Chapter 9

Voldi broke out into loud laughter several times on his way to Engedi, but he had his sober moments too. Fara was indeed playing for high stakes. She might deceive the grumpy old pair at the filthy caravansary—but it was a long way to Galilee.

At Engedi the young Arabian—of a fortnight ago—was promptly remembered.

‘A proud, haughty young fellow?’ queried the innkeeper; and when Voldi had nodded, he went on: ‘Do I remember him! Rich, he was! Rode a frisky bay mare with enough silver on her bridle and enough jewels on his riding-whip to have bought everything in my house!’

‘Did you find him just a bit—disagreeable?’ pressed Voldi.

‘Just a bit!’ grinned the inn-keeper sourly. ‘He swore at me in three languages—Aramaic, Arabian, and Greek. He swore at the servants in Latin. Nothing pleased him.’

Voldi tried to be serious, but he couldn’t restrain a chuckle.

‘That’s the fellow I’m looking for,’ he said. ‘He’s a tough one—and no mistake! Did you notice which way he went when he left?’

‘The old Salt Trail. Said he was headed for the port—and if he wasn’t robbed before he got there, they probably cleaned him out in Gaza. Any man’s a fool to ride through that pest-hole alone—even in broad daylight!’

‘Did you warn him of that?’

‘No—I didn’t!’ snapped the innkeeper. ‘He was so damned sure of himself. It wasn’t any of my business if he got into trouble.’

‘I think my friend would be able to take care of himself,’ bragged Voldi, with much more confidence than he felt.

‘He certainly could with his mouth,’ rejoined the innkeeper.

‘Yes—and with his dagger too!’ retorted Voldi, wishing he spoke the truth.

As he rode on, early the next morning, on the busy highway, his mind was troubled. So many misadventures might have confronted Fara. These lean, lazy, ragged fellows who led the camels in the long caravans, what might they not do to annoy and provoke a solitary rider who had taken no pains to conceal his wealth and rating? And the hawk-nosed, beady-eyed caravan-directors who looked Voldi over with such candid impudence, what would Fara’s disguise amount to if they insisted on questioning her closely? Apparently she had felt that to be convincing in her new rôle she must be noisy and arrogant. Voldi hoped she wasn’t overdoing it. She might meet someone who wouldn’t be favourably impressed by her swagger and profanity. The poor dear wouldn’t last very long in a fight.