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Networking With The Enemy
Topic Started: May 20 2012, 06:27 PM (263 Views)
Basha'ir Nasim bin Safwan
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[ *  *  * ]
Basha'ir shivered, just barely, but drew herself up to her full height in front of him.

"Aiwa, habibi," she said, far more calmly than she felt. "Ana faHma. I will do as you say."

She looked away for a moment and tried not to be afraid, but she couldn't miss the weapons that everyone - Farik included - were carrying... and had caught snatches of conversations as she had moved toward Farik as she arrived. These men were radicals, their beliefs extreme... their opinions harsh, but there was a weakness... inherent in the arguments she heard going on around them. They lacked... clarity... direction. They lacked leadership.

Understanding dawned on her, and she looked up at Farik, a deepening respect and trepidation vieing for a place within her, in her relationship with her husband.

"You brought these men here... so that you can learn how best they can serve you..." it was not entirely a question, then she added, "or what you can expect from them in opposition of you."
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Faris al-Farik
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Farik looked at his wife as she spoke and he nodded as she made it clear that she understood what was going on around them.

"You are very perceptive my love," he said, his tone holding a note of approval though he went on to say, "...I would not have you concern yourself with my...business...dealings though. They are tiresome enough for me as it is and when I am with you I would prefer we concentrate on more...pleasurable...activities..."

His eyes darkened as he felt his passions stir at the thought of later, when his 'guests' were all gone and they would retire.

For a moment or two he wondered if it had been a good idea to make it known that he had re-married, but then again he could not let his enemies know that what Samia had done had all but destroyed him...he could not show them any weakness and by having his new wife here, by his side, it would show them that he had no doubts in his ability to protect her.

"Come, let us mingle...there are one or two wives that you may wish to meet."



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Rose Edwards
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[ *  *  * ]
"I want you to stay close... Rose. Obey me in this. Stay close."

Rose looked at him, saw he was being serious and she glanced around the room, sensing danger everywhere.

"Okay..." she agreed, not willing to argue with him on this one. "Um...I just need to go...powder my nose...i'll come find you straight away once i'm done, is that alright?"

Kasim nodded and released her arm and she almost reluctantly moved away from his side, forcing herself to focus on where she was going and not look back at him.
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Basha'ir Nasim bin Safwan
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Basha'ir nodded, though she had little doubt that such meetings would be as dangerous for her in female circles as anything she might face at Farik's side in the meeting. Women, particularly those married to men who believed they had authority, were not well known for their generosity in dealing with newcomers - and would no doubt see her as one such interloper.

She slipped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her to the couples and individuals that he wished for her to know, and - probably more pertinently - for them to know of her existence.

Her suspicions about the worm proved founded, their eyes were dark with suspicion, and each and every one of the women tried to catch her out on anything and everything from the mundane to the most philosophical arguments. For each and every comment, she had a smooth, polite and intelligent response - a slap down for the women that they did not realise she had made until several minutes had passed and the conversation had moved on. Only one caught on right away, but had no response other than to comment to the assembled group:

"Pretty young thing, is she not?" she turned then to Farik, and with a treacle smile added, "You have outdone yourself this time, Farik; you must watch her carefully. Unlike Samia, I worry she will out-think you."
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Kasim Ibn Khaled
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[ *  *  * ]
Left alone, Kasim took several steadying breaths, and began to circulate around the room, keeping his eye on Farik as he circulated, giving attention to each of the guests in turn.

He tuned his ears in to the conversations he heard going on... many rumblings of trepidation at the reappearance of Farik - what that might mean for their community - for the direction of the cause.

He smiled inwardly, though he kept his countenance serious, and kept a weather eye open for Rose's return, becoming more and more agitated the more that time passed and she had not returned.

"It will still go down without a hitch, no matter what this miserable bastard might try. Can't expect to turn up and turn everything on its head after 4 years away - how could he think he could."

He recognised the voice, Gakam-Ali... on of il-Samiiri's more vocal supporters...
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Rose Edwards
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[ *  *  * ]
Rose used the powder room as quickly as she could, not wanting to be away from Kasim for long...the thought troubling her...

She washed her hands and made her way back out along the hallway that led to the main room, the sound of chatter getting louder as she approached. She was almost there when the clip the was holding the veil across her face sprang free and skittered across the marble floor and behind a large display of brightly coloured desert flowers and she hurried after it, not fancying having to hold the veil in place by hand for the rest of the evening.

She went down on her knees, hoping no one saw her and asked her what on earth she was doing. Just as she spotted the clip and her hand closed over it, she saw two sets of feet come to a stop before the flower arrangement. Holding her breath lest the owners of the feet saw her, she waited, not moving...

"Give it another twenty minutes..." one deeply accented voice said.

"Why wait that long?" the other replied, "He has what's coming to him, let's just get on with it."

"Patience my friend," the first voice said, "I understand your eagerness to punish Kasim for his...betrayal of allegiance...but we must allow them to be lulled into a false sense of security for just a little longer. It will be worth the wait, trust me...and when Farik's right hand man is out of the way, the others will be easy to get ride of and then we have a clear run at Farik."

Behind the flowers Rose bristled as she realised just what it was she was overhearing. These men planned to kill Kasim and then ultimately Farik.

Her heart sped up and she had to concentrate to regulate her breathing, trying to decide what to do. If she allowed these men to do as they planned then she may have a chance of escaping, or she could end up in an even worse situation...but there was something else niggling at her...something she didnt want to admit to herself...

Peeking through the flowers as the two men began to move away, she got a glimpse of the side of one of their faces, the horrid scar on his cheek making her grimace.

When they had gone, she slowly got to her feet, taking the clip with her and securing her veil in place she moved to find Kasim, knowing she would warn him about what she had just heard, there was nothing else for her to do...

She moved through the room, looking for him, ignoring the dark looks from some of the men, but when she finally spotted Kasim, her steps faltered as she saw him talking to a particularly pretty woman in a lavender and silver gown and unbidden, something akin to jealousy shot through her.

Was he worth saving? Did he deserve her loyatly...?

Just then she felt a hand brush her arm and she looked up into the scarred face of the man who plotted to kill Kasim.

"I do not believe we have been introduced," he said and Rose flinched as he reached for her hand...

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Faris al-Farik
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"Pretty young thing, is she not?" Halima turned then to Farik, and with a treacle smile added, "You have outdone yourself this time, Farik; you must watch her carefully. Unlike Samia, I worry she will out-think you."

Farik's eyes lingered upon his wife for a moment, proud of the way she had held her own throughout the gruelling conversation with the vicious tongued harridans and eventually he turned his eyes toward his Uncle's wife.

"I would welcome such a thing," he said, "It would make a pleasant change and provide stimulation for a mind long used to hearing false opinions and words said just to please my ears..."
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Kasim Ibn Khaled
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"He... treats you well?" Kasim asked of Nour, trying to keep the doubt from his voice. In his heart he already knew the answer to his question.

Nour sighed softly - weary, "Kasim, what would you do if he did not." she shook her head, "You owe me nothing - you only endanger yourself in asking, and for Aliyah's memory, I would not have you hurt."

"I would--"

"Leave be, Kas... please." Nour's earnest expression softened into a neutral smile as two of il-Samiiri's underlings passed close. Kasim sighed. By her words his suspicions were confirmed and as much as she did not, in the name of her sister's memory, want him hurt, no more did he want to see her suffering at Raban's hands... in Raban's harem his mind corrected. He opened him mouth to tell her so, when he spotted Rose across the milling room - and also the danger heading her way. He shifted in place, and though he hated to leave his discussion with his would-have-been sister unresolved, the uneasiness churning in his belly - his worry for Rose took precedent. He bowed his head in quick acquiescence to Nour.

"As you wish, ya uchti. Please excuse me." He turned then and hurried across the room.

"I do not believe we have been introduced,"

In the moment before Sa'ib's puckered hand closed around Rose's smooth pink, English skin, Kasim put himself between the two.

"It's been a long time Sa'ib," he said trying to keep his voice light even though anger burned inside of him at the other man's resumptions. "And that the past has taught you little."

"Well, if it isn't the Wolf..." Sa'ib hissed, clearly irritated at having been thwarted in his advances. "Though how well you fit that name these days is doubtful. Outcast... surely that is a better name for a cur that turns on its pack leader."

"To lead a pack, one must be 'alpha'" Kasim countered sarcastically. "I hardly think a castrated old mongrel fits that category."

Sa'ib bristled, fire flashing in his eyes, as he reached for the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Why you--" he began

"Ah, ah, ah, aaaaah," Kasim caught his wrist before his hand could close around whatever it was for which he reached. "Halas, Sa'ib... Salaam..." he let go then, held up his empty hands, and a moment later, so too did Sa'ib.

"Halas..." Sa'ib agreed. "For now.."

Sa'ib began to move away - and Kasim turned to Rose, immediately bringing both his hands up to rest against the sides of her shoulders.

"Rose," he said quietly. "You must let no other man touch you - do you understand..." his eyes flashed with deep fire for a moment before he added. "For your sake."
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Basha'ir Nasim bin Safwan
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Basha'ir winced inwardly, though on the outside she kept the smile on her face, remaining quiet and quiescent as Halima and Farik spoke about her. She prayed that this terrible charade of politeness between the women would soon be over.

Halima laughed, somewhat coldly, at Farik's words.

"You say that now, Nephew," she said, and as she did she reached out and cupped the side of Basha'ir's face in her hand, "But when such beauty exists in one with intelligence such as she - trouble can only surely follow. Mark my words, Farik, this one is is trouble and infidelity waiting to happen... At least with Samia, you knew she was too... stupid to try."

Basha'ir froze - her blood turning to ice in her veins as she felt Farik stiffen at her side, she knew she had to act, and quickly if she were to help her husband maintain the decorum that would set him more than head and shoulders above these gathered jackals.

"The desire toward infidelity, Halima," She said, removing her Aunt-in-Law's fingers from her cheek, and with a light flick of her fingers, sent the other woman's hand back to her own side, before allowing her own to find their place within Farik's hand before he could make a fist of it. "Presupposes the presence of many failures, few of which are in the slightest likely given the freely enjoyed discourse of two like minds. How could I not find respect and self respect in that; in the discussion of philosophy, literature... the articles of our faith? Perhaps you and I should... share such discourse, some time soon... on our place as wives according to the Holy Koran." She smiled sweetly then, a smile that did not reach her eyes, as she looked first on Halima, the sarcasm and fire in her eyes clear for the other woman to see, and then more softly on Farik, reassurance and desire shifting across her expression as she looked on him, that turned to a pointed expression as she added, "I am certain that our Uncle would... appreciate such an intellectual exchange among his family members."

Inside she trembled terrible, though outwardly she seemed calm and self assured.
Edited by Basha'ir Nasim bin Safwan, May 21 2012, 03:41 PM.
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Faris al-Farik
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Halima did not try to hide the outrage from her face as Farik's new wife flicked her fingers away from her face and as the younger woman spoke, the outrage turned to discomfort and an uncomfortable silence descended upon the circle of people once her little speech was over.

Looking to Farik to put his new wife in her place, she made a gasping noise when he said,

"I think that is a very good idea hayati...I am sure he would..."

Farik had never been fond of Halima, had often wanted to wipe the smug smiles that she wore from her face and only the respect he held for his uncle prevented him from doing so, though she had almost pushed him to it this time and he was thankful for Basha'ir's calming influence and the feel of her hand in his. He admired the way she had stood up to Halima and defended the strength of their marriage, so fresh and new to her as it was.

He thought perhaps that he could finally leave the women of the family to his wife, let her deal with them as she had just as Samia had always been so softly spoken around his family...probably a false show as everything else they had shared had been.

Smiling at Basha'ir, he looked back at Halima and the other women before saying,

"Please excuse us, there are more people I wish my wife to meet..." and he led her away.

"Well done my love," he whispered in her ear as they moved.
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Rose Edwards
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Rose moved behind Kasim as he came between her and the other man and she could almost feel the undeniable tension between the two men.

She was glad when the other man moved away as they agreed to leave things for now and she jumped when Kasim suddenly turned to face her and gripped her.

"Rose," he said her name quietly. "You must let no other man touch you - do you understand..." His eyes flashed with deep fire for a moment before he added. "For your sake."

For a moment anger flashed through Rose, remembering seeing him stood with the pretty girl in lavendar.

"It's alright for you to be drooling all over some other woman though..." she snapped, then immediately regretted the words for they sounded to all the world like she was jealous.

Are you? she asked herself, then brushed the question aside, remembering that she needed to speak to him.

Edited by Rose Edwards, May 21 2012, 04:17 PM.
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Kasim Ibn Khaled
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Kasim frowned darkly at her accusation, and but for causing a scene, might have slapped her for her comment. Instead he tried to remind himself that she did not understand the mores and customs of his world and with only a slight shake, where he held her, he said:

"If you allow a man to touch you, you are signalling to him that you are avaiable to him." he leaned down to look into her veiled face as he spoke to her. "Is that what you want?"

He looked back over his shoulder at the still retreating Sa'ib.

"Believe me," he said absently, "If you find my company distasteful, Sa'ibs would be--"

He took a breath, cutting himself off, and softening slightly said, "The woman with whom you saw me speaking, is as a sister to me... a sister"
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Basha'ir Nasim bin Safwan
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Basha'ir kept a tight hold on Farik's hand as they moved away from the women and towards a small knot of men. The men each wore galabaya, not business suits, but before she could ask anything of Tarik concerning the men, one of them turned, and a smile lighted his face.

"Faris al-Farik," he said and taking Farik by the shoulders, he embraced him, pressing a kiss to each of Farik's shoulders as her husband did likewise. "The world became a more devout place the day you returned to life, my friend. One step closer to paradise..." He chuckled then. "How are you? Truly? And who is this beauty at your side, this... vision, an angel?"
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Rose Edwards
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Rose felt her face flush as Kasim said, "The woman with whom you saw me speaking, is as a sister to me... a sister" and she was glad that the veil she wore covered her at least a little.

She couldnt believe that he was actually explaining himself to her and a flutter of warmth started in her belly.

Answering his previous question she said, "No...I dont want men to think i'm available...you are more than enough to deal with..."

When he sighed and looked like he might start to move away, she reached out and touched his arm.

"Kasim, I need to tell you something...could we...move somewhere quieter?"
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Faris al-Farik
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Farik smiled as one of his more loyal followers embraced him, seeming truly pleased to see him and drawing Basha'ir close to his side he replied,

"I am fine now and an angel indeed," he nodded, then continued, "...may I present my wife, Basha'ir," then turning to her he said, "Habibti, this is Imad al Din, an old friend of mine and a man I am truly glad to have on my side in these troubled times."

Imad bowed to Basha'ir.

"It is good to see Farik looking so well and so obviously cared for...welcome to our family..." he said.
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