"To the Danefolk, silver is worth more than life," I explained. "They risk everything for it whenever they sail beyond sight of home. Besides," I added, looking at all the sacks, "it is a fine abundance of silver."
Retrieving one of the colourless chunks, Harald marched boldly to the amir's horse and gave the lump to Sadiq, who took it in his hand, hefted it, and nodded sagely before passing it back to the Dane.
"It seems the amir approves," I observed to Harald. "The Sea Wolves will keep their treasure."
Just then, the slaves who had squeezed themselves through the gap in those confused last moments saw us and rushed forward, crying out to be allowed to journey with us. They whined most piteously: "Do not leave us! We will die in the desert! Be merciful! Take us with you!"
Sadiq and Faysal held hasty council, whereupon Faysal returned to address them. "The Lord Sadiq is moved by your pleas. In exchange for your promise to leave us in peace, we will see you safe as far as the Amida road, but no further."
Sure, they all agreed readily, and, after everyone was given water and something to eat, we started off in two long columns. Sadiq and Kazimain led the way, followed by Ddewi on my horse, with Brynach walking beside him-Ddewi was not fit enough to walk and required someone to help him keep his saddle. Dugal and I walked behind them, carrying the bishop's bones, and the Sea Wolves came next, having divided their mass of treasure into many smaller bundles and distributed the weight evenly among all eighteen. Behind came the pack animals bearing the supplies, with the other slaves after them; the amir's mounted rafiq came last.
What a long, slow line we made. And it stretched out longer and moved slower as the day wore on. We camped early; the sun was not yet down when we stopped, and we had travelled but a short distance. But the newly-freed captives could go no further. Still, we were away from the hateful mines, and the valley stretched invitingly before us.
The amir made his camp a little apart from the others, and went to sleep almost as soon as he had finished his evening meal, saying that he thought he had taken too much sun. I was eager to hear how my friends had fared, and mentioned as much to Kazimain, who said, "Go, my love. Renew your friendship. You will have much to tell one another." She turned to where, despite the still-warm dusk, Sadiq lay rolled in his robe beside the little campfire. "I would sit with the amir a little," she said.
So, I made my way to where the monks had made their camp among some great smooth, flat rocks beside the trail. Dugal and Brynach reclined, exhausted, on the rocks, and Ddewi, hunch-shouldered, sat splay-legged beneath them placidly feeding twigs and small knots of dry grass to a tiny fire.
Settling myself on a broad ledge-like stone, I said, "Well now, Dugal, here was I thinking you had given up waiting for me."
"Aidan, man," Dugal said in a lightly reproving tone, raising his head slightly, "look at you now. How were we to know it was you and not the very prince of Sarazens?"
"And who else would be coming for you?"
"Oh, it was a sweet surprise," he remarked, rolling onto his elbow, "to see you striding out so brave and bold. Where did you get that knife, Dana?"
Withdrawing the blade from my belt, I handed it to him. "It is called Qadi," I explained. "The amir gave it to me."
Dugal ran his fingers over the jewelled weapon, making appreciative noises. "Did you see this, Bryn?" he said, flourishing the gleaming blade in the air. "Had I a daigear like this, I might have rescued us myself. Ah, but you put the overseer in his place, I believe; so you did."
Ddewi laughed at this-a soft chuckle only, but it was the first indication I had that he apprehended anything of his surroundings. I looked to Brynach, who said, "Oh, he comes to himself a little sometimes. Perhaps he can recover." His gaze shifted from the younger monk to me. "I am still wondering how you came to be among these Arabs."
"That is easily told," I replied, and explained about my sojourn in Trebizond with the eparch, and the ambush on the way to Sebastea which led to my enslavement at the mine.
"It happened to us the very same way," remarked Brynach.
"Aidan believes it was no accident," Dugal informed him, and went on to describe for Brynach my assumption that the emperor's courtier had personally arranged the disasters which had overtaken us.
"But it cannot be," objected Brynach. "Nikos befriended us; he never had reason to betray us, or wish us harm." He shook his head slowly. "I am certain he was merely trying to help. The holy book was without its cover, and he-"
"The book!" What with one thing and another, I had forgotten all about Colum Cille's holy book and left it behind.
"Calm yourself, Aidan," Dugal said. "We have it still." He indicated Ddewi, idly playing with the fire.
"Ddewi," said Brynach gently, "Stand up and show us the book."
