“Wouldst thou murder one who hath proved himself thy firm friend?” Zoraida asked, her eye fixed upon the man who had already attempted to assassinate me. Shrugging his shoulders, he showed his even white teeth in a hideous grin, but made no reply.
“Vengeance cometh—vengeance just upon the faithless and those who betray their friends. Their couch shall be in hell!” she continued. “If thou forcest me to sacrifice my life, of a verity wilt thou deliver the Lie unto Truth, and bring upon thee ruin and shame abiding. Cama tafakal kathâlik tolâ ki!” (“Such as you will do, so will you find.”)
But the fierce, brutal murderers grouped around only laughed. Her strange power over them seemed to have suddenly vanished, for, with her uncovered face handsome in their eyes, there was, alas! a consensus of opinion that she should become the chief wife of their chieftain! What could I do to save her? Nothing. Glancing across at me with a look of mute appeal, she stood silent, her hand upon the hilt of her knife. She seemed deeply agitated, for though her lips moved, no sound escaped them.
Again the half-witted brute who had urged the desirability of the hateful union turned to his companions, asking: “Is it thy desire that the Daughter of the Sun should be exalted and become our Queen of Delights and the Light of our Darkness?”
“Thy words are truly words of wisdom!” his companions cried loudly, with only two or three dissentients. “Our Ruler must take her as his wife.”
The cruel face of Hadj Absalam broadened into a benign smile, while Labakan’s eyes glittered with murderous craftiness, as, with hands tightly clasped and tears upon her beautiful cheeks, Zoraida made a final desperate appeal—
“A moment ago didst thou vow loyalty unto me, my brothers. Yet even now wilt thou force me into a loveless union that is distasteful—that—that will cause me to seek death by mine own hand! If I have offended, cast me from thee, but wreck not my happiness by an odious marriage! Ever have I been unswervingly loyal unto thee, and He in whose hand is the Kingdom of all Things will assuredly be swift in punishing those who seek my self-destruction. Blessings are the lot of the pure and the merciful. Force this not upon me, O my brothers! Hear and grant this my most fervent supplication!”
There was silence. Fierce words in her defence were upon the tip of my tongue, but—fortunately perhaps—I managed to suppress them.
“It is to-day, peradventure, too early to carry out my generous proposal,” Hadj Absalam observed, utterly unmoved by her appeal. “In one moon shall I compel the Lalla Zoraida to become the Pearl of my Harem.”
“Thy will be accomplished, O Ruler of exalted merit,” they answered. But the woman I loved, hearing his decision, clasped her hands to her temples, murmuring in dismay, “One moon! One moon!” and, taking two or three quick, uneven steps, tottered forward and fell heavily upon her face ere a hand could be outstretched to save her.