is good to have you back. I have heard excellent things about you from other world leaders, little brother, and from our embassies in America and Europe.’
‘You are too kind, Your Highness. All such credit must go to you in deigning to honour me with the task of ensuring that our embassies have the personnel they need in order to promote your plans for greater democracy.’
Without any command needing to be given a door opened and a servant appeared, followed by two more bringing fragrantly fresh coffee.
Both men waited until the small ceremony had been completed.
As soon as they were alone the Ruler walked over to Xander.
‘Come, let us walk in the garden.’ He told him, ‘We can talk more easily there.’
Beyond the audience room and screened from it by a heavy curtain lay a lushly planted private courtyard garden, alive with the sound of water from its many fountains.
Not a single speck of dust marred the perfection of the mosaic-tiled pathways as the two men walked side by side in their pristine white robes.
‘It is as we suspected,’ Xander announced quietly as they came to a halt in front of one of the many fishponds, and then he bent down to take a handful of food from the nearby bowl and drop it into the water.
‘Nazir is plotting against you.’
‘You have clear evidence of that?’ the Ruler demanded sharply.
Xander shook his head. ‘Not as yet. As you know, I have managed to infiltrate and join the band of thieves and renegades led by El Khalid.’
‘That traitorous wretch. I should have had him imprisoned for life instead of being so lenient with him.’ The Ruler snorted.
‘El Khalid has never forgiven you for depriving him of his lands and assets when you discovered his fraudulent activities. I suspect that Nazir has promised him that if he succeeds in overthrowing you he will reinstate him. I also suspect that Nazir is intending that it is El Khalid who will be seen as the one to strike against you. Of course, he himself cannot afford to be seen to be connected in any way to your assassination.’ He frowned. ‘You must be on your guard—’
‘I am well protected, never fear, and as you say, for all that he hates me and always has done ever since we were boys, Nazir will not dare to strike openly against me.’
‘It is a great pity that you cannot have him deported and banished.’
The Ruler laughed. ‘No, we cannot do anything without concrete evidence, my brother. We are a democracy now, thanks in part to your own mother, but we must do everything according to the law of this land.’
His half-brother’s reference to his own mother made Xander frown slightly. His mother had originally been employed as the Ruler’s own governess. A passionate liberal thinker, she had taught her young pupil, and at the same time she had fallen in love with his father—a love that he had returned.
Xander himself was the result of that love, but he had never known his mother. She had died of a fever a month after his birth, having first made his father promise that he would respect her own cultural heritage in bringing up their son.
As a result of that deathbed promise, Xander had been educated in Europe and America, before being appointed as a roving Ambassador for Zuran.
‘It is you who faces the greater danger, Xander,’ the Ruler said warningly now. ‘And, as both your brother and your ruler, I am not happy that you should be taking such a risk.’
Xander gave a small, dismissive shrug. ‘We have already agreed there is no one else who we can trust implicitly and, besides, the danger is not that great. El Khalid has already accepted me in my role as a disaffected Tuareg tribesman, ostracised by his tribe for criminal activities. Indeed I have already proved my worth to him. We stopped a caravan of merchants last week and relieved them of their merchandise—’
The Ruler frowned. ‘Who were they? I must see that they are recompensed, although no one has made any complaint to me of such an attack.’
‘Nor will they do, I fancy,’ Xander told him dryly. ‘For one thing the attack took place in the empty quarter beyond Zuran’s border, which is where El Khalid has his base and, for another, the merchandise we relieved them of was counterfeit currency.’
‘Ah. No wonder they haven’t lodged a complaint!’
‘Although there have been hints and boasts from El Khalid of his involvement with some very important person, I have not as yet seen Nazir or any of his men making contact with him.
‘However, if, as I suspect, Nazir plans to have you assassinated during one of your public appearances on our National Day, he will have to meet up with El Khalid soon. Coincidentally, El Khalid has let it be known that he intends to hold an important meeting which we are all to attend, but as yet he has not said either when or where this is to be.’
‘And you think that Nazir will be at this meeting?’
‘Probably. I suspect his hand will be the one that guides its agenda, yes. He will want to ensure that the men chosen to accompany Khalid on an assassination mission can be relied on. Nazir won’t want to risk using any of his own men, of course, so, yes, I believe he will be there. And so shall I.’
The Ruler frowned. ‘You aren’t concerned that Nazir may recognise you?’
‘Disguised as a Tuareg?’ Xander shook his head. ‘I doubt it. It is after all their custom to cover their faces.’
The Ruler was still looking concerned.
‘So, Highness, you are pleased then, with the progress of the new hotel complex development? I heard much praise of our country’s existing tourism facilities whilst I was visiting our embassies,’ Xander announced smoothly, looking warningly at his half-brother as he caught the soft sound of someone walking quietly towards them.
The greenery parted to reveal the small but powerfully stocky figure of the man they had just been discussing coming towards them, his fingers covered in heavy jewel-encrusted rings, his venomous glance resting resentfully first on Xander and then on the Ruler himself. Ignoring Xander completely, he bowed stiffly to the Ruler.
‘Nazir.’ The Ruler greeted him coolly. ‘What brings you here? It’s not often you can spare the time from your duties as our Minister of Internal Affairs to visit us socially.’
‘I am extremely busy, it is true!’ Nazir responded self-importantly.
‘I hear there was some trouble earlier in the souk,’ Xander murmured.
Immediately Nazir shot him a suspicious look. ‘It was nothing…A petty thief was causing some disruption, that is all.’
‘A petty thief? But you were there yourself!’
‘I happened to be in the area. Besides, what business is it of yours how I conduct my duties?’
‘None, other than that of a concerned citizen,’ Xander answered him blandly.
His mouth compressing, Nazir turned away from him, deliberately keeping
