Angeline by Karleen Bradford Page B

the house she had not yet seen. They came to a curtain that blocked the hallway. Zahra pushed it aside and held it back so that Angeline could follow her in. Angeline caught her breath. Oillamps burned in intricately decorated alcoves set into the walls. Bowls of silver and gold reflected their flickering light. Angeline’s feet sank into a thick, brilliantly woven carpet. Where the floor was bare, she trod on tiles glazed in shades of blue, indigo, and green. Tapestries covered the walls. In one corner sat a chest shining with inlaid jewels. A glass lamp hung above it. In another corner of the room a brass dish hung suspended, a slender stick burning within it. The stick gave off a scent with which Angeline was becoming familiar. It was a scent at once sharp and sweet. Sticks such as this burned in most rooms. They perfumed the air and seemed to keep flying insects at bay. Angeline looked around her in awe, then stifled a startled cry as she saw a man clad in a long, flowing robe sprawled on a pile of pillows.
    A servant stood beside the man, holding a tray upon which a cup of juice waited. The man smiled and rose to his feet. Zahra went to him and he bent to embrace her. Angeline felt the blood rush to her head and her face flush. This must be Abd’al Haseeb, the Emir himself! He was much younger than Angeline had expected. She had imagined him to be aged, but this man was not much older than Father Martin. Not a gentle-looking man, though, as was Father Martin. His eyes as he looked at Zahra softened,but there was nothing else soft about his face or his expression. His cheekbones were sharp, his skin dark. He had the look of a man who lived much outdoors under the desert sun. The arm with which he encircled Zahra was sinewy and strong. No idle prince—Angeline could believe that this Emir was a fighting man.
    They took no notice of her, but disappeared through a curtained doorway. Angeline was left standing in the room unsure of what to do. The servant came over to her and motioned to a carpet lying in front of the doorway, piled with pillows. She realized that he meant for her to settle there. Shock was replaced by anger. She was supposed to sleep outside their room like a dog?
    “I will not!” she cried, heedless of the fact that the servant would not understand her words. He would certainly know what she meant. But he just smiled and left.
    She ran to the doorway that led back out into the hall, but another servant there firmly escorted her back to her pillows. Furious, but helpless to resist, she threw herself down upon them. She sat there, determined not to sleep, but finally, when the midnight prayer sounded through the rooms, she succumbed in spite of herself.
    She was awoken by a servant bearing a tray of food. He greeted her and held the tray out to her. Was she supposed to carry it in to Zahra and the Emir? Another wave of hot shame suffused her. How could she do such a thing? Without waiting for her consent, the servant swept back the curtain and opened the door beyond it, then gently pushed Angeline in. She took a hesitant step, not daring to raise her eyes. Zahra’s voice greeted her. Only then did she look up. Zahra was sitting at a low table, the Emir lay on a couch beside her. They were both wearing long, hooded robes. He was watching Zahra and took no notice of Angeline at all. Zahra indicated the table. Angeline placed the tray of food upon it. She could not look again at the Emir. Zahra chose carefully from amongst the dishes and carried a selection over to Abd’al Haseeb, then she waved Angeline back out of the room. Angeline escaped with relief. She waited outside the door, unwilling to sit again, not knowing what she should do and furious at the indignity.
    When Zahra finally came out they returned to her room. Angeline helped her dress and make ready for the day. Zahra kept up a constant chatter, but Angeline attended her in stony silence. She made no effort to understand the concubine. She did