Free Swords of Arabia: Betrayal by Anthony Litton Page B

move on, recover from the grief and the blow that such an event inevitably caused.” He paused momentarily and then went to the heart of the reason for their presence. “Our Caliph and Sultan wishes me to ask when we may expect the warriors of Narash to be again riding by our side? As your friends, the Rashid, are already doing,” he ended, again, pointedly.
    Ya Allah ! So quickly to the heart of the matter! Things must indeed be reaching a turning point for such speed , thought Nasir as, his impassivity now firmly back in place, he gazed down at the embassy from the slight prominence of the dais, as Badr responded.
    “We thank you for your words, Ambassador. It has indeed been a grievous time and one we are only now moving away from. So, your visit is timely,” smiled Badr, his smile carefully filled with little real warmth. Friend he might be, but he was also a skilled negotiator, and well-knew the value of apparent disinterest, especially in that which one most desired. “You ask when we can be riding again by your side. This gives us some difficulty on a number of fronts. We understand that war has now much changed. Our swords and old rifles, whilst still more than enough for fighting insolent Bedu, even ibn Saud, are no match for what we hear has now arrived in our land. And to purchase such weapons would take time. And much gold,” he added pointedly.
    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