"That is what I most desire to know. Something must be done, and soon.
May his bones rot! If he lives thou art destroyed."
"Ay," said Marzak, with sudden vigour and significance. "If he lives!"
And he sat up. "Whilst we plan and plot, and our plans and plots come
to naught save to provoke the anger of my father, we might be better
employed in taking the shorter way."
She stood in the middle of the chamber, pondering him with gloomy eyes
"I too have thought of that," said she. "I could hire me men to do the
thing for a handful of gold. But the risk of it...."
"Where would be the risk once he is dead?"
"He might pull us down with him, and then what would our profit be in
his death? Thy father would avenge him terribly."
"If it were craftily done we should not be discovered."
"Not be discovered?" she echoed, and laughed without mirth. "How young
and blind thou art, 0 Marzak! We should be the first to be suspected.
I have made no secret of my hate of him, and the people do not love me.
They would urge thy father to do justice even were he himself averse to
it, which I will not credit would be the case. This Sakr-el-Bahr--
may Allah wither him!--is a god in their eyes. Bethink thee of the
welcome given him! What Basha returning in triumph was ever greeted by
the like? These victories that fortune has vouchsafed him have made
them account him divinely favoured and protected.
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