certain. We had reached our destination and I must soon learn my fate.
During that morning it gradually dawned on me what it was to be and I was filled with the utmost horror. I began to ask myself if it would not have been better if I had never experienced my miraculous escape from the sea.
The captain came to my cabin. He brought with him a black cloak, a yashmak and a snood. He made it clear that these were for me to wear.
My hair had to be piled into the snood and when I was fully clad I looked like any Arab woman who might be met within the souks of an eastern town.
I was taken ashore and to my great delight I caught a glimpse of Simon. But I was immediately anxious because there was no sign of Lucas.
Simon recognized me in spite of my covering and I was aware of his fear as he did so. We tried to reach each other but we were roughly held back.
The sun was dazzling and I was very hot in my robes. A man walked on either side of Simon, and with the captain beside me we waded ashore.
I shall never forget that walk. We were in what I took to be the Kasbah. The streets were narrow, cobbled and winding and crowded with men in robes and women dressed as I was now. Goats ran among us; there were a few hungry-looking dogs who sniffed at us hopefully. I caught a glimpse of a rat feeding in the refuse on the cobbles. There were small shops little more than caves open to the streets, with stalls on which lay trinkets, brass ornaments, small leather goods, and food exotic, spicy and unappetizing in my eyes. The smell was sickening.
Some of the traders called a greeting to the captain and his men and I was becoming more and more apprehensive about my eventual fate, for they seemed to know the purpose of his visit and I wondered how many other young women had walked along these streets with him. If only I could get to Simon. And what had they done with Lucas?
At length we moved into a wider street. Some trees grew here dusty palms, mostly. The houses were bigger; we turned in at a gate and we were in a courtyard where a fountain played. Around this squatted several menservants, I presumed, for they jumped up as we entered and started to talk excitedly.
One of them came up and bowed very low to the captain, who nodded an acknowledgement and waved his hands. We were led through a door into a large hall. The windows were heavily draped and set in alcoves designed, I was sure, to let in the minimum of heat.
A man in splendid robes bowed to the captain and seemed eager to show him the utmost respect. He was obviously telling him to follow, for he led us through another door and there, seated on a dais on a very ornate chair, was a little old man.
He was flamboyantly dressed, but so small and wizened that his clothes only seemed to accentuate his age. He was very ancient except for his eyes, which were dark and very lively; they reminded me of a monkey’s.
The captain went to the chair and bowed and the old man waved in greeting. Then the captain obviously told his men to leave him with Simon and me.
The captain pushed me forward. He let the cloak fall to the ground and pulled off my yashmak and snood so that my hair fell about my shoulders. The lively dark eyes opened wide. He muttered something which seemed to please the captain. The old man’s eyes were fixed on my hair, and he and the captain began to talk excitedly. How I wished I knew what they were saying.
Then Simon was brought forward. The old man’s shrewd eyes ranged over him, weighing him up and down. He looked very tall and strong, and it seemed to me that his physical strength made as good an impression as my hair.
The old man nodded and I guessed that was a sign of approval.
The captain moved closer to the old man and they were in deep conversation. That gave Simon and me a chance to get close together.
“Where is Lucas?” I whispered.
“I don’t know. I was taken away and brought here. He wasn’t with me.”
“I do hope he’s all right. Where are we?”
“Somewhere along the north coast of Africa, I imagine.”
“What are they going to do with us? What are they talking about?”
“Probably bargaining.”
“Bargaining?”
“It looks as if we are being sold.”
“Like slaves!”
“It would seem so.”
“What shall we Jo?”
“I don’t know. Wait for our opportunity. We are helpless just now.
We’ll have to wait for the right moment and then . get away . if we can. “
“Shall we be together?”
“I don’t know.”
“Oh Simon … I do hope we don’t lose each other.”
“Let’s pray for it.”
“I’m very frightened, Simon.”
“I feel very much the same myself.”
“This old man … what is he?”
“A trader, I imagine.”
“A trader … in people?”
“That amongst other things … anything that comes to hand, I imagine, if it’s worth while. And that would include people.”
“We must get away somehow.”
“How?”
“Run … anywhere.”
“How far do you think we’d get? No, wait. If we can keep together, we will. Who knows, the opportunity may come. We’ll manage it.”
“Oh Simon, I believe we shall.”
I remember now the look which passed between us. I treasured it to remember in my darkest and most frightened moments. I was to think of it often during the weeks to come.
There are some things one does not wish to remember. One wants to shut them out and make believe they did not happen. Sometimes the mind helps so that they become a blurred memory. And that is what seemed to have happened to me.
I remember being in the trader’s house. It must have been for just one night. I recall my terrible apprehension, the ioz pictures supplied by a cruel imagination which continually taunted me as to what my fate would be. The old man seemed like a horrible ogre.
There was only one comfort to me. Simon was in the house. The transaction with the captain concerned us both.
Later on the day of our arrival the captain left the house and I never saw him again.
The next day I was enveloped in the robes in which I had arrived and my hair was completely hidden as before. Then Simon and I were taken through the streets of the Kasbah to the harbour where a ship was waiting. The old man was clearly in charge of us but he took no notice of us and I had the impression that he was only there to protect his property, which we now were.
We could not imagine where he was taking us.
Simon and I found one or two opportunities on board to talk to each other. Our main topic was Lucas.
Simon told me that there had been one or two meetings with the captain. They had not been ill-treated. He said they had been very interested in Lucas. Simon thought he had been taken away somewhere.
They had been separated and not able to talk but he fancied Lucas was hopeful-at least not unduly alarmed.
“I think he thought at one time that they might throw him overboard because he would be no use for work. I imagine that is what they want of me.”
