sheikh’s harem.”
Alex nervously stuffed a stray strand of her hair back beneath the hood of her robe. “Oh, come on!” she said with a laugh. “I can’t believe that kidnapping could actually be legal!”
“Not exactly legal, but perhaps unstoppable.” He shrugged unhappily, as if she had forced him to carry a great weight upon his shoulders. “You must realize that we are ruled by the emirs of our seven provinces. And beneath those emirs, within the provinces, there are many sheikhs. Ali Sur Sheriff happens to be very powerful, and he is also a cultured man. But many of our tribes live by the old laws; they are independent and proud. They can disappear into the desert at will. And,” he added gravely, “you must remember that even Sheriff is a Bedouin sheikh—total law within his own realm.”
“But there are many Americans here!” Alex protested. “American industries have interests in the oil drilling—”
“Which centers in certain places. In town, miss, you have nothing to fear. Perhaps you have nothing to fear anywhere. I just don’t know …”
“But you will know that I’m out there!” Alex knew she was pleading, and she was aware that a certain amount of pretty pleading just might work in her favor. It didn’t particularly bother her to use feminine wiles when the occasion warranted. She had fought it out in a man’s world long enough to believe it only prudent to take the advantage when she saw it.
“Oh, please! I will not be alone! I will be in the company of my male companion, young Raj here!” she murmured huskily, giving him her most liquid gaze from beneath the shade of her lashes. “You really must help me. It is a life-or-death situation!”
The young Arab sighed a last time and gave in. “I cannot stop you.”
“Then you will help me?”
“Yes. But your coloring worries me.”
“I’ll make sure my hair stays covered!” Alex promised.
“And keep those robes about you—not only for protection from overzealous Bedouins, but from the sun.”
Alex smiled. “I have spent a great deal of time in Egypt. I am very familiar with the heat of the Arabian sun. Now, please, tell me what we must do.”
“I can arrange for camels. Be back here in an hour and I will have you set with your ‘taxis.’”
Alex gave a covertly triumphant smile to Raj. Just a little while, and they would be on their way.
They walked the streets until they found a little café in a small hotel and Raj ordered heavy, aromatic Arabian coffee. When they were seated upon brick benches in the slim shade of a spidery tree, Raj watched her with open, honest curiosity.
“Why is it that you must reach Ali Sur Sheriff, Dr. Randall?”
Alex chuckled softly at his careful use of her title. “Raj, if you just call me Alex, you won’t have your tongue tripping each time you want to talk to me.”
Raj flushed and lowered his almond eyes. “As you wish, Alex. Why must you reach the sheikh?”
“It’s as I told the sergeant,” Alex replied, staring into the darkness of her coffee. “A man’s life is at stake.”
Raj’s voice was tinged with a strange anger when he replied. “Then why isn’t there a man helping you? Have you no husband?”
Alex’s fingers wound tightly around her small white cup. “I am divorced,” she said aloud, more coolly than she meant to. But she had suddenly discovered that she hadn’t given Wayne a single thought in the last twenty-four hours. She had been frantic when she first realized Jim had disappeared, but she had still thought of Wayne, wishing she could find him just so he might help her. She had tried to reach him through the Luxor hotel that had been the return address on his letter, but she had been informed that he had checked out. And then she had tried, and tried and tried and tried, to reach D’Alesio.
D’Alesio! The thought of the man’s name could send her blood boiling. But it had been since that absurd encounter in his bathroom that she had
Alex nervously stuffed a stray strand of her hair back beneath the hood of her robe. “Oh, come on!” she said with a laugh. “I can’t believe that kidnapping could actually be legal!”
“Not exactly legal, but perhaps unstoppable.” He shrugged unhappily, as if she had forced him to carry a great weight upon his shoulders. “You must realize that we are ruled by the emirs of our seven provinces. And beneath those emirs, within the provinces, there are many sheikhs. Ali Sur Sheriff happens to be very powerful, and he is also a cultured man. But many of our tribes live by the old laws; they are independent and proud. They can disappear into the desert at will. And,” he added gravely, “you must remember that even Sheriff is a Bedouin sheikh—total law within his own realm.”
“But there are many Americans here!” Alex protested. “American industries have interests in the oil drilling—”
“Which centers in certain places. In town, miss, you have nothing to fear. Perhaps you have nothing to fear anywhere. I just don’t know …”
“But you will know that I’m out there!” Alex knew she was pleading, and she was aware that a certain amount of pretty pleading just might work in her favor. It didn’t particularly bother her to use feminine wiles when the occasion warranted. She had fought it out in a man’s world long enough to believe it only prudent to take the advantage when she saw it.
“Oh, please! I will not be alone! I will be in the company of my male companion, young Raj here!” she murmured huskily, giving him her most liquid gaze from beneath the shade of her lashes. “You really must help me. It is a life-or-death situation!”
The young Arab sighed a last time and gave in. “I cannot stop you.”
“Then you will help me?”
“Yes. But your coloring worries me.”
“I’ll make sure my hair stays covered!” Alex promised.
“And keep those robes about you—not only for protection from overzealous Bedouins, but from the sun.”
Alex smiled. “I have spent a great deal of time in Egypt. I am very familiar with the heat of the Arabian sun. Now, please, tell me what we must do.”
“I can arrange for camels. Be back here in an hour and I will have you set with your ‘taxis.’”
Alex gave a covertly triumphant smile to Raj. Just a little while, and they would be on their way.
They walked the streets until they found a little café in a small hotel and Raj ordered heavy, aromatic Arabian coffee. When they were seated upon brick benches in the slim shade of a spidery tree, Raj watched her with open, honest curiosity.
“Why is it that you must reach Ali Sur Sheriff, Dr. Randall?”
Alex chuckled softly at his careful use of her title. “Raj, if you just call me Alex, you won’t have your tongue tripping each time you want to talk to me.”
Raj flushed and lowered his almond eyes. “As you wish, Alex. Why must you reach the sheikh?”
“It’s as I told the sergeant,” Alex replied, staring into the darkness of her coffee. “A man’s life is at stake.”
Raj’s voice was tinged with a strange anger when he replied. “Then why isn’t there a man helping you? Have you no husband?”
Alex’s fingers wound tightly around her small white cup. “I am divorced,” she said aloud, more coolly than she meant to. But she had suddenly discovered that she hadn’t given Wayne a single thought in the last twenty-four hours. She had been frantic when she first realized Jim had disappeared, but she had still thought of Wayne, wishing she could find him just so he might help her. She had tried to reach him through the Luxor hotel that had been the return address on his letter, but she had been informed that he had checked out. And then she had tried, and tried and tried and tried, to reach D’Alesio.
D’Alesio! The thought of the man’s name could send her blood boiling. But it had been since that absurd encounter in his bathroom that she had
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