Chapter 22

Even though we were landing in a foreign country there was no customs to go through. In fact the Emir met us as we came off the plane. The girls were met by a woman in traditional dress and escorted to a limo of their own while I went with the Emir.

"Tommy, I know you must be tired after your long flight, but I just had to come welcome you to Kuwait myself. We have some nice daytime activities planned for you while you are here, but you must save some of your strength for poker.

"Please tell me you are going to try your hardest to win my money while you are here," he said, and only laughed a little.

"When have I not? I will leave you enough to remain Emir, but when I leave you will be calling me the banker of Kuwait," I told him, yanking just a little at his twine.

He gave me the strangest look and then guffawed, and he couldn't quit for nearly three minutes. When he got his composure back he tried to say something, but laughed again when he looked at me. Finally he got it together.

"I remember your wit all over again and it is good you came to visit. I haven't laughed so hard since I saw you last," he said.

We spent the rest of the trip to his palace, or whatever they called them, just laughing and joking with each other. He could make a pretty good joke himself for a country's chief executive. The only thing which looked even a little odd to me was all the security after we entered the gates to his place, but I didn't doubt he needed it.

The limo dropped me off at the residence where the girls were getting out. The Emir apologized, but said he had some business to attend to. I was just as glad and he promised to give me a day or two to get over the jet lag - telling me it really kicked his ass every time.

I joined the girls and there were five of them now. Jerrilyn introduced me to Kahlila, telling me she would be our guide while we were here. Guide us she did, to a massive suite of rooms. It was flanked by two huge baths, and Kahlila showed me which one was reserved for my use.

The bedroom had the largest bed in it I'd ever seen. It had a full canopy, but it wasn't decorated in a feminine way, and when I took a look under it all I could see was mirror. I realized the potential at once. Then she led us to a door and I tumbled to the fact it was to the quarters of my harem. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud over it.

After the show and tell Kahlila asked if we wanted to sleep right away or if we'd rather have something to eat. I knew what my vote would be, but I kept my mouth shut and let the girls decide.

"If Tommy's awake Tommy's hungry. We'd better have a meal before bedtime," Selene said, and it seemed like Kahlila nearly laughed though I couldn't really tell with her veil in place.

While she went to see about dinner for us the girls told me to put on something comfortable since we wouldn't be leaving our quarters before morning and then they disappeared into my harem's quarters to do the same.

I changed into some well worn and faded jeans and a T-shirt. What? They'd said we weren't leaving again until morning and to put on something comfortable. This was as comfortable as it got.

The girls came out of their quarters shortly and I felt better about what I was wearing since they were all in lounging pajamas. I was surprised to see Kahlila was with them, and while she wasn't in lounging pajamas she was out of her traditional garb and her headdress and veil were missing too.

"Don't look like you swallowed something, Tommy. Kahlila is part of the family while we're here. Just don't mistake her for one of your harem," Jackie said, and then they all laughed at me, even Kahlila joined them after a second though I don't think she intended to.

There was a dining room in the suite and soon enough some servants came to serve us. I was surprised to see I had a New York Strip while the girls had other American looking dishes - even Kahlila had what looked like a ribeye with green beans and a baked potato.

I was finally able to relax while we were eating and after the girls teased me a little Kahlila seemed to relax too. She didn't strike me as a normal servant so I finally bucked up my nerve and asked her what she normally did.

"I just finished my degree at The University of Texas. I had a major in computer science with a minor in artificial intelligence," she said.

"Well if nobody else is going to say it I am. Hook 'em Horns. That's my alma mater you're talking about."

"Oh, really. I just finished in December and I'll admit I've missed Texas since I've been home. I knew you were from there. It's why I begged my father to let me be your guide. I didn't realize we had gone to the same University though."

"Yes, I got my Masters there in Business Administration, and it led me directly to playing poker for a living."

"You mean you spent all that time in school and didn't even use your degree at all?" she asked, and seemed amazed.

"I wouldn't say it exactly that way. In the first place I went to school and went on to get the Masters to avoid serving in the military during the Vietnam war. I never developed a deep seated mistrust of other cultures and I wasn't mad at anyone in Vietnam, North or South.

"Secondly, my degree, or what I learned getting it has helped me avoid paying most of the taxes I owed my government over my winnings. It made me a firm believer in the cash economy," I said.

She looked at me a little funny and then burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she nearly choked for a second before she got hold of herself. Of course we were all looking at her and wondering what the hell was so funny.

"I'm sorry for laughing like that, but it really is so funny. All the tales father would tell of losing extra money to you to make up for you having to pay the devilish income tax just came back to me at once and it seemed too funny to be real," she said, and laughed again.

"I guess I took money from him under false pretenses then, and I guess now that I know I should tell him. Then again, I don't want to tell him how to run his business," I said, and laughed myself.

No. I hadn't missed the fact she had called him father, or that she could only be talking about the Emir. It made me wonder why the ruler of a foreign country would send his daughter to act as a guide for one of his guests.

The more I thought about it though the more sense it made. No doubt he had plenty of wives and probably even plenty of daughters, and she had admitted to asking for the job. I didn't bring it up though.

Kahlila did though, sorta. She started telling about when she was little and her father and mothers would come back from visits to the United States. She said their mothers would come back telling them stories about the wonderful shows they saw and of the beautiful showgirls in their outrageous costumes.

"My favorites though were when father would tell us of his adventures with Tommy in the Horseshoe and The Palomino Club. It was only years later, when I was in school in Texas that I learned there was no gambling in The Palamino Club," she said, and then blushed a little.

"Who you think you're telling, girl?" Selene said, and then laughed herself.

"Excuse me. Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"Not on your life, Kahlila. It's just funny to us because Jackie, Jerrilyn, and Christine were all showgirls before we took up with Tommy, and I was a dancer at The Palamino Club," Selene told her.

"Really! Selene you must teach me to dance as you did there, please," she asked.

"Sure. I'm glad to be through with all of it, but I damned sure remember how. We should have plenty of time for you to learn since Tommy will probably be playing cards all the time," she said.

I was getting a little tired by now, and even though it was still afternoon here it was time for bed for me. The girls said they were going to try staying up longer so they'd get adjusted to the time change more quickly. I told them to knock themselves out and headed back to the giant bed to crawl into it alone.