All the Sweet Tomorrows (57 page)

Finally a week before the trek was due 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!”

Skye smiled at him, and Kedar was so blinded by his growing approval of her that he did not see the cruelty in the smile. God’s bones, she thought to herself, how I despise you! No. It is more than despise. I hate you, Kedar! When I flee from you with my beloved Niall I hope you suffer the tortures of the truly damned, for that is what I have suffered at your hands. Not once have you touched me with love, only with lust. You are the most depraved man I know, and I wonder if I shall ever be clean again, or really free of your touch. Still, if I may aid my dearest Niall to safely reach home, perhaps we may together free ourselves of the terrible memories this wicked land has given us, and build our lives with our children once more.

Kedar had begun to make love to her now, and Skye was still so engrossed in her own thoughts that she responded automatically. He, however, was so totally fascinated with her by now that he did not even notice. Pride of ownership surged through him, and he almost howled his triumph of possession as he quickly emptied his lust into her womb. When he fell on her breasts, panting with exhaustion, she finally noticed, and her lip curled with disgust as she wondered if she would ever get the stink of him and his unbridled passion off her skin, out of her nostrils. She shuddered, and again Kedar misinterpreted her feelings, assuming the shiver was one of satisfaction.

“We are so perfectly suited, my jewel,” he said.

“Indeed, my lord,” Skye replied. “Indeed.”

A
LGIERS!
Skye had wondered when she left Algiers those many months ago whether she would see the city again. Nor had she ever really thought to see Osman ever again, yet here he was hugging her, his eyes wet with unshed tears.

“Allah be praised, my daughter, you are safe!” He stepped back and viewed her critically. “You are thinner.”

She nodded. “It has not been easy. You have seen Hamal, my friend?”

Osman nodded. “As you know, he rode in ahead of the caravan three days ago so that we might be warned of your imminent arrival. The old Dey is in quite a dither over the prospect of entertaining the Sultan’s daughter. He was even prepared to invite Kedar to stay at the palace, but Hamal discouraged it, saying that Kedar was only a business acquaintance of Turkhan’s, and besides, he was my nephew, and would want to stay with me. Getting your husband Niall out of the palace will be hard enough, but we should never have gotten you out.”

“Are my ships here, Osman?”

“Some in port, some lying just off the coast over the horizon.” Osman paused, and then said quietly, “Skye, my daughter, Jamil is back in the city.”

She sucked her breath in sharply. “
I knew it!
I somehow sensed he would be here should I return.”

“It is said that his potency is restored.”

“Find me an assassin, Osman!”

“Would you have his death on your conscience, my daughter?” Osman was shocked.

“Khalid must be revenged! How his murder has haunted me all these years, Osman. I want Jamil dead! He deserves to die!”

“Perhaps,” Osman agreed, “but I shall not let you make this grave error, Skye, my daughter. It was Khalid’s fate to die else you would not have returned to your own land, to your own destiny. I warned Khalid the morning he told me that he was going to wed with you, but he would not listen. When he made that decision his fate was sealed; but remember, Skye, it was his right to decide his own fate. His choices were clear, and so are yours. In Allah’s good time Jamil will be punished, but it is not up to you to wield the sword of justice over his head.” Osman put a comforting arm about her. “How strong your passions are, Skye. You are so consumed with your thoughts of revenge it does not even occur to you that you might be in danger yourself.”

“It is only logic, Osman. I am in no danger, and I know it. The memory of Skye Muna el Khalid is long gone from Algiers, and of the few who know Muna, the slave of the lord Kedar, who would connect the two? I am simply an anonymous woman, as are all respectable women in this city. If Jamil came into this house tonight, he would still not know I was here, for he would certainly not be allowed the run of your women’s quarters.

“I am more concerned as to when I may see Robbie,” she said.

“Not until you escape, Skye,” Osman cautioned. “It is too dangerous for him to appear in my house, and I cannot take the chance that he be seen in your presence.”

“Who would speak, Osman? I managed to avoid bringing anyone here from your nephew’s house by pretending that I was deeply desirous of serving him personally, and could take care of myself. As a reward for my devotion, he promised to buy me half a dozen maidens to serve me here in Algiers. Talitha was eminently relieved to be left behind, and much to Kedar’s annoyance, that chatterbox, Zada, found herself with child and had to be left behind.”

“The little Berber Kedar bought to serve you is with child? Who is the father?”

“Kedar!” Skye laughed. “Has he ever been averse to dipping his spoon into a handy honey pot?”

Osman sighed deeply. “Kedar has never learned to be select in his lusts,” he remarked.

“Robbie,” Skye reminded Osman.

“Yes, my daughter, yes! Do not be impatient. Hamal and I have spoken, and we have already formulated part of the plan for your escape. Tomorrow the fast of Ramadan begins. For the next thirty days no true believer will eat or drink between dawn and sunset. Immediately after the sun has set, the feasting begins, and by the second hour after midnight all are asleep, filled with food and drink, to sleep until the noon hour of the following day. Business is conducted in those few hours until sunset. Hamal and I think the best time for you to make your escape would be in the early hours just before the dawn. It will be easy to slip some potent sleeping drug into Kedar’s cup in order to allow you to slip away.”

“And Niall, Osman? What of my husband?”

“Hamal and I believe he should not escape at the same time as you do. The coincidence would be far too great, and my family is far too involved now with Princess Turkhan to become the objects of her vengeance. You will be safe at sea upon your ship, where Kedar will not even consider seeking you.”

“Get Niall out first, Osman,” Skye said. “I wouldn’t be able to rest easy if I had to leave him behind. He didn’t look well to me in Fez, and the few times I managed to catch a glimpse of him on the caravan trail he looked ill. Frankly,” and here Skye’s brow furrowed with concern, “I am fearful for him, Osman. His ordeal, it seems, has been far worse than any I have suffered here in Algiers or Fez.”

“If you wish it, my daughter,” Osman promised. “Give me your husband’s birthdate now so I may plot his natal chart, as I have yours.” Guilelessly Skye did so, unaware that Osman was fearful for her. He had sought her own charts and updated them. He saw within Skye’s current stars great pain and personal tragedy; a tragedy that might well scar her emotionally for the rest of her days. Yet in the midst of the darkness was one great light, a dominant Leo, who might save her from herself. Knowing that Lord Burke had been born under the sign of the Scorpion Osman now knew that he was not that man. With a sad shake of his head and a deep sigh, Osman set about to again plot Niall Burke’s stars, knowing even as he did so what the end result had to be.

The fast of Ramadan began, and was strictly kept throughout the city of Algiers by rich and poor alike. The town was fairly quiet
during the day, but once the sun had set the scent of delicious foods could be smelled all over the city, and it was said that the starving grew fat on the smells alone.

In the depths of Algiers a tailor sewed upon a costume that his color-blind and tired old eyes could only half make out. Still, his stitches and seams were neat with years of practice, and when he had finished he was paid a generous although not munificent sum. Too many dinars would have caused questions to be asked. The costume, that of a Janissary captain, was smuggled into the Dey’s palace and hidden carefully by Hamal. Niall’s escape was set for the ninth night of Ramadan.

Returning from the Dey’s magnificent and rich feast, Turkhan demanded the immediate attendance of both of her favorites. Although they had traveled with her to Algiers and the Dey knew of their presence in his palace, Turkhan had wisely chosen not to flaunt her harem boys before her father’s representative. Now they appeared nude before her, as she preferred, but before she might direct their play into sexual channels Hamal was pressing a cooling goblet of lemonade upon her and Niall was stretching her out upon the floor pillows to massage her lush body with strong hands.

Turkhan drank deeply, and then purred, “I shall fall asleep, Ashur.”

“If you do,” he murmured low, with hot breath against her ear, “I will not let you sleep long, my Princess. Only long enough to gain the strength you’ll need for a long night of my loving. Send Hamal away, my beautiful one.”

Turkhan shivered with anticipatory delight. She pretended to consider Niall’s request while she drained the cup. Then she said, “My little lamb, seek your bed now.”

Hamal knelt down, tenderly kissed Turkhan’s mouth, rose up, and left them. Niall returned to his ministrations of Turkhan’s voluptuous form, and was soon rewarded by her even breathing. Still he kept on, and then she began to snore lightly. “My Princess,” he whispered, and then his voice grew normal. “My Princess? Are you awake?” Turkhan slept on, and satisfied that his massage and the opiate in the lemonade had done their work, Niall rose and left the room.