FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133  
134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   >>   >|  
that lay near, and said: "I will write to Kaid. I will have naught to do with the army." "It shall be the whole, not the part," answered David determinedly. "The truth is known. It can serve no end to withhold the writing to the army. Remember what I have said to thee. The disloyalty of the army must not be known. Canst thou not act after the will of Allah, the all-powerful, the all-just, the all-merciful?" There was an instant's pause, and then suddenly Harrik placed the paper in his palm and wrote swiftly and at some length to Kaid. Laying it down, he took another and wrote but a few words--to Achmet and Diaz. This message said in brief, "Do not strike. It is the will of Allah. The army shall keep faithful until the day of the Mahdi be come. I spoke before the time. I go to the bosom of my Lord Mahomet." He threw the papers on the floor before David, who picked them up, read them, and put them into his pocket. "It is well," he said. "Egypt shall have peace. And thou, Eminence?" "Who shall escape Fate? What I have written I have written." David rose and salaamed. Harrik rose also. "Thou wouldst go, having accomplished thy will?" Harrik asked, a thought flashing to his mind again, in keeping with his earlier purpose. Why should this man be left to trouble Egypt? David touched his breast. "I must bear thy words to the Palace and the Citadel." "Are there not slaves for messengers?" Involuntarily Harrik turned his eyes to the velvet curtains. No fear possessed David, but he felt the keenness of the struggle, and prepared for the last critical moment of fanaticism. "It were a foolish thing to attempt my death," he said calmly. "I have been thy friend to urge thee to do that which saves thee from public shame, and Egypt from peril. I came alone, because I had no fear that thou wouldst go to thy death shaming hospitality." "Thou wast sure I would give myself to death?" "Even as that I breathe. Thou wert mistaken; a madness possessed thee; but thou, I knew, wouldst choose the way of honour. I too have had dreams--and of Egypt. If it were for her good, I would die for her." "Thou art mad. But the mad are in the hands of God, and--" Suddenly Harrik stopped. There came to his ears two distant sounds--the faint click of horses' hoofs and that dull rumble they had heard as they talked, a sound he loved, the roar of his lions. He clapped his hands twice, the curtains parted opposite, and a slave slid
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133  
134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Harrik

 
wouldst
 

written

 

curtains

 

possessed

 

slaves

 
friend
 
public
 

Citadel

 

Palace


messengers

 

turned

 

critical

 

moment

 

keenness

 
struggle
 

prepared

 
fanaticism
 

calmly

 

attempt


velvet

 

foolish

 

Involuntarily

 
horses
 

sounds

 

distant

 

Suddenly

 

stopped

 
rumble
 

parted


opposite

 

clapped

 
talked
 

breathe

 

mistaken

 

shaming

 
hospitality
 
madness
 

dreams

 

choose


breast
 

honour

 

swiftly

 

suddenly

 

instant

 

length

 

Laying

 
message
 

Achmet

 
determinedly