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Updated: June 3, 2025
As the on-thundering swarm of horsemen approached the pointed arch, some sixty feet wide by ninety high, its intaglios and complex arabesques flashing with millions of sunlit sparkles, a clear, sustained chant drifted out over city and plain the cry of some unseen muezzin, announcing news of great import to Jannati Shahr.
Beyond, a blanched salt-plain gleamed hoar-white in the on-coming dusk; and farther off, the dunes began again. Strangely enough, the Master laughed. He turned and beckoned, silently. The others joined him. "From the west!" he whispered. "This is no pursuit! It is a caravan going to Jannati Shahr!" Bohannan chuckled, and patted his revolver. "Faith, but Allah is being good to us!" he muttered.
Long experience with Orientals had taught him the profundity of their legerdemain, practically none of which ever has been fathomed by white men. The Master realized that all his powers might be tried to the utmost to match and overcome the demonstration of the Jannati Shahr folk. While Bara Miyan stood talking to the three Sufis, the Master was in a low voice instructing his own men.
Leclair sat up, heavily, and blinked with sand-inflamed eyes. "Time to drink again, n'est-ce pas, my Captain?" asked he. "Drink to the dead!" "I hope they are dead, rather than prisoners!" exclaimed the Master. "Yes, we'll drink, and get forward. We've got to make long strides, tonight. Those Jannati Shahr devils may be after us, tomorrow.
It is no aspersion on their bravery to say that more than one among them had already begun inwardly to curse this wild-goose chase into Jannati Shahr. It all had now begun to assume absolutely the appearance of a well-formulated plan of treachery. Even the Master gave recognition to this appearance, by saying again: "Be ready for a quick draw. But whatever you do, don't be the aggressor.
"May the peace be upon thee," all at once exclaimed Bara Miyan, gesturing for the Master to enter the vast hall. "Peace, until the rising of the day!" "And upon thee, the peace!" the Master answered, with the correct Arabic formula. They entered, and after them the other Legionaries and the sub-chiefs of Jannati Shahr. The banquet-hall was enormous.
But I see that ye can ride like men. Well done! Salaam!" The Master returned a "Bïkum!" of thanks. He would have been glad to wipe his forehead, streaming with sweat; and so, too, would the others. But pride restrained them. Not for them such weakness as the use of a handkerchief, in presence of these half-hundred grave-eyed, silently observing men of Jannati Shahr.
This course, he calculated by allowing for wind and lateral drift, would carry Nissr directly toward the site of the still half-mythical Iron Mountains and the Bara Jannati Shahr. He now returned to his cabin, locked himself in and pondering over a few khat leaves passed the remainder of the afternoon sunk in deep abstraction.
The crash of six machine-guns clattered into a chattering tumult, muzzles pointed high over the heads of the Jannati Shahr men. Up into the still, hot air jetted vicious spurts of flame. The Legion's answer lasted but a minute. As the trays of blanks became empty, the tumult ceased. Silence fell, strangely heavy after all that uproar.
He caught swift vision of a wide mirbad, or open court for drying dates; and then, through a low, golden arch, a camel-yard with a vast number of kneeling, white dromedaries. And everywhere he saw innumerable hosts of the people of Jannati Shahr.
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