Yanit was woken by the sound of someone knocking on the door of her room.
'Yanit, are you awake?' Alex's voice followed the knocking. 'Are you decent? Can I come in?'
'Um... yes!' Yanit called back. 'To all three.'
The door was pushed open and Alex sidled into the room. Yanit pulled herself up into a sitting position, yawned and rubbed her bleary eyes. Alex smiled at her. As soon as she had finished yawning, Yanit smiled back at him.
'What time is it?' she asked.
'About ten o'clock,' said Alex.
'God, ten o'clock!' said Yanit. 'You must think me a terrible lazybones, Alex. My sleep pattern has been all over the place since... well, you know.'
'No one thinks you're a lazybones, Yanit,' Alex assured her. 'You don't just get over something like that overnight.'
'Still, I've really got to pull myself together,' said Yanit. 'I need to get back to teaching – that'll force me to get out of bed in the morning!'
'If you're sure you're ready, you'd better have a word with Ardeth about it,' said Alex.
'I am sure,' said Yanit. 'I'll talk to him later today.'
'That was what I came to talk to you about, actually – your plans for today, I mean.'
'I didn't really have any, until just now.'
'That's good,' Alex grinned, 'because I was talking to Fadil at breakfast, and he said he wants us to go into Cairo with him today and meet Tara for lunch.'
'Cairo? Today?' said Yanit.
'Yeah,' said Alex. 'You know how the pair of them went to the cinema again last night? Apparently Tara was saying how keen she is for the four of us to meet up, so she suggested we should all have lunch together today.'
'I suppose it would do me good to get some fresh air and a change of scene,' said Yanit, 'and there are some bits and pieces of shopping that I really need to pick up. Okay, I'll come. I'd better just see if I can grab a slice of toast before we go.'
'There's no hurry,' said Alex. 'We're supposed to meet Tara at one o'clock, so we don't need to leave for a couple of hours.'
'Okay, great,' said Yanit. 'I'll just make myself decent and then head down to the refectory.'
'No problem,' said Alex, taking the hint. 'Consider me gone.'
Alex left the room. Yanit stared after him for a few moments with a somewhat wistful look on her face, then she adopted a decisive expression and dragged herself out of bed.
Alex, Yanit and Fadil were sitting at a table outside a café in the centre of Cairo. There was an empty seat waiting for the fourth member of their party. Alex glanced at his watch.
'It's almost five minutes to,' he announced. 'She'll probably turn up pretty soon.'
'In that case,' said Fadil, 'I must share with you both the secret about Tara that I have been keeping to myself for so long.'
'Does she have a third nipple or something?' said Alex, giggling slightly.
'I don't know, but I certainly wouldn't be any less in love with her if she did,' Fadil said primly. 'No, the interesting thing about Tara is that she's... well, to put it bluntly, she's a Medjai.'
Alex and Yanit exchanged a look.
'I thought you said you hadn't told her anything about the Order, Fadil,' said Yanit.
'I haven't – that's how I know she's telling the truth!' said Fadil. 'It all happened by complete accident. The first night that we went to the movies together, we took a few moments afterwards to... say goodnight to each other.'
'You mean to snog each other's faces off, right?' said Alex.
'Well... yes, as you say, Alex,' said Fadil. 'Anyway, she was kind of reaching up my sleeves and rubbing my shoulders while we were in the process of... saying goodnight, and then when we were finished, she happened to see my Medjai tattoo as she was extricating her hand from my sleeve.'
'And she knew what it was?' said Yanit.
'She certainly did know what it was, and she showed me hers!' Fadil said.
'Yes, get in there, Fadil!' Alex grinned.
'Alex, I think you're being very vulgar today,' said Fadil. 'There was no impropriety about the situation. The tattoo is on her right calf; I had never seen it before because she always wears long skirts or trousers.'
'So if she's a Medjai, how come she's never started her formal training?' said Yanit.
'Her mother wanted her to train as a Medjai warrior – that's why she arranged for the tattoo, when Tara was quite young – but her father was never very keen on the idea,' said Fadil. 'I don't know all the details, but apparently Tara's mother died a few years ago and she's been acting as a kind of housemaid and skivvy for her father ever since.'
'Well, we'll have to do something about that!' said Alex. 'If Tara's really a Medjai, she belongs at the Medjai Academy with us! We'll soon whip her into shape.'
'I must admit, I was hoping you'd say something like that, Alex,' said Fadil.
'Still, we mustn't rush into any decisions just yet,' said Yanit. 'Let's hear what Tara has to say for herself first. For a start, she might not want to be trained as a Medjai warrior; maybe that was just her mother's vision for her.'
'Wow, you're right, Yanit,' said Alex. 'We mustn't barge in and make her feel pressured. Did she give you any idea about her own feelings on the subject, Fadil?'
'No,' said Fadil. 'She only told me what I just told you, and she has not spoken of the matter since that night.'
'Well, here comes our chance to find out all about Tara's feelings,' said Yanit, pointing along the street. 'Look – there she is.'
A little while later, Alex, Yanit and Fadil were finishing off their main courses whilst listening to Tara telling a joke.
'You'd think not,' Tara was saying, 'but usually they just leave her hanging on the railings.'
Alex, Yanit and Fadil all burst out laughing. Tara smiled.
'You always have a good one, Tara,' said Fadil.
'I know,' Tara grinned. 'And my jokes aren't too bad either!'
Fadil laughed again. Alex gave Yanit a questioning look; she nodded.
'So, Tara,' said Alex, 'about this Medjai thing.'
'What... what about it?' said Tara.
'Well, Fadil was telling us everything you told him about your Medjai heritage and stuff,' said Alex, 'and we were just wondering – and we're not trying to put you under pressure or rush you into any decisions, but we want you to know it's there as an option – if you'd maybe want to move in to the Medjai Academy and start your training?'
'And complete it in due course, obviously,' Yanit added with a smile.
'Oh, Alex,' Tara breathed, 'I'd love to do my Medjai training! I promised my mother on her deathbed that I'd get around to it someday... and I want to do it too, for myself. But my father's always been dead set against the idea, and I guess I've just fallen into the rut of being his good little housemaid over the past few years... and I needed someone like you to pull me out of it.'
'Sounds like you summed up Tara's situation for us perfectly, Fadil,' said Alex.
'Oh, well,' said Fadil, staring down at his empty plate and rubbing the back of his head, 'I just tell it how I see it.'
'You do understand me perfectly, Fadil,' said Tara. 'That's why there's nothing I like more than spending time with you... and it's why I love you so much.'
'I love you too, Tara,' said Fadil, looking up and smiling at her.
'There's really nothing in the world that I want to do more than come back to the Medjai Academy with you... with all three of you, I mean,' said Tara, 'and get on with my training. My father won't like it, of course... and I doubt I'd ever have had the guts to stand up to him and try to instigate something like this myself... but now that you've made me such a wonderful offer, Alex, I have no intention of looking a gift horse in the mouth!'
'That's great,' Alex grinned at her. 'We have a whole bunch of new recruits arriving after Christmas, so you can start your training with them. But in the meantime, you're welcome to move in to the Academy just as soon as you want.'
'Well, there's no time like the present,' said Tara. 'How about the day after tomorrow?'
They all thought for a moment, then they burst out laughing again.
'It's just that I'll need a little time to pack,' said Tara, 'and to... say a few things to my father.'
'The day after tomorrow would be fine,' said Alex.
'These new recruits...' said Tara. 'They'll all be quite a few years younger than me, won't they?'
'Yes – they'll be eleven to thirteen,' said Yanit. 'Is that a problem, Tara?'
'No, not at all,' Tara said quickly. 'I was just curious, that's all. And will any of them be girls?'
'Yes, some of them are girls,' said Alex. 'It's about time we took on some female recruits, so I'm glad they're finally coming. We already have quite a lot of girls at our other two training centres, but Yanit is still the only one at the main Academy... and she's a teacher and mentor, not a trainee.'
'I'm glad I won't be the only girl in the class, even if they are all younger than me,' said Tara. 'I must admit, I was very surprised when Fadil first introduced me to Yanit – my entire life, I've been under the distinct impression that the Medjai Order is strictly for men only.'
'Oh, it was, for many centuries,' said Fadil, 'but Alex soon changed that when he became Supreme Medjai. He's made so many excellent changes and everybody loves him.'
'Is that right?' said Tara, raising an eyebrow. 'Well, I can certainly see why... or rather, I have no doubt of the truth in your words, Fadil, after everything I've heard from the three of you.'
'Don't you believe him, Tara,' said Alex. 'I'm really nothing special.'
'Of course you are, Alex!' said Yanit.
'You are and you know you are, man!' said Fadil.
'Yes, well... Tara, maybe you'd like to come back to the Academy with us this afternoon, just for a look around?' Alex suggested.
'Oh yes, do come!' said Fadil. 'You can share my horse on the way back.'
'Thank you,' Tara beamed at them. 'I accept your kind and gracious offer. I'll come back with you for the tour this afternoon, then I'll tidy up my affairs at home tomorrow, and move in to the Academy first thing the next morning... if that's okay with you guys, of course.'
'It sounds like an excellent plan, Tara,' said Fadil.
'Of course,' Alex mused, 'the trouble with not having any female trainees is that we don't have a girls' dormitory at the moment... and obviously you can't bunk in with the boys.'
'I wouldn't mind that,' Tara shrugged.
'You wouldn't say that if you knew what it was really like,' Yanit told her. 'It's smellier and noisier and more unpleasant than any girl should ever have to put up with!'
'You really need a private room,' said Alex, 'but they're all full at the moment.'
'Maybe we could tell whoever last received a private room that he has to go back to a shared dorm for a while,' said Fadil. 'Like, until the other girls turn up and we can make a shared girls' dorm.'
'That hardly seems fair on the last person to get a private room,' Tara pointed out. 'I don't want to cause any trouble.'
'The solution seems obvious to me,' said Yanit. 'We can easily make a girls' dormitory by moving another bed into my room. You wouldn't mind sharing with me, Tara, would you?'
'Oh Yanit, how kind of you!' Tara gushed. 'That sounds absolutely brilliant – we can compare notes and stories about the two boys here!'
'That sounds like a definite plan, then,' said Fadil.
'Yes... yes, it's a good plan,' said Alex, apparently slightly distracted. 'Um... okay, who wants dessert? I know I do.'
'Me too,' said Yanit.
'And me,' said Fadil.
'I'm going to have the chocolate fudge cake and ice-cream,' said Tara. 'Why don't you all tell me what you want and I'll go up to the counter and place the order?'
'That's very kind of you, Tara,' said Fadil. 'I'll have what you're having.'
'Sure thing, babe,' said Tara. 'Alex?'
'Yes, I'll have the same,' said Alex. 'Thanks, Tara.'
'I'll just have three scoops of ice-cream in a bowl,' said Yanit.
'Which flavour?' said Tara.
'Oh, whatever's going,' Yanit shrugged.
'That's a really unhelpful answer, you know,' Tara laughed.
'Okay,' Yanit said with a smile, 'I'll have one strawberry, one chocolate and one vanilla, please. Does anyone mind if I go back to the shops for a few minutes, after our dessert? I need to pick up a couple of things from the chemist's.'
'I have a little shopping to do as well,' said Tara. 'I'll tag along.'
'I'll come with you, Tara,' said Fadil.
'Okay,' said Tara.
'I'll settle the bill here and then meet you guys back at the horses,' said Alex. 'I really don't like shopping. Oh, unless you want some company too, Yanit?'
'No, Alex,' said Yanit. 'Thank you, but I would rather be alone for this.'
'Okay, so that's the whole plan mapped out to the last detail,' said Tara. 'Dessert, shopping, back to the Medjai Academy for a tour, then I'll be off home to stand up to my father and pack my bags. Now, it was three chocolate fudge cakes with ice-cream, and one bowl of three-scoop chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice-cream, right?'
They all smiled and nodded, and Tara made her way inside the café.
'So,' said Fadil, as soon as he was sure that Tara was out of earshot, 'what do you think of her, Alex?'
'I think she's lovely, Fadil,' said Alex. 'She's friendly, funny, kind, honest and open, and she's obviously really keen to get her Medjai training underway. You couldn't have done better for yourself, buddy.'
'Thanks,' Fadil grinned. 'That's exactly what I think too.'
'Yes, she's very nice,' said Yanit. 'I don't know... I must confess, I can't help wondering at times whether she's actually too nice, if that's possible.'
'That's just the pressure of meeting new people,' said Fadil. 'She'll soon settle in and completely be herself once she's at the Academy.'
'You'd better hope so anyway, Yanit,' Alex grinned, 'if you're gonna be sharing your room with her.'
'Oh, I'm sure we'll get on like a house on fire,' said Yanit, 'once we're used to each other. We'll be doing each other's hair and borrowing each other's lipstick in no time, I'm quite certain.'
In the assembly hall, Ardeth was supervising the trainees in a staff combat session. He was clearly surprised to see Alex, Yanit, Fadil and Tara enter the chamber and approach him.
'What's going on over there?' said Iqbal, lowering his staff and staring across the cave.
'It looks like Ardeth is being introduced to a visitor,' said James, taking the chance to whack Iqbal across the chest before lowering his own staff.
'Ow!' Iqbal complained.
'You snooze, you lose, pal,' James grinned at Iqbal. 'Hey, Saf, is that your brother's new girlfriend?'
'Um... I guess it must be,' said Safin. 'Yes, they seem to be holding hands.'
'Ugh, sickening,' said James. 'I wonder why he's brought her to the Academy.'
'Fadil once mentioned something to me about her having Medjai blood,' said Safin. 'Maybe she's come to start her training.'
'I bet that's not the main reason Fadil has brought her,' said Iqbal.
'Yeah,' James laughed. 'The only "training sessions" he'll want her to do will be in private, in his bedroom!'
'Come on, guys,' said Safin, 'I'm sure it's not like that.'
'Maybe we'll find out in a second,' said Iqbal. 'I think they're coming over here.'
'I want you to meet my little brother,' Fadil was saying to Tara as he led her across the cave. 'Here he is. Tara, this is Safin. Safin, this is Tara, my girlfriend.'
'Er... hi, Tara,' said Safin.
'Hi, Safin,' Tara beamed at him. 'Aren't you just the cutest little thing?'
James and Iqbal giggled behind their hands. Safin scowled. Tara held out her hand. Safin shook it.
'I just know we're going to be the best of friends,' said Tara.
'Yeah...' said Safin, looking into her eyes with an uncertain expression on his face. 'Yeah, I bet we will be.'
'So serious for one so young!' Tara laughed. 'Why don't you show me your staff technique, Saf? I might be able to pick up some tips for my own training.'
'Tara will be joining the intake of trainees in the new year,' Fadil explained.
'Oh...' said Safin, still giving Tara an odd look. 'Oh, right. Um... yes, I'll show you my staff technique. James, would you mind partnering me?'
'Not at all,' said James. 'Come at me, bro.'
Safin lunged at James and gave him a sound thrashing. James looked slightly annoyed, but he grinned and clapped Safin on the back when it was all over.
'Wonderful, Safin!' Tara said admiringly. 'I can see I have a lot to learn.'
'Come on, babe,' said Fadil. 'I think Alex is keen to continue with the tour. I'll see you later, Saf. We're still on for our soccer session at six, right?'
'Yeah, right,' said Safin. 'See you then, Fadil.'
Fadil and Tara went back to where Alex and Yanit were exchanging some obviously heated words with Ardeth. Safin stared after them, frowning slightly.
'Wonderful, Safin,' James wheedled in an accurate imitation of Tara's voice. 'Man, she is so fake!'
'Do you think so?' said Safin, sounding very interested to hear James say this.
'Definitely,' said James.
'I thought she was a bit much,' said Iqbal. 'Still, I suppose it could just be because she's nervous about meeting a whole load of new people in a new environment.'
'Yes...' said Safin. 'Yes, that's probably it.'
'Okay, class,' Ardeth suddenly announced, 'I think that's enough for today. You are dismissed.'
'Great,' said James, as the noise level in the hall quickly started to rise. 'Let's hit the showers, shall we?'
'Okay,' said Iqbal. 'Are you coming, Saf?'
'Hmm?' said Safin, as he watched Ardeth follow Alex, Yanit, Fadil and Tara out of the chamber. 'Oh... yeah, good idea; I suddenly seem to have broken out in a cold sweat.'
'Let's see which one of us can take the most towel flicks to the balls without hollering,' James suggested.
'Hey, no fair!' said Iqbal. 'Safin always wins that game!'
'Maybe today's your lucky day, Iqbal,' James grinned.
'Yeah,' Iqbal grinned back at him, 'maybe it is.'
Alex, Yanit, Fadil and Tara emerged from the Academy's main entrance, into the encroaching dusk.
'I've had a wonderful afternoon, guys,' Tara beamed at them. 'Thank you so much, all three of you... for everything.'
'No problem, Tara,' said Alex. 'We're glad to have you on board.'
'I'll be back shortly after dawn the day after tomorrow, if that's okay,' said Tara. 'The journey from my home should take about an hour.'
'I'll be here to greet you an hour after sunrise,' said Fadil. 'May I escort you home now? I could help you break the news to your father.'
'No,' Tara answered quickly. 'Thank you, Fadil, but it's better if I talk to him alone.'
'Very well,' said Fadil, 'but at least take one of the Medjai horses with you. It will know its way back here the day after tomorrow, and you can bring as much luggage as the creature can carry!'
'Okay,' said Tara, 'I'll take you up on that kind offer. Thanks, Fadil.'
'I'll show you to the stables,' said Fadil.
'Sure thing,' said Tara. 'Bye for now, Alex and Yanit. I look forward to seeing you both the day after tomorrow.'
'We're looking forward to it too, Tara,' Alex assured her.
'Ever so much,' Yanit added.
Tara gave them both a final winning smile before Fadil led her away. Alex fixed Yanit with a wry look.
'You're still not crazy about her, are you?' he said.
'I think she's lovely, just as you do,' Yanit assured him. 'I just find that I'm not completely acclimated to her yet... but when I am, we shall be best gal-pals forever.'
'So you're definitely not gonna mind sharing your bedroom with her?'
'Well... to put it bluntly, Alex, I don't have a lot of choice, do I? Fadil so wants her to come and live here, and like you said, she can't share with the boys.'
'Maybe... maybe you do have a choice, Yanit,' said Alex. 'Maybe Tara can have a private room... your private room... if you'd consider moving in somewhere else.'
'Like where?' said Yanit.
'Well, maybe this is a totally crazy idea,' said Alex, 'but I've been mulling it over since lunchtime and I know I'm just gonna burst if I don't at least suggest it to you.'
'Go ahead, then,' said Yanit.
'Yanit,' said Alex, 'would you like to... I mean, would you care to... or rather, what I mean to say is, would you maybe consider... and I'll understand if you don't want to, but...'
'Just go ahead and ask me, Alex.'
'Do you want to move in with me? I have loads of room – it wouldn't make sense your sharing that single room with Tara when you could be sharing a massive suite with me.'
'Is that the only reason you're suggesting this?' Yanit asked, somewhat coyly. 'Spacial good sense?'
'No, that's not the only reason,' Alex said firmly. 'Yanit, I love you and I want us to be together for the rest of our lives... so I figure, why shouldn't we start now? Oh, not that I'm expecting you to... well, to jump into bed with me right away, if you get what I mean. I'll sleep in the breakout area for as long as you want, and you can have the bed. The couch really is extremely comfortable. I'd just love to have you near me, Yanit; it would make me so happy to think of that huge room as ours instead of mine. So, what do you say?'
Yanit smiled, and reached out to stroke Alex's cheek. He smiled back at her, and cupped his hand over hers.
'Alex, it's a sweet and lovely offer,' said Yanit, 'but to be honest with you, I'm not so sure it's the best idea for us to start cohabiting just now. Ardeth -'
'It's none of Ardeth's business and he won't dare to say a thing about it!' Alex cut in.
'Taking Ardeth out of the equation, then,' Yanit said with a smile, 'I'm not entirely sure that I'm ready to take such a step. It's so gallant of you to offer to sleep on the couch, but do you really think you can... control yourself? With me so near and so scantily clad in my night attire, I mean.'
'I can definitely control myself, Yanit,' Alex said firmly. 'I'd never do anything to disrespect your feelings; I hope you know that.'
'I do know that, Alex,' said Yanit. 'Of course I do. But to be honest with you, I'm far from sure that I could control myself in that situation. I know you like to sleep with your top off, and every time I see your naked torso... ooh, all kinds of stuff happens to me!'
'I'll wear my Medjai issue pyjamas!' said Alex. 'I'd do anything if it meant you'd move in with me, Yanit.'
'Let me sleep on it, okay?' said Yanit. 'I'm absolutely thrilled that you've asked me this and I think it's a wonderful idea in many ways, but... well, as I say, I need tonight to mull it over.'
Alex nodded and said, 'Whatever you need, Yanit.'
