"Yet," continued Biskaine, "I should judge thee
reckless too, my lord, as reckless as I should judge him in the like
circumstances."
"I see," said Asad. "The matter stands so balanced that neither of us
dare put it to the test."
"Thou hast said it."
"Then is thy course plain to thee!" cried Marzak, eager to renew his
arguments. "Accept his terms, and...."
But Asad broke in impatiently. "Every thing in its own hour and each
hour is written. I will consider what to do."
Below on the waist-deck Sakr-el-Bahr was pacing with Vigitello, and
Vigitello's words to him were of a tenor identical almost with those of
Biskaine to the Basha.
"I scarce can judge," said the Italian renegade. "But I do think that it
were not wise for either thou or Asad to take the first step against the
other."
"Are matters, then, so equal between us?"
"Numbers, I fear," replied Vigitello, "would be in favour of Asad. No
truly devout Muslim will stand against the Basha, the representative of
the Sublime Portal, to whom loyalty is a question of religion. Yet they
are accustomed to obey thee, to leap at thy command, and so Asad himself
were rash to put it to the test."
"Ay--a sound argument," said Sakr-el-Bahr. "It is as I had thought."
Upon that he quitted Vigitello, and slowly, thoughtfully, returned to the
poop-deck. It was his hope--his only hope now--that Asad might accept
the proposal he had made him.
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