AT THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THE CARAVANS come to a halt. As Abram and Dantes’ servants set up camp, Dantes spots an approaching tribe of bandits. Though they appear far away, it is only a trick of the desert light, and the bandits are quickly upon them.
“I will handle them,” says Abram. He takes a horse and rides to them, stopping their determined march. When he reaches the group of motley-looking men, who he notices are armed to the teeth and have a desperate, hungry look in their eyes, he asks, “What are your demands?”
The ruler of the riffraff rudely says, “Willingly give us your possessions, including your women, and we will spare your lives, granting your men one camel to return home. We will also leave you your canteens. You do not want to anger me — the wrath of Shayton is as fearful as that of Allah.”
Abram says, “Give me a moment to convince my people. I will return in a few moment’s time.” When he reaches the encampment once more, he stiffly swings down from his horse and motions Dantes into the large tent they’ve set up.
Abram consults with Dantes, asking, “Do you have weapons? Are your men trained to fight? That will be the only way to deal with those ruffians — they are savages, and will not negotiate or listen to reason.”
“Yes to both,” says Dantes. He turns to Ali, who is always at his side, and says, “Sneak out behind this tent and stealthily prepare the paralyzing blow-darts. On my signal, which will be a curse on each bandit, starting from the chief, shoot one of the men. Don’t let them see you, so they will think I have supernatural powers. Abram, go back out and tell them that your Imam wishes to have a word with them; this will gain us a little time.”
Dantes slips into a set of Abrams robes before he exits the tent, then greets the bandits. “Gentle ruffians, I beseech you in the name of your master, Shayton, to reconsider the dire consequences of your demands. As you know, Shayton will not forgive your failure.”
The bandits break out laughing, as their chief, a monster of a man, says, “I am that master, Shayton; and you will find us to be murderers, rather than mere ruffians, if you test my patience longer.”
“I warn you, Shayton,” threatens Dantes, “I possess the power to strike you down just by pointing my finger and saying a simple curse. I warn you not to test my patience!”
Again the bandits break out laughing. They do not notice Abram toss a scorpion onto Shayton’s saddlebag.
The horses begin to grow restless. Feeling the tension in the air and thinking that Ali should now be in place, Dantes issues his first curse, pointing his finger. “You, Shayton, will be hexed forever, if you do not now repent!”
Just then, Shayton feels a scorpion bite his leg; he lets out a grunt and then grabs the scorpion, smashing it on the handle of his saddle. As he eats it raw, spitting out the barbed tail, he scoffs, “Is that your best curse?”
The bandits resume laughing. When they have calmed, Dantes points to Shayton and says, “You are condemned to die now, fall off your horse dead.”
Shayton’s eyes grow wide with shock as he reaches for his neck, and falling to the ground while his horse darts away. At first, the bandits think their master is joking, but when he fails to rise, Dantes says, “Which one of you is brave enough to challenge me now?”
The bandits look at each other in fear, and quickly ride off after their master’s horse. They leave their slain leader in the dust.
Abram claps Dantes on the shoulder. “You are a wise and brave man,” he says. “Would that I had you for a son-in-law!”
Raymee overhears her father’s praise, and smiles to herself. “Perhaps you shall, Father,” she says quietly.
That night, Abram throws a big feast in celebration of Dantes’ heroism in saving their lives, and Dantes dedicates his bravery to Raymee. “When there is such a beautiful woman to protect,” he toasts her, “it is easy to act without fear.” He sees how his chivalry pleases her, and again tells himself that she can never be his.
As Dantes begins to doze off to sleep that night, he hears a whisper in his ear. “It’s me again — Raymee. Are you awake, Sultan?”
She lays herself on top of Dantes, face to face. She then sits up, wrapping his long beard around her fingers, pulling his chin toward hers. Bending forward, she presses her lips to his — it is her first kiss, and it sends a thrill to her toes. She is sure the Caliph could never light such a fire inside of her.
Dantes whispers, “But you are betrothed to someone else, and my friend Mumad is in love with you. What are you doing?”
“Shhushh,” whispers Raymee. “Close your eyes. You are not responsible for what happens here tonight. I am a very head-strong woman.”
Dantes whispers, “I’m crazy about you, yet I’ve never clearly seen your face. It is always covered with a veil — how I wish that I could look upon you.”
“You can see my face with your hands.” Raymee takes Dantes’ hands and puts them under her veil. “Are these features not beautiful to you?” Then, moving his hands under her shirt, she presses them to her naked breasts. “Are these not succulent enough for your lips?” she asks, pulling his head against her. “I am yours.”
Dantes is unable to withstand her advances, and he is surprised the camp manages to sleep through their passion. As she rises to go, she says, “The Caliph has only daughters now, as none of his wives can produce sons for him. With your help, which you have just so generously given me, I will produce a prince to be ruler of Arabia.”
Dantes is amazed and a bit bewildered, but he falls back to sleep easily, spent from the intensity of their lovemaking.
Finding her way back to her own bed, Raymee discovers Mumad, his face pale with shock. She sees in an instant that he knows she has been with Dantes, and she is furious.
“Why have you destroyed me?” Mumad demands. “You know I have loved you forever. I would die for you and sacrifice everything for you. You only think you love him because he is famous, and you love the stories of him, not the real man. I have been beside you your entire life, watching over you, and yet you waste your virtue on a stranger!”
“I love him for the reasons you have stated, and for reasons of my own,” says Raymee. “I cannot control my desire for him.”
“Then I can no longer control mine,” declares Mumad, grabbing her arms in his strong hands. “I will take you by force! I have waited long enough for the moment you so freely gave to the Sultan tonight.”
Freeing her right arm, Raymee slaps Mumad across his face as hard as she can, hissing, “Very well then, you said you will make any sacrifice for me. When we arrive in Mecca, I will call on you to make that sacrifice, and you will become closer to me than a husband. Tell me now, yes or no, because I will give you no other option for this opportunity again.”
“Yes,” agrees Mumad, hurt in his voice. “I agree to any sacrifice as my solemn oath, though you are no longer my childhood friend and love, but some new creature I barely recognize.”
“Because you have taken the solemn vow from which I will never release you, you will get to know this new creature better than anyone, just as you knew my childhood self better than anyone. Just be patient, Mumad. I am a woman of my word.”
They both go to bed with anger in their hearts, but Raymee has a plan, as well. In the morning, she waits for Dantes to awaken and leave his tent, then hurries to his side. In the distance, they both notice the vultures beginning to feast on Shayton’s corpse.
Dantes rubs his hand over his eyes. “Was I dreaming last night, Raymee?”
“It had no more importance than a dream,” Raymee says, coyly. “I could never compete with Haydee for your heart, and I will not steal another woman’s husband. I will never settle for being second in a man’s heart. Yet, can I escape my fate? Will I betray my destiny?”
“What is your fate?” asks Dantes.
“Did you already forget the dream? I am to give birth to the Prince of Arabia and a whole line of great princes. Was the dream so bad that you should want to wake up from it and forget it happene
d?”
“I must confess, my dear Raymee, that I have only had a few experiences in my life so exciting, and none that were such an unexpected pleasure. I’ve felt your face and beautiful body with my hands, and experienced the greatest joy a man and a woman can share, and now I long only to behold your face with my own eyes.”
“The time will come, my dear Sultan, but it is best for you to seem genuinely surprised when that moment arrives, and only then you will appreciate how cunning I truly am. Can you teach Mumad to play the part of Ophelia’s brother before we arrive in Mecca?”
“That depends on his willingness,” says Dantes.
“You certainly can count on that, dear Sultan.”
Raymee is right, and Mumad is an eager student, learning his part well and quickly, as the day approaches when they are to perform for the Caliph.
As the caravan arrives in Mecca, the stage is set literally and symbolically for the play and events to unfold.
All are in awe as they enter the Caliph’s realm — he lives not in a silken tent, but in a large stone building, impressive in both height and design. He greets them warmly, having heard of their approach from his own watchmen, and he grants them the nicest rooms in his palace.
“But you will not rest from your journey until you have performed!” he declares, not a man who is used to waiting for his pleasures. “I have heard from afar that your productions are not to be missed, and I will have you perform several times before you continue your journey.”
Abram and Dantes sit next to the Caliph of Mecca, as the play begins. The voice of the actress playing Ophelia catches the Caliph’s attention, and begins to closely watch her, noticing that she gazes at him throughout all of her parts. He is so captivated that as soon as the show ends, he demands to have the young lady brought before him and asks her, “May I see your face? Please remove your veil.”
“No, Your Majesty, I can only show my face to my betrothed, and I have not yet decided if he is worthy of my love. He has passed two tests so far; first he wrote me a beautiful poem, and second he found my voice attractive; less important, though still a requirement to win my heart, is that he is handsome.”
“What a strange coincidence, as I have recently written a poem to my betrothed to prove myself worthy,” says the Caliph. “Can you quote for me a line from the poem you were sent, or tell me what it is about? Perhaps I can model my next verses upon it.”
“First, let me ask you a question,” says Raymee. “If that girl for whom you wrote the poem made it a condition of marriage that she have the freedom to choose her own eunuch, and own her own private residence, and take her hawk hunting when she likes, would you grant her those three wishes?”
“If her eyes are really as irresistibly beautiful as I’ve been told, yes!” says the Caliph. “I would not hesitate to give her everything she desires.”
“And would you marry her tomorrow, if you beheld her violet eyes tonight, and would you grant her supremacy over all of your wives, if she bears for you a son?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” exclaims the Caliph. “Are you Raymee, with the violet eyes? Please do not keep me in suspense any longer. Abram, is this your daughter Raymee? I would not have expected you to bring such a precious jewel across the desert. Sultan Sinbad, does this actress have violet eyes?”
“I can't say,” says Dantes, “as I have never seen her eyes.”
“Young lady, may I know your name?” asks the Caliph.
“Before I remove my veil,” says Raymee, “I respectfully request that His Majesty, my future husband, make a vow to me, that he shall always honor, cherish, love, and respect me, and carry out my will as if his own for all of his life. Are you willing to make this vow?”
“Yes, anything to see your violet eyes! Please, I beg of you. Kindly remove the veil.” The Caliph is overwhelmed with desire, for he is a great collector of rare jewels and objects, and a girl with violet eyes would be the crown jewel in his collection.
The suspense is palpable, and all attention is focused on Raymee, as she slowly begins to remove her veil. Then she stops, saying, “I need a token of your love. What can you give me as a show of your sincerity?”
“I have these three brilliant diamonds; please accept these as a token of my sincerity to love, honor, respect, and adore you, and to serve your will as if it were my own, forever. Will you accept this token and my pledge?”
“Yes,” says Raymee, “and I will choose my eunuch now. Bring my cousin Mumad here.”
“But Raymee,” exclaims the Caliph, “you promised to remove your veil!”
“I will in a moment,” she says impatiently. “I will need clear vision to see my first act as queen in my new country.”
“What act is that?” asks the Caliph.
“Have your guard strip my cousin Mumad on the stage, and have your physician remove his testicles while your guards pin him down.”
Mumad cries out, as the veins in his forehead swell. “Please — don’t!”
An evil grin spreads across the face of the Caliph, who says, “So ordered!” as Abram and Dantes watch in horror.
The Caliph looks at Raymee and says, “Wait, Dr. Omar, don’t cut yet — Raymee must remove her veil.”
Mumad begins sobbing, begging Raymee to forgive him and spare him this indignity. The spectators are torn between catching a glimpse of Raymee’s eyes and the gruesome operation about to occur on the stage.
Dantes says, “Wait! Raymee, how can you justify such cruelty? Mumad is your childhood companion, and he loves you with his whole heart.”
“I was too ashamed to tell anyone,” Raymee says, hanging her head, “but Mumad tried to force himself upon me one night on our journey. I freed myself only because my panic gave me strength, and every night since then, I have been unable to sleep, fearful he would return in the night.”
Dantes’ eyes go hard and his face becomes a mask. “I have no further objection. Proceed.”
Raymee removes her veil, and all eyes are trained upon her. The Caliph drops to his knees and kisses Raymee’s hand, saying, “Mine eyes have come to see the meaning of paradise. This must be the same feeling Adam felt when first seeing Eve in the Garden of Eden. Allah Akbar.”
Although not quite so enraptured, Dantes catches his breath, when Raymee’s eyes meet his for the first time. Then Raymee says, “Proceed with the castration.”
Mumad's squirming and crying make the horrifying events even more terrifying, as Dr. Omar finishes the job and turns, bloodied and holding the symbols of Mumad’s manhood. He says, “Should we preserve these in formaldehyde?”
“Yes,” Raymee answers, as everyone else remains stunned by her coldness and cruelty.
Dr. Omar whispers something in the Caliph’s ear. Raymee, overhearing Dr. Omar once again questioning her virginity, holds up her hand to quiet the crowd before her. “Dr. Omar, I see you still doubt my purity. For this insult, I demand that you be my second eunuch. So that there is no question, let me ask Mumad, do you hate me for depriving you of your manhood?”
“Yes,” cries Mumad.
“So, if I ask you a question, you will answer it honestly, in spite of this hatred? Keep in mind that if you lie, I will next have your tongue removed!”
“Yes!” cries Mumad.
“Have you seen me every day since we were babies?”
“Yes!”
“And did you fall in love with me?”
"Yes!"
“Did I ever give myself unto you, or did you ever succeed in forcing yourself upon me?”
“No!”
“Was I a virgin when Dr. Omar came to visit and insulted my father by questioning my purity in front of me?”
“Yes, but I didn’t hear him question your chastity,” says Mumad.
Dr. Omar says, “See, this witness clears my good name. I have not questioned Raymee’s maidenhead.”
“Accept your fate, Doctor. You cannot escape it, and if you lie again, I will have your tongue, too, and I will keep it as a tro
phy to look upon every day to remind me of my power. I will produce two witnesses against you. Father, did not this doctor question the sanctity of my fidelity to my betrothed?”
“Yes,” Abram says, horrified at the thought of what that confirmation spelled for Dr. Omar.
“Now, my husband, you are the other witness. Will you tell the truth, and thereby condemn your friend to being my second eunuch?”
“But your Majesty,” says Dr. Omar, “she is not yet your wife and she is already calling you her husband. Please let me check her privately, as a doctor.”
“There!” Raymee exclaims, “He has witnessed against himself in front of everyone. The only one who will see me privately is my husband, and if he confirms the doctor’s fears, he can have my head. Guards, secure this man here on this stage, so that he is naked, with nothing in reach but his scalpel and blades.
“Once he castrates himself, the marriage will be consummated. He is to be given no food or water until he has done as I command. If his Majesty becomes impatient to take me in my bed, then he may personally conduct the surgery, but no one else may touch this man.”
Everyone in the room looks at each other in shock, except the Caliph, and as an evil grin overtakes his face again, he says, “Now-now, good doctor, be a good sport, and don’t force me to be the one to take away your manhood, as I am not a skilled physician.”
“I beg forgiveness for my indiscretion,” cries Dr. Omar, realizing that he is trapped.
“I cannot,” says Raymee. “Your opportunity disappeared when you said, ‘See, this witness vindicates me,’ which made you more than indiscreet; it made you a false witness, guilty of perjury.”
“How do you know such erudite legal terms?” asks Dr. Omar, “and why not take my tongue, instead of my testicles?”
“To answer your first question, my mother Wisdom taught me what I know; and to answer your second, because I demand your humiliation for the humiliation of my father’s honor. And even if he will forgive you, I will not,” says Raymee.
Dr. Omar looks at his bloody hands, his tools, and his naked private parts. He cannot fathom the horror of what he knows he must do.