Chapter 28

‘It is not easy for me to tell you,’ said Zendi hesitantly, ‘but you deserve to know. My life, at present, is difficult. Rennah is ill. It is a sickness of the mind. She has become madly obsessed by the idea that—that—’

He broke off here and sat moodily tracing lines in the sand with his riding-whip; then he faced her to ask, entreatingly, ‘You can’t guess what I’m trying to say, can you?’

‘I’m afraid not, sir,’ murmured Fara.

‘Then I must begin at the beginning. Did you ever hear that your mother and I were deeply in love when her marriage was forced upon her as a patriotic duty?’

‘I knew you were devoted friends,’ admitted Fara.

‘All of that!’ said Zendi. ‘After your dear mother had been carried away into bondage and it became expedient for me to marry, Rennah seemed contented with her belief that she had taken Arnon’s place in my heart. But after your mother returned alone to Arabia, the Queen became uneasy. She tried hard, I think, to treat your mother kindly; but her suspicion grew…Perhaps I was at fault.’

The unhappy King paused so long here that Fara wished she could think of something appropriate to say.

‘Yes,’ he continued in a barely audible tone of soliloquy, ‘I was clearly at fault. Your mother had been used cruelly. She had come home in humiliating circumstances. I tried to show my friendship. Then, realizing that my attitude would be misunderstood, I went to special pains to allay Rennah’s jealousy; and so successfully that the Queen began to take an interest in Arnon. I must give her full credit for that.’

It was a long story, and Zendi insisted on telling it all. Fara listened pensively, her heart aching for him.

‘Of course,’ he was saying now, ‘Rennah had always humoured our son in many things that were to his disadvantage. The boy was wilful, and his over-indulgence had made him arrogant; but I hoped that as he grew older his disposition might improve. Any Crown Prince is an object of pity, Fara. No one dares tell him how to treat his fellows. No other boy dares slap him for his impudence. Deran never had any discipline, at all.

‘When your mother died,’ continued Zendi, ‘and you disappeared, I was sorely grieved. I tried not to show how deeply I had been wounded; but Rennah knew. I had no appetite; I was moody; I wanted to be alone. Rennah turned to Deran for companionship. Anything Deran did or said was exactly right. She made believe he was witty and laughed at his impudences. He insulted my Councillors; he ridiculed me in the presence of our servants. Nothing short of divorcing Rennah and disowning Deran could have relieved my intolerable predicament.’

Again Zendi reached for Fara’s hand.