 Gravia today spells trouble and oil and the political ambitions of Nasser, Burdiba, Hussain and Ibn Sa'd But behind this tapestry of terror beyond this arrasse of ambition Men still struggle for less public and more personal goals such as a pretty woman But such a struggle is our story concerned a story fully comparison with Bernou's natives desert sheiks and captive damsel Listen, listen Dennis Frank loves joy stars in a fair at Aden I lay flat on the ridge back of the rocks and watch the Arab guards a quarter mile down the slope below me As they lounged in front of the gate to Fahad's tribal fort Before dark I had to be past those guards and inside that gate. I had to find best the shower. I Watch the sun sink lower near the horizon now in 20 minutes. I would try to enter the fort The shadows would be longer than more deceptive in a guard might not recognize me The mud rock the evening breeze of Saudi Arabia was springing up and the air was cool. I Thought of Aden on the coast 80 miles behind me safe and secure with its paved streets Electricity American automobiles and British police. I Thought of the commissioner in the way it had all started late the night before Commissioner Charlie Commissioner John Bradley geologists for the oil company Bradley and we've met at the foreign club open up commissioner I've got to talk to you It is an hour after talking over I know I'm sorry to bother you, but something's happened I yes, I do recall me to you. You're that American chef. What can I do for you? Commissioner a Girl with kidnapped an hour ago taken from her room by a gang of Arabs and What what girl her name is that the shower. Oh an Arab girl. Yes, you probably wouldn't know her She was graduated from the American University in Beirut three months ago and came here to work for the oil company About an hour ago. She was kidnapped Yes, one well her roommate just told me about it They locked the roommate in the closet when they took that she just now managed to get out tell me mr. Bradley Oh, yes, Bradley Who are they some of the aggressive tribe according to best roommate from me back in the hill country? They were Led by chic for hot Bob Oh, yes, he's a saint Agra son. He has a fort or a stronghold of some kind of the Jebel Robin pass about It emiles back in the hill country. Yes. I know where it is where this for hards young chap educated oxford strict Muslim Quite a decent fellow You could rest easy mr. Bradford. There's nothing to concern yourself about Look, didn't you hear me? I said he kidnapped a girl. He's taking her back into the hills right now quite so to custom of the country No tradition marriage by capture or a pretense of capture. No doubt the girl was quite willing actually This wasn't any pretence. She was kidnapped Commissioner Beth and I are engaged to be married Really? Yes, I'm through here. I'm selling for home next week and she's going with me and may I ask how long you've known her? Well two months But exactly and as a man of the world may I point out that young ladies are often prone to change their minds matters of affection So I hardly think that look do I understand that you're not going to do anything about this It's not much. I can do you know all right. I'll do it myself I do what I'm going into the Jebel radum hills finder and bring her back. I strongly advise against for what reason He's a tribal chief. You know hundreds of followers You might make it a bit sticky for you. That's my problem. Don't worry about it. Sorry to have bothered you commissioner No, no boy always glad thanks for your help Chewis fellow Redmond was it? Redmond? No, well The shadows from the dying Sun were growing longer now Dusk was creeping in over the desert, but the hilltop still caught the last flat rays of light My horse tied back at the ridge stamped impatiently The guards were moving about restlessly a rifle slung on their backs. I Pulled the burners closer about me finding it awkward and uncomfortable not being used to native dress But more uncomfortable with my thoughts I realized for the first time since I left Aden that I might be making a complete fool of myself the commissioner might be right I Remember the last time I'd seen bed It was two nights before in the palm garden near my quarters by the wall of the mosque of the Shepherd's It is always so warm here In the view country it was different like this in Arizona in the summertime Arizona Tell me about it. Oh, it's a wonderful country. You'll like Arizona, but we'll out is on the lighting That is important to us. We're nobody could spend 10 minutes around you and I'd like you That's how long it took me. You are so beautiful Johnny Beautiful because you make me feel beautiful inside Like when I get camera bears way far off in the distance or come to an oasis late at night Through the fires where the people are camping and here then send me to the dark It all seems so long ago Everything is different now. Why? My woman of my tribe ever went to school before Johnny I Different I Would have carried under the stranger In a few days, I would go with you to live with the strangers The other side of the world is good Little perhaps Sometimes I wake up at night and I smell the desert in the wind The old way died really hard Johnny hold me tight. Oh, I intend to from now on Johnny You're trembling. What's the matter something happened this morning in the bazaar So personally missing for many years. I should call the agency a Man in fact, so he had been away in the hill country. He didn't know I'd come back to aid him Then I was promised to him What do you mean, I don't think for me by our fathers when I was 10 years old Such things are done in all the tribes. Well, did you tell him I mean about us? I was too frightened to say anything It called me little bright Then he laughed and he go down with his name. Well, that's nothing to be frightened about Johnny you do not understand the men of my people are different The woman does not have the same right the privileges Well in a week you will have all the rights and privileges of an American life The Sun was below the horizon now the hills lay in shadow ten more minutes it would be dark Who will not win or lose the chips without it was time to go It was time to go I Mounted my horse pull my headcloth up to hide my face Reached inside my robe and took out the old parchment scroll with this long crimson streamers of silk the mark of the desert crew My whole plan depended upon getting into the fort without being stopped outside by the guard after that Take my chest I Drugged my spurs into the horses side and holding the scroll above my head with the streamers trailing out behind me on the wind I rode down the slope at a full gala Guards heard me coming strong their rifles off their back and held them ready I've heard the horse and headed straight for the gate Then at the last moment two of the guys were going to get open and I rode into the court The guards followed me in close to gate behind Then another man came striding across the court and the guard salon Missiles I'm afraid he's mistaken. I'm not a dispatcher writer an Englishman know an American Bradley isn't it? Bradley Yes, I want to say best to shower indeed So simple, huh? Except as though you were at home in your own country where everything is nice and safe You are a fool. Mr. Bradley. So I've been told And the shake fahad. This is my district the country of the Idrisi My world here is law the only law there is You understand well, not quite the only law you're a Muslim the Koran is your law I Wrote in here of my own free will your men didn't bring me in as a prisoner I claim the right of hospitality to strangers as Commanded in the Koran Very clever. Mr. Bradley, but I doubt you will gain anything by your sophistry You must know also that the Koran puts a time limit on such hospitality. Yes, I know three days After which a guest may be treated according to the host's pleasure And I may as well inform you that I have some rather unusual ideas of pleasure Meanwhile, welcome, Mr. Bradley Guard took me to a suite of rooms lavishly furnished and luckily I I Stood at the window for a long time The distant ridges black and pale silver in the moonlight, I Know that was somewhere in the fort. I had to find that talk to her Just a minute. What do you want? I'll say you come Come here. You come now. All right. Let's go What did I have a choice naturally dinner is never a compulsory affair Of course, I could have arranged something more elaborate if I had known you were coming But you'd known I was coming. I wouldn't be sitting here now That's quite possible Although the more I consider it the more the situation intrigues me Look, you know as well as I do this You Americans are so hit strong the British I can understand But I confess I find you chaps a bit unpredictable even irrational you might say I'm using however. All right. We're real clowns. Of course. It is possible. You may not be a typical specimen Every country has its fair share of rash fools But somehow I oh here comes our other guest I imagine this may be a bit of surprise to her. Oh, good evening, my dear. Won't you join us? You all right that You should know that coming I Shouldn't you are not being very hospitable my dear and mr. Bradley has I might say Demanded my hospitality by taking advantage of a passage of the Quran which was written I'm inclined to suspect In one of the Prophet's less inspired moments. So how about however? It's an hour so be it For the traditional three days afterwards Will depend on my disposition at the moment Tell him about our plans my dear What plans that What is he talking about You will have to forgive her The natural modesty of a young girl in love Beth and I are being married tomorrow Along the addition to my household. Don't you think so much Bradley? I find that completely fascinating because I want to compromise a bit with tradition. I imagine Beth would hardly be satisfied with all the old ways But since she too is willing to compromise What am I doing? Is it true that? Well, are you going to marry him? Are you? I'm sorry Johnny You should let us come here going back to my quarters I'm so very well that way. I want to talk to you. I was sorry Johnny But it wasn't me to see I told you The brother grays by heart Go back to Aiden Forget about this Goodbye Johnny I'm cursing myself for being full enough to come It was after midnight by now the fort was dry It was sucky I got men safely now to get out I moved quietly to the door and listened There was no sound outside I turned the handle slowly to the door opened and there in the corner It's got a veiled woman You are very foolish Mr. Bradley Everybody was telling me that Should I marry you? No. No, I am Tara Balisi wife of Farhad Wife? He said present his only wife And I would prefer it to remain so Sorry, I'm out of it. Better go talk to Beth Deshaun Why? I've got nothing to do with it now. If that's what she wants, it's her business What she wants? The bar had asked what she wanted What do you mean? Oh, is it so different in your country Mr. Bradley? Can any woman be sure what she wants? Unless some man tells her and then proves it So? If I help you escape from here tonight Will you take Beth Deshaun with you and keep her with you? It might not be so easy She may not want to go What she wants? What she wants? What do you want Mr. Bradley? All right You've got a deal 20 minutes later I was outside the fort waiting in a dark grove of olives with two horses tied nearby watching A tiny door in the high stone wall 10 more minutes past, I started to get uneasy Tara seemed to know that she was going but with Beth I figured she had her hands full Then the door opened, two figures in white stood for a moment in the dark entrance And one of them hurried toward me, the door closed I stepped from behind the tree Over here Hurry! There's really no heat to hurry Mr. Bradley None of us is going anywhere Tara, I really shouldn't have encouraged you to wander around in the night air this way, my dear Are your hands, Mr. Bradley? Put them up, please I can't, I'll go with a gun Very wise of you Especially since you've seen fit to forsake my hospitality You see, I'm no longer obliged to treat you as a guest What about the door for her? What would you do, Mr. Bradley? With the man who told you about the door? No, Mr. Bradley With the man who took advantage of your generous nature He attempted to plunder you of your most prized possession Who pretended to... Stop, what are you doing? All right, go ahead and shoot if you want to kill Beth A sample of American chivalry? No, common sense For added precaution, I'm holding my own gun in her back, don't come any closer It's not my fault It's crazy enough to do it I'll admit, I'm at somewhat of a loss, Mr. Bradley What are you going to do? I'm leaving here on those horses, I'm taking Beth with me You try to stop us, I'll kill her And gain what? Nothing, but I won't lose anything either You've never intended to let me leave here alive At least I'll take her with me one way or another You must be insane It's not practical Because you'll never convince her people that you didn't kill her I know what a blood feud means, and if there's it, so do you Do you want one on your hands? You turn around and walk back to that fort and let us go I think perhaps you're mad enough to do it I'm mad, plenty mad All right, make up your mind There are, after all, a rather large number of women in this world But a man has only one life And if he's sensible, he prefers to keep it as peaceful as possible Good night, Mr. Bradley Miles away, certain finally that we weren't being followed We threw the horses to a stop Want to rest a few minutes? Yes There you go, I'll give you a hand down I'm not used to this But it was a fun one I could ride all day Oh? I thought you said the old ways of the desert stayed with a person They died hard Johnny, I only said that because... Look, I didn't ask you if you wanted to go back to Waden Nevertheless, I'm taking you there, after that you're on your own Oh, Johnny, you are such a fool Well, you too, hmm? I only said what I did tonight because of you If I had not agreed to leave, hmm? My heart would have been destroyed before morning Because of me? I love you, Johnny So much so that I would rather you had shot me back when you threatened me to leave me with him Come here, darling You know something, honey? I couldn't have shot you I didn't have a gun