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04 - Khaled, A Tale of Arabia by Francis Marion Crawford · Khaled, A Tale of Arabia

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Speaker 1: Chapter four, Khaled pondered deeply, being uncertain what to do,
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Speaker 1: and trying to find out some action which would win
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Speaker 1: for him what he wanted. Zahawa received no answer to
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Speaker 1: her question as to the number of enemies he had slain,
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Speaker 1: and she did not ask again, for she thought that
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Speaker 1: he was weary and wished to rest in silence. What
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Speaker 1: do you like best in the whole world, he asked,
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Speaker 1: after a long time, to see what you would say.
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Speaker 1: I like you best, she answered, smiling, while she was
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Speaker 1: still playing with this sword. That is very strange, cled answered, musing.
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Speaker 1: But the color rose darkly in his cheeks above his beard,
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Speaker 1: for he was pleased now as he had been displeased before.
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Speaker 1: Why is it strange, asked Zahawa. Are you not the
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Speaker 1: palm tree in my hand and a tower of refuge
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Speaker 1: for my people? And will you dry up the weal
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Speaker 1: from which the tree draws life and take away the
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Speaker 1: corner stone of the tower's foundation. You speak in fable,
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Speaker 1: said Zahawa, laughing. Yet you imagine to fable yourself when
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Speaker 1: you liken me to a palm or to a tower.
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Speaker 1: But I I'm no lover of allegories. My sword is
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Speaker 1: my argument and my wit is my arm. The wall
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Speaker 1: by the tree is the wall of love, and the
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Speaker 1: chief foundation of the tower is the love of Zahawa.
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Speaker 1: If you destroy that, the tree will wither and the
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Speaker 1: tower will fall. Surely, there's never been such a man
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Speaker 1: as you, Sahawa answered, half jesting, but half in earnest.
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Speaker 1: You're as one who has bought a white mare. And
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Speaker 1: though she is fleet and good to look at, and
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Speaker 1: obedient to his voice and knee, yet he is discontented
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Speaker 1: because she could not speak to him, and he would
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Speaker 1: fain have her black instead of white. And if possible,
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Speaker 1: will teach her to sing like a Persian nightingale. Is
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Speaker 1: it then not natural in a woman to love a man?
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Speaker 1: Have you heard no tales of love from the storytellers
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Speaker 1: of the Harem? I have heard many such tales, but
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Speaker 1: none of them were told of me. Sahawa replied, Will
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Speaker 1: you drink again? Is it drink too sweet? Or is
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Speaker 1: it not cool? She had risen from her seat and
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Speaker 1: held a golden cup, bending down to him so that
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Speaker 1: her face near his. He laid his hand upon her shoulder.
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Speaker 1: Hear me, Sahawa, He said, I want but one thing
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Speaker 1: in the world, and it was for that I come
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Speaker 1: out of the red desert to be your husband. And
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Speaker 1: next thing I will have, though the price be greater
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Speaker 1: than Rubi's, more than blood, more than life itself. If
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Speaker 1: it is mine, I freely give it to you. If
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Speaker 1: it is not mine, take it by force, or I
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Speaker 1: will help you to take it by stratagem if I can.
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Speaker 1: Am I not your wife? She spoke, thus supposing from
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Speaker 1: his face that he meant some treasure that could be
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Speaker 1: taken by strength or by while, for she could not
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Speaker 1: believe a man could speak so seriously of a mere
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Speaker 1: thoughts just love. Neither my right hand nor my wig
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Speaker 1: can give me this, but only your heart is ahawa,
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Speaker 1: he answered, still holding her and looking at her. But
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Speaker 1: now she did not laugh, for she saw that he
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Speaker 1: was greatly in earnest. You were still talking of love,
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Speaker 1: she said, and you are not jesting. I do not
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Speaker 1: know what to answer you. Gladly. Will I say I
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Speaker 1: love you? Is that all? What is it? Else? Are
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Speaker 1: those the words? I care little for the words, but
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Speaker 1: I will have the reality, though it cost your life
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Speaker 1: and mine my life. Will you take my life for
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Speaker 1: the sake of a thought? A thought? He exclaimed? Do
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Speaker 1: you call love a thought. I had not believed a
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Speaker 1: woman could be so cold as that. If not a thought,
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Speaker 1: what then I have spoken the truth. If it were
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Speaker 1: a treasure or anything that could be taken, you could
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Speaker 1: take it, and I could help you. But if the
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Speaker 1: possibility of possessing it lie not in deeds, it lies
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Speaker 1: in thoughts, And is itself a thought? If you can
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Speaker 1: teach me, I will think what you will. But if
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Speaker 1: you cannot teach me, who shall? And how will it
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Speaker 1: profit you to take my life or your own? Is
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Speaker 1: it possible that love is only a thought? Es Khaleede,
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Speaker 1: speaking rather to himself than to her. It must be,
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Speaker 1: She answered, The body is what it is in the
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Speaker 1: eyes of others, but the soul is what it thinks
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Speaker 1: itself to be happy or unhappy, loving or not loving.
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Speaker 1: You are too subtle for me, Zahawa Khaled said. Yet
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Speaker 1: I know that this is not all true, for he
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Speaker 1: knew that he possessed no soul, and yet he loved her. Moreover,
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Speaker 1: he could think himself happy or unhappy. You are too subtle,
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Speaker 1: he repeated. I will take my sword again, and I
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Speaker 1: will go out and fight and pursue the enemy and
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Speaker 1: waste their country. For it is not so hard to
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Speaker 1: cut through steel as it touched the heart of a
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Speaker 1: woman who does not love. And it's easier to tear
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Speaker 1: down towers and strongholds of stone with the naked hands
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Speaker 1: than to build the temple upon the moving sand of
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Speaker 1: an empty heart. Kaled would have risen at once, but
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Speaker 1: Zahowa took his hand and entreated him to stay with her.
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Speaker 1: Will you go out in the heat of the day,
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Speaker 1: wounded and wearied, she asked, surely you will take a
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Speaker 1: fever and die before you have followed the chamar, so
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Speaker 1: far as two days journey. My wounds are slight, and
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Speaker 1: I am not weary. Kled answered, when the smith has
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Speaker 1: heated the iron and the forge, does he wait until
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Speaker 1: it is cold before striking? But think also of the
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Speaker 1: soldiers who have striven hard and cannot thus go out
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Speaker 1: upon a great expedition without preparation, as well as rest.
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Speaker 1: I will take those whom I can find, and if
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Speaker 1: they will go with me, it is well. But if not,
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Speaker 1: I will go alone, and they and the rest will
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Speaker 1: fall after it is summer too, said Sahawa, keeping him back.
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Speaker 1: Is this the time to go out to the northern desert?
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Speaker 1: Both men and beasts will perish. By the way, has
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Speaker 1: not Allah bound every man's fate about his neck? And
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Speaker 1: can a man cast it from him? I know not otherwise.
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Speaker 1: But if heat and hunger and thirst did not kill
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Speaker 1: the men, they will certainly destroy the beasts, whose names
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Speaker 1: are not recorded by Azrael, and who have no destiny
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Speaker 1: of their own. You hinder me, said Khled, And yet
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Speaker 1: you do not know how many of the shimar may
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Speaker 1: be lurking within a day's march of the city, slaying
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Speaker 1: your people, burning their houses, and destroying their harvest. Let
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Speaker 1: me go. Will you love me better? If I stay?
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Speaker 1: You will be better able to get the victory? Will
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Speaker 1: you love me better if I stay? If you go now,
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Speaker 1: you may fail on your purpose and perish as well.
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Speaker 1: How could I love you after? Then? It is the
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Speaker 1: victory you love, then, not me? Could I love defeat? Nay?
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Speaker 1: Do not be angry with me. Stay here at least
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Speaker 1: until the evening. Think of the burning sun and the
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Speaker 1: raging thirst, and the smarting of your wounds, which have
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Speaker 1: only been dressed this first time. Think of the soldiers too.
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Speaker 1: They can bear what I can bear. Was it not
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Speaker 1: summertime when the prophet went out against the Romans. I
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Speaker 1: do not know. Stay with me, Khaled. I will come
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Speaker 1: back when I have destroyed the Shamars. And if the
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Speaker 1: soldiers will not go with you, will you indeed go
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Speaker 1: out alone? Yes, I will go alone. When they see that,
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Speaker 1: they will follow me. They are not foxes, they are
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Speaker 1: brave men. Khaled rose and gird his sword about him.
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Speaker 1: Sahawa helped him, Seeing that she could not persuade him
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Speaker 1: to stay. Farewell, he said shortly, and without so much
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Speaker 1: as touching her hand, he turned and went out. She
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Speaker 1: followed him to the door of the room and stood
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Speaker 1: watching as he went away. One of us two was
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Speaker 1: to rule, she said to herself, And it is he,
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Speaker 1: for I cannot move him. But what is his talk
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Speaker 1: of love? Does he need love? Who is himself the master?
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Speaker 1: She sighed, and went back to the carpet on which
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Speaker 1: they had been sitting. Then she called in her women
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Speaker 1: and bid them tell her all they had heard about
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Speaker 1: the fight in the morning, and they, thinking to please her,
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Speaker 1: extolled the deeds of Khaled and all the tents he
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Speaker 1: had slain. They made hundreds out of the thousands of
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Speaker 1: the enemy's army. They made tens of thousands, till the
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Speaker 1: walls of Riard caunnot contain the hosts of which they spoke,
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Speaker 1: and the dry sand of the desert could not have
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Speaker 1: drunk all the blood which had been shed. Meanwhile, Kaled
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Speaker 1: went into the outer court of the palace, where many
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Speaker 1: soldiers were congregated together in the shade of the high wall,
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Speaker 1: eating cammel's meat and blanket bread, and drinking the water
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Speaker 1: from the well. They were able bodied and unhurt, for
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Speaker 1: those who had been wounded were at their houses, tended
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Speaker 1: by their wives. Men of Riodd cried Kaled, standing before them.
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Speaker 1: We have fought a good fight this morning, and the
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Speaker 1: power of our foes is broken. But all are not
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Speaker 1: yet destroyed, and that there are many thousands still darkened
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Speaker 1: within a day's march of the city, slaying the people,
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Speaker 1: burning their houses, and destroying their harvests. Let us go
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Speaker 1: out and kill them all before they were able to
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Speaker 1: go back to their own country. Afterwards, we will pursue
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Speaker 1: those who are already escaping, and we will lay all
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Speaker 1: the tribes of Chamar on the tribute and bring back
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Speaker 1: the women captive. Thereupon a division rose among the soldiers.
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Speaker 1: Some went for going at once with Khaled, but others
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Speaker 1: said it was the hot season and no time for war.
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Speaker 1: It is indeed, some are said Khalid. But if the
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Speaker 1: Shamars were able to come to Riat in the heat,
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Speaker 1: the men of Riata are able to go to them,
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Speaker 1: and dial least will go at once, and those who
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Speaker 1: wish to share the spoil will go with me. But
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Speaker 1: those who are satisfied to sit in the shade and
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Speaker 1: eat camels meat will stay behind. In an hour's time,
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Speaker 1: I will ride out on the northern gate. So, saying Kaled,
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Speaker 1: rode slowly down into the city toward the marketplace. The
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Speaker 1: people were carrying away their own dead, and dragging off
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Speaker 1: the bodies of their enemies with camels by fours and
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Speaker 1: fives tied together to bury them in a great ditch
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Speaker 1: without the wall. When Klett appeared, many of the men
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Speaker 1: gathered round him with cries of joy, for they had
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Speaker 1: suppose that some of his wounds were dangerous, and that
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Speaker 1: they should not see him for many days. Woila he
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Speaker 1: is with us again, they shouted, jostling each other to
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Speaker 1: get near, and standing on tiptoe to see the good
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Speaker 1: mare that had carried him so well in the fight. Masala,
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Speaker 1: I am with you, answered Khalid. And if you will
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Speaker 1: go with me, we will send many more chamars to
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Speaker 1: eat thorns and thistle, as many as dwell on Cassim
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Speaker 1: and Tebel Shamar, as far as Hael, And by the
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Speaker 1: help of Allah, we will take the city of Hayel
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Speaker 1: itself and divide the spoil, and bring away the women captive.
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Speaker 1: And when we have taken all there is, we will
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Speaker 1: lay the land of their tribute and make his subject
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Speaker 1: to the jette Slet those who will go with me
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Speaker 1: arm themselves and take every man his horse or his camel,
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Speaker 1: and dates in barley and water skins, And in an
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Speaker 1: hour's time we will ride out, for Allah will certainly
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Speaker 1: give us victory. Let us bury the dead to day,
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Speaker 1: and tomorrow we will go, said many of those nearest him.
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Speaker 1: Are there no old men and boys in Riyad to
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Speaker 1: bind the sheaves you have mown escalade under, than no
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Speaker 1: women to mourn of the dead of your kindred who
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Speaker 1: have fallen in a good fight. And as for tomorrow,
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Speaker 1: it is yet in Allah's hands. But today we have
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Speaker 1: already with us. However, if you will knock out with me,
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Speaker 1: I will go alone. The men were pleased with Klede's speech,
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Speaker 1: and indeed the greater part of the dead were buried
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Speaker 1: by this time, for all the people had made haste
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Speaker 1: to their work, fearing lest the body should bring a
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Speaker 1: pestilence among them. Since it was summertime and very hot.
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Speaker 1: Then all those who were unhurt and could bear arms
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Speaker 1: went and washed themselves, and took their weapons and food
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Speaker 1: as kled had directed them. Before the call to afternoon prayers,
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Speaker 1: the whole host went out of the northern gate. Then
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Speaker 1: cled accomplished all that he had spoken of, and much more,
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Speaker 1: for he drove the scattered forces of the enemy before him,
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Speaker 1: overtaken all, and at last slaying all whom he overtook,
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Speaker 1: as far as Zelpha, which is by the narrow end
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Speaker 1: of in the foot. Here he rested a short time,
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Speaker 1: and then quickly crossing the sand, he entered the country
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Speaker 1: called Cassim, which is subject to the Shamars. Here he
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Speaker 1: was told by a woman who had been taken the
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Speaker 1: Shamars were coming with a new army against him out
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Speaker 1: of Hael. He therefore hid his host in the pass
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Speaker 1: of the hills just above the plane, and sent down
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Speaker 1: a few bedwinds to encamp at the foot of the mountains,
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Speaker 1: bidding them call themselves shamar and make a show of
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Speaker 1: being friendly to the enemy. So when the army of
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Speaker 1: the Shamarz reached the foot of the hills, they saw
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Speaker 1: the tents and only one or two camels, and Khaled's
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Speaker 1: bedwinds came out and welcomed them and told him Khalid
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Speaker 1: was still crossing them the foot, and that if they
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Speaker 1: had passed haste through the hills, they might come upon
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Speaker 1: him unawares, and had an advantage as he began to ascend. Thereupon,
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Speaker 1: the enemy rejoiced and entered the past in haste, after
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Speaker 1: filling their waterskins. When they were in amidst of the hills,
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Speaker 1: Kaled and his army sprang up from the ambush and
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Speaker 1: fell upon them and utterly destroyed them, taking all their
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Speaker 1: horses and camels and arms, after which he went down
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Speaker 1: into the plain and laid waste to the country about Hayel.
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Speaker 1: He took the city as the Shamarz had taken Bria,
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Speaker 1: for he himself got upon the wall at night with
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Speaker 1: the strongest and bravest of his followers, and slew the
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Speaker 1: guards and opened the gate just before dawn. But there
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Speaker 1: was no Khaled in l to rally the soldiers and
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Speaker 1: give them heart to turn and make a stand in
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Speaker 1: the streets. Colette entered the palace and took the Sultan
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Speaker 1: of Shamar alive, not suffering him to be hurt, for
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Speaker 1: he wished to bring him to Rha. This sultan was
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Speaker 1: a man of middle age, having only one eye, and
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Speaker 1: also otherwise ill favored, besides being cowardly in fat so
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Speaker 1: Colette ordered that it should be put into the litter,
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Speaker 1: and the litter into the cage, and the cage slung
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Speaker 1: between two camels. But he commanded that the women of
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Speaker 1: the Harem should be well treated and brought before him
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Speaker 1: that he might see them, intending to bring back the
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Speaker 1: most beautiful of them as presents to his father in law. Surely,
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Speaker 1: said the men who were with him, you will keep
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Speaker 1: the fairest for yourself. But Kaled turned angrily upon them.
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Speaker 1: Have I not lately married the most beautiful woman in
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Speaker 1: the world, he asked, I tell you it is for
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Speaker 1: her sake that I have destroyed the Shamar's. But the
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Speaker 1: Sultans shall have the best of these women, and afterwards
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Speaker 1: the rest of them will be divided, the most to
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Speaker 1: you by lot. When the women heard that they would
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Speaker 1: be distributed among the men of the Jed, they had
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Speaker 1: first made the pretense of howling and beating their breasts,
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Speaker 1: but they rejoiced secretly, and suit began to laugh and
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Speaker 1: talk amongst themselves, pointing out to each other the strongest
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Speaker 1: and most richly dressed Ofkaled's followers, as though choosing husbands
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Speaker 1: among them. But one of them. Neither wept nor spoke
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Speaker 1: to her companions, but stood silently watching Kaled. And when
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Speaker 1: he sat down upon a carpet in the chief kawa
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Speaker 1: of the house, she brought him drinking in the goblet
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Speaker 1: set with pearls from guitar, and sat down at his feet,
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Speaker 1: as though she had been his wife. But he took
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Speaker 1: little heed of her at first, for he was busy
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Speaker 1: with grave matters. The other women, seeing what she did,
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Speaker 1: thought she was acting wisely in the hopes of gaining
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Speaker 1: Khaled's favor, seeing that he was the chief of their enemies.
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Speaker 1: So they too came near and brought water for his hands,
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Speaker 1: and perfumes and sweetmeats, thinking to outdo her. But she
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Speaker 1: pushed them away, taking what they brought for him and
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Speaker 1: offering it herself. Are you better than we, the women
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Speaker 1: said angrily. Has our lord chosen you for himself that
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Speaker 1: you will not let us come near him? Then cled
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Speaker 1: noticed her and began to wonder at her attention and zeal.
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Speaker 1: What is your name, he asked, but she did not speak.
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Speaker 1: Who is she? He inquired of the other women. She
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Speaker 1: is an unbeliever, they answered contemptuously. And she is proud,
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Speaker 1: for she trusted her white skin and her blue eyes,
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Speaker 1: and her hair which is red without hennah. She thinks
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Speaker 1: she is better than we. Command us to uncover our
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Speaker 1: faces that you may see and judge between us. Let
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Speaker 1: it be so. Let us see who is the faire,
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Speaker 1: said Colette, and he left. Then the women who sat
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Speaker 1: at his feet threw aside her veil, and all the
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Speaker 1: others did the same. Clyte saw that the one was
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Speaker 1: certainly more beautiful than the rest, for her skin was
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Speaker 1: as white as milk, and her eyes at the sea
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Speaker 1: of Oman when it is blue in winter. She had
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Speaker 1: does a long hair plaited in three tresses, which came
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Speaker 1: down to her feet, red as the locust when the
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Speaker 1: sun shines upon them at evening, and not die. There
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Speaker 1: is a bay mare in the stable of black ones
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Speaker 1: khled said, what is the name of the bay mare.
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Speaker 1: Her name is Aziz, and she is Christian, said one
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Speaker 1: of the women, not azz al Maasta, said the beautiful woman,
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Speaker 1: in an accent which show that she could not speak
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Speaker 1: Arabic fluently. Al Masta a Christian. She was lately said
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Speaker 1: as a president to our master by the Emir of Basra,
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Speaker 1: said one of the others. He paid one thousand and
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Speaker 1: five hundred sequins for her, for she was brought from Georgia,
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Speaker 1: I said another. But I am a free woman and
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Speaker 1: myself the daughter of an emir. Then all the others
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Speaker 1: began to scream. It is a lie, they cried, Your
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Speaker 1: father was a white slave from Syria. You are fools,
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Speaker 1: retorted the woman who had spoken. You should have said
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Speaker 1: you were also free women and the daughters of emirs,
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Speaker 1: so our lord would have treated you with more consideration.
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Speaker 1: The others saw their folly and were silent and drew back,
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Speaker 1: But Colette only smiled. As good marees are bred in
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Speaker 1: the stable as in the desert, he said, And the
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Speaker 1: women laughed with him at jest, for they saw that
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Speaker 1: they pleased him. But Almasta was silent and sat at
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Speaker 1: his feet, looking into his face. You must learn to
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Speaker 1: talk Arabic, he said, and then he will be able
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Speaker 1: to tell stories of your native country to the Sultan,
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Speaker 1: for he loves tales of travel. Almosta smiled. It bent
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Speaker 1: her head a little, but she did not understand all
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Speaker 1: he said. Being but lately come into Arabia. I will
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Speaker 1: go with you, she answered, Yes, you will go with
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Speaker 1: me to Riod, to the Sultan, and perhaps he will
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Speaker 1: make you his wife, for he is none at present.
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Speaker 1: I will go with you, she repeated, looking at him.
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Speaker 1: She does not understand you, said the women, laughing at
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Speaker 1: her ignorance of their own tongue. It is no matter,
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Speaker 1: said Khaled. She will learn in due time. Perhaps it
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Speaker 1: is pleased, allow to send my lord to Sultan a
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Speaker 1: wife without a tongue, for a blessing in his old age.
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Speaker 1: I will go with you, Almosta said again, she can
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Speaker 1: say nothing else, jeered the women. One of them pulled
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Speaker 1: her by her upper garment so that she looked round.
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Speaker 1: Can you say this? My father was a dog and
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Speaker 1: the son of dogs, said the woman. But Almosta pushed
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Speaker 1: her angrily away, for she half understood. Then the woman
16:48
Speaker 1: grew angry and shook her fist in Almasa's face. If
16:52
Speaker 1: you fight, you shall eat sticks, said Khaled, and then
16:54
Speaker 1: they were all quiet. Thus he took possession of the
16:57
Speaker 1: city of Heal, and remaining there some time. He reduced
17:00
Speaker 1: all the country to submission, so that it remained a
17:03
Speaker 1: part of the kingdom of the Jed for many years
17:05
Speaker 1: after that, for the power of the Shamars was broken,
17:08
Speaker 1: and they could nowhere have mustered a thousand men able
17:10
Speaker 1: to bear arms. Khaled set a governor in the place
17:14
Speaker 1: of the sultan and ordered all the laws of the
17:15
Speaker 1: country in the same manner as those of the Jed.
17:18
Speaker 1: And after he had been absent from Riad in the
17:20
Speaker 1: two months, he set aside a part of his force
17:22
Speaker 1: to remain behind and keep the peace in cases should
17:25
Speaker 1: be an outbreak, and with the rest he would begin
17:27
Speaker 1: to journey homeward, taking a great spoil and many captives
17:30
Speaker 1: with him. During the march, most of the women rode
17:34
Speaker 1: on camels, but a few of the most beautiful were
17:36
Speaker 1: taken in litters, less the fatigues of riety should injure
17:38
Speaker 1: their appearance and thus diminish their value. Al Masta was
17:42
Speaker 1: one of these, and the Sultan of Hayal was taken
17:44
Speaker 1: in the cage, as has been said, though he was
17:46
Speaker 1: not otherwise ill treated, and received his portion of Campbe's
17:49
Speaker 1: meat and bread equal to that of the soldiers. Khaled
17:53
Speaker 1: said messengers on fleet mares to Riad to give warning
17:56
Speaker 1: of his coming, But he could not himself proceed very
17:58
Speaker 1: quickly because his armies were burdened with so much spoil,
18:01
Speaker 1: and as there was now no haste to overtake an enemy.
18:04
Speaker 1: He journeyed chiefly at night, resting during the day wherever
18:07
Speaker 1: there was water, for although the summer was far advanced,
18:10
Speaker 1: it was still hot. He thought continually. It was Ahawa
18:13
Speaker 1: by day in his tent and by night on the march.
18:16
Speaker 1: For he supposed that she would be glad when she
18:18
Speaker 1: heard of the victory, that she would now love him
18:20
Speaker 1: because he had avenged her people and taken hail and
18:23
Speaker 1: brought back gold and captives, besides other treasures. She was
18:27
Speaker 1: already pleased with my deeds before La Friad, he thought,
18:30
Speaker 1: for she asked me how many of the Shamars I
18:32
Speaker 1: had slain with my own hand. And at last she
18:34
Speaker 1: wished me to stay with her, most probably because I
18:37
Speaker 1: might tell her more about to fight. How much the
18:39
Speaker 1: more will she be glad now, since I have killed
18:41
Speaker 1: so many more and have brought back treasure and made
18:43
Speaker 1: a whole country subject to her father. Shall not blood
18:47
Speaker 1: in gold by the love of a woman. It chanced
18:50
Speaker 1: once during the day that Kleb was sitting at the
18:51
Speaker 1: door of his tent, after the sun had gone down,
18:53
Speaker 1: and before the night march had begun. Upon the one side,
18:57
Speaker 1: at a little distance was the tent of the women
18:58
Speaker 1: captives who had been taken from the pals in Hil,
19:01
Speaker 1: And upon the other the soldiers had set down the
19:03
Speaker 1: cage in which the Sultan Shamar was carried. The men
19:06
Speaker 1: had laid a carpet over the cage to keep the
19:08
Speaker 1: sun from the prisoner during the heat of the day,
19:10
Speaker 1: lest he should not reach riot alive, as kled desired,
19:13
Speaker 1: for the Sultan was fat and at a collar of temper.
19:16
Speaker 1: Now the soldiers had given him food, but had forgotten
19:18
Speaker 1: to bring him water, and it was hot under the
19:20
Speaker 1: carpet now that the evening had come, but he could
19:23
Speaker 1: lift it up a little on one side, and having
19:25
Speaker 1: done so, he began to cry out, cursing Khalad and
19:27
Speaker 1: railing at him, not knowing that he was so near
19:30
Speaker 1: at hand. Of you, whose portion shall be to broil everlasting,
19:33
Speaker 1: and to eat thistles and thorns, until I bound in
19:36
Speaker 1: red hot chains as I lie in this cage. Have
19:39
Speaker 1: you brought me out into the desert to die of
19:40
Speaker 1: thirst like a lame camel? Surely you're entertainment. On the
19:44
Speaker 1: day of judgment shall be boiling water and the fruit
19:46
Speaker 1: of al zachrum. And whenever you try to get out
19:48
Speaker 1: of hell, you shall be dragged back again and beaten
19:50
Speaker 1: with iron clubs, and your skin shall dissolve, and the
19:52
Speaker 1: boiling water shall be poured upon your head. In this way,
19:56
Speaker 1: the captive cried out, for he was very thirsty. But
19:58
Speaker 1: when kled saw that know and key in water, he
20:00
Speaker 1: called in the darkness to the women who sat by
20:02
Speaker 1: their tent. Fetch water and give the man to drink,
20:05
Speaker 1: he said. One of the women rose quickly and filled
20:09
Speaker 1: the jar at the welle close by, and took it
20:11
Speaker 1: to the cage. And then the Ralian cursing broke out afresh,
20:14
Speaker 1: so that Khaled wondered what had happened? Who has sent
20:17
Speaker 1: this unbelieving woman to torture me with thirst? Cried the prisoner.
20:21
Speaker 1: Are you not at ease whom I was about to
20:23
Speaker 1: take for my fourth wife on account of your red hair.
20:25
Speaker 1: But your hair shall be a perpetual flame hereafter burning
20:28
Speaker 1: the bones on your head, and your flesh shall be
20:30
Speaker 1: white with heat as iron in the forge. If I
20:34
Speaker 1: were still in my kingdom, you should eat many sticks.
20:37
Speaker 1: If Allah delivers me from my enemies, I will cause
20:39
Speaker 1: your skin to be embroiled with gold for a trapping
20:41
Speaker 1: to my horse. The moon rose at this time, being
20:45
Speaker 1: a little past the full and Kaled looked toward the
20:47
Speaker 1: cage and saw that the woman was standing two paces
20:49
Speaker 1: away from the Sultan's outstretched hand. She dabbled in the
20:52
Speaker 1: cold water with her fingers so that the plashing sound
20:55
Speaker 1: was hurt, and then drank herself and scattered afterwards a
20:58
Speaker 1: few drops in the face of the thirsty captive. It
21:01
Speaker 1: is good water, she said, it is cold. Kalleed knew
21:06
Speaker 1: from her broken speech that it was almosta and he
21:09
Speaker 1: understood that she was torturing the prisoner with the sound
21:11
Speaker 1: in the sight of the water and with her words.
21:13
Speaker 1: So he rose from his place and went to the cage.
21:16
Speaker 1: Did I not tell you to give him drink? He asked,
21:19
Speaker 1: standing before the woman, Oh, my lord, be merciful, cried
21:22
Speaker 1: the captive when he saw the Klette himself was there.
21:26
Speaker 1: Be merciful and let me drink. For your heart is
21:28
Speaker 1: easily moved to pity. And by an act of charity,
21:30
Speaker 1: you shall hereafter sit in the sheet of the tree
21:32
Speaker 1: to drop and drink forever of the wine of Paradix.
21:36
Speaker 1: I do not desire wine, said Klet, But you shall
21:39
Speaker 1: certainly not thirst. Give him the jar, he said to Almasta.
21:42
Speaker 1: But she shook her head. He is bad and ugly,
21:45
Speaker 1: she said, But if he not drink, he will die.
21:49
Speaker 1: Then Kaled put out his hand to take the jar
21:51
Speaker 1: of water, but al Maasta threw it violent into the ground,
21:53
Speaker 1: and it broke to pieces. Thereupon the captive began again
21:57
Speaker 1: to rail and curse at Almasta, and to implore Kaled
21:59
Speaker 1: with many plus you shall drink, for I will bring
22:03
Speaker 1: water myself, said Klein. He went back to his tent
22:05
Speaker 1: and took his own jar to the well and filled
22:07
Speaker 1: it carefully. When he turned, he saw that Almos was
22:11
Speaker 1: running from his tent toward the cage with a drawn
22:13
Speaker 1: sword in her hand. Heaven ran also, and being very
22:16
Speaker 1: swift of foot, he overtook her just as she thrust
22:18
Speaker 1: the sultan through the bars, but the sword caught in
22:21
Speaker 1: the folds of the soft carpet, and Kled took it
22:23
Speaker 1: from her hand and thrust her down so that she
22:25
Speaker 1: fell upon her knees. Then he gave the prisoner the
22:27
Speaker 1: jar with the water that remained in it, for some
22:29
Speaker 1: had been spilt. As he ran, Who has given you
22:32
Speaker 1: the right to kill my captives? He asked, Valmosta kill me?
22:36
Speaker 1: Then she cried, indeed, if you are not so valuable,
22:39
Speaker 1: I will cut off your head. Kled answered, why do
22:42
Speaker 1: you wish me to kill you? I hate him, she said,
22:46
Speaker 1: pointing to the captive, who was drinking like a thirsty camel.
22:49
Speaker 1: That is no reason why I should kill you. Go
22:51
Speaker 1: back to the tents. But al Musta laid her hand
22:54
Speaker 1: on the sword he held and tried to bring it
22:56
Speaker 1: to her own throat. This is a strange rooman, said Kleid.
23:00
Speaker 1: Why do you wish to die? You should go to
23:02
Speaker 1: Riad and be the Sultan's wife. No, no, she cried,
23:05
Speaker 1: kill me, not him, Not him? Of whom do you
23:09
Speaker 1: speak him? She answered again, pointing to the prisoner. Is
23:12
Speaker 1: he not the Sultan? Khaled laughed aloud, for he saw
23:16
Speaker 1: that she was supposed to have been taken to Riad
23:18
Speaker 1: to be made the wife of the Sultan of Samar. Indeed,
23:21
Speaker 1: the other women had told her so to anger her.
23:24
Speaker 1: Not this man, he said, endeavoring to make her understand.
23:27
Speaker 1: There is another sultan, a riyachd. The Sultan of Shamar
23:30
Speaker 1: is one, the Sultan of the Jed another you, she asked,
23:34
Speaker 1: suddenly springing up with you. The moon was bright, and
23:38
Speaker 1: Kled saw her eyes gleamed like stars, and her face
23:40
Speaker 1: grew warm. But when she took his hands, her own
23:43
Speaker 1: were cold. No, not I, he answered, I am not
23:46
Speaker 1: the sultan. But her face became gray in the moonlight,
23:49
Speaker 1: and she covered her head with her veil and went
23:51
Speaker 1: slowly back to her tent. This woman loves me, Kled thought,
23:56
Speaker 1: And as I have not talked much with her, it
23:58
Speaker 1: must be because I am strong and have conquered the
23:59
Speaker 1: people among whom she was captive. How much the more
24:03
Speaker 1: then will the howell love me for the same reason.
24:05
Speaker 1: So he was light of heart, and soon afterwards he
24:07
Speaker 1: commanded everything to be made ready and mounted his bay
24:10
Speaker 1: mare for the night. March end of chapter four