poised and alert.
'I must have her,' Jamil repeated almost hypnotically, and seemingly to himself. '
Kedar felt anger, an incredible raging, burning anger, overcome him in a quick sweep. The blood pounded in his ears and in his head. Then, suddenly, he saw floating in a red mist before his bulging eyes the smug, satisfied face of Jamil Agha. He could almost hear his enemy's unspoken words. You are helpless. The woman is now mine. There is nothing you can do to prevent me taking her! In his mind's eye Kedar saw the flawless nudity of Muna writhing beneath the other man, gaining pleasure from him, giving pleasure to him. His control snapped, and with an animal bellow of undiluted rage he swiftly brought his hand up, threw himself at Jamil, and drove his dagger deep into the other man's throat.
Jamil died in an instant, his eyes wide with surprise as he crumpled to the floor, his dark red blood pumping out to stain both his robes and Kedar's. Osman stared both shocked and surprised, while Alima and Skye clung to each other, horrified, all three watching as Nilak added to the tragedy by stabbing Kedar in a screaming fury at almost the same moment as Jamil hit the floor. She drove her own dagger into Kedar's chest, following him down onto the floor to rage and cry as her bloodied weapon descended again and again and yet again until finally Osman pulled her off the already dead body of his nephew and disarmed her.
'Have the servants call the guard,' Osman commanded his shaking wife, and Alima fled the death chamber.
Nilak was silent now, but slowly she raised her eyes and fixed them upon Skye.
Skye turned away, uncertain as to whether to answer her old enemy.
'Skye O'Malley!' Claire hissed the name. 'It is you! I know it! At least tell me I am not mad.'
Skye whirled about. 'You have always been touched with madness, Claire, and you destroy everything you come in contact with. You were responsible for the destruction of your brother, and poor Constanza Burke, my husband's former wife, and now both Jamil Agha and Kedar.'
'You don't mention your beloved husband, Niall Burke,' Claire taunted nastily. 'Perhaps you don't know that I was responsible-'
'I know what you were responsible for, Claire! I know that you drove poor Sister Mary Penitent to attempt murder. I know that you saw that my husband was sold into the galleys, but he is free now, Claire! He is safely on board one of my ships, and I join him tonight! In that, Claire, you have failed!'
At that moment the doors to the dining room opened to admit a Janissary Capitan and several of his men. Osman quickly stepped forward, and Skye with incredible instinct moved back into the shadows, slipping behind a tapestry.
'My lord Osman, what has happened here?'
'Praise Allah, Capitan Amhet! There has been a terrible tragedy here. My nephew and Jamil Agha fought over this woman, and when Kedar killed Jamil, she killed Kedar.'
'That is not so!' screamed Claire. 'He lies! He lies! There was another woman that my beloved lord Jamil wished to purchase, and this Kedar took offense; and drew his dagger and murdered Jamil Agha!'
Osman shook his head. 'As you can see,' he said quietly, 'there are but four places at my table. My nephew, myself, this woman, and Jamil Agha ate here tonight. The lady Nilak was betrothed to Jamil Agha, and yet she flirted outrageously with my nephew, who is, as you well know, a connoisseur of beautiful women. He was intrigued and beguiled by her charms, by her immodest and unveiled face and blond fairness. She is the cause of all of this!' Osman's voice began to rise hysterically. 'She is a wicked infidel woman who has caused the deaths of my old friend and my beloved nephew! I demand the Dey’s justice! I demand it now!' Then he broke into harsh sobs that he tried hard to contain, obviously embarrassed to show such a weakness before other men.
The Janissaries looked away in order that Osman might have a moment to collect himself, then Capitan Amhet said, 'We will take the woman before the Dey now, my lord Osman. Will you come with us to tell him your tale?'
'He lies!' Claire screamed once more, but she was silenced by a brutal blow to her head from the capitan.
'Silence, infidel bitch! How dare you dispute the word of the famous lord Osman. His honesty is legend.' The Capitan pushed her back into the arms of two of his men. 'Hold her and keep her silent,' he commanded.
'It is late,' said Osman, seemingly beginning to recover from his bout with grief. 'The Dey is old, and I would hesitate to awaken him at so late an hour. Take the infidel woman with you, and keep her the night. After first prayers at dawn I will appear before the Dey to demand justice.'
Capitan Ahmet let his dark eyes slide over Claire's full bosom. 'My men could use a treat before they must return to the fast in the morning,' he said meaningfully. 'I will take your suggestion, my lord Osman. I will see you at the palace directly after first light.' Capitan Ahmet then signaled his men with a wave of his hand, and they half-dragged, half-carried Claire from the chamber.
'Rest well, Capitan,' Osman said softly, and the capitan turned in the doorway and laughed. Osman waited until he heard the main door to his home close and the tramp of the patrol move off down the silent street before he said quietly, 'You may come out now, Skye, my daughter.'
'They may kill her with their attentions,' Skye said as she came back into the light of the room. 'Then again they may not. Claire was once a famous whore in London.'
'Better she die under the Janissaries' attentions this night, my daughter, for if she lives, she will not survive the hooks.'
Skye shivered. She knew all about the infamous hooks that were imbedded in the city walls, which served as places of execution for those unfortunate enough to be condemned to them. Claire, having actually murdered one man, and having been accused of being responsible for the murder of another, would most certainly be sentenced to the hooks. Her death would be a most painful one, for the city executioners knew just how to toss a body onto the hooks so that the condemned victim lived in screaming agony for some time-a warning to those tempted to mayhem, an amusement to others. 'God have mercy on her,' Skye whispered.
'You pray for such an enemy, my daughter?'
'It is a horrible way to die, Osman, even for Claire.'
He placed a fatherly arm about her. 'You must rest now, my daughter. I will send a message to your ship that you will be delayed until morning.'
'No, I would go now,' she said.
'In the morning, my daughter,' he repeated gently. 'Trust me, Skye. Have I ever disappointed you?'
'No,' she responded, suddenly feeling totally exhausted as the shock of what had happened began to set in.
Osman led her from the room and put her into the capable hands of his wife. Together the two women moved automatically toward the women's quarters, where the slaves, not even daring to speak, helped the lady Alima to put Skye to bed.
'I shall not sleep,' Skye insisted, although her eyes were heavy.
'Drink this,' Alima insisted, pushing a small cup of sweetened pomegranate juice on her friend. 'There is in it a tiny drop of opium, which will take you quickly to the land of pleasant dreams, dearest friend. Think happy thoughts as you drift away, my lady Skye. You are free of Kedar! Your beloved husband awaits you, and soon you will be reunited. Soon you will be home in your own land with your children.' Her pleasant voice droned into Skye's consciousness, and Skye soon found herself asleep.
When she awoke she felt just the tiniest bit groggy, but a trip with Alima to the household baths quickly made her mind sharp and quick again. 'Where is Osman?' she asked as they returned to Skye's chamber.
'He has gone to the Dey's palace to testify against the lady Nilak,' Alima responded.
'If she lived through the night,' Skye remarked.
'She must have, else my husband would be back already. He will be here to escort you safely to your ship, my lady Skye. Do not fear.'
