"Has this presumptuous hellcat who bore thee taught thee to stand
before my face, to tell me what thou wilt and wilt not do? By the
Koran! too long have I endured her evil foreign ways, and now it seems
she has taught thee how to tread them after her and how to beard thy
very father! To-morrow thou'lt take the sea with Sakr-el-Bahr, I have
said it. Another word and thou'lt go aboard his galeasse even as thou
saidst should be the case with him--at the rowers' bench, to learn
submission under the slave master's whip."
Terrified, Marzak stood numb and silent, scarcely daring to draw breath.
Never in all his life had he seen his father in a rage so royal. Yet it
seemed to inspire no fear in Fenzileh, that congenital shrew whose
tongue not even the threat of rods or hooks could silence.
"I shall pray Allah to restore sight to thy soul, 0 father of Marzak,"
she panted," to teach thee to discriminate between those that love thee
and the self-seekers that abuse thy trust."
"How!" he roared at her. "Art not yet done?
"Nor ever shall be until I am lain dumb in death for having counselled
thee out of my great love, 0 light of these poor eyes of mine."
"Maintain this tone," he said, with concentrated anger, "and that will
soon befall."
"I care not so that the sleek mask be plucked from the face of that
dog-descended Sakr-el-Bahr. May Allah break his bones! What of those
slaves of his--those two from England, 0 Asad? I am told that one is a
woman, tall and of that white beauty which is the gift of Eblis to these
Northerners.
Pages:
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230