A Sheik's Spell (13 page)

‘ ‘Most people wouldn’t know you were a Frenchman, Phillip, if you didn’t throw in a few s’il vous plaits, here and there,” Felicia berated him.

‘ ‘It’s because I was an international exchange student. I spent quite a bit of time in your country. You know-the land of ±e free and the home of the brave; meaning you’re free to do whatever you want to as long as you’re a citizen and you’re brave enough to try it.”

“George and Phillip found this immensely funny and laughed until Phillip had tears in his eyes. William shook his head as he thumbed through a folder of papers that he held in his lap.

”William, I’m sure glad you’re here. You’re the only one who seems to have his head on right. Maybe it’s the heat or something,” Felicia said, shaking her head. “Alright you guys, do you think we could possibly review all of our notes involving Phase I, so that we can be ready to get started tomorrow once the furniture arrives.”

Out of breath and wiping his eyes, Phillip nodded his compliance.

They spent the rest of the afternoon reviewing and analyzing their records in preparation for the following day. Time passed quickly. Soon the tiny homes nearest the lab were budding with household activity. Most of the workers had returned, their work day over, and they were ready for the evening meal. Various scents floated in the air, the products of numerous dishes being prepared Egyptian style.

Phillip’s face turned a bright red as his stomach grumbled out its protest for everyone to hear, as they

waited impatiently for George to return from the main house with their dinner.

‘ ‘My goodness, don’t you think George should be back by now? He’s been gone over half an hour. Pretty soon my stomach’s going to start begging some of our neighbors to share their dinners if he doesn’t hurry up.”

“Hey Phillip, I’m like the mounted police. I always arrive on time.” Two baskets hung on George’s arms, as he made his entrance. But not for long. Phillip swiftly descended upon them, taking one, placing it on the table, and inquiring about its contents.

“I don’t know what half of this stuff is, but it sure smells good and that’s good enough for me.”

Sunset had just begun when Felicia stepped outside the crowded room. She was the first to finish her meal, since she didn’t have much of an appetite.

Children were playing in one of the yards nearby and a group of men had gathered under a lime tree. Soon the team members joined her, and out of natural curiosity they found themselves migrating toward the Egyptians.

Felicia stayed her distance from the group. There were no women among them, so she figured this was an Egyptian facsimile of the ‘ ‘olden’ ’ days, when the men retired to the drawing room after dinner and no women were allowed.

She was intoxicated by the heavy scent emanating from the lime tree under which the men sat. She found herself feeling very content as she sat on the ground not far away, partaking of the tree’s fragrance and the beauty of the western sky.

Felicia could also see the lights at the main house, so

many
of them sparkling. She couldn’t help but wonder if Na’im had returned to Karib. Part of her wanted to go find out The other half, her logical side, made her stay away as long as she excusably could.

Na’im found himself sitting and staring sightlessly at the pages of the book he held. Dinner had been served hours ago. This time there were only four participants...he, Fatimah, Waheedah and Ilyas.

Waheedah was visibly delighted with the foursome. Had it not been for her animation, the table’s atmosphere would have been quite glum.

Fatimah was unusually quiet, and Ilyas’ countenance reminded Na’im of a puppy who’d been kicked and had run away with his tail tucked between his legs. Na’im could tell his long face had a lot to do with Fatimah.

None of this seemed to bother Waheedah, who bubbled on. She said the dinner provided her with the perfect opportunity to make her announcement. She would be returning home on some special business, but she would be back in about four weeks.

Fatimah expressed her surprise, and told her she hoped it was not because of bad news.

“Oh no,” Waheedah responded. “Actually I think what I’ve planned will benefit us all,” she said, giving a cunning smile.

Na’im thought about how glad he’d be when his father returned. Then maybe he could clear up some of the confusion that had mushroomed with Waheedah’s return from her captors.

He walked over to the window and peered into the darkness outside. That was where Felicia found him when she entered the sitting room. Silently, he watched her.

Standing by the couch, Felicia turned and faced Na’im. “Hi”

“Hello.”

“We’ve got things pretty well set up in the lab. All we need is the furniture that will be arriving tomorrow and we’ll be ready to get started.”

“That is good.”

Felicia was not unaccustomed to this monosyllabic Na’im. It reminded her of the days when they first met. It also made her feel guilty, as if she’d done something wrong. But she hadn’t and she wasn’t going to allow him to make her feel that way.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” and she started for her bedroom.’ ’

“It is so late, aros al bher. Will your work keep you occupied to this hour of the night every night?”

Felicia looked over at Na’im’s masked face. It didn’t reveal anything. Was he angry? Hurt? Or just irritated? Suddenly all of the energy seemed to seep out of her, like a deflated balloon. She didn’t feel like arguing with Na’im. She just wanted to be left alone.

“Na’im. I’m tired. I just want to go to bed. Alright?’ ’ Searching gold eyes regarded her for a few moments. “Alright”

Felicia climbed beneath the lightweight cover. Closing her eyes, she tried to will sleep to overtake her, but her mind’s eye was full of images of Na’im. Short spurts of sleep finally came. As she awoke fix»m one of them, she could feel Na’im’s warm body behind her. His arm was wrapped around her waist and his breathing was steady, even. She fell back asleep. Now she could sleep peacefully.

Chapter Nineteen

Fatimah’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she walked through the lab. Felicia had given her one of the white coats that William Ashley liked to wear, just to make her feel a little more official.

Actually, neither Felicia nor Phillip found the coats necessary, but William wouldn’t be caught dead in the lab without one, at least not in the two days since they had started running some of the tests necessary to complete Serum Phase I.

The men were out back in the field. One of the camels had been tranquilized. Fatimah had watched until George began to insert a catheter into the poor animal, and that was enough for her. It didn’t matter that the animal was unaware of what was happening to him.

“Why is it necessary to do that to the animal?” she asked Felicia while examining an empty flask.

“Basically, because we need to run some tests on the camel’s urine, but it has to be as clean as it can possibly be. Therefore, we insert the catheter in order to eliminate as many germs as we can.”

Fatimah’s studious face reflected her deep thoughts on the subject ‘ ‘How will it help you?’ ’

“Well, camels can store water because they have the ability to control the amount of water in their bodies. It’s almost like a built-in thermostat. They can adjust to whatever is needed. We know it has a lot to do with their physical structure, the humps and all that, but we’re trying to find out if their urine is also more concentrated; if it consists more of something called uric acid than water. Then we’re going to break that down, do some extractions, and so on and so forth.’ ’

‘ ‘It’s exciting to me how much you seem to know, and how your life is so much your own. Not like mine. Though my family probably would not mind my finding a job, I think Ilyas would not like it so much.”

‘ ‘Yeah, I can see what you’re saying. Is it definite that you’re going to marry him?”

“At first l was very sure. But after what happened a few days ago with Mr. Ashley and Mr. Mercer, I don’t know. Ilyas is good, but he has deep religious and traditional beliefs, especially when it comes to women. He was not educated as I was, or Na’im. And he does not know how others live throughout the world without such strict beliefs. When I try to discuss it with him, he does not want to listen. He says it is evil, and not the will of Allah.”

“Well, maybe you can show him how your being a little more independent can be helpful. I don’t know. Start doing something around here.
Maybe a little school for some of the workers’ children. I’d be glad to provide supplies for small science experiments, things like that.” “Do you think I could? Start a school, I mean. I’ve only completed secondary school.”

‘ ‘Fatimah, I think your education is enough to help the children here who cannot go to the village schools in A1 Kharijah. It is better than nothing.”

“Yes. You are right. I will go to Na’im today and talk to him about it.”

“Sounds good to me. Go for it, girl.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh. It’s just a saying we have back home.”

Fatimah hugged Felicia in her excitement, as she hurried out the door. Felicia couldn’t help but feel a little excited too. She liked Fatimah. It made her feel good to think she may have suggested a constructive outlet for her problems. A song automatically came to Felicia’s lips as she worked. “Caught up in the rapture of love. Nothing else can comp-a-are.”

“Tell me, is what you sing true?’ ’

Na’im’s large frame filled the doorway, as he stood leaning against the border. A rare smile was on his face, and Felicia’s heart reacted in a flutter. It warmed her to see him in such a good mood.

When she awoke that morning, he had gone, so she assumed he was attending to business outside of Karib. Evidently she’d been wrong.

Felicia couldn’t bring herself to answer Na’im’s question, so she dodged it by changing the subject. “Well, hello. This is the first time you’ve visited the lab, isn’t it. Come on in so I can give you the grand tour.”

Na’im squinted his eyes, aware that Felicia had inten
tionally ignored his question. He let it pass, enjoying the lightness of the moment.

Felicia walked from table, to desk, to shelves, explain
ing the equipment, their purposes, and whatever else she could think of, with Na’im listening intently as he walked beside her. He asked a few probing questions, showing Felicia that his interest in the project was more than superficial. They talked about how the results would

benefit
those people who lived in dry climates with little rainfall. It was the first time Felicia and Na'im had talked to one another like this, and they both were reluctant to let the rapport end.

“I guess I've got to go. There are so many things that need attending to.”

“Right. Tm sorry if I just rattled on and on.”

“No. It's okay. I enjoyed it.”

Na'im looked over his shoulder as he was leaving the lab. “There's a circus coming to A1 Kharijah today. Their performance will be tomorrow evening. Maybe if you need some extra supplies or whatever, we can go there and take in the circus afterwards.”

“Why sure. I can think of some things we need. And I haven't been to a circus since I was a little kid. Are the circuses in Egypt like the one's in the United States?”

“Aros al bher. Our circus reflects the magic and the mystery which is Egypt”

‘ ‘Who-oa, sounds interesting.’ ’

‘ ‘It will do more than interest you, azizi. It will make you realize you are in a land whose people are powerful. They are powerful because of their knowledge, which has come through many generations. Things about the universe that our ancestors knew and experienced can only be physically revealed through acts like the circus.”

“Well, this I've got to see.”

Chapter Twenty

Felicia tried to see how she looked from the back in the tall gilded mirror. She’d asked one of the servants to make some alterations to one of the dresses in her closet. It had been cut to a midi length, and matching pants had been added underneath. She didn’t want to upset Na’im by wearing her blue jeans that she loved so well, but she simply couldn’t see herself wearing a melaya or long dress to a circus. Also, she wanted to please him and she felt this emerald garb would do it.

She gave a final tug to her belt in the back and patted her creative headpiece. The emerald and lime-colored turban crossed at the top of her forehead, but left an opening through which her braided ball showed, giving the effect of a crown.

Fatimah tapped softly on the bedroom door and bounced inside upon Felicia’s request. She looked marvelous in her more traditional, sky blue attire.

‘ ‘I have made a list of all the things I think I’ 11 need for the school.” Fatima spoke at a slower pace. Yesterday
,she had told Felicia about her determination to speak better English, since she was going to be teaching the children.

“Na’im says money is not to be considered when buying supplies because we do want to use the best that A1 Kharijah has to offer. Can you think of anything else that we will need,” she inquired, passing the writing tablet to Felicia.