It was an easy agreement between Frank and Professor Ward, that they should obtain lodging as quickly as possible and then try to find Mr. Lawrence and Jazira in the marketplace. Mr. Lawrence's clerk accompanied them, addressing several different proprietors, whose apartments were already loaned out. It ended much the way Mr. Lawrence had predicted. After ascending a very narrow flight of mud brick steps adjoining one of the buildings they were shown a one room dwelling with a small window too diminutive to allow fresh air and too high up to reach. The room had collected the heat from the day and everyone mopped their faces. The young clerk spoke in Arabic to the proprietor and then turned to the men saying,
"This is available for tonight only. He says he has family coming. Aden is very busy this time of year. This will no doubt be the best quarters we find available."
Frank spoke up, "We'll take it!"
The clerk turned to the eager proprietor and as he handed him several coins, the young man gestured towards the bare floor and then pointed to a corner of the room. The proprietor shook his head, causing the clerk to hand him another coin. Then the man grinned and nodded. The clerk turned back to the men explaining,
"Well, it is all arranged. You came out better than I expected you to. He is going to provide some rugs and pillows for the floor for you to sleep on, and he is going to partition off a corner of the room for the young lady traveling with Mr. Lawrence."
Frank corrected mildly, "Traveling with us, the young lady is traveling with us."
The clerk looked at the professor who said, "If we want to see the marketplace, we should get started on our way. Thank you for your help young man. If we see Mr. Lawrence in the market we will tell him how quickly you were able to make arrangements for all of us, and how economically too. Do you happen to know what direction he was headed in?"
The clerk answered apologetically, "No, I don't. But may I suggest, the market will be extremely busy this time of day, why not leave your horses at Mr. Lawrence's office. If I remember correctly, you are to meet him back there anyway."
After tying up their horses in the courtyard beyond Mr. Lawrence's office, Frank and Professor Ward walked towards the marketplace. As they walked along the street Frank brought up a subject that had been churning in his mind,
"You said earlier that you noticed Jazira was being followed, and by someone who had been on the ship, did you mean he had been on the ship throughout the voyage, or that he came on board when we docked in Aden?"
Professor Ward smiled at the intelligent question and replied, "I was wondering if you had remembered. As a professor I am used to paying attention to detail. Did you notice Mr. Lawrence not only made your young lady friend veil herself, but he checked the street as if he expected someone to be standing outside the door?"
"You mean, he is aware she is being followed?" Frank questioned.
"Well, he has a military background. He would have been trained to be very alert to his surroundings. So I would say, yes, he is aware of it. In a city full of veiled women she will not be easy to find now. The only mistake Mr. Lawrence has made, is that he is with her. After all, I believe that is the only way we will find her, is by spotting him first. But let me ask you, who would be looking for her?"
Frank's forehead creased in worry as he responded, "From New York? From England? No one that I am aware of, although there are people here who could make trouble for Jazira, if they knew she had returned to Arabia."
Professor Ward was quite serious as he remarked, "Well, my friend Frank Hopkins, I think you can assume that is exactly what will take place."
Frank did not reply as they rounded a corner onto the crowded thoroughfare of the bustling market. There were stalls selling herbs, spices, chicken, fish, breads, vegetables, bags of rice, coffee, nuts, honey, oils, brightly colored robes, ghutras, iquals, abbayas, carpets, and rugs. For a moment the two men absorbed the sights and the noisy haggling as they walked along, but as they passed stalls selling pottery, copper, brass, and jewelry Professor Ward began telling Frank of the superior quality of these Arabic treasures and their true worth. They lingered at a stall where gold jewelry was perfectly positioned over black silk to catch the eyes and attention of passersby. Professor Ward dated some of the pieces telling Frank several deserved to be in a museum rather than sold on a common street. Frank found it all very interesting but as the professor talked history, Frank's eyes darted along the alleyway looking for any sign of Jazira or Mr. Lawrence. At last he was rewarded when he caught sight of the English hat entering a building some distance down the street. Fixing that position in mind, Frank walked away from the professor who realizing he had lost his audience followed calling out,
"Mr. Hopkins, I don't think it is wise to get separated."
When he caught up with Frank, Frank was standing outside of an establishment where a sign hung from a stave over the door, the writing in Arabic. Professor Ward joined him, his face flushed from his brisk walk. He looked up at the sign and read it to himself then turned to Frank,
"Are you sure you saw them go in here?"
Frank glanced at the Professor noting the perplexed expression in the older man's eyes. Then he glanced along the face of the building, all the other doors however had a porch of some form and he answered firmly,
"I'm sure. This is the only one with a sign like this. Why, what is it?"
The professor scratched his head and looked reluctantly at Frank with dismay on his face, causing Frank to take a step towards the door. Professor War put out a restraining hand saying,
"Look! Let me pop my head in, just to be certain, then I will explain what type of business this is, I promise."
Frank was becoming anxious with the professor's suspenseful manner, but the professor did just as he said and after poking his head in the establishment, he then quietly shut the door and walked back to Frank. Professor Ward's eyes were downcast and the usually ready smile was gone as he rubbed his chin. Frank uneasily shifted his weight. Finally the professor looked up and said with some confusion,
"You were right. I saw Mr. Lawrence sitting in the courtyard just beyond that door." He paused and shook his head as he continued, "I can't explain it, all I can do is tell you that this is a traditional business. I say traditional because it is the tradition that when a young woman is to become a bride, she often will have a woman skilled in the ancient practice of body art, paint intricate designs on her skin. Naturally, it is temporary, the ink comes from a medicinal plant. If you have never seen it before, the artistry is quite astounding. . ."
The professor rambled on hoping his voice would have a calming affect as he noticed Frank's body stiffen, his jaw tighten, and his eyes harden. Frank only heard the drone of the professor's voice, his mouth was suddenly very dry. He passed his tongue over his lips as he stared at that door. However, the professor's next words hit home when he said matter of factly,
"Traditionally, it is the only time, that I am aware of, in which a young woman will have this service performed."
Frank turned on his heels and walked away down the winding alleyway. The professor knew better than to follow him.