Chapter 17: Visitors

The Emir was asked by his military advisor, General Mustapha, what was to be done with non-citizens of Tirfil, foreign nationals working there and their families.

"How many are there?" he asked.

"Dozens of men, some with their wives," he was told.

"The men who are on non-military projects do not concern us, turn them and their dependants loose," decided the Emir, "Military advisors can be repatriated compulsorily; their families stay or go with their menfolk. Does that cover all of them?"

"Not quite, Master. There are three women whose men were killed in the fighting," said the General.

"Repatriate them first class by air, with their husbands' bodies at our expense. We have no quarrel with them," ordered the Emir, and he left the General to deal with the problem.

When he had passed these orders on the General thought the matter was finished, but his Adjutant said, cautiously, "That leaves one problem."

"What is that?"

"Some of the men had concubines, mostly local, who will not be welcomed in the country of origin of the menfolk. In most cases they would not be allowed in."

"Take them to Kobekistan as spoils of war for the soldiers who found them. If they were concubines they will be saleable as slaves for our men," ordered the General.

Of that dozen or so women, what neither of them knew was that one concubine was British. Charlotte had come to Tirfil with a man who was not her husband, and had left England and entered Tirfil illegally, using his wife's entry on a joint passport. Her man had been killed accidentally in the fighting and she begged not to be sent back to England as the reception from his family would be very antipathetic indeed. Her own husband would not want her back either, she claimed, and she didn't have a passport of her own. The soldier who had captured her decided to keep her, since that seemed to be what she wanted, though his English was not very good and he had not realised that she was asking to see the British Ambassador.