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‘It was a suggestion, not a command For your own benefit and comfort’

‘No, for your benefit and comfort As usual’

‘As usual?’ There was a dangerous lowering of his tone and the peculiar feeling quickened—anger tasted warotten that

‘Yes Ten years ago you convinced Poppy not to allow me to join the expedition to Bahariya’ She felt rather foolish raising this old grievance now and rather surprised by how sharp it still was

‘Precisely, ten years ago I was perfectly justified in objecting to taking a child into the middle of the desert Your brothers and I very nearly didn’t make it back’

‘From what I heard Poppy tell Janet you and Lucas and Chase would not have been in danger either if you had not strayed from the town on your own Since I would have remained, sensibly, with Poppy and Huxley and al-Walid, I would have been safe Besides, I was sixteen Hardly a child’

He bent his glare on his teacup

‘Would you care for so him snap,

‘No Thank you’

‘You are welcory Good

‘Perhaps you weren’t a child, but you acted like one Within a week of our return you had aol and then Poppy and Huxley were almost chased out of Qetara when you kidnapped Sheikh Khalidi’s cats’

‘Oh! That is unfair! You were thrown into gaol because Khalidi’s daughter was fool enough to fancy herself in love with you and caypt I certainly didn’t ask you to try to break Abu-Abas’s nose when Khalidi sent him to return Fatima home’

‘What the devil was I to do when you threw yourself between him and Fatima like a demented Don Quixote?’

He had a point so she round

‘Besides, if I hadn’t tried, and failed, to kidnap Khalidi’s adored cats you probably would have reer’

‘He planned to release ners could assault his men with impunity Simply because your actions did not end in disaster does not mean they were justified It was reckless and foolish and you could have been seriously hurt You always had more luck than sense’

She’d forgotten fury She’d forgotten wanting to launch herself at someone as she had at Abu-Abas when he ordered the soldiers to take Edge away But she was no longer a child and she would not gratify his insults by confir them

‘And you always had e I proaol I shan’t lift a finger I shall reserve my loyalty for people who appreciate it’