upon the
galeasse of Sakr-el-Bahr to take the seas under his tutelage and to
emulate the skill and valour that have rendered him the stoutest bulwark
of Islam, the very javelin of Allah."

But Marzak felt that in this matter his mother was to be supported,
whilst his detestation of this adventurer who threatened to usurp the
place that should rightly be his own spurred him to mad lengths of
daring.

"When I take the seas with that dog-descended Nasrani," he answered
hoarsely, "he shall be where rightly he belongs--at the rowers' bench."

"How?" It was a bellow of rage. Upon the word Asad swung to confront
his son, and his face, suddenly inflamed, was so cruel and evil in its
expression that it terrified that intriguing pair. "By the beard of
the Prophet! what words are these to me?" He advanced upon Marzak until
Fenzileh in sudden terror stepped between and faced him, like a lioness
springing to defend her cub. But the Basha, enraged now by this want of
submission in his son, enraged both against that son and the mother who
he knew had prompted him, caught her in his sinewy old hands, and flung
her furiously aside, so that she stumbled and fell in a panting heap
amid the cushions of her divan.

"The curse of Allah upon thee!" he screamed, and Marzak recoiled before
him. "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, O 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, O light of these poor eyes of mine."