Swiftly he drew the picture of Achmet at the monastery in the desert.
"I have done the unlawful thing, Effendina," he said at last, "but thou
wilt make it lawful. He hath died a thousand deaths--all save one."

"Be it so," answered Kaid gloomily, after a moment; then his face
lighted with cynical pleasure as he scanned once more the faces of the
crowd before him. At last his eyes fastened on Nahoum. He turned to
David.

"Thou dost still desire Nahoum in his office?" he asked keenly.

A troubled look came into David's eyes, then it cleared away, and he
said firmly: "For six years we have worked together, Effendina. I am
surety for his loyalty to thee."

"And his loyalty to thee?"

A pained look crossed over David's face again, but he said with a will
that fought all suspicion down: "The years bear witness."

Kaid shrugged his shoulders slightly. "The years have perjured
themselves ere this. Yet, as thou sayest, Nahoum is a Christian," he
added, with irony scarcely veiled.

Now he moved forward with David towards the waiting court. David
searched the groups of faces for Nahoum in vain. There were things to
be said to Nahoum before he left on the morrow, last suggestions to be
given. Nahoum could not be seen.

Nahoum was gone, as were also Sharif and his confederates, and in
the lofty Mosque of Mahmoud soft lights were hovering, while the
Sheikh-el-Islam waited with Koran and scimitar for the ruler of Egypt to
pray to God and salute the Lord Mahomet.

At the great gateway in the Street of the Tent Makers Kaid paused on his
way to the Mosque Mahmoud. The Gate was studded with thousands of nails,
which fastened to its massive timbers relics of the faithful, bits of
silk and cloth, and hair and leather; and here from time immemorial a
holy man had sat and prayed. At the gateway Kaid salaamed humbly, and
spoke to the holy man, who, as he passed, raised his voice shrilly in
an appeal to Allah, commending Kaid to mercy and everlasting favour.
On every side eyes burned with religious zeal, and excited faces were
turned towards the Effendina. At a certain point there were little
groups of men with faces more set than excited. They had a look of
suppressed expectancy. Kald neared them, passed them, and, as he did
so, they looked at each other in consternation. They were Sharif's
confederates, fanatics carefully chosen. The attempt on Kaid's life
should have been made opposite the spot where they stood. They craned
thei