Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (22 page)

Behind
the
screens,
Zahirah
and
Firyal
exchanged
a
smile.
They
had
arrived
at
what
was,
for
them,
one
of
the
crucial
points
of
the
entire
meeting.

“And
we
would
not
wish
our
allies
to
suffer
any
disadvantage
against
our
common
enemy,”
the
envoy
responded
smoothly,
his
harsh
features
softened
into
the
smooth
folds
of
diplomacy
“We
would,
of
course,
supply
all
that
you
would
need.”
He
paused
before
continuing.
“And
gold
to purchase
whatever
else
is
needed
to
ensure
your
men
are
equipped
as
befitting
their
valour,”
he
ended,
with
what
he
thought
a
poetic
flourish,
but
what his
audience
regarded
as
mere
flummery
obscuring
the
main
point
of
their
interest.

“We
appreciate
the
offer,”
responded
Badr
politely.
“Of
course,
such
new
weaponry
takes
time
to
properly
master,
so
should
we
decide
to
again
join
our
friends,
there
would
be
some
delay
before
we
could
ride
by
their
sides,”
he
ended,
blandly.

The
ambassador
nodded,
well
aware
he
was
being
played.
He
also
knew
that
to
stay
in
the
game
he
would
have
to
play
by
his
hosts’
rules.
“That
is
appreciated,”
he
rejoined
smoothly.
“And
to
shorten
such
a
time,
I
have
with
me,
on
our
caravan,
some
few
weapons
which
could
be
used
by
your
warriors
to
hone
their
skills.
And,
of
course,
some
funds
to
aid
your
necessary
equipping,”
he
added,
on
receiving
nothing
back
from
his
first
announcement.

“We
thank
our
friends,”
responded
Nasir
gravely,
hiding
his
delight
on
getting
access
to
more
of
the
modern
weaponry
he,
and
those
fighters
closest
to
him,
had
already
had
experience
with,
though
with
frustratingly
few
actual
rifles
between
them.

The
ambassador
nodded
briefly.
“With
your
fighters’
well
known
skill
and
courage,
I
doubt
it
will
be
long
before
you
are
fully
confident
in
riding
by
our
side,”
he
added,
his
blandness
matching,
if
not
surpassing,
Badr’s
and
Nasir’s.

“Indeed,
not.
Once
we
have
further
consulted
within
our
own
ranks
and
with
our
allies,
we
hope
to
renew
our
long-standing
alliance,”
Badr
responded.

The
ambassador
made
a
great
show
of
looking
surprised.
“Surely
there
is
little
need
for
such
conversations?
After
all,
Turkey
and
Narash
have
been
allies
for
tens
upon
tens
upon
tens
of
years!”
As
well
as
being
a
serving
soldier,
he
was
also
a
diplomat
and
so
was
easily
able
to
make
his
surprise
look
genuine.
Being
also
very
able,
however,
he
was
entirely
au fait
with
the
fact
that
things
were
changing
in
Arabia
and
beyond,
and,
in
recent
years,
not
to
his
country’s
advantage.
That
said,
he
was
equally
aware
that
the
balance
had,
at
last,
been
moving
back
in
the
Turkish
favour,
in
the
latter
at
least,
and
events
not
too
far
to
the
north
of
them
were
putting
immense
pressure
on
the
British-Indian
forces
in
the
region.

Bowing
his
head
slightly,
he
continued
smoothly.
“We
hadn’t
thought
our
alliance
had
lapsed.
However.
as
I’m
sure
you
are
aware,
the
Sultan’s
armies,
along
with
those
of
his
allies,”
he
emphasised
gently
but
noticeably,
“are
rapidly
pushing
back
the
insolent
British.
And
have
recently
done
so
on
the
very
edge
of
Arabia!”

“Yes,
indeed,”
cordially
agreed
Badr.
“And
we
congratulate
His
Imperial
Majesty
on
his
recent
victories,
including
that
of
his
troops
repelling
the
attempted
break-out
of
some
of
the
British
forces
at
Kut
al
Armara,”
he
added
casually.

The
whole
of
the
delegation
looked
thunderstruck
at
his
statement.
They
themselves,
with
the
very
latest
in
technology,
had
heard
only
scant
hours
previously
of
the
attempt
by
some
of
the
combined
British-Indian
forces
to
break
out
and
thus
avoid
their
otherwise
inevitable
surrender
to
the
Ottoman
armies
encircling
them.
They
were
at
a
loss
to
know
how
the
Narashi,
with
their
primitive
communications
systems,
were
also
fully
aware
of
what
indeed
was
a
notable
setback
for
the
beleaguered
force.

Smiling
slightly
at
the
effect
his
words
had
caused
and,
for
once,
silently
thanking
Zahirah
and
Firyal’s
intelligence
systems,
Badr,
followed
by
Nasir,
rose.