“He persisted in his denial; I offered him pay for the services he had rendered me, and he refused the money.”
“Good! I find, after all, that you are a worthy daughter of your race.”
“I would not throw aside my belief for any mortal living.”
“Zulima, there is but one course open to me in this matter.”
“I understand.”
“What do you understand?”
“Stolburst must be captured, and tortured into giving up the Eye of Jobu.”
The beautiful-featured princess spoke as calmly as if she was discussing some every-day topic. Away down in her heart, however, there raged a war of conflicting feelings. Try as she might to disabuse her mind of the fact, she had grown to love Stolburst.
“Zulima,” said Ajeeb, “you now talk so sensibly that it seems incredible to me this man should so have blinded you that you deserted your people without regret.”
“I shall go back to Abyssinia when I am old and ugly.”