“No; but he fears you, which is better. With you we should be safe.”
“How long do you wish to travel with me?”
“Two days only, till you come to the pass in the Jebal Marru. There you will follow along the mountains, but we cross them, and go on into the desert that is called Tebu till we come to more mountains and a certain secret oasis among them, which we name Tama, where no white man has ever set his foot. A while ago, Bey, you asked me of the lost temple. It stands there in our home, and I promise you this—let us ride in your shadow, and whenever you have leisure I will show you that temple in payment. Yes; and the wonders of the burying-place of the kings of the desert who once ruled there, and whose child, the lady Tama, stands at your side. Refuse, and I swear that you shall never see them.”
“The bribe is great,” said Rupert, “but, mother, I must not take bribes.”
“No,” she answered, “it is your business to offer them, is it not, else why do you carry so much gold in your baggage? Ah! you see I have good spies.”
“So good,” he said, “that evidently on this point they have misinformed you,” for he was sure that she was but guessing. “Well,” he repeated, “I must not be bribed, and pleasant as would be the company of both of you, I have other game to hunt.”
Mea drew herself up, looking wonderfully dignified notwithstanding her lack of height, and said in Arabic:
“My aunt, our request is refused; it is not seemly that we should ask again. We will go down the Nile a little, and hide till our messengers bring us an escort. Let us bid this Bey farewell; we keep him from his sleep.”
“Perhaps the Bey has not done speaking,” said Bakhita, who saw that Rupert had but paused in his words.
“You are right, mother, as usual,” he went on, “and you know so much that I do not mind telling you a little more. It is my object to travel as a merchant; in fact,” he added, “I have taken to that business which is more profitable than fighting.”