Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-02
THE SEA HAWK
BY RAFAEL SABATINI
published by Arrangement With First National Pictures,
Inc Copyrighted by Houghton-Mifflin Company
CHAPTER XIV
The Convert

t
a NORWOOD to her jealous soul. Evil
enough to know that Salr-el-Bahr was re-
turned in spite of the ferVent prayers for his
laundering which she had addressed both to
the God Of her forefathers and to the God
of her adoption. But that he should have
returned in triumph bringing with him
heavy spOils that must eXalt him further in
the affection of Asad and the esteem of the
people was bitterness indeed. 1t left her
mute and STRICKEN bereft even of the power
to curse him.
Anon, when her mind recovered from the
shock she turned it to the consideration of
what at first seemed trivial detail in 9th
mani's tale as reported by Marzak.
ut was most singularly odd that he
should have undertaken that long voyage to
England to wrest thence just those two cap
tives; that being there he should not have
raided in true corsair fashion and packed his
ship with slaves. Most singularly odd!'
They were alone behind the green lat
tees through which filtered the perfumes of
the garden and the thrObbng Of a nightin-
gales voice laden with the tale of it's love
for the rose. Fenzleh recIned upon a divan
that was spread with sil1en Turkey carpets
and one of her gold-embroidered slippers had
dropped from her henna-stained toes. Her
lovely arms were raised to support her head,
and she stared up at the lamp of many
colOrs that hung from the fretted ceiling.
Marzak paced the length Of the chamber
back and forth, and there was silence save
for the soft swish of his slippers along the
floor.
'WeH?" she asked him tmpationtly at last.
Does it not seem odd to thee?"
"Odd, indeed, o my mother" the youth
replied, coming to halt before her.
"And canst think of naught that was the
cause of it,"
"The cause of it?" quoth he his lovely
young face, so closely modelled upon her
own, looking blank and vacant
aye the cause of it, she cried impa-
tiently "Canst do naught but stare? Am
the mother of a fool? Wilt thou shipper and
cape and trife away thy days whilst that
dog-descended Frank tramples thee under
foot, using thee as but a stepping stone to
the power that should be thine own? AND
that be so, Marzak, I would thou hadst
strangled in my womb"
He recoiled before the Italian fury of her,
was dhlly resentful even, suspecting that in
such words from woman, were she twenty
times his mother, there was something dis
honoring to his manhood.
"What can I do?" he cried.
"Dost ask me? Art thou not a man to
think and act? I tell thee that misbegotten
son of Christian and a Jew will trample
thee in the dust. He is greedy as the locust,
willy as the serpent, and ferocious as the
panther By Allah! I would I had never
borne a son! Rather might men point at me
the finger of scorn and call me mother of
the wind than that I should have brought
forth man who knows not how to be
man"
'Show me the way" he cried "Set me a
task; tell me what is to do and thou shalt
not find me lacking, o my mother. Until
then spare me these insults, or I come no
more to thee"
At this threat that strange woman heaved
herself from her soft couch She ran to him
and flung her arms about his neck, set her
cheek against his own. Not eighteen years
in the Basha's harem had strifled the Eu-
ropean mother in her, the passionate Sicilian
woman, fierce as a tiger in her maternal
love.
80 my child, my lovely boy" she almost
sobbed. cit is my fear for thee that makes
me harsh. If I am angry it is but my love
that speaks, my rage for thee to see another
come usurping the place beside thy father
that should be thine. All But we will pre-
vail, sweet son of mine. I shall find way
to return that foreign offal to the dungheap
whence it sprang. Trust me, o Marzak!
ShA Thy father comes. Away! Leave me
alone with him."
She was wise in that, for she knew that
alone Asad was more easily controlled by
her. since the pride was absent which must
compel him to turn and rend her did she
speak so before others. Marzak vanished
behind the screen of fretted sandalWood that
masked doorway even Asad doomed
in the other.
He came forward smiling, his slender
brown fingers cOmbing his long beard his
white djellaba trailing behind him along the
ground.
Thou hast heard, not doubt Fen
zileh," said he cart thou answered
enough?"
She sank down again upon her cushions
and idly considered herself in a steel mirror
set in silver
"Answered?" she echoed IaziIy, with in
finite scorn and a hint of ripping, con
temptuous laughter running through the
word. Answered indeed. Sakr-el-Bahr
risks the lives of two hundred children of
Islam and ship that, being taken, be-
come the property of the State upon voy-
age to England that had no object but the
capturing of two slayes-two slaves, when,
had his purpose been sincere, it might have
been two hundred"
"Ha! And is that all that thou hast
heard?" he asked her, hooking in his turn.
"All that Signifies" she replied, still mir
roring herself. Il heard as matter of
lesser import that on his return, meeting for
tuitously a Frankish ship that CHANGED to be
richly laden, he seized it in thy name?"
"Fortuitously, sayest thou?'
What else?" She lowered the mirror,
and her bold, insoent eyes met his own
quite fearlessly. "Thouu not tell me that
it any part Of his design when he went
forth?"
He frowned; his head sank slowly in
thought. Observing the advantage gained,
she thrust it home.
1T a lucky wind that blew that
Dutchman into his path, and Iuckier still her
being richly fraught that he may dazzle
thine eyes with the sight of gold and gems,
and so blind thee to the real purpose of his
voyage"
Its real purpose?" he asked duly What
was its real purpose?"
She smiled smile of infinite knowledge