em for goods that
could not be obtained here. I want to speak with her. Has any
of your"--he smiled at the line of placidly contented sons
again--"fathers of immorality made her acquaintance by some
chance?" [* Bazaar]

Every one of the sixteen sons instantly assumed an expression of
far-away meditation. Ali Baba looked shocked.

"I see!" said Grim. "Um-m-m! Well--none of my business. But one
of you go fetch her to the governorate. You may tell her she's
not in trouble, but an officer wants first-hand information
about El-Maan."

"Shall my sons be seen dragging a woman through the streets?"
asked Ali Baba.

"Let's hope not. But I don't care to send the police. I don't
want to put her to indignity, you understand. Suppose you arrange
it for me, eh?"

"Listen, Jimgrim; that woman is a strange one! Men have spoken
evil of her, but none can prove it. I have heard it said she has
a devil. `Trust in God, but tie your camel!' says the Book.* The
wisest among wise men would be he who let that woman alone!"

------------
* The Moslems attribute all their favorite proverbs to the
Koran, whether they are in the book or, as in this case, not.
------------

"I suppose I'll have to get Captain de Crespigny to arrange it
for me."

_"Tfu!_* There is no need for a man like you to appeal to the
governor. _Taib._ It shall be done. Have no doubt of it."

----------
* An exclamation of contempt
----------

"All right. Send her up to the governorate--and no delays, mind!
We start tonight at sundown."

On our way back we met Narayan Singh returning from the _suk_
with parcels under his arm. That in itself was a sure sign of the
lapse of contact with law and order; in Jerusalem he would have
had an Arab carry them, because dignity is part of a Sikh's
uniform. You realized without a word said that the uniform
would be discarded presently. He looked me up and down as the
quartermaster eyes a new recruit, and nodded in that exasperating
way that makes you feel as if you had been ticketed and numbered.
If Grim had not told me that the Sikh had been first to suggest
taking me to Petra I would have insulted him painstakingly there
and then; but you learn a certain amount of self-restraint, I
suppose, before such a man as Narayan Singh ever approves of you
for any purpose.

He undid the parcels on the dining-room table in the governorate,
and the next half-hour was spent in rigging me up as an
ascetic-looking Indian Moslem, wit