Her mother rose so suddenly, pacing in front of thecouch, that Leila became alarmed. "Mother . . . what is wrong?"
Eve didn't seem to hear her. "I must intercede forhim," she said distractedly, heading toward her apartments. "I musthelp him."
Leila jumped to her feet and hurried after her, herheart racing. What had come over her mother? Leila had never seen her like thisbefore.
"Help the crusader? Mother, you can't be serious.Who will listen to you? You've told me many times how deeplyrunsthe hatred between the Christian crusaders and our people—"
"Our people?" Eve blurted, rounding on Leila."You do not even know your own people! The crusader is one of your ownblood, your own faith, and you have shown no more compassionfor his plight than if he were your sworn enemy. All you have cared about wasensuring GovernorMawdud'sransom, not the preciouslife you saved! And now that there will be no ransom, you care naught about theterrible fate Lord deWarennewill suffer—"
"I do care!" Leila blurted before she evenrealized what she was saying, her shrill voice an echo in the darkeningcourtyard. She shrugged, trying to cover up what she had just revealed. "He. . . he may be a barbarian, but he is not an animal to be led to theslaughter."
Eve sighed heavily. "Ah, my dearest daughter,forgive me. I cannot blame you for what your eyes will not see and what yourheart cannot feel. This is the only world you have ever known." She shookher head sadly. "No, it is my fault. I have shared so little with youabout your homeland, your true people. There never seemed to be any point to it. . ."
Perplexed by Eve's last words, Leila reached out forher hand, but her mother turned away and walked to the archway, where shestopped and looked back to where Leila was standing.
"I will leave within the hour. If you see yourfather before I return, tell him I have gone to GovernorMawdud'spalace . ..and tell him why. I think he willunderstand."
As Eve disappeared into her apartments to change intoher finest garments, Leila could not help thinking that her mother's quest,although noble, was hopelessly futile.
SultanBaybars, Supreme Lordof all the Arab Empire, was in Damascus, having arrived earlier that afternoonfrom Cairo. If Eve was fortunate enough to receive an audience with GovernorMawdud, she would no doubt also encounter the sultan, andthen her plea would surely fall on deaf ears. SultanBaybarshad sworn publicly that he would not rest until every crusader was put to thesword or driven from the land. Now that there would be no ransom, nothing wouldsave Guy deWarenne.
Chapter 6
Guy lay very still upon the floor when he heard thecell door scrape open, a mere half hour since he had last lit thewaterpipe. He reminded himself to breathe quietly andevenly, as if asleep, which he certainly would have been if he had actuallysmoked the amount of opium the guards had left him.
He listened carefully, discerning three differentfootfalls moving toward him. There were three guards in the cell instead oftwo, upping the odds against him, yet he knew his lust for vengeance would seehim through. The friends he had lost in the Lebanese mountains would soonreceive justice.
Guy heard chuckling and lowered voices speakingdirectly above him, and knew the guards were looking down at him. Someonelightly kicked his leg, but he did not move, not even when the kick came harderthe second time. Someone else slapped his face, and his head lolledconvincingly to the side.
Thinking he was out cold, the guards laughed loudly nowand began to talk among themselves, their conversation boastful and relaxed. Itwas his cue.
Guy seized thewaterpipenextto him and swung with all his might, hitting one guard's knees as he jumped tohis feet. The man buckled and Guy swung again, shattering the pipe on thestricken guard's head. The man fell heavily to the floor.
The two other guards came at him with their bare hands,for he had attacked so swiftly that they had not had time to draw their swords.Towering over them both, Guy grabbed the nearest guard by the throat and threwhim against the wall. The man slumped senseless to the floor.
Unnerved by the sight of his fallen companions, thelast guard uttered a short, guttural cry and made a break for the door, but hewas not fast enough. Guy caught him by his belt and collar and hoisted him inthe air, using the flailing man as a battering ram against the window's ironbars. Blood and brains spattered upon the ledge, and the guard crumpled into alifeless heap below the window.
Breathing hard and fast, Guy winced at the sharp painin his shoulder as he bent and picked up a curved scimitar. The weapon waslighter than the swords he usually wielded, but just as deadly. He took care toslit the throats of the two other guards, a ruthless but necessary precaution,thenhe rushed to the door, his battle-honed instinctsguiding his every move.
His immediate concern was how the hell to get out ofthe prison without bringing the rest of the guards down upon him. He peeredaround the door into a large cavernous room lined with many similar cells, butas far as he could tell they were dark and empty, no other guards in sight.
Clutching the scimitar tightly with both hands, he wasabout to step from the cell when he heard male voices. One belonged to thecaptain of the guards; the two others he didn't recognize.
"Damn!" Guy muttered, backing into the cell.His hands were sweating where he held the sword, not out of fear but from thesheer exhilaration of battle pumping through him. He leaned against the walland waited as the voices drewnearer,sweat drippingdown the side of his face, the cords of his neck taut and his bare chestheaving.
The next few moments were a bright crimson blur. Whentwo more guards rushed in the open door, followed by the alarmed captain, Guyreacted like a demon unleashed.
One guard fell instantly, clutching his abdomen as hislifeblood spilled between his splayed fingers, while the other guard fought Guybravely before he, too, followed his compatriot into Paradise. That left thewhite-faced captain of the guards, who brandished his sword and circled Guy,awaiting his first move.
"Keys . . . and maybe you will live," Guydemanded in halting Arabic, pointing his sword tip at the iron ring nestled inthe captain's sash. "Keys!"
Clearly astonished that Guy spoke his language, thecaptain shook his head fiercely. He cursed Guy to the high heavens as hecontinued to circle and better his stance, his scimitar flashing dangerously inthe yellow lantern light.
"Then die," Guy said harshly in his owntongue, any thought of mercy vanishing as fleetingly as it had come. By all themartyred saints, he had no time for this!
He lunged at the captain so suddenly that he took theman completely off guard. With little remorse he struck him through the heartand pinned him to the wall. "For Reginald Welles, you bloody bastard."The man clutched at the blade, his face twisted in horror, on his last breath arasping curse.
Guy didn't even blink. He had been so cursed many timesbefore. He wrenched the iron key ring from the bloodied sash and turned fromthe dead man's glazed, unseeing eyes, not bothering to remove the sword. Helooked at the wild sprawl of lifeless bodies around him, then down at his ownbloodstained trousers.
