"Does the thought of the coming fight perturb thee, dog of war?" he
asked.
"Am I perturbed, pup of peace?" was the crisp answer.
"It seems so. Thine aloofness, thine abstractions...."
"Are signs of perturbation, dost suppose?"
"Of what else?"
Sakr-el-Bahr laughed. "Thou'lt tell me next that I am afraid. Yet I
should counsel thee to wait until thou hast smelt blood and powder, and
learnt precisely what fear is."
The slight altercation drew the attention of Asad's officers who were
idling there. Biskaine and some three others lounged forward to stand
behind the Basha, looking, on in some amusement, which was shared by him.
"Indeed, indeed," said Asad, laying a hand upon Marzak's shoulder, "his
counsel is sound enough. Wait, boy, until thou hast gone beside him
aboard the infidel, ere thou judge him easily perturbed."
Petulantly Marzak shook off that gnarled old hand. "Dost thou, 0 my
father, join with him in taunting me upon my lack of knowledge. My youth
is a sufficient answer. But at least," he added, prompted by a wicked
notion suddenly conceived, "at least you cannot taunt me with lack of
address with weapons."
"Give him room," said Sakr-el-Bahr, with ironical good-humour, "and he
will show us prodigies."
Marzak looked at him with narrowing, gleaming eyes. "Give me a
cross-bow," he retorted, "and I'll show thee how to shoot," was his
amazing boast.
"Thou'lt show him?" roared Asad.
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