Agnes Smith
AGNES & THE INFIDELS
Part IV

North Africa

846 A.D.

.....

Naz Akharmid's eyes flash with irritation. You can see him struggling to 
maintain a calm demeanor...he even chuckles when you're done, but his 
eyes betray the fact that he's feeling fury, not mirth.

"What hysterical rantings!" he replies in Arabic, then says something in 
Berber that causes his men to laugh.

He leans forward on his horse. "Kemal ibn-Hakim is back in our 
camp...your husband was thrown from his horse during a pitched battle 
in the desert, and captured unharmed. You may ask any of my men to 
confirm this."

"I will certainly not stoop to fighting a raving madwoman. If you insist on 
waving that sword around, I will have no choice but to order both of you 
dragged from your horses, trussed up like goats, and tied across the 
saddles of your mounts."

"As for killing yourself..." he shrugs. "That would be a rash and tragic 
act." He produces a tight smile.

Antonella is looking between you, obviously startled and upset that 
you're now threatening to do what you just prevented her from doing. 
"Did he say Kemal is still alive?" she whispers. "And did he just call us 
goats?"

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She considers her options, now that she has successfully painted 
herself into a corner.

She decides that the anger behind his eyes and his forced humour is 
victory enough, given her poor starting position, and resheathes her 
sword.
"Yes," she says to Antonella in Latin, "He did say that Kemal was still 
alive. And now, having had my moment of bravado, we must put away 
the swords and surrender to them."


"Very well," she says to the Sheykh in Arabic. 
She unbuckles the sword belt, and hands it and the scabbarded sword 
to him. She still doesn't trust him, nor truely believe him, but it isn't an 
issue she is prepared to die over - yet.

She struggles to make herself humble in front of her captor, but fails, 
and decides to say as little as possible for the time being, so  as not to 
antagonise him too much before she discovers the truth of his claim to  
have captured Kemal.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Sheykh accepts your weapons triumphantly- actually, he has one of 
his men collect them from you.

The Berbers surround you on the ride back to their main camp. You hear 
much conversation, some of it jovial and some argumentative, but it's 
mostly in the Berber tongue, so you can't tell if they are talking about 
you and Antonella much. Antonella just sits slouched in her saddle, 
dejected but not completely despairing.

You notice that some of the Berber horsemen stay close to the Sheykh- 
and the two of you- and speak to him deferentially. But there are a 
couple of other groups that keep to their own little cluster. One such 
group consist of men who remain as thoroughly cloaked as you and 
Antonella, including veils. Their eyes are hostile and calculating, as they 
survey the desert, the rest of their companions...and you. They have the 
look of veteran warriors, even moreso than the rest of these Berbers. 
Whereas black robes and hidden faces make Arab women look 
mysterious, and somewhat invisible, on these men it looks sinister.


When the main camp appears on the other side of a line of dunes, you 
know the decisive battle has yet to be fought. There must be several 
thousand Berbers here, and from what Kemal told you, there appear to 
be a number of tribes represented.

Many men come running to greet the raiding party. You see the cloaked 
men immediately ride off to another side of the camp, where more men 
dressed like themselves wait. The Sheykh dismounts, and gestures to 
the two of you. "Please, dismount and follow me, lovely ones." 
Antonella's eyes flare.

Then you feel the Quickening buzz stronger in your head, warning of 
another immortal. Naz Akharmid turns to face a tall man in white robes 
and a turban, striding towards your group from the heart of their camp, 
accompanied on all sides by very large, muscular Berber swordsmen. 
This apparent leader doesn't appear that old, but his face is drawn up 
into harsh lines, and his stern expression is commanding. He carries a 
long sword at his own hip, of a rather different style than the weapons 
carried by his comrades.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

With the feeling that she has been tricked, becoming stronger with the 
new quickening, Agnes dismounts and walks with Antonella a few paces 
behind the Sheykh, the dagger on her belt under her robes seeming to 
burn her, to be crying out for her to use it. She resists.

She surmises that this man is the other immortal spoken about by the 
Sheykh when he was with Kemal. 

It was not looking good for them, nor Kemal.

The two of them wouldn't be sliipping out of this armed camp as easily 
as they did the last one.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Sheykh bows respectfully before the other immortal. "By the will of 
Allah, the Just and Merciful, we have returned. And successfully, as you 
can see, Qaid."

The Qaid nods, looking at you and Antonella unsmilingly. "So I see. And 
at considerable cost, it would appear."

Naz stands erect, and looks miffed. "I fulfilled my part of the bargain. 
Now, with your leave, I will take the women and be gone from here..."

Antonella inhales sharply, apparently having understood the last part at 
least.

"No." The Qaid glances at Antonella, then looks back at Naz, and 
switches to Berber. The two men argue for a couple of minutes, but it's 
obvious that Naz isn't in a position to argue too strenuously. One of the 
veiled warriors steps forward at one point, and says something, which 
causes the Qaid to look at the Sheykh accusingly, arms folded over his 
chest. The Sheykh protests, waving his hands, gesturing at you and 
Antonella, but the Qaid finally makes a sharp cutting gesture with his 
hand, and Naz falls silent.

He speaks again in Arabic. "The women will stay here. You may stay or 
go as you wish, Sheykh Naz Akharmid. Of course, if you go then you 
have no say in their ultimate disposition."

Naz looks like he really wants to protest, but thinks better of it. He stalks 
off, fuming, with his own tribesmen in tow.

The Qaid turns to you. "I am Jazir Kaghlidamezzar, Qaid of all the desert 
tribes." His face hasn't changed expression once. Looking at him 
carefully, you see he could actually have been a very young man when 
he died his first death, but his serious, stony expression manages to 
convey more age and authority than one might otherwise expect.

"You are Agnes, and the tall one is...An-ton-ell-a, correct?" He gestures 
with an open hand, towards the row of tents behind him. "For now, the 
two of you are both my captives. However, you are both under my 
protection also. Be cooperative and no harm shall come to you."

"I want to see Kemal!" Antonella blurts out in Arabic. "Where is my...our 
husband?!"

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

Agnes points at the Sheykh. "You are a schemer, and a liar, Sheykh Naz 
Akharmid," she says angrily.

"I suppose you told the Qaid that you captured us from the camp, when 
in fact you were too stupid to realise that we were not even there. So the 
men you lost you squandered needlessly. In fact, you can barely claim 
credit for capturing us in the desert. The Qaid's men were going to 
overhaul us eventually - you just happened to get in the way and end the 
chase earlier.

I suppose you failed to mention to him that the only reason we came 
here quietly without either you or me lying as a headless corpse in the 
desert is because you said that Kemal is a prisoner here. And is he 
here? Somehow I think not. The Qaid must see some value in us for 
bargaining, unlike you who are led by your groin to gratuitously insult 
your host and needlessly squander men. I do so sincerely hope that one 
day it costs you your head."

She pauses for breath, and smiles a wry smile. "I must say though, that 
you are good at what you do. We have met but briefly twice, and already 
I loathe you, and will pray to Allah that He sees fit to strike you down at 
the earliest opportunity. I also fully understand that your word is worth 
less than the worth of a camel's spit, and I shall consider it my duty to 
tell all who need telling that it is so."

She turns to Antonella and switches to Latin. "The bastard lied, 
Antonella. I am sorry."

Reverting to Arabic, she addresses the Qaid. 
"Very well, we are your prisoners."

She takes Antonella's arm and heads towards the tents the Qaid 
indicated. 
  
<><><><><>

[GM]

Naz Akharmid turns redder and redder as your tirade goes on, until his 
face is approaching a shade of purple when you're finished. His hand 
clutches empty air, as if he's imagining a sword in his hand, with which 
to strike you down and silence you. Finally he snarls, "No one listens to 
the rantings of an infidel, foreign woman! You WILL pay for those words! 
You will beg me on your hands and knees to forgive you, and I-"

"This is most tiresome. Please go," the Qaid says, sounding bored.

Sheykh Naz Akharmid turns an even darker shade, and finally stalks 
away, blustering to his men.

The Qaid walks a few paces to your side, as you proceed to a large tent. 
Several other warriors follow along behind him.

"I see Kemal ibn-Hakim likes his women wild," Jazir Kaghlidamezzar 
says, speaking Arabic. "You are mostly correct about Naz Akharmid. He 
is an untrustworthy schemer. However, you were wrong about one thing. 
Your husband *is* here. Would you like to see him?"

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

Very civilly, she replies in Arabic, 
"No, Jazir Kaghlidamezzar, you are mistaken. He doesn't _like_ his 
women wild. He would have been terribly embarrassed to have 
witnessed a wife of his spouting such a tirade of abuse in public. 
Unfortunately for my husband, I can do that on occassion.

But you are most generous.
We would both dearly love to see our husband."

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Qaid nods, and gestures for you to continue past the first tent. You 
and Antonella walk further into the camp.

Shortly, you feel another immortal nearby. Jazir walks ahead of you, 
while his men continue to form a rough semi-circle behind you. He pulls 
back the entrance to a small black tent, around which half a dozen of 
those sinister veiled Berber swordsmen are standing.

You hear Kemal's voice immediately rising in indignant fury. "Now what, 
you misgotten product of a camel's failed attempt to sodomize a pig?"

The Qaid seems unaffected by the insult, and gestures for you and 
Antonella to enter. Antonella is practically pushing you over in her 
eagerness.

Inside the tent, you see Kemal ibn-Hakim, with a thick rope wrapped 
around his chest almost down to his waist, pinning his arms immobile to 
his sides. He's sitting uncomfortably on the hard ground, and his eyes 
are smouldering with fury as he regards the other immortal.

His expression changes when he sees you. "Agnes!" he exclaims. His 
expression is pained. "What are you doing here?"

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

"Hello, Kemal." she smiles, allowing Antonella to rush past if she wants.

"We ... I decided to try and find you, when you didn't come back. 
I feared that this would be your fate. 
But you might have been lying parched on the battlefield, and we would 
have been able to assist you back to camp.
Or we might have found your headless corpse amongst the bodies, and 
we would then have left this land for somewhere greener. 

Unfortunately, once daylight came, it was obvious that only a great deal 
of luck would keep us concealed, especially considering the numbers of 
newly arrived troops, so we attempted to leave un-noticed. 
That wasn't to be, and as we were being pursued, we ran into a force 
including Naz Akharmid."

She shrugs.
"And here we are."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Antonella rushes in, and kneels next to Kemal, even throwing her arms 
around him, much to his discomfort. He murmurs something to her, then 
looks back up at you.

"These degenerate camel droppings have not harmed you, have they?"

"No, not yet," Antonella shakes her head, answering for you.

"I do not expect that we will have to do so," the Qaid says. "In fact, I 
would untie your husband, if only he would give me his word not to 
attempt to escape, or attack anyone."

Kemal snarls "The only thing I will promise you, son of Satan's whore, is 
that I will separate your head from your body and send your soul to Hell 
to join your master!"

The Qaid sighs. "Your wife is not the only intemperate speaker. You may 
have a few minutes to speak in private, then I will be conducting your 
wives to separate tents." He lets the tent flap close behind you...but you 
don't hear him move away, so you know your "privacy" won't amount to 
much.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

When the Qaid has gone, with more dignity than Antonella, Agnes 
kneels beside Kemal, and kisses his lips. She whispers, "There are 6 
men, robed in black, guarding this tent."

In normal tones, she continues, 
"I am thankful that you are still alive, Kemal."

She hitches up her robes from under knees, and reaches underneath. 
"So what now? You won't promise good behaviour, he will leave you like 
this, and the war will continue around us."

She pulls out her knife, and lays it on the ground where his hand can 
reach it, then covering it with a fold of Kemal's clothing.

"Suppose the Qaid wins - he's not likely to give you your freedom after 
the promises you have just made about separating his head from his 
body. So your only choices would be ... " she shakes her head, " to wait 
for the outcome and hope he loses, or to accept some humility for once, 
and give your word not to escape.
Alternatively," she nods and smiles, but raises her voice, "you can 
remain the stubborn, pig-headed, arrogant man that you have always 
been and fester here straining futily against your bonds, dreaming that 
you will escape - to abandon your wives to their fate as you save your 
own neck."

She takes his hand and squeezes it lovingly, saying harshly, "Bastard - I 
can see in your eyes that you are never going to submit to the Qaid or 
his lackey Naz Akharmid."

She leans forward to kiss him, and hear his response. 

<><><><><>

[GM]

Kemal returns your kiss. His eyes flash and he smiles tightly when you 
produce the dagger. He grasps it and pulls it against his body, beneath 
his own robes.

"I cannot, Agnes," he replies. "Jazir Kaghlidamezzar, the self-styled 
Qaid of the desert tribes, is a heretic and a rebel, both against the laws 
of Allah and the Caliphate."

"He probably hoped that you could talk me into surrendering, and 
leading our army away from the Shatt al Jarid, or at least leaving myself. 
That will never happen. I am sorry you have been dragged into this, but 
whatever happens is as God wills it."

"Tonight," he whispers in Spanish, as you lean forward to kiss him a 
second time. "You and the girl be ready."

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

"Stubborn and fanatical as ever, I see." she says for the audience, and 
kisses him again before standing.

She goes over to Antonella, "Come on, let's hope a few days of sitting 
here, tied up changes his mind."
Helping her up, Agnes whispers in her ear in Latin,
"Stay calm. All is not what it seems. Kemal and I are playing to an 
audience." She nods at the tent flap.

She walks over to the flap and throws it open. Walking out she looks at 
the Qaid. 
"Thank you for letting us see our husband. Now where do you wish us to 
go?"

<><><><><>

[GM]

"I know that," Antonella whispers back. "I'm not *stupid*!"

When you exit the tent, the Qaid glances back inside, looking at Kemal 
for a moment, then walks alongside you, towards another tent. "This 
way, if you please," he says.

"By the way, I am not as prone as Sheykh Naz Akharmid to 
underestimating the cunning of women. I will have your husband 
searched to ensure you did not try to loosen his bonds or slip him a 
knife." You sense Antonella grow tense beside you.

Then he continues, in an almost friendly tone. "The fact is, I really have 
no quarrel with either of you, or your husband. I merely wish to remove 
these Arabs from our ancient homelands, and to cease their dictating of 
what gods we can and cannot worship. The reason I have not taken 
Kemal ibn-Hakim's head yet is because I have seen how readily slain 
Muslim and Christian leaders become martyrs, to inspire their brethren. 
And because alive, he has value in bargaining with the rest of his 
army...I have given up on persuading him to simply take his army away 
from here and leave us be."

He stops before a larger tent, and faces you. "I am sure you have no 
wish to be here. This conflict cannot mean much to you women. If your 
husband will simply give his word to depart Tunisia forever, I will happily 
allow all three of you to leave here freely. I will even give you camels 
and provisions for your trip."

Antonella, who has been listening to the Arabic conversation with 
unusual concentration, protests. "But Agnes she *tries* to persuaded 
him!"

Jazir Kaghlidamezzar looks at the younger woman for a moment. "Well, I 
hope one or both of you can be more persuasive."

"Otherwise," he turns back to you, his dark eyes, surprisingly youthful in 
outward appearance, yet hinting at great age, holding yours steadily, 
"obviously I cannot hold three immortals captive forever. Eventually your 
potential usefulness to me will end. And before that....if you cannot 
persuade your husband by gentle means, it remains to be seen how his 
wives might otherwise be used to persuade him. You are free to 
consider me a cruel man, an infidel, or whatever other invective you wish 
to hurl upon me, but I simply do what must be done."

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She listens to the Qaid, attentively, butting in only to ask, shocked,

"You wouldn't behead him, whilst still your bound prisoner?" 

Outside the tent, she replies,

"You are right, we have no real wish to be here, and were it not for our 
husband, I think we'd both rather be in Italy. As for persuading him, I see 
little point in us even trying for some days yet, until he comes to terms 
with the futility of his continued resistance.

Your threat to abuse us as a weapon against him comes as no surprise, 
and I applaud your honesty. My ranting about it and cursing you for it  
will neither change your mind nor inflict any hurt upon you. It would 
serve no purpose - unlike earlier with Naz.

I can understand you resisting the imposition of a foreign religion - that 
you do so with so much dedication and fervour is something that we as 
women can accept;  even if we don't really understand why you do so."

She shrugs.

"I have no particular desire to be the victim of some torture, so you can 
rest assured that I will attempt to acheive some resolution before we get 
to that."

She indicates the tent behind them - "Are we to go in here?" 

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Qaid smiles grimly. "He was captured fairly in battle- or rather, after 
the battle; he survived only because of his immortality. Having chosen to 
attack our forces in the company of mortals, he can hardly demand I 
comply with the rules of our own war, with regards to his execution. Now 
if he had come alone, seeking me out for single combat, it would be a 
different matter."

You don't know how many other immortals would accept this 
rationalization for bending, if not breaking, the Rules. It seems rather 
moot, though. Antonella is frowning, once again not really grasping what 
he's talking about, but sooner or later she's going to ask what "khulud" 
and "al-khalid" mean.

"Yes, in here," he says when you finish. "And please disrobe."

"I will send a pair of women in shortly, to search your garments and 
make sure you have no hidden weapons. As I said, I am not inclined to 
underestimate a woman's cunning...particularly two immortal, foreign 
women."

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She appreciates that Antonella is going to have to find out sooner  than 
she  had planned, but that was of minor importance at the moment.

She enters the tent. 

"Well, Antonella - I don't think I have been a very good teacher for  you 
all in all." 

She starts to undress. "If you have a knife we'd best find a place to hide 
it. 
As for these ... " she scatters the sling stones on the floor, hoping that 
they will blend with the sand, and pushing some in deeper with her feet. 
The sling itself she wraps round the tent-pole to make it seem part of the 
lashings that hold the structure up. Antonella's sling she hides similarly 
in a different place.

She undresses completely, and then puts her robe on over the top for 
modesty, and in case a man enters first.

In Latin, she says to Antonella, "Kemal will try to escape tonight - we 
need to be ready for him.
 If after a few nights he hasn't succeeded, then we must try to persuade 
him to another course of action."

<><><><><>

[GM]

"You've been...been fine," Antonella says quietly, looking down.

She slowly pulls out a small knife. "This is all I managed to grab," she 
says. She watches as you conceal the knife, your slings, and stones.

Ten minutes later, a pair of Berber women enter. They look at the two of 
you for a moment, then brusquely pick up your various garments and 
shake them out.

One woman approaches each of you. They don't make you and 
Antonella remove the single-layered robe you each put back on, so as 
not to be standing around naked, but they pat you down, quite 
thoroughly.

After a cursory look around the tent, they seem satisfied, and exit. You 
hear them speaking to someone outside...possibly the Qaid, since you 
can still sense his presence in the vicinity.

Antonella breathes a sigh of relief that they didn't find your weapons.

"All right," she says, moving closer to you and lowering her voice to a 
conspiratorial whisper, already sounding eager again. "How do we get 
ready to escape? Do you really think he can do it? He looked pretty 
thoroughly trussed up, and that Jazir person said he was going to check 
for the knife you gave him. Although if he sends a couple of dummies 
like those two, maybe they won't find it." She giggles. Her instant 
ebullience could be almost annoying, but you can tell that underneath 
the sudden excited chatter, she is still very frightened and looking for 
reassurance.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

Replying in her own conspiratorial whisper, Agnes says,
"Well, for a start, we can put the rest of our clothes back on."

She waits to see if the Quickening recedes before continuing.

"We'll leave the slings and dagger where they are for now - as I suspect 
the real search may not have happened yet.

Then, really, we just wait and see - being prepared for surprises to 
happen, and to be ready to react to them."

She holds Antonella's hand. "To be honest with you, though, I don't think 
he will manage to escape. But he has to be allowed to try and fail before 
we tell him to give up. His pride will demand that." 

She shrugs. "So really, tonight is the night if he is going to have much 
success, then we just wait a few days and try to convince Kemal not to 
be so stubborn."

Agnes takes off her robe, sits, and starts to put back on her 
undergarments and leathers, before replacing the robe again.

"I'm afraid I'm not too confident of any outcome that I would deem 
satisfactory, never mind successful.

I suppose we could look outside and see what guards us." she 
comments when they are both dressed again.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Quickening recedes and then returns repeatedly, during the night. 
The Qaid is apparently moving about the camp, sometimes in range of 
you, sometimes not. He passes within range of your tent fairly often, so 
he would probably notice pretty quickly if you were to disappear from it.

Peeking outside, you find that another pair of those black-garbed, veiled 
swordsmen, are bracing the entrance. They both turn and glare at you 
when you push the tent flap aside, and gesture sharply for you to go 
back inside.

Listening carefully, you don't *think* any others are surrounding your 
tent, but you can't be sure.

The night passes, and Antonella stays eagerly awake, expecting Kemal 
to come bursting through the entrance any moment. She also starts 
feeling around the bottom edges of the tent sides, and speculates 
whether you could pull up the stakes and slip out. It seems highly 
doubtful that Jazir Kaghlidamezzar would have overlooked such an 
obvious escape...at the very least, you know you are surrounded on all 
sides by other tents, and just walking away unseen will be almost 
impossible.

Dawn comes, and Antonella starts nodding off, depressed and with 
quickly-fading optimism.

You sense the Quickening once more, this time followed by footsteps 
approaching. Then the Qaid's voice calls from outside the entrance: 
"Agnes...please come out." Antonella stirs, eyelids fluttering but not 
quite waking.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

Trying not to disturb Antonella in the process, Agnes goes to the tent 
flap, and drawing it aside, steps out, knowing that she is defenceless, 
and will just have to accept what comes.


"Yes?" she says to the Qaid.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Qaid is there, accompanied by only one man today, though others 
are always nearby, of course.

"It is time for us to have another discussion with your husband," he says. 
"After that, you and the girl will be given breakfast."

He walks with you towards the tent where Kemal is imprisoned. "Your 
husband is quite resourceful, and determined," he says with no trace of 
rancor. "Even after we took away that dagger you gave him, he 
managed to free one arm later, before one of his guards entered to 
check on him...and he would have overpowered that man if his 
companion hadn't rushed in and hit ibn-Hakim ibn-Daud over the head."

In Kemal's tent, you find your husband with his left arm lashed to the tent 
post. His right arm has been untied, and he is using it to partake of the 
food that's been set before him. Three veiled swordsmen stand over 
him, with swords out.

"I am offended, Jazir Kaghlidamezzar," he says as the Qaid enters. 
"Only three men to guard me while I eat. I must not have made a 
sufficiently great impression on you walking lumps of camel dung yet."

The Qaid, as usual, ignores the insult and steps aside for you to enter. 
Kemal nods. "Good morning, Agnes," he says. With less bluster, he asks 
"You and Antonella are being treated decently, I hope?"

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She smiles at the Qaid's comment about her dagger, knowing that her 
veil will conceal it.

Her heart sinks at the sight of Kemal's new confinement: she knows 
escape for him now is impossible.  

"We have been treated respectfully for the time being." She replies, and 
continues matter-of-factly,

"Of course, it is only a matter of time before the Qaid tires of your 
bravado, and tries to persuade you to change your mind by torturing us 
in front of your eyes. 

He doesn't want to make you a martyr, so he probably won't take _your_ 
head.
But we are _mere_ women," She spits the last two words words out 
distastfully, "And barely Moslem.
Our deaths are unlikely to bolster the morale of the warriors of Islam. So 
there is no limit to how far he may choose to go in order to persuade 
you."

She shrugs, "But as a woman and a token Moslem, I don't really expect 
to persuade you that your position is hopeless, and that for once you 
and the Prophet will have to accept a set-back to your aspiration to 
convert this land to Islam. I know that you would much rather that you 
and your family died here, martyrs to your cause, than take a chance 
that Allah has in mind more significant works for you later on, perhaps in 
a different place.

No, Kemal ibn-Hakim ibn-Daud, I have seen 'honour' and 'pride' in action 
before, and I know that I am powerless to divert their owner from self-
righteous self-destruction, no matter what I say or do."

She realises that tears have started to trickle down her cheeks, and 
turns away from her husband, and looks at the Qaid. 

"I believe you mentioned breakfast." she says, drying her eyes on the 
cuff of her robe.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Kemal listens to the beginning of your speech with a serious, but 
unmoved expression, probably intending to reply with something 
sanctimonious about the will of God, the inconceivability of submitting to 
heathen dung-crawlers, etc....

As you become more emotional, he lowers his eyes, and his face shifts, 
while he tries not to betray any discomfort himself. Your tears clearly 
bother him, though.

"Agnes," he says, heavily, "I would that you were not here....I am terribly 
sorry you have been forced into this situation." He raises his gaze to 
meet yours. "I would lay down my own life to spare you any harm...."

"Then why not simply lay down your sword and walk away from here, 
with both your wives, instead?" the Qaid says.

He stands over Kemal, with his hands on his hips. "Your wife is right. 
You are a stubborn fanatic. She is also right that if it comes to it, I will 
torture both of them if that is what it takes to persuade you. I would take 
no pleasure in doing such a thing, but I will not balk at it."

He lowers his voice, implying secrecy...though his three guards are 
standing right here, listening to every word (assuming these particular 
veiled Berbers understand Arabic, which they probably do.)

"If your wife was staked out, naked, in the desert, it would take her a 
long, *long* time to die....I think you know how long."

Kemal's face appears to be set in stone- he stares silently into space.

"I did not realize until last night," the Qaid goes one, "but the young one, 
Antonella...she is not yet....an *adult*, is she?" The way he stresses 
adult, you and Kemal both take his meaning. The Berbers glance at 
each other, a bit puzzled. Jazir continues. "She is very beautiful...it 
would be a shame for her to bear the scars of a hundred lashes on her 
back...for the *rest of her life*....."

"You unspeakable abortion!" Kemal snarls, with pure hatred and rage. 
"You are less than a man, less than human! What kind of crawling 
tapeworm threatens helpless women with torture and degradation, to win 
a war? Free me and face me like a man, or behead me and show 
yourself for the cowardly cur you are, but stop these games using my 
wives as leverage against me!"

The Qaid remains remarkably unaffected by Kemal's formidable curses.

"Simply consider, Kemal ibn-Hakim ibn-Daud, whether you will be able 
to remain defiant once I begin to execute the actions I just mentioned," 
he says calmly. "In your heart, you know whether your wives' screams of 
agony and pleas for mercy will move you to surrender. If you come to the 
conclusion that you will not be able to bear seeing them suffer like that, 
then why bother forcing me to even start? Surely your pride will not 
demand that *they* suffer even a single moment of pain, just so you can 
go through the motions of continuing resistance, before acquiescing?"

Kemal's violently clenched jaw tightens still further, and he stares at the 
ground. The Qaid is as incisive as he is ruthless. He knows exactly how 
to hit a nerve with merciless precision, as opposed to Kemal's 
demonstrably pointless invectives.

The Qaid lets the moment stretch out, and finally concludes, "I will give 
you one more night...", and sounding almost amused, "...so you can 
make yet another futile attempt at escape and resolve yourself to the 
fact that you are in my power and there is no other alternative. When I 
come to you tomorrow morning, it will be with both your wives...and your 
reply at that time will determine whether you will then leave with them, or 
watch them pay the price for your refusal."

He steps back, and holds the tent flap open for you.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

The blood drains from her face, and behind her veil her jaw drops open 
as she comprehends what the Qaid was impying about scars before an 
immortal's first death.

**Oh!  Antonella! Oh I am terribly, terribly sorry. I never knew, or we 
would still be safely in Kemal's house in town.**

Her mind in turmoil, she loses the conversation, and it is some moments 
before she realises it is over, and that the Qaid is holding the tent flap 
open for her.
Without another word or backward glance to her husband, she leaves 
the tent.


As they head back towards her own tent, her eyes are active. Where is 
it? how does the ground lie? how many guards? where? where are the 
nearest horses? what route looks the most sensible to the horses and 
then from there to the edge of the camp?

She couldn't afford to wait on Kemal's decision tomorrow. Much as she 
loved him, she had a duty  - which he had bestowed upon her - to her 
pupil. 
Tonight, she would attempt to escape with Antonella.

**The Qaid is good at what he does**, she concludes, realising that she 
had lost all confidence in there being an outcome to the situation  where, 
for the rest of time, she could hold her head up to Antonella and expect 
any respect.
 
<><><><><>

[GM]

As you walk back, the Qaid says "I meant what I said....I have no real 
desire to do what I threatened to do, but I will do it."

"Do you have any ideas as to how your husband might be better-
persuaded? Would you have a chance of convincing him if given 
another opportunity to speak to him alone? Or does he dote on the girl 
more?" The Qaid turns his head to look at you. "Of course you would be 
thoroughly searched, before and after...I have no intention of letting this 
be another opportunity to help him escape."


At the tent where you left Antonella, one of the Berber guards steps 
forward and bows before the Qaid, then says something angrily. The 
Qaid stops, speaks to the man for a few moments, sighs, and says to 
you, with an almost amused tone, "Your Antonella is quite...spirited, isn't 
she?" He gestures for you to go inside. "Please tell her to stop being so 
disruptive, or I will have *her* tied up as well. Now I already have one 
man who will be eager to volunteer to carry out her lashing...."


Inside, you find Antonella sitting on the ground, curled up with her arms 
thrown around her legs, knees tucked against her chest. She's sniffling, 
trying to stop (or not start) crying. When she looks up at you, you see 
she has a large bruise on her cheek.


"I just wanted to know where you went 'cause you were gone when I 
woke up an'...and I was scared-" she swallows, "I tried to ask those 
heathen pigs outside an' they just gabbled at me and tried to shove me 
an' the one man shoved me in the *chest* an' I shoved him back an' he 
hit me..." she says immediately, in a rush, with a mixture of indignation, 
fear and girlish petulance, but she's obviously very upset. With all she's 
been through so far, from being captured outside of Rome, to now, this 
may be the first time anyone has actually laid hands on her violently 
(aside from her being thrown into the bathing pool in Palermo), and she 
clearly was not prepared for it. Her lip quivers, and suddenly she is once 
again the sheltered child, with her brave, spirited facade crumbling.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She looks at the Qaid.

"I never doubted for one moment that you would carry out your threat. 

Perhaps if I try again, alone, later on this afternoon after he has had the 
day to reflect. Then he might change his might change his mind - but he 
probably won't."


Agnes goes over to Antonella, and gives her a sisterly hug.
"I'm sorry, Antonella, I didn't want to disturb your sleep, and I didn't think 
I'd be gone that long."
The sight of Antonella's bruise brings back to mind the Qaid's threat to 
disfigure her. She shudders, and holds the girl tightly. 
"The Qaid is a man of his word, I believe. He *will* torture us in front of 
Kemal to make him change his mind."

Despite her best effort's her imagination has already started work on 
Antonella's torture. She can almost feel the weals under her hands as 
they rest against Antonella's back.
It is too much.

She bursts into tears, unable to speak for some time.

Eventually, she holds the girl away from her, and says in Latin, "I have 
failed you Antonella, and I am truly sorry.

Later today I will have another chance to persuade Kemal to change his 
mind - I am not hopeful. 
Then tomorrow ... " she has to regain her composure before continuing, 
"the Qaid will start to torture us."

In a whisper she adds, "If Kemal doesn't change his mind this afternoon 
- then tonight we will have to try to escape ourselves. We must at least 
attempt to avoid torture."

"I cannot offer you much hope, for I think that our attempt will fail 
dismally. In the interim, me must just wait, and do nothing that causes 
them to raise their suspicions nor confine us even more."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Antonella clings to you in stunned silence. She trembles slightly, but 
then manages to regain her composure, before you do.

"Then we will have to make the escape attempt a good one, won't we?" 
she says.

She looks at you dismally. "You really think Kemal will let us be tortured, 
rather than give in? I thought....I thought he loved us..." she finishes in a 
small voice.

She wipes at her eyes. "If we fail to get away...then, I *will* use my knife, 
to avoid such a fate."

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

"He *does* love us, Antonella." she manages to say eventually, "But I 
fear that he holds his religion and what he considers to be his duty to 
The Prophet more dearly than us. After all, we are but relative 
newcomers in claiming his loyalty."


At Antonella's stated determination to kill herself, Agnes is at a complete 
loss as to what to say. 
She would dearly love the girl not to become immortal in the body of a 
teenager - but not at the price of becoming immortal in a hideously 
disfigured body.

She despairs that the whole situation becomes steadilly worse and 
worse.


Weakly, she says. "Yes, let's make it a good attempt."

<><><><><>

[GM]

Two Berber women, who may be the same ones who searched you last 
night, but you're not sure, arrive shortly, bringing you breakfast.

You and Antonella spend the rest of the afternoon confined to the tent. 
You continue to sense the Quickening grow stronger and then recede, 
indicating the Qaid (or possibly him and Naz Akharmid) moving around 
in the vicinity, and making it clear that this will remain a factor in any 
escape plans.

At midday, you are brought lunch, and then allowed to visit the latrines, 
under escort (swordsmen standing discreetly just out of sight, the 
women remaining nearer.) You see fewer warriors around the camp than 
there seemed to be last night; perhaps part of the army is elsewhere, 
either engaging the Arab army or more likely, scouting and harrying 
them from a distance.

In order to get out of the Berber base camp, you'll have to sneak out of 
your tent, past the guards positioned around it, and then slip between 
nearly a dozen other tents before you'll reach the nearest edge of the 
camp. There is some rough terrain to the east, where sand gives way to 
lifeless, dry soil and a few rocky crags, extending you know not how far. 
In every other direction there is nothing but sand.

As the sun gets lower on the horizon, the Qaid comes for you again, 
preceded by another search by the two Berber women who have 
apparently been detailed to monitor you. Once again, they fail to find the 
slings and the knife that are hidden in the tent.

In Kemal's tent, you find him with his arms tied to his sides again, and he 
is lashed *to* the tent pole, his back to it in a sitting position. He also 
has several thick coils wrapped around his hands, immobilizing them.

He looks up somberly as you enter. This time, he manages to refrain 
from casting any vitriol at Jazir. The Qaid says, "This will be the last 
opportunity for you and your wife to converse, before I am compelled to 
seek more extreme means of persuasion. Please do not engage in any 
foolishness this time."

He backs out of the tent, and closes the flap behind him.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She kneels in front of him, leans forward and kisses him.

"Hello, Kemal." she says after she has leaned back again.

"Well? What have you decided? Are you going to stick to your 
determination not to give in to the Qaid and not to be diverted from your 
mission, even at the cost of your wives? 
Or, in order to save your wives, are you willing to accept that for the 
moment, the Berbers are not to be converted to Islam. Perhaps when the 
Qaid has been forced to lie low or move, another opportunity will present 
itself."

She meets his eyes, holding them, looking to see what he is going to 
say, before she hears it.

She knows what she will say if he is going to put his religion first.

She will tell him, that he has put an obligation on her to look after her 
pupil. She will therefore try to escape with her pupil, and as he has 
abandoned them, they will abandon him. 
She will tell him that if they fail, and in all probability they will, then when 
he next sees them it will be in the morning in preparation for their torture. 
She will tell him that if it has got to that stage, then if it makes it easier 
for him,  he should just pretend that they were both still his slaves to be 
abused and maltreated like one might do dogs in the street.   

<><><><><>

[GM]

You read angry determination, concern and compassion, and despair all 
mixed together in his face. His mental turmoil must be no less than 
yours, having been forced to brood here all day, faced with the 
abandonment of the vows that mean more to him than his life on the one 
hand, and forcing his beloved wives to suffer for those vows on the 
other.

"Agnes," he whispers hoarsely. "Do you know that that foul unbeliever 
promised you and Antonella to Sheykh Naz Akharmid, as payment for 
the Sheykh's setting up our ambush and feeding us false information? 
That the Qaid in fact supplied the extra troops for that night raid in which 
the objective was to snatch you two from our camp?"

"He promised to let us all go free if only I swear to leave Ifriquia and 
never return. Obviously he cannot keep both promises."

"Right now, he holds onto both of you, as leverage against both myself 
and the Sheykh, may his blasphemous soul rot in Hell forever! If I do 
agree to his demands- and the Qaid knows that unlike him, MY word is 
my bond- will Naz Akharmid sit idly by while I ride away with you? Surely 
the Qaid has considered this."

"Perhaps he intends to simply tell the Sheykh to go kiss his camels. But 
that would severely diminish his credibility among all the other tribal 
leaders. So I cannot help but assume he has some other plan."

"For instance, if in front of many witnesses, as he will no doubt arrange 
things, I swear to abandon my holy mission, for the sake of two- forgive 
me- two foreign infidel women...that WILL be reported back to our army. 
That alone would be sufficient to undermine my honor and my authority, 
and demoralize our troops."

"And then he will have no real further need for any of us."

Kemal holds your gaze. "He is a cunning devil. Perhaps he has 
something else in mind. I do not know precisely. I DO know that I do not 
trust him."

He lowers his voice still further, and looks away. "Try to escape, Agnes."

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

"Yes, I know that Naz Akharmid went after us with the Qaid's help. But 
the Qaid implied to him that he could take it for granted that he would 
get us at the end of the day. I certainly made a point of letting the Qaid 
know that Naz Akharmid's efforts had been a total failure, and that it was 
the Qaid's own men that had caused us to be caught."

She listens to his argument, and replies, "I will *try*, and if I succeed we 
will wait for you at the house, or leave a message. 
But expect to see us in the morning."

She stands and steps back.
"Come the morning, please make sure you have made your final 
decision.
I would hate for me to have endured suffering beyond what I can 
currently imagine, and for Antonella to have been disfigured forever, 
only so that you can stay true for a little while longer before changing 
your mind. 
If you let it start, I will never forgive you if you later accept what you 
could have accepted at the start."

She turns and leaves, waiting for the Qaid to rejoin her.

As they walk back towards her tent, she says, "He doesn't trust you, nor 
believe to will keep your word. How can you? You have promised Kemal 
that we can all go free and you have promised us to Naz Akharmid. You 
can't keep both promises. 

That he was willing to forsake his men and his cause - no doubt you will 
arrange it to be in front of many witnesses - for the sake of two foreign 
infidel women, would be too demoralising for him men for him to trust 
that you would then keep your word. Perhaps he considers it just too 
much anyway. If you did keep your word in those circumstances not only 
would you have got rid of him but destroyed his army too.

Maybe, seeing us both there in front of him, with the torture about to 
start will change his mind - but I doubt it.

I have told him that if he allows it to start he had better not change his 
mind for I will never forgive him."

She pauses, and looks at him. "Please start with me - I would rather you 
give him a chance to capitulate before you scar Antonella forwever."

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Qaid says "As I pointed out to Naz Akharmid, his ineptness caused 
the death of many men, mine and his, only for you to stumble into his 
clutches by pure luck. I do not feel particularly obligated to give him what 
he demands, all things considered."

You try to read his voice, and his expression, but as usual, he is cool 
and polite and almost unemotional....you can't tell whether he's lying or 
not.

He looks back at you. "Kemal ibn-Hakim does not strike me as an 
indecisive man," he replies. "He may or may not have decided to relent 
by morning. If he has not, then only seeing your actual suffering may 
finally be too much for him to bear. What I promised you, will take a long 
time to produce results. On the other hand, a few lashes and the girl's 
sobs, may be more effective. I was planning to start with her for that 
reason." He sounds like a commander discussing battle strategy, cold 
and impartial. "I will instruct my lasher to go light on the first dozen 
strokes...if your husband relents before then, the girl should heal with 
little or no scarring." (And now he could be discussing the preparation of 
livestock...)


Antonella is waiting for you nervously in the tent. She rushes over to 
clasp your hands, and says "Well? What did he say?" But her face falls 
immediately, reading the answer from your expression. Looking down, 
she takes a deep breath. "So...what is our plan?" she whispers.

"I thought...I thought about trying to seduce one of the guards..." she 
actually manages a faint giggle. "I guess that probably wouldn't work 
though."

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

"Well, we will wear our leathers under our habits, and hopefully the latter 
will hide us in the darkness. We will have our slings, and we will have 
gathered our shot. I doubt we will have much need to use them in the 
dark though. 
I will carry your knife - I think I am the better fighter after all.  

From now until it is fully dark, we will quietly push sand away from the 
edge of the tent at the back, until we have a shallow trough. We will then 
be able to roll under the tent. On the other side we walk swiftly but 
quietly straight away from the tent to give ourselves the best chance of 
not being seen by the guards that are no doubt there.

Then, moving quietly in the darkness, we head for the edge of the camp, 
guided by our ears to avoid stumbling into guards, and to get us to some 
mounts. If there are none accessable - then fine, we'll walk. But without 
them we are unlikely to reach our camp by dawn, and then we'll be faced 
with a journey of several days across a desert, with no food or water. But 
I'd rather risk the desert on foot than stay here.

I'd like to acquire some weapons too, but I'm not going out of my way to 
acquire them at the risk of compromising our escape.

Now  - you know the stars I pointed out. So at a pinch you know how to 
get back close enough to our camp that their scouts will find you. For if it 
comes to it, Antonella, one of us has to reach them. Yes, I have a better 
chance of finding my way back, but I also have a better chance of 
delaying pursuit sufficiently to let you get away. So no arguing, I stay 
and you go, if it comes to that."

She unwinds the slings handing one to Antonella, and picks up the shot. 
"Any questions?" she asks as she starts to quietly excavate with her 
hands at the back of the tent. 

<><><><><>

[GM]

"Mo," Antonella says softly, wringing her hands. Then, impulsively, she 
gives you a hug. "We'll get out of this, Agnes," she says. "We *have* to."

Antonella looks somewhat reluctant, but hands her knife over to you. 
And you begin digging.


Hours later, all is dark. You've been trying to establish a pattern to the 
Qaid's irregular passes within range of the Quickening, and can't, so all 
you can do is wait until one of his approaches, and then make your 
move after he moves beyond range again, and pray he will stay away for 
a decent interval.

You and Antonella roll under the tent, rise to your feet, and start to walk 
away.

One of the veiled guards steps around the tent, directly in front of you.

For a moment, he stares at the two of you. Then Antonella tears off her 
veil, and throws back her hood. The man's eyes go wide....in the society 
of these desert tribesmen, such a thing is probably nearly as shocking 
as if she had exposed her bosom.

The girl steps forward, smiling.....and punches him in the face. He reels, 
but doesn't go down.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She springs forward towards the man, driving the fist that is wrapped 
round her knife into his face - a punch the like of which she has never 
thrown before. She wanted him out cold before he could shout.

Then she would throw another and only then, if he was still moving, 
reach for his sword arm to stop him drawing or using it.

<><><><><>

The man is reaching for his sword when you lunge at him, and slam your 
fist into the side of his head. You feel your own knuckles crushed 
painfully between his skull and the dagger clenched in your hand, but 
the pain fades even as he spins to the ground.

He collapses and lies there. Antonella seems inclined to jump on him 
and give him a kick for good measure, but you know neither your blow 
nor his fall was particularly quiet- his companions might appear any 
moment.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

By puting herself in the way, and a whispered "Shhhh.", she restrains 
Antonella from creating excess noise.

As quietly as she can, she draws her fallen adversery's sword, as she 
listens for signs that the brief stuggle was overheard.

If it was she'll abandon the attempt to draw the sword, and, with 
Antonella, move directly away from the tent that held them captive. If she 
does draw the sword, she'll still move them both off into the night, 
swapping the weapons over between her hands as they go.

<><><><><>

[GM]

You hear footsteps in the packed sand already, and usher Antonella 
away, not daring to try for the sword. But you barely get a tent-length 
away before someone yells, having discovered the first man. You are 
already being pursued, and you sense your chances of escape shrinking 
from slight to nonexistent, almost before you've started.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

Her heart sinnks at the noise, and before she had even touched the hilt 
of the guard's sword, she had abandoned the attempt. 

Holding the girl's hand, Agnes runs as fast as she feels she safely  can, 
given the guy-ropes about the place, making for the edge of the camp. 
Then, after a short while, changes direction round a tent, walks for a few 
paces, whilst she listens for pursuid hard on her heals amongst the 
expected hew and cry, before moving back to a run for the edge.

Her only real hope is for them to get out of the camp in the confusion 
ofthe alar being raised, assuming it is, and just keep running. If they can 
get some distance away from the camp, they have a chance.

<><><><><>

[GM]

Pursuit is right on your heels. You *might* have had a chance to elude 
them, at least as far as the edge of the camp, but you have to pass 
within sight of another Berber, standing by a tent near the periphery. He 
yells, men change direction to home in on you...

About ten paces from the outermost tent, half a dozen men catch up to 
you, with more coming behind them. They circle the two of you, and then 
you feel the Quickening grate against your senses.

Jazir Kaghlidamezzar comes strolling unhurriedly out of the darkness. 
"Well," he sighs. "You've made your attempt. Will you be docile now, or 
do we have to hit you over the head before dragging you back to your 
tent?"

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

Her heart sinks. She had never thought the attempt had much chance of 
success, but for as long as it hadn't reached the point of failure, there 
was still hope.
Now ... there was none.

She held Antonella close.

"I have failed, Antonella. 
I am sorry.

Forgive me."  

And she drives the dagger *hard* into the girl's heart.

<><><><><>

[GM]

With a quick thrust, you drive the small blade into her chest. Antonella 
gasps and cries out as the point sinks through the leather jerkin she was 
wearing under her robe.

She sags in your arms, looking up at you with wide eyes. Blood flows 
down your wrist. But you're not sure if the knife went deep enough. 
She's still holding onto you pretty strongly.

Two men are lunging for you, after overcoming their own shock. Even 
the Qaid seems startled. "What are you doing!?" he exclaims, stepping 
towards you, just behind his men.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She holds Antonella lovingly, withdraws the knife, and drives it in again 
as she gently lowers her to the ground.

Agnes is crying profusely, her tears mingling freely with Antonella's 
blood, the whole flowing into and over both their clothes, draining into 
the sand about them. 
"I couldn't let him scar you. I couldn't." she says, driving the knife home 
for a third time.

When the guards reach her, she is as a rag doll. Withdrawn completely 
against the crime she has committed, she offers no resistance, and the 
lightest of blows would fell her.

<><><><><>

[GM]

You get one more thrust- the Qaid's men grab you before you can stab 
her a third time. Antonella lies on the ground, looking up at you with a 
shocked expression. As the men pull you away from her, she takes in a 
deep, shuddering breath.

Your hands are dripping with blood. The Qaid faces you with an 
accusatory...and perhaps, admiring look.

"That was unexpected," he says dryly.

He snaps orders in Berber. As you are hauled away, you see two other 
men lifting Antonella, very gently, and carrying her in another direction. 
One man goes running ahead of them.

You are taken back to your tent, and tied up as securely as Kemal was, 
with your arms pinned to your sides, and a hog-tie connecting your 
wrists to your ankles, so you are forced to kneel uncomfortably, or fall 
over and be unable to get up.

They leave you alone, then, in the darkness. You sense no Quickening, 
so only your thoughts keep you company.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She sits, in the darkness, crying: not for her own plight, but for 
Antonella's.

Agnes knows she has failed her in so many different ways, and now, 
finally, she has failed her if she managed to kill her, and failed her if she 
hasn't.

She gets no sleep, and morning can't come soon enough - the morning 
when the Qaid would no doubt extract vengence from her for her 
defiance.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Quickening comes with dawn. Jazir Kaghlidamezzar enters your 
tent, flanked by two men.

"The girl is strong," he says. "She still lives." He watches you for a 
reaction, then adds meaningfully (and unnecessarily), "That is, she 
clings to her first life."

You can't tell what reaction he is expecting from you, but his men untie 
your ankles and pull you to your feet. They have to help you for the first 
few steps, as the night spent kneeling with your wrists and ankles bound 
together has left you stiff and barely able to walk. But thanks to your 
healing ability, circulation returns quickly.

You are led to a small circle of horses at the edge of the camp, where 
six of those veiled warriors stand guard around Kemal, who is still bound 
like you. You see no sign of Antonella.

"Have you decided, Kemal ibn-Hakim ibn-Daud Hajji?", the Qaid asks.

Your husband's face is stone....but you can read a depth of emotion in 
his eyes that he would never show openly.

"If I were a mortal man," he says slowly, heedless of the mortals 
standing around him, "I would swear your oath, and live the small span 
of remaining years alloted to me, in dishonor and disgrace...and pray 
that Allah would be merciful and forgiving when my time on Earth is 
done."

"But to spend the rest of eternity, until the end of the world, knowing I 
have forsaken my vows, my faith, and my honor..."

He has to pause here, as his voice catches, and then he takes a deep 
breath.

He looks down, for a long moment, then raises his face at last, to look at 
you. "I am sorry, Agnes," he rasps.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

With hung head and red, bleary eyes, she watches the Qaid and his 
guards enter. 

When he tells her that Antonella still lives, she looks at the ground - 
dejected. It had been for nothing.

She waits impassively as they untie her limbs, and winces silently at the 
pain of the first few steps. The she walks meekly with them to their 
destination. **Why struggle, and make things difficult for myself 
earlier?**


As they reach the group, she feels relief that Antonella isn't there. She 
may have lost her pupil forever by her actions, but at least the torture 
would not begin with her being lashed.

After Kemal has finished speaking she holds his eyes with hers. "It is no 
more or less than what I expected, Kemal."

She turns to the Qaid. 

"My actions last night were justified, then. 
What else could I do for my pupil-to-be? 
Perhaps my failure at the attempt was perhaps the best outcome. As she 
is not here, I take it she is too ill to torture effectively?"

The fear that had been with her all night, builds, and is coursing through 
her body, as the time comes for unspeakable and unrelenting pain 
comes ever closer. She tries not to let it show, but knows that she is 
unlikely to have succceeded. She forces herself to speak on.

"I hope she remains too ill to torture for as long as it takes for you to 
destroy Kemal's army. For I think that is what it will take for you to have 
no further need to get him to submit."

She turns back to Kemal again. 
"Remember what I said last night. It's one thing for me to suffer in order 
for you to remain true to your beliefs. It's quite another for me to suffer 
so that you can pretend for a little longer before you forsake them.

Think of me as some of your troops that have to be sacrificed for some 
greater victory. Once you've sacrificed them, they don't come back."

<><><><><>

[GM]

The Qaid looks at you. "No," he says. "She is waiting for us."

The Berbers lift you and Kemal and set you both on horseback. Kemal 
snarls at one of them, and spits, and receives a cuff across the face 
which he barely notices in return. The group of you begin riding towards 
the small rocky ridge to the east of the camp. Apparently the Qaid 
wishes your torture to be conducted out of sight of the rest of the camp 
for some reason.


"I will...be suffering too, Agnes," Kemal says weakly, as you ride along. 
He looks at you with pain and compassion in his eyes. "I would willingly 
trade places with you."

"Trust in God....He is merciful and benevolent. He will comfort you, and 
reward you for your fidelity and your virtue." The words sound hollow, 
though you know Kemal is sincere....but you're sure he takes no more 
comfort from God's presumed, future benevolence than you do.


A short ride away, you feel even greater despair, as another group of 
Berbers wait, on hard ground. Two women kneel next to a pallet, on 
which lies Antonella.

You also see Sheykh Naz Akharmid, with several of his Sekwasa 
tribesmen. As you come closer, the Sheykh approaches, and with a 
perfunctory bow to the Qaid, begins gesturing with his hands towards 
you, Kemal and Antonella, speaking argumentatively in Berber. The 
Qaid replies as levelly as ever. The argument goes on for a short while, 
until the Qaid says something dismissive. The Sheykh glowers as you all 
ride past.

By the waiting group, you dismount. The Qaid turns to Kemal, who is 
staring at Antonella, and then back at you. Antonella lies on her back, 
eyes closed, breathing shallowly. She still wears a black robe and a veil, 
but you can see by the way the Berber women are tending her that she 
must have had a dressing put on her wounds.

"The girl is too weak to take a hundred lashes," Kemal says. "It would 
surely kill her."

The Qaid nods. "So we will have to be very careful. Tazeen-" he 
gestures at one of the women, who looks up and then lowers her face 
almost to the ground in a bow, "is a skilled healer. She kept the girl alive 
through the night, and will make sure she is flogged no further than she 
can survive. If we miscalculate, and finish her off...." the Qaid shrugs. 
"She will then at least have no scars."

He gestures, and the women roll Antonella over, who moans, and then 
cries out weakly as two men step forward and grab the back of her robe 
and tear it open and downwards.

"Nor a head," the Qaid adds, as one of his veiled warriors comes 
forward, with a long leather strap.

"MOTHER-F***ING SPAWN OF A DOG-ABORTION BORN IN A DUNG-
HEAP!!!" Kemal snarls, and struggles so furiously in his bonds as he 
lunges forward that you see the ropes strain as if he might actually break 
free. Another warrior pulls a fist back and backhands Kemal savagely, 
sending him flying away to land on his side, where he grunts and 
struggles to a sitting position, staring at the Qaid with blazing hatred.

The Qaid, as always, remains unfazed. "You need but say the words, 
and spare both your wives this pain," he says.

Kemal clenches his teeth together. You see rage fairly glowing out of his 
eyes.

The Qaid nods. Antonella is stripped, exposing her pale, white backside. 
The two women grab her wrists, and pull them over her head, so she is 
stretched out on her stomach, on the hard ground. She wriggles slightly, 
but obviously isn't strong enough to offer much resistance. The lasher 
steps forward.

<><><><><>

[Agnes]

She almost collapses when the Qaid says that Antonella awaits them. 
She is crushed.

In a daze of despair she allows them to manhandle her onto a horse, 
and lead her to Antonella. 

Once she has dismounted, the horror continues. She wishes that she 
would wake from it; that it was all a bad dream, and that she would 
awake. She screws her eyes shut and opens them, but it does no good. 
The horror is still here.

Tears once more course down her cheeks.
When the Qaid says that they will cut of Antonella's head, it ir too much. 
"She falls to her knees and wails, 
"Nooooooo...... !! That's not allowed!" 
She sobs uncontrollably, until the lasher  - although Agnes views him as 
the executioner - steps forward.

Through the sobs she cries, 
"Kemal! Stop this!
You say you won't spend the rest of eternity knowing you have forsaken 
your honour. What about Antonella? What about your obligation to her. 
You are willing to spend the rest of eternity knowing that *you* found 
her, and yet when it was within your power to enable her to reach 
maturity you did nothing. *You* chose to let her be scarred forever or 
die."

She adds bitterly,
"I bet your attitude would have been different if we'd been your prize 
horses and not just women!"

She hangs her head. There is no-one she wants to look at, nothing she 
wants to watch.

<><><><><>

[GM]

The only thing Kemal can do is reply hoarsely "That is not true." 

But as the lasher raises the whip, he says in a stronger voice, "Jazir 
Kaghlidamezzar!"

The man hesitates, as the Qaid looks at Kemal.

"This charade has gone on long enough!" Kemal says angrily.

"I will not yield. You know this! You are not a stupid man. You say you 
will torture my wives in order to persuade me to sacrifice everything else 
to prevent it. But I. Can. Not. Do. That." His voice wavers, and almost 
breaks. Then he continues. "All you will accomplish, by going through 
with this, is to make them and me suffer. You will not obtain your goal, 
so all you are doing is indulging in needless cruelty."

He glares at the Qaid. "If you want me to beg-" he clenches his teeth so 
tightly, it's a wonder they don't shatter- "I will beg you, to release them, if 
stoking your ego is what it takes. I can forsake my pride and my dignity. 
But I will NOT forsake my honor and my god!"

The Qaid seems to consider his words for a moment. Then he replies "I 
am sure you are quite sincere, Kemal ibn-Hakim. However, firstly, as 
resolute as you are now, your resolve may waver when you see how 
much the women suffer."

"It will not!" Kemal hisses. The Qaid goes on. "Secondly, I told you what 
I would do, and I must keep my promises."


The lasher raises his whip again. Unlike you, Kemal watches steadily, 
forcing himself not to look away.

You hear a slap....not such a loud sound, the lasher must be going very 
light at first, as the Qaid told you he would. But it seems to drown out 
every other noise, in the rapidly-heating desert air.

Another one...and Antonella cries out, weakly.

And another. Each one assails your senses as if it was you who was 
feeling the blows, and the lashes are punctuated by the girl's 
whimpering.

If you glance at Kemal, you see that his face is set in stone again....but 
tears are rolling down his cheeks.

<><><><><>

[Agnes] 

With one of the lashes - she knows not which one: 3 or 30 - she gets to 
her feet, and focussed only on Antonella, runs at her.

She takes a flying jump at her, intending to hit her in the back with both 
feet. 
She might not be able to get herself out of the nightmare, but she could 
at least release Antonella from its clutches. 

"Forgive me Lord." is all she can manage (in Latin) as she hits her.

<><><><><>

[GM]

There really isn't much hope of your reaching Antonella- Besides the 
Qaid himself, there are twelve Berbers here, plus the two women. Four 
remain next to Kemal, ready to beat him to the ground if he rises again, 
and the others, while not standing guard over you quite so vigilantly, are 
ready for any attempts to escape or interfere. You get no more than 
three steps before two men block your way.

Jazir Kaghlidamezzar turns towards you, opening his mouth to say 
something. You see Antonella, lying on the ground, trembling, with her 
naked back striped, but not yet torn open. The moment freezes in time....

Because you rose when you did, you hear the whistling sound, and then 
see the lasher freeze, arm held high to deliver another blow. He topples 
forward, almost falling onto Antonella, with an arrow sticking out of his 
back.


Then everyone is in motion. The Berbers draw their swords and all but 
forget you, and they scatter and dive for cover as more arrows descend 
on you. The Qaid narrowly ducks a volley, rolling to his feet.

You hear pounding hooves, and ullulating war-cries. Galloping towards 
this small rocky shelf are over a score of Sekwasa tribesmen. You see 
Sheykh Naz Akharmid riding towards the rear. On either side, eight or 
ten archers managed to sneak to positions of concealment among the 
rocks, and are now raining arrows down on you as fast as they can draw 
their bows.

"Treacherous bastard," the Qaid says, with a tone of neutral commentary 
rather than outrage. He is moving swiftly but without panic, towards a 
small outcropping that will shield him from most of the arrows. The rest 
of his men are doing similarly, or crouching behind their horses, 
continuing to use one as a shield after it collapses with a scream, hit by 
three shafts.

"Not so wise after all, are you, Jazir Kaghlidamezzar?" Kemal calls out 
with a sneer. He hasn't risen to his feet, but is rolling quickly towards the 
nearest large rock, the only cover near him.

A veiled warrior near you goes down as an arrow skewers his leg, and 
another sinks into his back. The Sheykh's men will reach this site in 
another ten seconds. The Qaid calls out "Take up a sword, and free your 
husband, Agnes. Circumstances make us allies for the moment, as I 
doubt either of you will prefer the treatment you'll receive at Naz 
Akharmid's hands."