Chapter 15: Settling Down

A few days later, the Emir had finally approved the list of the women who were to leave his harem. The numbers were to be reduced to fifteen and then allowed to build up again by purchases and gifts. The women whom Kamal Qumsiyeh thought were suitable would be given to various businessmen ostensibly as a celebration of the end of the two months' mourning David had ordered and then forgotten about. The remainder were to be sold, except for Laura. Hajji Kofi Natsheh was adamant, or at least as adamant as he dared to be to his Emir, that it would be folly to allow her out of the Emir's control; somehow she might escape to America and that would mean trouble.

Hajji Kofi Natsheh's private opinion was that if she returned to the USA the Americans would not have been too upset about her being kidnapped into an Emir's harem, that was so Hollywood romantic. They would, however, be totally incensed at her being used as the quarry in a hunt. He did not voice this opinion to his Emir, since it would seem a criticism.

The Chief Eunuch was summoned and given the list of disposals and where they were to go; he would arrange their removal to their new harems or to the sale warehouses. Not all would be sold in one auction, they would be spread around so as not to favour one house over another.

"It seems to me," said David affably, addressing Kamal Qumsiyeh, "that you and the Chief Eunuch are hiding something."

The silence echoed round the anteroom to the harem as the two officials glanced fearfully at each other.

"Well?"

Kamal Qumsiyeh eventually spoke, "Well, Master..."

His voice trailed off and David push him, "What is the matter?"

"Nothing is the matter, Master, and we are not hiding anything, not as such," the Chief Eunuch tried to reassure him.

"Not as such?" thundered the Emir, "I know a feeble get out if I hear one. Tell me everything now, and I won't punish you, but hide anything now and you will certainly pay for it when I find out."

"Well, Master," Kamal Qumsiyeh started, "I don't know how to..."

"Just say it," said David in a tired voice, "Just say it and I will ignore the insult."

"Well, Master,..." he tried again.

"What is wrong with the well?" snapped David being deliberately obtuse.

"Nothing, Master," said Kamal Qumsiyeh, "It is the status of some of the women in the harem."

"Yes?" prompted the Emir.

"Some of them have no status, Master," came the perplexing reply.

David took a deep breath and applied his mathematical analysis skills from Oxford, "List all the possible legal statuses that are available."

"Well there are wives of the Emir, of whom there are none at present, who would be full female Kobekistani citizens. There are a number of indentured slaves who have been purchased and have neither nationality or rights. There are a few concubines who were gifted to the Emir and are Kobekistani citizens but without rights. The only other possible status is that held by her Highness Pauline when she visited, which is foreign nationality with all the rights pertaining to that nation. Oh and I suppose we could have female diplomats, but there have never been any."

David thought for a moment and said, "I suppose Zubeydeh does not fit?"

"Among others, Master. Ludmilla also still has Russian citizenship, we have now established, but seems to have no rights."

"Well, what can we do about it?"

"The Emir can do whatever he wishes," came the startling reply, "but I would caution against marriage, especially as a first wife, until appropriate fecundity is not only established, but also achieved."

"I could have them indentured? They would never agree," the Emir pointed out.

"The Emir could decree. Agreement by the females is not in the least necessary. The position of Zubeydeh is particularly difficult as she was once the first wife of a Prince of the Blood. She claims to hold dual nationality, and is not a slave. She is not honoured as the Emir's mother, and yet lives in the Emir's harem. She is no longer honoured as the Princess Zubeydeh yet is a concubine. Administratively it is an unfortunate situation. The Russian is much easier, and we treat her as a visitor who happens to be also a concubine. She has no indenture number, so her return to Russia is possible at any time the Emir permits."

"Right, I understand. The Russian can stay here as long as I like or be sent home if I like, and nobody is looking for her. Zubeydeh is being sought by her husband in England?" asked David.

"No inquiries have been made, but she telephones him about twice a week. Transcripts are available. He does not expect her to return soon, as she has led him to believe she is as honoured here as the Queen Mother is in England," came the suave reply.

Later the same day David had a bad tempered session with Hajji Darwish Dosmukhamedov and Hajji Kofi Natsheh who seemed to have joined forces to persuade him to adopt a more aggressive stance on the north western border. For years there had been raids back and forth across this border by bands of nomadic Bedouin who really owed allegiance to neither country. With the advent of modern weaponry each country blamed the other for harbouring these bandits and demanded the right to follow escaping bands in hot pursuit across the border. Naturally, each country also demanded that their territory be regarded as sovereign and inviolable.