Page:The Mating of the Blades.djvu/250



And, without shame, he looked up at Al Nakia, and, using the Oriental metaphor which corresponds to the plain English advice not to make a fool of himself, he said:

“Al Nakia—remember: 'He of great head becomes a king, he of great feet a shepherd!' What wouldst thou gain by killing me? Once I am dead, thy rage will be spent, and what profit then to thee, Heaven-Born? To kill means but a momentary revenge—and what gain is there in that?”

“The gain that I know thee to be dead—that never again thou wilt be able to make mischief!”

“Better far to grant me life—and to trust me!”

“Trust—thee?” Hector was utterly amazed.

“I am shrewd, Al Nakia.”

“Granted,” said Hector, curious what was to come next.

“I know this country, every inch of it, chiefly the western marches.”

“Thou dost, assuredly.”

“I have at my command my own troops, too, the men of Musa Al-Mutasim.”

“Precisely.”

“I have a large store of rifles and ammunition.”

“So I've heard.”

“Higgins saheb and the other saheb are at my headquarters.”

“Exactly!” rejoined Hector, who was getting impatient. “Thou art a traitor, and now thou art in my hands, as powerless as a trapped jackal, and …”

“Heaven-Born! Heaven-Born!” exclaimed the governor, shaking a finger as he might at a recalcitrant