Erin stopped and looked at him, “What?! Why would he not want to see for himself that the people were being cared for?”
The driver shrugged, “I cannot say. I believe he trusts the Minister of Defense to do his job.”
Erin shook her head, “Take me back to the palace. Something must be done, this is entirely unacceptable.”
Turning on her heel, she opened the car door for herself and sat down. She couldn’t believe that Kamal was okay with the people being treated in such a way. She had seen camels in the town being treated better yesterday.
The driver returned her to the palace and Erin was just going back up the grand staircase when she spied Talib coming from her rooms. Adopting an air of authority, she walked past him, “Follow me.”
Talib was taken aback at the command in her voice, but did as he was told.
After entering her rooms, she paced away some of her anger before coming up with a plan. “Talib, are there water trucks in the city?”
Talib nodded, “Yes. Why do you ask?”
“How many?”
Talib shrugged, “I don’t know. At least a dozen. Maybe more.”
“How about large delivery trucks? Are those also available?”
“Yes. Ma’am, what is this all about?”
“The conditions in the refugee camps are deplorable, and before you start lecturing me, I did listen to you yesterday, I just decided not to follow your advice.”
Talib was afraid that she had done something like this when he had been informed that she was not in her rooms by the morning staff. Seeing that no harm had come to her, he relaxed slightly but then she told him her plans.
“I want you to arrange for at least a dozen water trucks to take water out to the refugee camp. I want some sort of makeshift bathing facilities erected and containers provided so that the people can carry water back to their tents. I also want at least a dozen trucks loaded with food, everything from meat to produce. I want it delivered and distributed amongst the people.”
Talib shook his head, “I cannot do that. His Majesty is the only one that could give those types of orders. Or the Ministry of Defense. You do not have the authority.”
“Call him.” Erin crossed her arms over her chest and stared Talib down, daring him to refuse.
Talib shook his head, but retrieved his phone. After speaking in Arabic, he handed her the phone and paced to the window.
“Hello?”
“What have you done now?” Kamal demanded. He was in the middle of negotiating the refugee’s safe return and didn’t have time for another of Erin’s arguments.
“Kam, have you seen the refugee camps?”
“No. Why? What has happened?”
“Kam, they’re horrible. The people do not have enough water or food. The children are scared a
nd aren’t even playing….”
“Are you telling me that Talib took you to the refugee camps?” Kamal asked in a quiet, but carefully controlled voice.
“Of course not. I asked him to but he refused. I made the driver take me out there this morning.”
Kamal cursed in Arabic on the other end of the phone line, “Why did you not listen to Talib?”
“I wanted to see the camp. I ordered water and food to be taken out to the people, but Talib said I didn’t have that authority. Only you could order that those things be done.”
“Why would I do that?” Kamal asked, planning to have a long discussion with his Minister of Defense upon his return. He had ordered that the refugees be well taken care of. Having his bride-to-be discover the opposite was nothing something he was willing to ignore.
“Kam. Your Majesty, the people are hurting needlessly.”