nodded.
Was it not she who had my servant flogged on a former occasion because he likened her to other women?" Grim said nothing to that. Ayisha drew the embroidered head-cloth over her face, I suppose to hide a smile. "For what purpose did you visit Petra?" Grim inquired. "Mashalla! Did I not receive payment from Your Honor? I do not understand!" "It is I who do not understand," said Grim.
"Since thou and I are brothers, go thy way! Allah ysallmak!" The driver did not wait for a second hint, but shoved the lever over so hard that the wheels spun and the whole train came within an ace of bucking off the track. And before the caboose had passed us Ayisha was alongside Grim abusing him for not having broken the locks off the steel freight-cars.
And he laid his hand on a modern British Army rifle the minute he caught sight of us. Narayan Singh and I both bowed and, after greeting him with the proper sonorous blessing, stood aside to let Ayisha approach. We should have demeaned ourselves in his eyes, and hers as well, if we had walked behind her.
It was easy enough to look shocked at that suggestion. He had the drop on me for one thing; and, for another, Ayisha was whispering to him, and I couldn't guess whether she was betraying me or not.
Jail, fighting, hardship, meant to them no more than temporary inconvenience. But to have asked them to let a prisoner escape, and submit to shameful abuse for it afterward in the presence of a woman and strangers, would have been more than Arab loyalty could stand. And, mother of me, how that woman Ayisha did revile us! If ever she had doubted we were Indians she was sure of it now.
But neither of us answered, and I kept a bright lookout for a pistol she still might have concealed on her; for she had not been searched there was none who could do that with decency except Ayisha, who was not to be trusted. I knew Grim would not halt again before morning because the camels would not feed properly until after daylight, even if you put corn in front of them.
Around Grim now were Narayan Singh, Ayisha, and myself with our prisoner Yussuf, and Ayisha's four. Grim watched his chance and sent me to bring back four of Ali Baba's men, and by the time I had done that he had lessened the distance perceptibly between himself and the three lone individuals in front.
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