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Heat stormed her cheeks The same heat that flooded her veins “Notyears”

“You will answer to ht not like the idea, but it’s true The sooner you accept it, the sooner life will become easier for you”

She wanted to throw so The cups of tea The tray A pillow He was so daant “I take it then I call you Man?”

His faint smile faded “You are very iarded her “You may call me Tair,” he said after a moment

“Why do you get a naet Woman?”

“Because I brought you here, which makes you my responsibility, and therefore my woman”

“That doesn’t make sense”

“It does to me and that’s all that matters since this is my tribe and you are mine”

“Will you please stop calling me your woman? I’ on you or whatever you think I was doing in El Saroush’sto the border town’s old square where he’d kidnapped her “Why would I spy on you? I don’t even knoho you are, and what point would there be spying on a group of bedraggled h town on horseback? I may be an American,” and she drawled the word for his benefit, “but I do have standards”

He nearly hissed “Bedraggled men?”

She crossed her arled”

“They’re not,” he contradicted, incensed “Our horses are some of the finest Arabians in North Africa We breed them ourselves”

“They’re dirty You’re all dirty—”

“You should see yourself”

“I’d bathe if you let me! I’d love some clean clothes, too, but soe of clothes for me”

“I’ll get a knife,” he ue now”

She should be afraid, she should, but soe, and fierce and inti but he didn’t seeues “The point is that I didn’t even notice you in town I was interested only in the children playing And all I want to do is be allowed to continue on to Casablanca”

“Why Casablanca?”

“It’s the next stop on my itinerary”