Chapter 4
Isak Ibn Musa did not relish being awakened in the middle of the night by one of his harem slaves, and as he disengaged himself from the tangle of brown arms that surrounded him, leaving three women asleep in the massive bed he used, he swore to himself that if the person who called had not a good reason for awakening him, he would have the man flayed alive and then feed his eyes to the crows.
Struggling into a pair of pantaloons, then throwing on a sheer satin bathrobe, he took the time to comb his hair, since no one must ever see a sheik looking like ordinary people, and then he moved through the marbled halls of his palatial mansion down the steps to the front hallway where a half dozen guards surrounded the greasy looking Arab who had dragged what looked like a filthy bundle of laundry into his hallway.
"Haroun," he snapped, seeing who it was. "You are not stupid enough to awaken me unless you have good cause. What is it?"
"A thousand pardons most excellent sheik," Haroun said, bowing low, though not actually falling on his knees. The days of falling to one's knees and letting one's forehead touch the floor were just about over. "I have something that would not wait, and I was certain you would wish to inspect it before I took it to Achmet the slave trader."
"Ah! Just what is this that you had to waken me now, from a sound sleep?"
"I know how long you have been craving to add a golden-haired woman to your harem, and such a woman has arrived today, working for one of the American airlines."
"Just where is this woman, Haroun?"
"Ah, excellency, it is sad to relate, that this woman is no longer working for the airline. She has decided she would rather earn money by staying here and teaching your wives the art of reading and writing her language."
"Oh?"
"When the other members who work for her airline awaken in the morning, it will be my sad duty to relate to them that the golden-haired one had flown and wants nothing more to do with them. Naturally, no one would even dream of thinking to look inside the walls that surround your private estate, oh great sheik."
"This golden-haired one, is she beautiful?"
"Indeed, gracious lord. She is a moon of a thousand delights, a veritable Scheherezade."
"Such a one would be worth much to me, Haroun."
"I thought as much, oh great sheik. Is it at all possible for us to confer privately?"
"Indeed," the sheik nodded.
"Please have your men carry this worthless bundle with us."
Ibn Musa signaled to his men, and two of them picked up the bag on the floor and carried it down a long, marble hallway and turned left, following Ibn Musa and Haroun into a room thickly carpeted with red-dyed lamb's wool. There were many backless couches in the room, and the walls were covered with all kinds of paintings depicting stories from the Koran. Ibn Musa went and sat on the one throne-like chair in the room, at the far end, and Haroun, dragging the bundle, deposited it in front of the sheik.
"A veritable treasure indeed, Haroun. What were you thinking of asking for her?"
"Excellency, since such women are so hard to find, I was thinking a man as wealthy as yourself would consider twenty-thousand American dollars a mere pittance."
" 'Pittance, indeed. Money does not grow upon trees, Haroun."
"No lord Isak. But it does sometimes come from beneath the ground."
"I'll give you five-thousand American dollars for her, and you know I'm being generous."
"Noble Lord, you gave me such a sum for one that I brought you who would not compare to this worthy gem. Surely she is worth eighteen-thousand dollars."
"Six-thousand, Haroun, and I'm being generous."
"Sixteen-thousand oh most noble of sheiks, and this star of the United States will indeed be yours."
"I might just take her from you, and you won't be able to stop me, Haroun."
"Your excellency is among the wisest of men. Would you indeed destroy a source of supply to you, when you know there will surely be many other women I will be able to find for you?"
"Very well, Haroun. Eight-thousand, and only because I am tired and don't wish to haggle any longer."
"Please, great sheik. Surely such a one as this is worth fourteen-thousand American dollars."
"You persist, Haroun. I make one more offer, ten-thousand dollars, and no more."
"The American dollar is not worth what it was once worth, most noble excellency. Is she not worth at least thirteen-thousand of them?"
"Eleven-thousand, Haroun."
"Can we agree on twelve-thousand, my lord?"
"We can agree on eleven-thousand-five-hundred, and that is indeed my final offer."
"My lord is most generous. For that sum I gladly give her to you."
"Excellent, Haroun. Wait outside and I will call someone to fetch the sum for you."
The bellboy nodded and left the room and Isak Ibn Musa went to the wall behind his throne-like chair. He pulled a hanging aside and revealed a safe, then dialed the combination, opened it, and reached inside where there were countless stacks of currency from all countries with money worth anything. Taking out a stack of American currency, he peeled off eleven-thousand-five hundred dollars, and then closed the safe. Leaving the room, he walked to where Haroun was waiting, and he handed the man the money, saying, "It might be wise if, in a few days, you left your position at the hotel and found work at another hotel."
"Your excellency is a very wise man," Haroun nodded. "I shall do this."
Ibn Musa returned to the room where Arlene Dressen lay unconscious on the floor. He walked around her, surveying her. She had small breasts, but they were pink-tipped. She might produce some interesting daughters with equally white flesh and pink nipples whom he'd be able to sell to other sheiks for a vast profit. A virgin of this type would bring a man a vast fortune. Also, if he liked certain of his daughters well enough, he might allow them to produce more daughters for him. Yes, her white flesh was indeed intriguing. He would have to begin breaking her in the right way the following day. He had some business matters to attend to in the morning, but the afternoon ought to be interesting.
He hoped the woman would be amenable. He didn't relish the idea of having to take the bastinado to her. Still, sometimes it was the only way to punish without damaging the rest of her flesh, and it would keep her from running too far.
Now that he was up, he decided a foray with one of his other wives might be in order. He left the room, walked down the long marble hall, then climbed the stairs to his sleeping quarters and had the eunuchs remove the three concubines who had been sharing his bed and bring him his favorite wife. He had three and was permitted a fourth, in addition to his concubines. Perhaps this golden-haired woman would be the fourth.