Luck Is On Our Side
The Black Void - Episode 6880
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Things are looking bleak. Even if we can manage to escape across the river, the obstacle surely won't delay our pursuers long enough for us to get all that far. And they will have a fair idea of where we are likely to be heading from our choosing this point to cross.
The search party that has found us is close enough now that I can see by the light of their lanterns that there are about eight of them. No doubt they will all be armed. With two or at most three competent swordsmen in our party (depending on whether Munaf can handle a sword), we would stand little chance if we attempted to fight them, even if all of us girls armed ourselves as well. Then a beam of light from one of the lanterns falls across Usman's face. One of the search party says: "It's the Captain! What are you doing with these fugitives from the harem, Captain?" "If you were a harem girl, Majid, would you have wanted to stay when Arif became Sultan? I decided that the honourable course for an officer and a gentleman would be to assist them to flee." Naturally he doesn't let on that there is rather more than that behind this escape attempt. I pull the hood of my cloak further across my face. I don't know if any of these men ever saw me and could recognise me, or would believe that I killed the old Sultan, but I don't want to take the chance. "You should have let us in on your plan, Captain," another man says reproachfully. "We'd have helped you." "I didn't want to put anyone else at risk. And most of you have wives and families to think about. But it's lucky for us that this search party turned out to be formed of men from my own troop." "Aye, Captain," Majid says. "You always treated us well, and we won't betray you now. But now you had better make haste to cross the river. There are other search parties out, and those with men who didn't serve under you won't turn a blind eye like we will. We'll report that we have found nothing. Goodnight, Captain. I suppose that it is farewell, too, as we won't be seeing you again. And goodnight to the rest of you."
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JH
3/14/2012 2:13:33 PM
Extending Enabled
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