“That is easier said than done,” replied Raymond, “and you, Rustan, know even better than we do how impossible it is to escape from here.”
“I will find the way for you. Like you, I suffered greatly before you came. Then, as your keeper, I was forced to be cruel to you. My old head cannot invent cruelties, and my back has to suffer for it. I have had enough of cruelty; I will escape with you. Come and see.”
Rustan took the boys by the hands and led them quietly down a long corridor. They followed him involuntarily, but without a tremor. At last they came to a door opening upon a handsome apartment with a gorgeous tapestry dividing it in the centre. Behind it the Sultan was soundly sleeping upon silken cushions with curtains undrawn.
“You see escape is possible. The tyrant who tortures you and me is fast asleep. He will not be awakened, for woe to him who disturbs his rest. The castle garrison is an insignificant one. I know all the passages and have the keys of the gate leading to the causeway. Put on Turkish costumes, and in a trice you will be out, and we will fly to the Emperor’s camp.”
The temptation to escape came so suddenly that the boys were inclined to yield to it.
“And yet,” said Rustan, “we are not absolutely safe even when the tyrant sleeps. When he wakes, his first question will be about you, for even in sleep he dreams of you and is busy devising new tortures. So, if you would be absolutely safe, take this dagger and thrust it into the heart of your torturer.”
With these words he placed a sharp, polished dagger into the hand of each of the boys in spite of their resistance. All at once they felt these glittering but fearful weapons in their hands. To secure their liberty they must make no noise, scarce venture a word of reply, to say nothing of dropping the daggers. Their dangerous situation alarmed them. They would rather have remained in their gloomy prison. Rustan, however, was both deaf and blind to their evident signs of abhorrence of such a shameful deed. They attempted to leave the apartment but he prevented them.
“You shall not leave here until you have disposed of that tyrant’s accursed life. I supposed you were brave sons of a brave father,” he craftily whispered, “but you are cowards, and incapable of bold deeds. As I will not return to the yoke of the slave or die a miserable death with you, when we are discovered, I will risk it alone.” Drawing a dagger, he advanced upon the sleeping Sultan with the intention of stabbing him, but Raymond rushed between them and said:
“It is not the custom of knights to kill a sleeping, defenceless enemy. We will fight for our liberty with the same weapons, man to man. You shall reach him only over our dead bodies.”
“Awake!” cried Conrad, vigorously shaking the Sultan. “Awake! your life is in danger. An assassin threatens you. Take this dagger and protect yourself.”