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‘One of the benefits of dual rulership—one pair of hands always available to hold onto the helm of leadership here in Dhurahn, no matter what matters of state require our presence elsewhere’

‘But you are the one who prefers to remain here in the desert,’ Drax pointed out ‘I a our business activities elsewhere’

‘A perfect partnership—built on a trust nothing can destroy and absolute loyalty’

Silently they clasped hands, and then, in the ed a fierce, brotherly embrace

CHAPTER ONE

‘YOU are useless—totally and coht you were up to the deree, and an MBA, and yet you cannot do the si you are told’

On and on went the harsh, critical voice of her Lebanese eht of the veno directed towards her, all too aware that if she looked directly at Madame al Sawar now the other wory hostility in her own eyes And Sadie could not afford to give madame the opportunity to threaten, as she had done many times already in the two es still owing to her

To be accused so unfairly and so vindictively was bad enough, but to have to stand here and be berated in a voice loud enough to carry to the rest of the al Sawar household—a traditional Arab household, where loss of face was so to be dreaded and avoided at all costs—made it even worse It was typical of her enised, that she should choose to accost and accuse her while she was enjoying her legitiarden of the al Sawars’ traditional Moorish-style Zuran hoh she could not see the in the shadows of the building, listening to their e her assistant

Not that they could avoid hearing as going on, withso loudly The whole street could probably hear, Sadie reflected miserably She wasn’t the only recipient of her employer’s vile te her temper with someone

Sadie could have defended herself against her employer’s unfair accusations, of course, and told her that she did indeed possess both a First Class Honours degree and an MBA And she could have told her, too, that asher it couldn’t co taken the job But the truth was that she si consistently refused to pay her since she came here

‘I have no use for such a deadweight as you in my business You are dismissed’

‘You can’t do that!’ Sadie burst out, panicked out of her determination not to be forced into a verbal battle

‘You think not? I assure you that I can And don’t think that you can walk out of here and get another job,’ madame screeched ‘Because you can’t The Zurani authorities ials who try to take work from the locals’

Illegals! Now Sadie had to stand up for herself ‘I aal,’ she protested ‘You know that You assured me yourself when I took this job that all the necessary for the necessary forhtly sick with panic now, as well as froin the full burn of the sunlight, whereas madame herself remained in the shade

Sadie could see a s look of satisfaction in the older wo