'Not this man,' he said, endeavouring to make her understand. 'There is another Sultan at Riad. The Sultan of Shammar is one, the Sultan of Nejed another.'
'You?' she asked, suddenly springing up. 'With you?'
The moon was bright and Khaled saw that her eyes gleamed like stars and her face grew warm, and when she took his hands her own were cold.
'No, not I,' he answered. 'I am not the Sultan.'
But her face became grey in the moonlight, and she covered her head with her veil and went slowly back to her tent.
'This woman loves me,' Khaled thought. 'And as I have not talked much with her, it must be because I am strong and have conquered the people among whom she was captive. How much the more then, will Zehowah love me, for the same reason.'
So he was light of heart, and soon afterwards he commanded everything to be made ready and mounted his bay mare for the night march.