"I listen to your sincere proposal, O my brother, but before I answer it
I ask for the counsel of my friends."
Then raising his voice he cried, "Companions, you have heard what Omar
Benani has said--which of us is it to be?"
At that the tense atmosphere in the room broke into eager and impetuous
speech. First came, as needs must in an Eastern conclave, some gusts of
questions, then certain breezes of protest, but finally a strong and
unbroken current of assent.
"Master," said one of the Sheikhs, "I have eaten bread and salt with
you, therefore I will not deceive you. Let Omar go first. He can do
all that Ishmael can do and run no risk."
"Messenger of the Merciful," said another, "neither will I deceive you.
Omar knows Cairo best. Therefore let him go first."
After others had answered in the same way Ishmael turned to Mahmud, his
uncle, whereupon the old man wiped his rheumy eyes and said--
"Your life is in God's hand, O son of my brother, and man cannot escape
his destiny. If it is God's will that you should be the first to go
into Cairo you will go, and God will protect you. But speaking for
myself, I should think it a shame and a humiliation that the father of
his people should not enter the city with his children. If Omar says he
can do as much as you, believe him--the white man does not lie."
No sooner had the old man concluded than the whole company with one
voice shouted that they were all of the same opinion, whereupon Ishmael
cried--
"So be it, then! Omar it shall be! And do not think for one moment
that I grudge your choice."
"El Hamdullillah!" shouted the company, as from a sense of otherwise
inexpressible relief.
Meantime Gordon was conscious only of Helena's violent agitation.
Though he dared not look at her, he seemed to see her feverish face and
the expression of terror in her lustrous eyes. At length, when the
shouts of the Sheikhs had subsided, he heard her tremulous voice saying
hurriedly to Ishmael--
"Do not listen to them."
"But why, my Rani?" Ishmael asked in a whisper.