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"My lord," said Sakr-el-Bahr, when they were alone, "yesterday I made thee a proposal for the healing of this breach between us, and it was refused. But now had I been the traitor and mutineer thou hast dubbed me I could have taken full advantage of the humour of my corsairs. Had I done that it need no longer have been mine to propose or to sue. Instead it would have been mine to dictate.
"But being resolved to take her with thee, why not take her openly? Why was she not housed in the poop-house, as becomes the wife of Sakr-el-Bahr? Why smuggle her aboard in a pannier, and keep her there in secret?" "And why," added Marzak, "didst thou lie to me when I questioned thee upon her whereabouts? telling me she was left behind in thy house in Algiers?"
"But not the law's, and the law runs that no corsair shall subtract so much as the value of an asper from his booty until the division has been made and his own share allotted him," was the grave answer. "The law?" quoth Sakr-el-Bahr. "But thou art the law, exalted lord." "Not so, my son. The law is above the Basha, who must himself conform to it so that he be just and worthy of his high office.
The agate eyes flashed upon him smiling, cruelly. "I see that you, at least, I recognize me," said Sakr-el-Bahr in his deep voice. "I was assured I could depend upon the eyes of brotherly love to pierce the change that time and stress have wrought in me." Sir John was on his feet, his lean swarthy face flushing darkly, an oath on his lips.
But none came. He stood there breathing heavily, swaying a little, and turning from red to pale in the battle that was being fought within him between rage and vexation on the one hand and his profound piety on the other. And as he yet hesitated perhaps Sakr-el-Bahr assisted his piety to gain the day. "Now you will understand why I would not yield her, O mighty Asad," he said.
For look, Sakr-el-Bahr, it is what would befall if another came to fill my place, another who might poison Asad's mind with lies against thee for surely she cannot love thee, this Frankish girl whom thou hast torn from her home!" "Be not concerned for that," he answered lightly, his wits striving in vain to plumb the depths and discover the nature of her purpose.
That they lurked there either in concealment or in ambush was very plain. Above them circled a flock of seagulls noisy and insolent. Sakr-el-Bahr looked out to sea across the straits towards Tarifa and the faint distant European coastline just visible through the limpid summer air.
"Because, my lord, I have a boon to ask in some reward for the service I have rendered." "Ask it, my son." "Give me leave to keep these captives for myself." Asad considered him, frowning again slightly. Despite himself, despite his affection for Sakr-el-Bahr, and his desire to soothe him now that rankling poison of Fenzileh's infusing was at work again in his mind. "My leave thou hast," said he.
"Could that beardless boy lead men as Sakr-el-Bahr leads them, or wield the scimitar against the foes of Islam and increase as Sakr-el-Bahr increases the glory of the Prophet's Holy Law upon the earth?" "If Sakr-el-Bahr does this, he does it by thy favour, O my lord. And so might Marzak, young though he be. Sakr-el-Bahr is but what thou hast made him no more, no less."
For a while there was silence between father and son, then the latter spoke. "It is my prayer, O my father, that thou art resolved to depose the faithless Sakr-el-Bahr from the command of this expedition." Asad considered his son with a sombre eye. "Even now the galeasse should be setting out if the argosy is to be intercepted," he said.
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