cleaning a long silver sword with a curved handle.
"Ahmad," she ventured slowly, "may I ask you a question?"
He loooked at her strangely.
"It is not right. Women do not ask questions. It is not their place."
This was too much. These people were barbaric!
"But Ahmad, I was not raised as your women are. I was brought up to be equal to men, can't you understand that? I just wanted to know if Abu ever brought another woman here before me," she said, hoping he would just think her jealous.
Ahmad grinned. "No, you are the first woman Sheik Abu has ever brought to camp."
'Thank you, Ahmad," she smiled back at him.
Going back into the tent, Christina paced the floor. That was no help at all. If there had been another woman, Christina might have discovered what had happened to her after Philip tired of her. Now she would have to face Philip with the question that was tormenting her. She prayed he would be in a better mood when he returned.
Chapter 12
T
HE sun was still above the horizon when they reached the foot of the mountains. They rode hard now, for the caravan was many miles away. Philip hoped this wasn't a slaver's caravan, for they usually carried little food.
Damn that woman and her curiosity! How could she so easily make him lose control? He had always prided himself on his cool reactions toward women—until he'd met Christina!
She'd angered him the night before by refusing to tell him why she was crying. He couldn't understand it. She had never cried before after making love.
Would he ever understand her? Christina continued to fight him each night, but he knew she enjoyed his love-making. Why did she fight what was so pleasurable?
When she came to the corral this morning, he knew her feigned interest was only an excuse to leave the tent. But could he blame her? He'd have done the same thing. He was positive she wouldn't try to escape again, she feared him too much. Perhaps he could trust her enough to give her the freedom of the camp.
Philip recalled the look of horror on Christina's face when he told her he was going raiding. He hadn't intended to tell her about that part of his life. He didn't enjoy it himself, and he knew it would appall her. But he was so angered by her inquisitiveness that he wanted to shock her.
He wasn't used to so many questions about his life, especially from a woman. Ah, but what a woman! Philip thoroughly enjoyed having her around. He found pleasure in just gazing at her uncommon beauty. He looked forward to entering his tent knowing she would be there— willing or not. Before, his tent had been a lonely place that he avoided as much as possible.
As they approached the caravan, which had camped at an oasis for the night, Philip saw five camels, their packs piled on the ground, and six men gathered around a small fire. Philip and his men galloped up to surround the camp, brandishing their guns, and Syed fired off two shots to see if the caravan intended to fight or surrender its goods.
Slowly, one by one, the caravan guards threw down their rifles. Philip dismounted and walked forward cautiously flanked by his men, but the six guards put up no resistance. They would rather stay alive than fight and die for another man's property.
Syed guarded the prisoners while the rest of them opened and ransacked the packs. They soon made themselves comfortable for the night, and broke open some wine and dried meat for supper.
The next morning, they loaded the foodstuffs and other goods they wanted on one of the camels, sent the rest of the caravan on its way, and set off for the mountains. They rode into camp about midafternoon amid the cheers of the rest of the tribe. They led the horses into the corral, unloaded the camel, and sent it off into the hills to graze. Philip left the men to divide the spoils among themselves, and carried one large chest to his tent.
He hoped he'd find Christina in a gentler mood than she'd been in the afternoon before. He found her sitting
"Ahmad," she ventured slowly, "may I ask you a question?"
He loooked at her strangely.
"It is not right. Women do not ask questions. It is not their place."
This was too much. These people were barbaric!
"But Ahmad, I was not raised as your women are. I was brought up to be equal to men, can't you understand that? I just wanted to know if Abu ever brought another woman here before me," she said, hoping he would just think her jealous.
Ahmad grinned. "No, you are the first woman Sheik Abu has ever brought to camp."
'Thank you, Ahmad," she smiled back at him.
Going back into the tent, Christina paced the floor. That was no help at all. If there had been another woman, Christina might have discovered what had happened to her after Philip tired of her. Now she would have to face Philip with the question that was tormenting her. She prayed he would be in a better mood when he returned.
Chapter 12
T
HE sun was still above the horizon when they reached the foot of the mountains. They rode hard now, for the caravan was many miles away. Philip hoped this wasn't a slaver's caravan, for they usually carried little food.
Damn that woman and her curiosity! How could she so easily make him lose control? He had always prided himself on his cool reactions toward women—until he'd met Christina!
She'd angered him the night before by refusing to tell him why she was crying. He couldn't understand it. She had never cried before after making love.
Would he ever understand her? Christina continued to fight him each night, but he knew she enjoyed his love-making. Why did she fight what was so pleasurable?
When she came to the corral this morning, he knew her feigned interest was only an excuse to leave the tent. But could he blame her? He'd have done the same thing. He was positive she wouldn't try to escape again, she feared him too much. Perhaps he could trust her enough to give her the freedom of the camp.
Philip recalled the look of horror on Christina's face when he told her he was going raiding. He hadn't intended to tell her about that part of his life. He didn't enjoy it himself, and he knew it would appall her. But he was so angered by her inquisitiveness that he wanted to shock her.
He wasn't used to so many questions about his life, especially from a woman. Ah, but what a woman! Philip thoroughly enjoyed having her around. He found pleasure in just gazing at her uncommon beauty. He looked forward to entering his tent knowing she would be there— willing or not. Before, his tent had been a lonely place that he avoided as much as possible.
As they approached the caravan, which had camped at an oasis for the night, Philip saw five camels, their packs piled on the ground, and six men gathered around a small fire. Philip and his men galloped up to surround the camp, brandishing their guns, and Syed fired off two shots to see if the caravan intended to fight or surrender its goods.
Slowly, one by one, the caravan guards threw down their rifles. Philip dismounted and walked forward cautiously flanked by his men, but the six guards put up no resistance. They would rather stay alive than fight and die for another man's property.
Syed guarded the prisoners while the rest of them opened and ransacked the packs. They soon made themselves comfortable for the night, and broke open some wine and dried meat for supper.
The next morning, they loaded the foodstuffs and other goods they wanted on one of the camels, sent the rest of the caravan on its way, and set off for the mountains. They rode into camp about midafternoon amid the cheers of the rest of the tribe. They led the horses into the corral, unloaded the camel, and sent it off into the hills to graze. Philip left the men to divide the spoils among themselves, and carried one large chest to his tent.
He hoped he'd find Christina in a gentler mood than she'd been in the afternoon before. He found her sitting
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