escape this very minute. Instead, he would be forced to watch while another man made love to his wife. If that didn't drive him mad then nothing ever would.
Kedar was holding forth. 'Each one of my women has a weakness, Highness. It is always useful to discover what form of pain terrifies. I would never whip Muna, even with a carefully plied lash, for just look at her skin. Turn, my jewel, and let the princess see.' Skye moved obediently, dragging her eyes reluctantly away from Niall. 'You see, Highness, the skin is flawless. It would be a crime against Allah himself to destroy such beauty wantonly, and yet still a deterrent is needed. In Muna's case it is the bastinado. She does not like the bastinado-do you, my jewel?'
'No, my lord,' Skye whispered.
'You have used it on her?' Turkhan was interested.
'Have you ever known a willing captive?' Kedar remarked. 'In Muna's case I must admit that she was a trifle reluctant, but of course that is no longer so-is it, my jewel?'
“Thou sayest, my lord,' Skye replied.
'I prefer the use of opiates and hashish myself,' Turkhan said. 'To use physical force upon a slave is an admission of having lost control.' She looked at Skye casually. 'You may return to your master, girl. Now my beautiful Ashur was not easy at all-were you, my handsome one? Until recently he fought me at every turn, but then he finally accepted his fate. He has been my joy ever since.'
'A man that powerful could be dangerous, Highness,' Kedar said. 'Better he were in the mines, or sat upon an oarsman's bench in a galley. I wonder that you keep such a creature about.'
'Ashur illustrates my point perfectly, Kedar. I have never physically mistreated him. I have not had to, for my sherbet and special comfits keep him totally under control. If you do not believe me then ask your brother.'
'Why even bother to argue the point further,' Hamal said. 'You both have your methods, and they work for you. You are content with Muna, my brother, and you with Ashur, my Princess.' He smiled his sweet smile at both of them. 'Kedar,' he continued, 'will you speak a little to my Princess of the trading routes that you use when going to the coast?'
The servants began to clear away the remnants of the meal from the low tables, and to replace the main course with bowls of fresh fruits. There were bunches of fat, green grapes, perfect little pink-gold apricots, big dark figs, and sticky-sweet dates. There were plates of ram's horn pastries, and bowls of pistachio nuts and sugared almonds. A wizened old man squatted in a corner making coffee, which was soon served in tiny porcelain cups. The coffee was incredibly hot, and very bitter.
'You must drink at least two cups,' Talitha said as she heavily sugared both their cups. 'Kedar will expect a full performance from us tonight. It would not do to disappoint him, Muna.'
Skye drank the coffee with the air of one condemned. She had practiced making love with Talitha for two days now, but she could still not reconcile herself to the act of intimacy with another woman. She knew that there were women in this world who much preferred women lovers, but Skye O'Malley was simply not one of them. She dreaded what was to come, and had thought hard as to how she might escape the onerous task without offending Kedar. She had not, however, been able to find an excuse that he would consider acceptable.
The princess had not arranged for entertainment, and so after they had finished the meal they sat but a brief time talking before Turkhan arose, putting an end to the evening. 'Tomorrow, Kedar ibn Omar, we will speak more fully. Your brother will bring you to me. Good night.' She left the room trailed by her two favorites.
Kedar might have been irritated at having been dismissed so perfunctorily; but the good meal and his two women had mellowed him. He was feeling very relaxed, and was now ready to begin a round of sensual adventures. Followed by Talitha and Muna, he hurried from the dining room and back to his own chambers. As they entered the room Zada and Dagan rushed forward to serve their master and his concubines.
'Bathe quickly,' Kedar commanded them. 'You also, Zada.'
When they were safely in the women's bath Talitha remarked, 'He is in rare form tonight if he wants all three of us. We shall be lucky to satisfy him by dawn. Most men grow less passionate with the advance of the years, but Kedar grows more so. Imagine what he will be like at sixty, although I don't expect we shall be here to see it!' Then she and Zada laughed, but Skye didn't think it very funny.
'Be silent,' she said to them. 'The lord Kedar is with Dagan just on the other side of this wall, being bathed himself. What if he should hear you, and be offended?'
'You are correct,' Talitha said, and the three grew silent as they washed themselves. When they had finished they cleaned their teeth with ground pumice, chewed several mint leaves to sweeten their breaths, and brushed their hair free with brushes moistened in musk and attar of roses. Then, not bothering to dress, they returned to the bedchamber where Kedar, similarly refreshed by Dagan, awaited them comfortably seated upon his couch smoking hashish through a water pipe. The gray-blue smoke perfumed the room and curled gracefully up about his head. He, too, was unclothed.
Kedar's pulse was racing, and as his glance flicked over the three women he felt his excitement rising fast. His original intention was to have Talitha and Muna make love while he amused himself with the Berber girl, Zada; but as he took in the nude beauty of the three women it suddenly dawned on him how much the tall, slender Talitha with her short-cropped black curls resembled a young boy, and how ultrafeminine the full-bosomed and full-hipped Zada was. Let them make love, he thought, while he amused himself with his delicious Muna.
'I have changed my mind, Talitha. You will couple with Zada. Muna, my jewel, sit by my side, and let us watch.' He patted the cushions next to him, and feeling the relief wash over her, Skye sat down gratefully. Kedar slipped an arm about Skye's waist, and nibbled a moment upon her ear. 'I am too jealous to allow anyone else, even my faithful Talitha, to touch you,' he whispered to her, and then looking at the other two, he snapped, 'Begin! Talitha will play the boy, and Zada the maiden.'
'As my lord commands,' Talitha murmured, smiling, and then she embraced Zada, kissing her soundly upon the mouth. Zada responded quite avidly, wrapping her arms about Talitha's neck and pressing her lush form against her partner's elegant one. As the two women began to fondle each other Kedar began to stroke Skye's breasts, and she was able to look away from her two companions in order to concentrate upon Kedar. He, however, kept his eyes glued to the two women and did not notice Skye's distaste.
In the few days since Kedar had taken Zada, the maidservant had become quite impossible. Kedar's attentions had convinced her that she was in his favor as much as Talitha or Muna. She would, Skye knew, do anything to retain his attentions, and although Skye was repelled by the two women now writhing upon the rug before them she could not blame Zada for her actions. This was Zada's world, and the only chance she had in it was to please her master; perhaps even to bear him a son. If in order to enthrall Kedar she must do certain things, Skye knew that Zada would do them willingly.
'Look! Look!' Kedar noticed that she was not watching the two women, and forcibly turned her head.
They had, Skye thought, done just about everything possible for two women to do. They had kissed, and caressed, and licked and tickled, and sucked and rubbed each other for several long minutes; but to Skye's surprise, Talitha was now rising, and Dagan hurried forward to strap about her hips a red leather harness from which protruded an ivory dildo identical to the one Kedar occasionally made her use. The device fastened securely, Talitha knelt down over the panting Zada, spreading her short, shapely legs wide. Playing her role of the boy to the fullest, she thrust forward, pushing the dildo into her victim. Zada shrieked, a sound of both pain and delight, as Talitha moved back and forth upon her, and Kedar's excited breathing rasped sharply as he leaned forward to get a closer view. Glancing down, Skye saw that his own masculine weapon was poised firmly forward.
'My lord, you are hurting me,' she whispered as his hands cruelly crushed her soft breasts.
His grip loosened, but he did not for several moments turn his head from the two women performing before him upon the thick rugs. When finally Talitha collapsed upon Zada, Kedar let out a long sigh of obvious satisfaction, and once more turned his attention to his companion. He tsked to himself over the red welts his rough fingers had imprinted upon Skye's tender, creamy flesh. Pushing her back amid the cushions on the couch, he fastened his mouth over her nipple, and sucked forcefully while his hand vigorously teased her other one. Automatically her hand entwined in his dark hair, and smoothed down to caress the back of his neck, which she knew he liked. She could feel him against her leg, hard and demanding, but she knew that he would not take her quickly. The two other women had built his excitement high, but it had not yet peaked, and Kedar enjoyed the foreplay almost as much as the act itself.
His head lifted and moved to her other breast, which he bit at softly but sharply. She gave a small cry of
