The Omaha morning bee., 1924-05-06
THE SEA-HAWK
-.. sssSSS' sssSn.' Picture. Part Two By Rafael Sabani

hold the place In thy heart and at thy
side that should be Marzak s..
Gould Marzak fill that placer" he
asked. Gould that beardless boy
lead men as Sakr-el-Bahr leads them.
or WELD the scimitar against the foes
of Islam and increase as Sakr ell
Bahr increases the glory of the
Prophets Holy Law upon the earth?''
III Sakr-el Bahr does this, he does
1t by thy favor, my lord. And so
might Marzak. young though he be.
Sakr-e Bahr is but what thou hast
made him-no more. no less"
There art thou wrong. indeed, O
mother of error. Sakr-el Bahr is
what Allah hath made him. He is
what Allah Wills. He shall become
what Allah Wills. Hast yet to learn
that Allah has bound the fate of each
man about his neek?"
And then a golden glory suffused
the deep sapphire of the sky heralding
the sitting of the sun and made an
end of that alteration. conducted by
her with a daring as singular as the
patience that had endured it, He
quickened his steps in the direction
of the courtyard. That golden glow
paled as swiftly as it had spread, and
night fell as suddenly as if a cur
tain had been dropped.
In the purple gloom that followed
the white cloisters of the courtyard
glowed with family luminous
pearlines. Dark forms of slaves
stirred as Asad entered from the
garden followed by Fenzuleh, her
head now yelled in a thin blue silken
gauze. She flashed across the quad
rangle and vanished through one OF
the archways, even as the distant
voice of Mueddin broke plaintively
upon the brooding stiffness reciting
the Schehad-
La illaha, lila Allah Wa Muham-
mad er Rosool Allah
A slave spread a carpet. a second
held great silver bowl, into which a
third poured water The Basha, hav-
ing washed, turned his face towards
Mecca, and testified to the unity of
Allah, the Compassionate. the Merci-
full, King of the Day of Judgment,
whilst the cry of the Meuddin went
echoing over the city from minaret to
minaret.
AS he rose from his devotions. there
came a quick sound of steps without.
and sharp summons. Turkish
janissaries of the Basha's guard, in
visible almost in their flowing black
garments, moved to answer that sum
mons and challenge those who came
From the dark vaulted entrance of
the courtyard leaped a gleam of Ian
terms containing tiny clay lamps in
which burned wick that was
nourished by mutton fat. Asad. wait
ing to learn who came. halted at the
foot of the white glistening steps,
whilst from doors and lattices of the
palace flooded light to suffuse the
courtyard and set the marbles shin.
mering.
A dozen Nnbian javelin.men adj
vanced, then ranged themselves aside
whilst into the light stepped the i'm
posing, gorgeously robed figure Of
Asad's waZeer, Tsamanni. After him
came another figure in mail that
clanked family and glimmered as he
moved.
Peace and the Prophets blessings
upon thee, o mighty Asad"' was the
wazeer's greeting.
And peace upon thee. Tsamanni."
was the answer. Art the bearer Of
news?"
"Of great and glorious tidings, o
exalted one. Sakr-el-Bahr Is re-
turned"
''The praise TO Him. exclaimed the
Basha. with uplifted hands; and there
was no mistaklng the thrill Of his
voice.
There fell soft step behind him
and a shadow from the doorway. He
turned. A graceful stripping in tlr-
ban and caftan of cloth OF gold
sa,aapled to him from the topmost
step And as he came upright and
the light of the lanterns fell full upon
his face the astonishingly white fair
ness of it was revealed-a womans
face 1t might have been. so softly
rounded was il in its beardlessness.
Asad smiled wryly in his white
beard. guessing that the boy had been
sent by his ever-watchful mother to
learn who came and what the tidings
that they bore.
Thou hast heard, Marzak? he said.
"Sakr-el-Bahr is returned
"Victoriously, / hope the lad lied
glibly.
Victorious beyond aught that was
ever known replied Tsamanni. He
sailed at sunset into the harbor, his
aboard two mighty Frankish
ships, which are but the lesser part Of
the great spoil he brings"
Allah is great was the Basha's
glad welcome of this answer to those
insidious promptings of his Sicilian
wife. why does he not come in
person with his news?"
His duty keeps him yet awhile
aboard. my lord, replied the wazer.
here to tell the tale of it."
"Thrice welcome be thou, Othman nj"
He beat his hands together. whereat
slaves placed cushions for him upon
the ground. He sat, and beckoned
taler'