‘To a secret little villa that I own along the seacoast. We shall?send our honeymoon there, free of friends and business.” He hurried?her out into the cool night, stopping only to retrieve his cloak and place one of mauve silk, lined in rabbit fur, about her. Before the?house stood a great white stallion. Khalid el Bey leapt onto its back?and, reaching down, lifted his bride and placed her before him on?the saddle.
They rode down into the city and then to the sea, where they?followed the beach for several miles. The moon dappled the water.?Looking up into the velvety heavens, Skye caught her breath. The?stars seemed so big, so near, and she was tempted to reach out and?-asp a handful. Nestling in Khalid’s arms, her head against his?heart, she felt its sure and steady beat. As they rode she became?aware of a familiarity about the roar of the sea and the salty smell?the cool damp air. For some reason these sensations soothed her,?though she had no idea why they did. Khalid was silent, and she?dared not speak lest she break the spell.
Finally he turned the white stallion from the beach, and she could?see the black outline of a building on one of the bills overlooking?the sea. As they came closer, Skye saw that it was a large round kiosk, There was a pleasant air about it. Large brass lanterns with?hand-blown Venetian globes, their beeswax candles twinking a welcome, hung on either side of the silk-draped entrance.
Khalid el Bey drew rein on his horse, gently deposited his wife?on the lawn, and dismounted. “Welcome, my beloved! Welcome?to the ‘Pearl Kiosk.’ There are three rooms within-our bedchamber,?a bath, and a dayroom. It belongs to you now, Skye, for it is my?wedding gift to you.”
She was astounded. His bride’s price to her had been over-?generous, and now he gifted her with even more. She felt quite?humble in the light of such great love. Skye suddenly felt her heart?contract painfully. Looking up at him, she said, “Khalid, I do care?for you, you know. Were you a poor man I should still feel this?way, for it is your love for me that warms my heart and soothes my?spirit, not the gifts you give me, though I am grateful for them.”
“It is for just mat reason that I enjoy giving you things,” he?answered her. “You are not a greedy little creature. Come now,?sweetness, let us go in, for the night grows cool. Are you not the?least bit curious to see your new gift?”
The doorway of the Pearl Kiosk was hung with multicolored?diaphanous silks and in the entry hall was a long, narrow reflecting?pool. Looking up, Skye caught her breath, for in the roof above the?pool was a glass ceiling that matched the pool in size and shape.?Therefore, the still surface of the pool now appeared to be filled?with twinkling stars. The foyer was lit by gold and crystal lamps?similar to those on the front of the building.
They first moved through a doorway on their left, where Skye?found a beautiful dayroom with a fireplace that blazed merrily, taking?the dampness from the air. The floor was lush with thick rugs.?Colored glass lamps hung on thin chains from the gilded and beamed?ceiling. Overstuffed furniture and pillows were covered in the finest?silks and velvets, the colors like jewels-ruby, sapphire, emerald,?amethyst, and topaz. The windows that faced the landside were small?hand-blown rounds of pale-amber glass. There were low tables of?inlaid mosaic tile and great brass bowls filled with red and yellow?tulips. One small wall had a built-in bookcase filled with leather-?bound volumes, the sight of which brought a glad cry to her lips.
“So,” chuckled Khalid el Bey, “my good secretary, Jean, was not?wrong. You
She looked a trifle shamefaced. “Jean seemed so horrified that?I could read that I did not wish you to know. I wandered into your?library one day and, seeing the books, I picked one up and opened?it. It was French. I find that I am also able to read Spanish, Italian,?Latin, and the language Jean calls English.” She hung her head and said hesitantly, “I appear to possess another rather unfeminine trait.?It seems I also write.”
Khalid el Bey burst into laughter. “Marvelous, my Skye! Simply?marvelous! It seems that you are a very intelligent woman, and while?most men might be shocked to find themselves with such a wife,?I am not. The ways of Allah are indeed mysterious. I originally?intended to make you my most famous whore, but now I find you?are educated, so, beloved, I shall instead make you my partner!?When we return to the city I shall teach you myself, and Jean will?aid me. Should anything ever happen to me, no one will ever be?able to cheat you.” He swept her into his arms and kissed her soundly.?”What a delight you are, Skye!” he chuckled, and she felt warm and?safe and very much loved. His amber-gold eyes twinkled. “We have?yet to see our nuptial chamber,” he murmured, carrying her from?the richly appointed dayroom across the foyer. He pushed open the?carved and gilded double doors.
The room into which they now entered had walls painted to?resemble an oasis, with graceful palms, the mysterious desert dunes?beyond, and above, on the ceiling, the wonderful black velvet North?African sky had been recreated, complete with twinkling stars done?in gold luminescent paint. Skye would discover that in the sunlight? the false night sky was actually bright blue and that the stars were?not visible at all. To continue the illusion, the rugs were of thick?gold and cream wool, large potted green palms were placed stra-?tegically around the room, and the bed was partially draped to re-?semble a tent canopy. The room was very softly lit by tall lamps?that resembled lotus flowers and burned scented oils.
Without a word he slid the sleeveless violet bodice from her.?Then his hands pushed the pantaloons over her hips and, when she?had stepped from mem and pushed the little mass of silk away with?her foot, he slid to his knees. She stood still while his elegant hands?fondled her breasts. Then, moving to grasp her by the waist, he? covered her torso in hot kisses. She caught at his head and pressed?it against her wildly fluttering belly. The time for words was long?past. For a moment he simply knelt there enjoying the silken feel?of her wonderful skin, then swiftly standing he stripped off his own?clothes and they walked to the bed.
It was the beginning of an incredible week. Skye had never been?loved so tenderly, so passionately, so expertly, so completely. There?was not a part of her he did not explore and worship, and he en-?couraged her to do the same with his body. Gradually she lost her?shyness, became bold and caressed him in subtle ways that left him?moaning. They made love in the early hours of the dawn, in the heat?of the afternoon, in the dark of night. They swam naked in the foaming azure sea. They hunted antelope from horseback with their?hunting cats, beautifully trained panthers, loping by their sides.?Another discovery had been made by then-Skye could ride astride?quite expertly. Once again he gifted her, this time with an exquisite?golden Arab mare.
In the time they spent at the Pearl Kiosk they were provided for?and waited on by an army of invisible servants who saw to every?need. Delicious meals magically appeared, as did fresh clothes.?When they desired to hunt, their horses and cats awaited them at the?Kiosk front. Hot, scented baths were ready upon their return. Every-?thing was done to make this time together perfect.
On the night before their return she lay half awake, exhausted by?their lovemaking, content to listen to Khalid’s even breathing. Sud-?denly she was aware that she had never been so happy. He surrounded?her with love, security, everything she could want. Why was it,?then, that she could still not give him her heart?
They rode back into the city of Algiers on the following morning.?They were dressed identically in white. The sleek black panthers?were by their sides, leashed, but nonetheless causing a stir as they?moved through the crowded streets of the lower city. That same day,?when they had resettled themselves, Khalid el Bey took his wife into?the library where Jean sat working.
“Ho, Jean! I bring you a pupil.”
The little Frenchman looked up with a smile. “Welcome home,?my lord Khalid! Welcome home, my lady Skye! Who is to be my?pupil, and in what?”
“I want you to teach the lady Skye the intricacies of my business.?Should something ever happen to me she would be helpless without?a thorough knowledge of it. Since she can already read, write, and?speak in four languages it should not prove difficult as long as she?can grasp simple mathematics.”
“What are mathematics?” asked Skye.
“Here, mistress,” Jean wrote a simple sum on a parchment. “If?you take one hundred dinars and add to them another fifty dinars?you have-“
“One hundred and fifty dinars.” replied Skye, “and by the same?token if you have one hundred and fifty dinars and take or subtract?from them seventy-five dinars you will have remaining seventy-?five.”
The two men looked at each other in complete surprise, and Skye?said, “Is that not correct, Khalid? Have I made an error?”
“No, my Skye, you have not made an error. You are quick and?quite correct, is she not, Jean?”
“Indeed, my lord. Indeed!”
The bey laughed. “I think I leave you in good hands, my love.?Do not be too hard on my good Jean, for he is invaluable to me.”?Khalid walked from the room, laughing softly to himself.
Skye seated herself demurely at the library table, looked expec-?tantly at Jean, who was suddenly a little
