"Are you not afraid I shall expose you, Hamal?"

"To whom, Muna? Not Kedar, for you care nothing for my brother. To my uncle? He would understand, I assure you. Do not fear, lady, I shall aid you and Ashur in your escape once we reach Algiers. Now I must return to the palace. Do not be frightened if I do not attempt to speak with you until we arrive in Algiers. There is no need."

"Hamal!" Skye called softly. 'Tell Niall that I love him."

"I will," came the reply.

She was alone again. She walked once more around the fountain, watching the fish flashing golden amid the crystal bubbles. Escape from Algiers was assured in Skye's mind. As much as she disliked, no, detested, spending further time with the salacious Kedar, it was a small price to pay for what in the long run was going to be a better situation for both herself and Niall. Completing her second circle of the fountain, she began to retrace her steps back along the tall green hedgerows toward the palace.

"Where have you been?!'' Kedar's fingers dug into the soft flesh of her upper arm.

For a moment anger flashed in Skye's eyes, and then a warning glance from Talitha reminded her of her situation. "I was but walking in the princess's garden, my lord. Is it not allowed? Have I breached the code of good manners?" Her voice sounded distressed and anxious.

Kedar's grip loosened somewhat. "It would have been better if you had taken Talitha or Zada with you, my jewel. I do not like you walking alone."

"Perhaps she was meeting a lover," Zada said spitefully.

With a roar Kedar rounded on her, releasing Skye as he attacked the now terrified Zada, beating her viciously about the head and shoulders.

"My lord, my lord!" Skye protested. "'Twas but the ill-considered jest of a jealous woman!"

Even Talitha, who normally would not involve herself, added her voice to Skye's in an attempt to stop Kedar. "My lord, if you kill her you will have lost a valuable slave. How often have you admonished us not to waste?"

"Owwww! Oh! Oh! Arrrrgh! Mercy, master! Mercy!" the unfortunate Zada wailed.

"Bitch! Little savage animal!" Kedar snarled. "How dare you suggest such perfidy against your mistress, your better? Do you think that because I have relieved my lust into your worthless body you are as good as she?" He cuffed her a blow on the side of the head. "You will receive twenty lashes when we return, worthless one!" So saying, Kedar shoved Zada away from him angrily.

Ignoring the fallen woman, Talitha and Skye quickly set about calming the furious Kedar. While Talitha hurried to bring him a cool and refreshing drink, Skye wiped his brow with a cloth wrung out in rosewater. "You must not be angry with Zada, my lord," she implored him. "She is but an ignorant Berber, and the honor you have done her has gone to her head."

Talitha held a goblet of lemoned sherbet to his lips, saying, "Has this sort of thing not happened before, my lord? And it will continue to happen if you will not confine yourself to your harem."

"The women of my household are there to please me," Kedar grumbled. "All of them!"

"That may be your right, my lord," Talitha persisted, "but if there is no distinction between mistress and servant then the servants will believe that they are as good as their mistresses, and this sort of thing will happen again and again."

Kedar snatched the goblet from Talitha and drained it. "You have been with me many years, Talitha, and I have never known you not to act in my best interests. I will think on what you have said."

Skye could not help but raise an eyebrow. Such a reasonable concession on Kedar's part was surprising. Talitha merely smiled, and said quietly, "You will decide what is best, my lord."

Skye did not see Niall again. They left the princess's palace in the afternoon to return to Kedar's house. In the corner of their litter Zada sat sniveling, and, finally annoyed, Talitha rebuked her sharply. "Be silent, girl! You have brought this misery upon yourself."

"Muna was meeting a lover," Zada insisted. "I saw a man in the garden walk the same way that she did."

Skye quickly debated with herself whether she should admit to meeting Hamal, and finally said, "The lord Kedar's young brother, Hamal, was on the other side of the hedgerow from me, Talitha. He but bid me good day, and returned to the palace lest he compromise me. Should I say something to our master?"

Talitha laughed. "Of course not, Muna. More likely, Hamal feared that you would compromise him with Princess Turkhan, especially now that she has shown such favor toward that handsome brute, Ashur." She turned stern eyes on the complaining Zada. "Say a word to Kedar, and I will have you poisoned, foolish one."

Zada nodded. She had no doubt that that old bitch meant every word of it. "Will I really be given twenty lashes?" she quavered.

"Probably," Talitha said drily.

"Speak to Kedar, Talitha," Skye intervened. "Zada has already been sufficiently punished.

"No," Talitha said. "She deserves to be beaten. I will try, however, to see that her sentence is cut from twenty to ten lashes."


***

The next few weeks passed quickly in a haze of sameness for Skye. Almost every evening, except during the period when she was considered unclean, she joined Kedar in an orgy of dark sensuality. During the day she slept heavily and long in order to counteract the debilitating effects of the previous night, and to prepare for the night to come. How Kedar kept up such a strenuous pace she did not understand. He seemed to gain his strength from the sexual encounters he had with his women. With less than five hours' sleep he was up early each morning, busily preparing for the journey back to Algiers. He had not said yet that he would take Skye, and she fretted with uncertainty as he had always left his women behind when he led a caravan before.

Finally a week before the trek was duc to begin she could bear it no longer. Kedar was feeling benevolent and relaxed that evening. Before him danced half a dozen attractive and supple girls, their sheer, rainbow-colored skirts whirling prettily as they swayed and dipped in time to the reed and drum. He was alone but for his favorite, Muna, who popped small, very sweet dates stuffed with almonds into his open mouth. She pressed her breasts suggestively against his arm, and spoke breathily into his ear.

"How I shall miss you, my lord, when you are gone to Algiers. I am not sure I can bear to be without you. Surely I shall have pined away before you return." She ran her tongue around the inside of his ear and blew softly into it.

Kedar turned his head and gazed into her gorgeous sapphire eyes, which appeared to him to be liquid in their desire for him. Her mouth was but inches away from his, and he was unable to resist kissing her. Her lips seemed to part eagerly, and her soft tongue taunted his by playing hide and seek with him, slipping out to swiftly brush against his before sliding away. Kedar felt his lust begin to build. He had not intended to take her, but as she flamed beneath his touch he suddenly realized he did not wish to be, nay, could not be without her for three to four long months. She had a hypnotic, almost druglike effect upon him. She had infected his blood much as the opium infected those who overindulged. He would take her with him! He would marry her in Algiers in his uncle's house, where he had first seen her. He knew that Osman, romantic fool he was, would enjoy that very much.

Releasing her from the kiss, he allowed her to cling possessively to him. "Did I not tell you, my jewel, that you are to go with me? The princess takes her two favorites, and I certainly cannot be without you."

Relief poured through Skye's veins, rendering her almost weak to the point of swooning. Seeing it, Kedar was pleased, and found that he was also extremely flattered. Her concern at being parted from him was obviously quite genuine, and he thought that perhaps she was falling in love with him, but she dared not say the words for fear of giving offense. Many masters of such luscious creatures sought only the willing bodies of their women, and wanted nothing more. Indeed, he knew many men who sold off the women who fell in love with them, for they did not want clinging females who grew possessive with their love. Kedar knew that his women gossiped among themselves, and undoubtedly Muna had heard such stories. Beguiled by her attitude, Kedar considered that Muna was the first woman to ever really love him, and he was further gratified. He had been wise to wait all these years. She was going to be the perfect wife. She was discreet, obedient, and incredibly sensual. What more could a man ask for? he asked himself. Whatever else it might be, the slaves could supply.

Freed of her anxiety, Skye knew she must say something. "I am so happy you will not leave me behind, my lord," she murmured, her voice soft with actual elation.

Kedar smiled into her perfumed hair. "I should not admit this to you, my jewel, but I would be bereft without your sweet company. Were I only to be gone a month though, I should not expose you to the rigors of the caravan trail. What if you are with child?"

"I am not, my lord."

"My only displeasure with you," he replied, a small frown creasing his brow.

"What does it matter?" she cajoled him. "You have several sons and daughters by your many concubines, my lord. If I grew round with child then I should not be able to grace your couch as I do now. I do not wish some other to take my place," she pouted at him.

"No one," he vowed fervently, "no one, my fair Muna, my adorable precious jewel, could possibly take your place with me!"