The Sheik and the Slave

***

Abdullah was still waiting for his token of agreement to come to him to know that the plan with Jean Baptiste had worked.

It had been difficult, at first, to persuade Mohammed to bring him from Arabia. However, Mohammed had been set upon the disastrous idea of marriage to the Infidel and he had wanted Abdullah's guidance and support regarding the marriage.

Daleel, the younger advisor, had made the journey to England also, but had quickly returned home. He had never been outside of Arabia, so the foreign food had turned his stomach and the cold had chilled him to the bone. He had not been well and had to be sent back to the palace. He had begged Mohammed's pardon for his weakness. Abdullah had always known him to be a weak and foolish boy.

Abdullah had asked to stay on in England to be of service, and Mohammed had agreed. Unknown to anyone else, Abdullah had been in communication with Jean Baptiste in Arabia and had paid the man in gold to take care of the problem. Though Katharine had disappeared that night with Yasmeen, Abdullah was under no illusions that she would be gone forever. The sheik was bewitched and he would find her; of this, Abdullah had no doubt.

Abdullah knew that he must make certain she disappeared for good this time.

Jean Baptiste was a Frenchman through his mother's side, but his father had been an Arab slave trader. Jean Baptiste was infamous in Arabia and had been imprisoned several times, but he always managed to escape severe punishment. After he committed a brutal assassination, he became a wanted man, although certain people began hiring him for unspeakable acts.

Abdullah knew that when his plan began to formulate in his brain. Jean Baptiste would take care of the problem, for a fee, of course. He clasped his hands lightly together and pondered the situation. He had not undertaken the kidnapping and dismissal of the white woman lightly.

He had thought long and hard about her presence at Mohammed's side and had studied the Qur’an intensely. The book of Surah in the Qur’an had been quite an eyeful.

It had read: "And do not marry idolatress until they believe and worship Allah alone. And indeed a slave woman is better than a free idolatress even though she pleases you."

The Qur’an stated it quite clearly. Mohammed must take a woman of the Islamic faith rather than woman who does not believe in Allah.

The holy book continued: "Lawful unto you in marriage not only chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book...if anyone rejects faith, fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost all the spiritual good."

He had hung his head in silence after reading the line. Mohammed would be lost to the ranks of the spiritual good if he took up with the woman. His large hands were clasped together as he pondered it.

How would the people of Arabia accept him as their leader and guide of the Islamic faith when he aligned himself with the Infidel? It was unthinkable. Even if they did accept her in the beginning, eventually she would bear fruit of their relationship and surely the woman would raise a child outside the Islamic faith, thus severing the child's ties to Allah. Unthinkable!

He had to save Mohammed from himself, so he put together a

plan. He would pay Jean Baptiste's passage to England and lay the trap. He had watched her on the large property at home, and in her world. It was easy to see why Mohammed was enchanted by her.

He had seen her billowing skirts seductively wrapping around her legs as she moved, and knew she was a woman in her prime. He thought of his beloved wife, Safa, who was older now and had born him several sons, but who was not beautiful. However, Safa had been an obedient wife and raised their sons as servants of Allah.

He had been like a hawk watching the little grey mouse. It had unsettled him at first. She didn't stand a chance. But if the plan went well, she would be gone before Mohammed knew anything at all. She would be sold into the white slave trade and never been seen again. Inshallah.

However, it seemed that his plan to have her kidnapped had gone awry. Almost a week had gone by, and he had not heard from Jean Baptiste. When he and the girl boarded the ship bound for Arabia, he was to have sent a gold coin to Abdullah as confirmation that they were gone. Abdullah had received nothing.

He seethed inside. The girl is like pollen, and men swarm like bees in the warm sun to smell and taste her. The barbarian probably took the woman to sample her for himself. Fool! he thought.

The longer they were in England, the more likely it was that Abdullah’s plan would be discovered. Damn him! Abdullah thought.

***

The words trickled over her tongue lovingly. She had always loved the French language, even though it wasn't her native tongue. The French Bible had been a gift to her from the bishop, and she used it to keep herself well-versed in the foreign language as well as God’s word.

Bessie, the young red-headed novice, was attentively doing her needlepoint while Penelope was listening to the Abbess read. The three women were seated around the bed of the unknown woman as Abigail continued to read. She glanced quietly at the woman.

"Isn't it sad?" Penelope asked the Abbess. "She's ever so lovely. Where are her people?"

Before Abigail could speak, Bessie answered her friend.

"Maybe she was kicked out of her home…because of the baby.” She whispered the last words.

"Bessie, what did I tell you about that?" Abigail sternly reprimanded the girl.

"I'm sorry," Bessie said.

Abigail shook her head at the two young girls. Novices were always trying until their period of training ended after one year.