Part 39 (2/2)
”I know of one deed no True-Believer could have wrought If proof were needed of his infidelity he hath now afforded it in taking to himself a Nasrani wife Is it not written in the Book to be Read: 'Marry not idolatresses'? Is not that the Prophet's law, and hath he not broken it, offending at once against Allah and against thee, O fountain ofthat he had entirely overlooked Yet justice compelled him still to defend Sakr-el-Bahr, or else perhaps he but reasoned to prove to hiainst the corsair was indeed coested
At that she cried out in admiration of him ”What a fount of mercy and forbearance art thou, O father of Marzak! Thou'rt right as in all things It was no doubt in thoughtlessness that he offended, but would such thoughtlessness be possible in a True-Believer--in one worthy to be dubbed by thee the champion of the Prophet's Holy Law?”
It was a shrewd thrust, that pierced the arht to e darkly at the inky shadow of the hich theSuddenly he rose
”By Allah, thou art right!” he cried ”So that he thwarted me and kept that Frankish woainst the law”
She glided to her knees and coiled her ar up at himent
Is that all his fault, O Asad?”
”All?” he questioned, looking down at her ”What more is there?”
”I would there were no elic mercy blinds thee He did worse Not ainst the law, he turned the law to his own base uses and so defiled it”
”How?” he asked quickly, eagerly almost
”He employed it as a bulwark behind which to shelter hi that thou who art the Lion and defender of the Faith wouldst bend obediently to what is written in the Book, he married her to place her beyond thy reach”
”The praise to Hiht unworthy!” he cried in a great voice, glorifying hiht have slain him to dissolve the impious bond, yet I obeyed what is written”
”Thy forbearance hath given joy to the angels,” she answered him, ”and yet a man was found so base as to trade upon it and upon thy piety, O Asad!”
He shook off her clasp, and strode away froht there, and she, well-content, reclined upon the cushi+ons of the divan, a thing of infinite grace, her glea until her poison should have done its work
She saw hi Heaven, as if asking a question of the stars that twinkled in the wide-flung nimbus of the moon
Then at last he paced slowly back to her He was still undecided There was truth in what she had said; yet he knew and weighed her hatred of Sakr-el-Bahr, kne it e her to put the worst construction upon any act of his, knew her jealousy for Marzak, and so he uments and mistrusted himself Also there was his own love of Sakr-el-Bahr that would insist upon a place in the balance of his judgh,” he said alhly ”I pray that Allah ht” And upon that he stalked past her, up the steps, and so into the house
She followed hiht she lay at his feet to be ready at the first peep of dawn to buttress a purpose that she feared was still weak, and whilst he slept fitfully, she slept not at all, but lay wide-eyed and watchful
At the first note of the mueddin's voice, he leapt from his couch obedient to its summons, and scarce had the last note of it died upon the winds of dawn than he was afoot, beating his hands together to suathered that he was for the harbour there and then
”May Allah have inspired thee, O my lord!” she cried And asked hin,” he answered her, and upon that departed, leaving her in a frame of mind that was far from easy
She summoned Marzak, and bade him accompany his father, breathed swift instructions of what he should do and how do it
”Thy fate has been placed in thine own hands,” she adrip it firmly now”
In the courtyard Marzak found his father in the act of ht him
He was attended by his wazeer Tsaed leave to go with hi by his father's stirrup, a little in advance of the others For a while there was silence between father and son, then the latter spoke
”It is my prayer, O my father, that thou art resolved to depose the faithless Sakr-el-Bahr from the command of this expedition”