Swords of Arabia: Betrayal (36 page)

“We
must
choose
and
choose
now!” said
Badr
strongly.
“We
are
in
a
strong
position
with
the
British at the moment,
less
so
with
the
Turks
who
are
winning
all
across
northern
Arabia.
But,”
he
continued,
“we
don’t
need
to
be
in
a
strong
position
with
them.
They
are,
and
have
been,
our
allies
for
many
years.
Their
allies,
the
Rashid
are
our
near
neighbours
and
they
too
are
our
allies.
All
that
we
would
throw
away
as if
of
no
importance
if
we
desert
them
and
slink
into
the
tents
of
the
British!
A
nation
who
have
sneered
at
and
ignored
us
for
years!
They
are
a
greedy,
treacherous
power
who,
if
they
had
chosen
to,
could
have
allied
themselves
with
us
before
we
lost
Fouad
– and
perhaps
he
would
not
then
have
died!
We
can
do
no
other
but
re-affirm
our
alliance
and
ride
with
our
long-time
friends,”
he
ended
bluntly.

Nasir
paused
before
he
responded,
his
usual
dilemma
still
in
his
mind.
Still
young,
he
hadn’t
yet
entirely
got
over
his
reluctance
to
speak
until
those
older
or
more
senior
to
himself
had
done
so.
The
dilemma
arose
because
he
had
also
realised
that
often
his
knowledge
or
opinions
were
more
accurate
than
those
that
other
speakers
put
forward.
He
now
understood
something
of
Zahirah
and
Firyal’s
problem.
He
realised
that,
being
women,
their
task
of
manipulating
the
less
-
able
dwarfed
any
obstacles
he
felt
were
in
his
path.

“I
think,
you
are
entirely
right,
Badr,”
he
paused
long
enough
to
note
the
surprised
looks
on
all
their
faces.
“As
far
as
the
British
are
concerned
anyway.
I
also
believe
they
will
be
more
intrusive
than
the
Turk
has
ever
been.
Our
cousins
in
Kuwait,
Sharjah
and
the
rest,
bear
testimony
to
that.
Where
I’m
less
sure
is
that
we
should
reaffirm
our
allegiance
to
the
Ottoman.
You
know
I
was
at
al
Hofuf.
What
disturbed
me
was
not
their
defeat;
every
empire
has
those
on
occasion.
It
was
the
lack
of
fighting
spirit
that
I
saw
in
both
men
and
officers.
When
I
was
in
Kuwait,
I
saw
British
troops
who
were
passing
through;
their
discipline
and
spirit
were
totally
different.
That,
allied
to
the
reports
Isaac
and
the
Ladies
Firyal
and
Zahirah
have
been
receiving
for
years
of
how
their
empire
is
being
eaten
away
as
if
it
were
a
sack
of
grain
or
piece
of
cheese
being
devoured
by
rats,
make
me
believe
that
their
time
may
be
coming
to
an
end.
It
follows
from
that,
that
we,
needing
a
strong
ally
against
the
Wahabbi
and
ibn
Saud
–
our
real
enemies,
let
no
one
forget
–
must
perhaps
choose
Britain.
Remember
also,
that
when
the
Turks
fled
al
Hofuf
it
was
without
a
thought
for
us,
their
nearest
ally
and
so-called
friend.
That
betrayal
alone
tempts
me
to
seal
my
mind
against
them.
When
a
friend
has
badly
let
you
down
once,
you
would
be
ill-advised
to
trust
them
overly
much
again!”
he
ended
bluntly.

Zahirah
spoke
into
the
silence
which
greeted
Nasir’s
words.
“We
are
at
risk
from
whoever
we
reject.
We
need
to
assess
that
risk
and
what,
if
anything,
our
ally
–
whichever
we
choose
–
will
do
to
aid
us.
For
that,
we
at
least
need
to
go
ahead
with
the
meeting
with
the
British.

Badr,
realising
that
sentiment
was
moving
against
him,
and
that
if
a
decision
were
taken
at
this
moment,
then
he
may
well
lose,
had
reluctantly
agreed.

***

Nasir,
his
face
unreadable,
his
eyes
missing
nothing,
sat
watching
his
co-regent’s
grim,
closed
face
as
the
meeting
with
the
British
got
underway
and
realised
that
the
visitors
would
be
left
in
no
doubt
that,
in
the
eyes
of
one
powerful
figure
at
least,
their
overtures
were
unwelcome.
Badr
was
making
it
clear
that
their
offer
of
an
alliance
would,
if
he
had
anything
to
do
with
it,
be
spurned.
Good!
the
younger
man,
thought
with
some
satisfaction,
their offer will need to be the more generous!
He
hadn’t
needed
Zahirah’s
warning
to
be
alert
to
Badr’s
attempting
to
de-rail
the
negotiations.
He
was
ready
for
any
such
attempt
as
the
older
man
suddenly
spoke.