All the Sweet Tomorrows

Arriving at her home, she hurried to find Jamil. He was being vigorously massaged by two young black girls, but as she entered the room he sat up smiling at her, his arms outstretched. Claire flew into them, and was rewarded with a kiss; a kiss that flamed into quick desire for both of them. 'Get out!' Claire hissed at the two slaves, and they fled. Jamil didn't even wait for the door to close behind them before he was pulling her clothing off and drawing her down onto the couch with him. Being already hard, he wasted no time on the preliminaries and, parting her thighs, thrust into her with one smooth motion.

'Ahhh, Nilak, my love,' he murmured, moving quickly on her, and Claire sighed with delight.

Afterward, as they lay together, he nibbling on her shoulder, she said excitedly, 'I have just come from the house of Osman the astrologer, my darling, and what do you think I saw? A slave girl walking in the garden, the favorite of his nephew. She is a twin to Skye O'Malley! The same gardenia skin, the same marvelous black hair, and although I was not close enough to tell, I will wager the same blue eyes! I want to buy her from Osman's nephew for you.'

'No,' he said. 'You must be mistaken. There could not be two women in the entire world who look like Skye Muna el Khalid.'

'But she does, I tell you!' Claire insisted. 'I know her as well as you do, Jamil. After all, she was married to my brother. This slave girl could be her twin!'

Jamil Agha sat up. 'You are certain?' he said sharply.

'I am certain.'

'Perhaps it is she, the beauteous Skye herself,' he half whispered to himself. 'Dear Allah, to have her in my power!'

'It cannot be Skye, Jamil. She grieves in Ireland for her dead husband, and besides, Osman knew her, too. How could Skye become the favorite of his nephew without him knowing it? This wench looks very like her, but she's much younger.'

'Let us go to Osman's house now!' Jamil said eagerly. 'It is almost sunset, and he is a hospitable man. I am sure I can get a look at the girl if the family is at the evening meal, and if she is all you say she is, then we will buy her then and there.' He scrambled to his feet. 'Help me to dress, Nilak, and then see that the slaves ready my horse.'

As she aided her lover Claire began to grow uneasy. Perhaps she had made a mistake in mentioning the favorite of Osman's nephew, and her startling resemblance to Skye O'Malley. Jamil was far too eager, and what if this little upstart of a slave were to supplant her in her beloved's affections? Never! she reassured herself. Let Jamil sate his lusts on the girl. She, Nilak, would be his legal wife in just a short while, and then if the girl grew difficult she would simply disappear. Besides, Jamil would soon grow tired of her as he did of all women but Claire. She smiled to herself, and went to order Jamil's horse and her palanquin.

***

It was a simple but filling meal that was served in the house of Osman that night. A whole red-eyed mullet had been poached and was presented upon a bed of greens surrounded by lemons carved to represent seashells. A well-roasted capon stuffed with dried peaches, apricots, and plums sat on its platter of blue Fezware surrounded by matching bowls of saffroned rice and steamed artichokes. One enormous bowl of couscous had been placed midtable, and the marvelous scent of the wheat grains, the lamb chunks, and the many vegetables assaulted the senses of the four diners. An individual loaf of flat bread, warm from the ovens, was placed at each setting as were small kebobs of kid, green and red peppers, and small onions hot from the grill. There was a small bowl of yogurt at each place for dipping, and a large glass dish filled with green and black olives.

When the diners had done justice to the meal, and their profuse compliments had been sent to the cook who waited anxiously in the kitchen, the table was cleared of the main meal, and the fruits, large Seville oranges, dark purple grapes, golden pears, and fat green figs, were brought out, along with delicate gazelle horn pastries and bowls of pistachio nuts. A slave was handing around the delicate porcelain cups of black coffee when Jamil Agha boldly entered the room.

Osman almost swallowed whole the grape he had just popped into his mouth, and Alima gasped audibly. Jamil did not notice. His eyes were glued upon Skye, who was wondering what bad fairy had pushed Jamil back into her life on the very night she had planned her escape from Algiers. Skye knew that her only hope was in being Muna, the slave girl of the lord Kedar, and no one else. Then her eyes moved to the woman who mincingly accompanied Jamil, and she felt her anger well. Claire O’Flaherty! The cursed Claire!

Crossing the room in large, quick strides, Jamil reached Skye and pulled her roughly up. 'By the soul of the prophet,' he murmured excitedly, 'you are truly a twin to Skye Muna el Khalid! I must have you, and I will' His hateful hand was cupping her chin.

Angrily Skye yanked her head away from his grasp as Kedar, recovering from his shock, leapt to his feet with a roar of pure outrage and his hand went to his dagger. 'You are a dead man!' he hissed. 'No one touches what is mine without my permission! You have offended me, whoever you are, and I will have satisfaction!'

Jamil, with another burning look at Skye, reluctantly turned to Osman. 'Is this loud fool your nephew, Osman?'

Osman nodded, feeling strangely calm. 'My nephew, Kedar ibn Omar, my lord Jamil Agha.'

'For your sake I will forgive him. Tell the fool who I am.'

'Kedar, this is Jamil Agha, retired commandant of the Sultan's Casbah fortress and, it is rumored, soon to be the new Dey of Algiers.'

'His rank does not give him the right to touch my property without my express permission, and where Muna is concerned you know my feelings, Uncle.' Kedar turned to Jamil. 'My lord,' he said, 'this woman is my betrothed wife. You have rendered me a fierce insult by your actions. If, however, you will offer me an apology, for the sake of my uncle, who obviously knows you well, I will consider the matter closed. I would be reluctant to come between my uncle and a friend.'

'I want to buy the woman,' Jamil answered.

'What?!' Kedar was astounded. *

'I want to buy your slave woman,' Jamil repeated. 'Look at her, Osman! Is she not the twin to Khalid el Bey's wife, Skye? I must have her!'

'She has dark hair and blue eyes like the lady Skye, I will grant you, Jamil Agha, but other than that I see no great resemblance.'

'You must! She is a mirror image of the lady Skye. Nilak, come forward, my love! You know my betrothed wife, the lady Nilak, Osman. She knew the lady Skye in her own land. Is this woman not exactly like her, Nilak, my pet?'

'Exactly, my lord,' Claire answered slowly, aware that the Kedar's slave girl was fixing her with a murderous gaze. 'In fact if I did not know that Skye O'Malley was in Ireland or England at this time I would swear it was she.'

'I fail to see a true resemblance,' Osman said stubbornly.

' I want her!' Jamil said urgently. 'Name your price, nephew of Osman! Whatever you desire I will pay, for I must have her!'

'She is not for sale,' Kedar repeated icily. 'She is to become my wife shortly.' He stared angrily at Jamil Agha.

'Name your price, Kedar ibn Omar. Everything in this world has a price.'

'She is not for sale, Jamil Agha. Can you not understand me? I am to marry this woman when the fast month is over. She is the one I have chosen to bear my heirs. She is not for sale!' Kedar's mouth was set in a grim line, and his eyes were snapping angrily. Some instinct told him that this Jamil Agha was a great danger to him, and all his senses were