ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Evy stood in the doorway of the cabin, listening to Zaynab hum softly as she bathed Ardeth with cool water. The scene seemed very peaceful. Closing her eyes, Evy rested against the doorframe to let the serenity calm her nerves, still jangled by the ordeal of getting the Medjai from the car onto the boat. It had been almost physically painful for her to watch the effort drain away what few reserves Ardeth had managed to hold onto during the flight. Finally, he appeared to be resting comfortably - something for which she was profoundly grateful. Abruptly realizing that the Abadi had stopped humming, Evy opened her eyes and found herself under scrutiny. Seeing her eyes open, Zaynab glanced back down at Ardeth.

"You wish to tend him?" she asked, politely, although it was more of a statement.

"If you wouldn't mind terribly," Evy replied, nodding as she spoke. Zaynab glanced up, again, and studied her for several seconds. She could plainly see the stress of watching Ardeth's continued deterioration on the Englishwoman's face, making her hesitate.

"Please, Zaynab. I simply can't stand doing nothing."

Still reluctant, the Abadi nodded.

"'Alfi shukr," Evy replied, smiling appreciatively. ("Many thanks")

Placing the cloth in her hand back into the basin on the nightstand, Zaynab rose, bowed slightly, and shuffled from the room. Ardeth immediately began to stir, restlessly, provoking a frown from Evy as she sat in the vacated spot. Snatching up the cloth laying across his forehead, she re-soaked it and replaced it. Grabbing another cloth from the basin and lightly caressing Ardeth's feverish flesh, Evy tried to remember the tune Zaynab had hummed. It seemed to have a great calming effect on the Medjai.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Evy glanced up as Najat tapped lightly on the door.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Your husband wishes you to join him for a meal," Najat replied, bowing politely. Evy frowned, wondering why Rick hadn't come to fetch her himself. "I have brought food for Ardeth Bey."

Chagrined, Evy noticed that the Abadi was, indeed, carrying a small tray. She glanced down at Ardeth. He still slept, although restlessly. To her great frustration, Evy knew she hadn't managed to get the tune right.

"Also, his bandages must be tended."

Sighing, reluctantly, Evy nodded. She didn't really want to leave Ardeth, but it seemed unfair to completely abandon her family, and, since she could hardly mix the necessary herbs for Ardeth, there seemed little value in finding an excuse to stay. Dropping the cloth in her hand back into the basin, Evy hesitantly backed away, making room for the Najat.

"If you like, when you return, I will teach you the tune you have been attempting," Najat offered, glancing up at the Englishwoman as she paused in the doorway. Evy frowned, sheepishly. She hadn't intended for the Abadi to hear her humming.

"I have offended...," Najat began, seeing the embarrassment on Evy's face.

"No, no, of course you haven't," Evy hurriedly stated, realizing her expression had given the wrong impression. "I hope that you are not offended that I massacred the lovely tune so badly."

"I take no offense," Najat assured. "It was a valiant attempt."

Evy smiled, genuinely. "I would very much like to have you teach it to me! Thank you!"

Najat bowed and watched the Englishwoman disappear out the door, then turned her attention to Ardeth.

"Ardeth," she prodded. He continued to stir, restlessly, but that was all. Najat sighed. Although, for the moment, his fever seemed to have leveled out, it was still high. Between it, the medicines, exhaustion, and blood loss, she had not expected he would easily awaken, but had hoped. Trying again, she brushed her fingers lightly across his cheek. He still didn't respond.

"Ardeth Bey, you must wake!" Najat attempted, again tickling his cheek with the tips of her fingers. She winced as he startled awake with a flinch that provoked a soft hiss.

Scrunching his eyes tightly, Ardeth waited a few seconds for the fresh wave of pain to ebb away. He indulged in a few extra seconds to compose himself, before allowing his eyes to flitter open and fix on the Abadi.

"I have brought nourishment," she informed him, maternally. Ardeth's stomach churned at the mere thought to food, and he scrunched his eyes shut, weakly waving her away. "You must try to eat a little; your body cannot recover its strength without nourishment."

Ardeth simply scrunched his eyes even tighter, fighting back the nausea rising up his throat. Seeing the struggle on his face, Najat sighed and set the tray down on the chair Evy'd left sitting by the bed. When she didn't speak again, Ardeth relaxed his expression and peeked his eyes open. His brow furrowed as he discovered she was no longer there, but he hadn't the energy to ponder her disappearance. Deciding, after a moment, he'd simply dreamed her, Ardeth mentally shrugged and closed his eyes.

"Ardeth."

He frowned as Najat's soft whisper pulled back from the brink of sleep. Reluctantly cracking his eyes to look at her, Ardeth noticed she held a cup in her hands.

"Will you drink?" She asked, patiently. "It will settle your stomach so that you may eat."

Realizing it had not been a dream, Ardeth sighed, flinching as it provoked fresh stabs of pain. It was apparent that she wasn't going to let him rest again until he ate, so with a reluctant frown, he nodded, slightly. His eyes closed sleepily as Najat's hand slid beneath his head and tilted it up. Feeling the cup press against his lips, Ardeth obediently downed the liquid.

"Can you sit?" He heard her ask and opened his eyes.

It took a moment to focus on her, and when he did, Ardeth found himself distracted by the sudden realization that she hadn't uncovered to tend him, as she had previously. He frowned, disapprovingly, finding it oddly disconcerting, but then furrowed his brow, wondering why it would bother him. Since reaching adulthood, he saw her covered as often as not; it had never previously bothered him. In fact, it should have disconcerted him that she had disrobed outside of her village. But his feverish mind...

"Ardeth?" Najat inquired, disrupting his thoughts. It concerned her when he neither answered nor attempted to sit. Noticing that, although his eyes remained fixed upon her, they seemed not to see her, a slight chill wafted down her spine. Shivering, Najat made another attempt to get his attention.

"Ardeth?!"

He flinched, sending a stab of pain shooting through him that forced his eyes to close tightly. Opening them again, Ardeth frowned, wondering why she'd called his name.

"Can you sit?" Najat repeated, relieved to see a degree of coherency return to his expression. Ardeth nodded, weakly, and attempted to push himself up. To his dismay, his beleaguered body refused to cooperate, and he collapsed back onto the bed, grimacing in pain.

"I cannot," he admitted, once he'd caught his breath. Having observed that for herself, Najat smiled at the unnecessary admission.

"May I assist you," she asked, respectfully. Ardeth reluctantly nodded, growing frustrated by his increasing helplessness.

Najat abruptly reached across to grab the extra pillow lying next to him, causing Ardeth to flinch, but he managed to hide the resulting hiss. Biting his lip, he determinedly stifled a groan as she gingerly wrapped her arms around him and lifted him enough to slide the pillow beneath him, propping him up just enough to eat. Closing his eyes as she settled him, Ardeth smiled, slightly, realizing the arrangement would allow him to go back to sleep once he finished, without enduring the effort of lying back down.

"Will you try to eat, now?" He heard her ask, softly, and opened his eyes. Noticing she'd picked up the tray, Ardeth found that his stomach didn't churn as it had the last time she'd asked.

"I will try," he answered, wearily.

"That is all I ask," Najat replied, carefully balancing the tray across his lap. "We will start with the broth?"

Ardeth nodded. Completely lacking an appetite, it didn't really matter to him what he ate. It pleased Najat, however. She knew the broth would provide his body with the most nourishment. As he would likely be unable to stay awake long, the Abadi had hoped he would not argue with consuming it first.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Ardeth twisted his head to the side as Najat broke off a piece of bread and offered it to him. It didn't matter to him whether his body needed it or not, he couldn't stay awake any longer.

"I can eat no more; please, let me sleep," he weakly whispered, closing his eyes.

Najat frowned, but didn't press the issue. He'd downed all of the broth; that would have to be sufficient. Tossing the bread back onto the tray, she carefully lifted it off his lap and placed on the floor, out of the way.

"Ardeth."

The Medjai opened his eyes to see Najat holding a cup in her hand. He frowned, certain there'd been no cup on the tray. Glancing down, Ardeth saw that the tray had been removed and realized he must have drifted off.

"Will you drink?" Najat asked, frowning as she noticed him become distracted. Ardeth's attention snapping back to her, he nodded and waited for her to press the cup to his lips. Najat smiled as he carefully drank the entirety of the contents. "I must change your bandages, then you may sleep."

Ardeth nodded, smiling contentedly as she began to hum a familiar tune. It changed into a frown as his disorganized mind latched onto a thought.

"They are still unaware..." he began to asked. His brow furrowed with concern, but the question faded sleepily away. Najat studied him for a moment, wondering how he'd remembered to ask, and if he'd remember the answer.

"Evelyn O'Connell knows of the legend, but believes the matter already settled; she does not know of your intentions," she answered, after a few seconds. Believing he'd already drifted back to sleep, it surprised her to see him frown. She paused for a moment, waiting for him to speak. When he did not, Najat renewed her soft humming and turned her attention to his injuries.

Drifting hazily, Ardeth barely felt her touch as she pulled his robe open. Najat rolled him over a little, which roused him slightly, but once she'd rolled him back down, he quickly faded away again. His subconscious latching onto the soothing sound of the melody she hummed, Ardeth wandered toward a dream, blissfully unaware of her fingers brushing against his shoulder wound. He was deeply submerged in the happy memory by the time her hands reached the abdominal wound, sending fresh waves of pain screaming though his body. Ardeth tossed fitfully as it attempted to drag him from his dream, but Najat's soft hum wove through the pain. He focused on it, and the melody carried him deeper into his dream. There, gentle, welcoming, long-grieved-for hands soothed him.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

An interruption in the soft melody scoring his dream distracted Ardeth and pulled him from the peaceful scene. Unable to find his way back to it, he wandered slowly towards consciousness. Ardeth was nearly there when the humming began again; the familiar tune soft and steady, but, strangely, no longer soothing. A different voice now hummed it. Teetering on the edge of sleep, Ardeth couldn't quite place the reason, but something about the voice made him wary. Hesitant, he kept his eyes closed and continued to listen, remembering the song from long ago...long before he knew the voice. The sudden realization prodded him into opening his eyes, barely a crack - not enough to notice, but enough for Ardeth to identify the face that hovered over him.

"Evelyn?" He questioned, in an incoherent mumble. Ardeth frowned, perplexed, as he felt a flinch on the bed next to him, but forgot about it when the humming stopped.

"Ardeth?! You're awake! What's wrong? Do you need something...are you in pain... should I fetch Najat...is it Alex...is he disturbing you...would you like me to wake him and have him get down?"

Ardeth's eyes had closed again by the time Evy paused for breath, but he gradually registered the extra weight of a child on the bed. In a distant part of his foggy mind, it bothered him that he hadn't realized sooner Alex was there, but Ardeth was too tired to worry about it for long. Instead, he gathered enough strength to speak again, answering "no" in barely audible whisper.

Concerned tempted Evy to toss out more questions, but she bit her tongue, hoping that, perhaps, Ardeth had only roused for a moment and would drift back to sleep if she didn't pester him. Frozen in place, she counted the seconds until a full minute of silence had passed, then decided he had, indeed, fallen back to sleep. Silently releasing the breath she'd been holding, Evy began to hum again. When the tune reached his ears, Ardeth forced his eyes to open to a slit, reminded of the question he'd meant to ask.

"Evelyn?" He repeated, this time managing an understandable croak - although barely. Again, the humming stopped, but there was no response from the child lying next to him.

"Yes, it's Evy," she replied, trying to respond more calmly that she had the last time. The Medjai nodded weakly, in a motion so slight she would have missed it had she not been watching closely. After a moment, his brow furrowed, and Evy frowned, anxiously wondering why. "Please, Ardeth, if there's something I can do..."

"You were humming," the Medjai stated, sounding confused and troubled. Seeing it in his expression, Evy grew more concerned. There seemed little reason for her humming to agitate him so, and she wondered if, perhaps, he were growing delirious.

"Yes, I was humming," she replied to the seemingly random comment, forcing her voice to remain calm and soothing.

"The tune..." The furrowing of Ardeth's brows deepened, as he grew increasingly agitated by his inability to think clearly. Closing his eyes again, he attempted to gather his thoughts. Evy's heart wrenched, as she watched him struggling to form a coherent sentence, and tears welled in her eyes. It reminded her of watching him struggle to speak while she'd tended him in their guest room... and the nightmare she'd had...of Ardeth gasping out his last breath.

"Najat taught it to me." Evy's voice trembled slightly as she explained, trying to distract herself more than anything.

"Najat...," the Medjai parroted, faintly.

"Yes. It's what she and Zaynab have been humming while they tended you. It seemed to soothe you, so Najat taught it to me to hum while I tended you. She says it's very old..." Evy knew she was babbling, but didn't care. It was better than watching Ardeth try to speak.

"'Ummee..." he weakly whispered, nearly unheard beneath Evy's words.

"What was that? I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"My mother...," Ardeth repeated in English. Evy's brow furrowed, her concerns about his state of mind increasing. She wondered if were asking for her...which reminded her that his mother was dead...from the fever her parents had brought to the Medjai.

"Your mother," she repeated back to him, tearfully, unable to think of anything else to say.

"My mother," Ardeth restated, paused for breath, and, then, added, "often hummed...that same tune...when I was young."

The lingering pain of loss edging his weak voice sent waves of guilt and remorse surging through her, leaving Evy speechless. A single thought ran continuously through her mind as she stared at Ardeth - her parents were responsible for taking his mother from him. Fresh tears welled in her eyes, spilling as she attempted to blink them away. Her body trembling from the rising swell of emotion, Evy leaned against the bed for support while she attempted to compose herself. Realizing, a few seconds later, that it was a hopeless cause, she dropped into the chair and hid her tear-streaked face in her hands.

Ardeth cracked his eyes opened as her shifting weight jostled the mattress. Still expecting to see her hovering over him, it took a moment to find her.

"Evelyn?!" he gasped when he found her crying.

Hearing the concern in his voice, Alex gave up his pretense of sleep and poked his head up. His eyes teared as he witnessed his mum's obvious distress.

"Mum?!" He cried. Quickly scooting off the bed and rushing to her, Alex threw his arms around her. Ardeth gasped as the jostling aggravated his injuries; the soft sound reminded Evy of how badly she'd hurt him.

"Ooooh! Ardeth! I'm sooo sorry!" She nearly wailed. "I hurt you so badly, but I didn't mean to...I mean I did...I blamed the Medjai ...but they didn't do anything except try to help my parents...and they cost you...your family sooo much... I can't...I don't..."

"Evelyn?" Ardeth interrupted, concern providing enough adrenaline to enable him to muster a small degree of alertness. The nearly hysterical flurry of words had rushed past too quickly for his fuzzy brain to grasp hold of more than a few words - some sort of reference to parents. "What...?"

Evy peered up, her vision blurred by tears. Noting, almost abstractly, that Ardeth's eyes were all the way open, she blinked until her vision was clear and saw the bewildered concern on his face. It made her heart ache even more. Closing her eyes, Evy took several deep breaths, determined to compose herself enough to explain properly. She owed Ardeth that much, at the very least. Opening her eyes again, she pulled Alex onto her lap, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Mum?" Alex questioned, tearfully, finding his mother's sudden shift from near hysterics to eerie calmness a tad unnerving.

"Where to start...," Evy abruptly began, seeming not to have heard her son. Frustrated, she loosed a hand long enough to distractedly rub her forehead, while she attempted to organize her thoughts.

"Perhaps at the beginning," Ardeth suggested in a whisper, earning a smile from Evy, despite the seriousness of the moment.

"Yes, of course, at the beginning," she replied, still smiling, but it dropped into a frown as a thought struck her. "Ardeth, why haven't you ever mentioned that knew my parents?"

"It was ...a brief acquaintance...seemed little value... in mentioning it," the Medjai responded, closing his eyes. The anguish on his face made Evy hesitant to continue.

"You knew mum's parents? Really?!" Alex exclaimed, oblivious to the warrior's distress. "How did you meet them? Did they get into trouble like mum and dad? What happened?"

"Hush, Alex."

"But, mum...," the child whined. "You never talk about them."

"Shhh," Evy insisted, giving her son a look that quelled any temptation to argue with her. "Don't bother Ardeth with this right now..."

"Yes...young O'Connell...I met your grandparents," Ardeth weakly interrupted, without opening his eyes. "Evelyn...perhaps...you should...continue."

"Ooh, Ardeth!" Evy choked out, feeling horrid for reopening emotional wounds, on top of everything else.

"Please...Evelyn," he responded, weakly, doubting he could remain awake much longer. Evy nodded, grimly.

"Yes, all right, from the beginning." She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, before speaking again. "A few days ago - the day that... - well, I'd begun to sort through a crate - the one that you landed... - well, anyway, buried in it was a journal."

Despite his drowsiness, Ardeth raised a curious eyebrow.

"Yes, I know, a journal...someone's private thoughts that I had no business reading, but I thought, maybe, it had belonged to one of my parents. And I was longing for them just at that moment, so...well, obviously, I read it ...well, only a few lines, actually."

"And it was not...as you hoped," the Medjai presumed. He still didn't bother to open his eyes, but his pulse quickened.

"It didn't belong to your parents?" Alex asked, glancing from his mum to the Medjai, and back to his mum.

"No," Evy answered, simply.

"Then, who's...?"

"I don't know, Alex," his mum replied, cutting him off. "A Medjai...Dr. Bey, perhaps."

"What does it have to do with what happened to Ardeth? What did you mean you meant to do it? What did it say?" Alex nervously quizzed. Evy sighed, dejectedly, and briefly closed her eyes.

"Those few lines said, well, I thought they said that the Medjai had killed my parents." Evy paused for a remorseful sigh. From the bed, Ardeth echoed the sound.

"The Medjai killed your mum and dad?!" Alex gasped, provoking a flinch from Ardeth. The warrior didn't need to open his eyes to see the look of horror and disbelief on the child's face.

"No, no, no," Evy responded, shaking her head. "They didn't, I read it wrong... well, I read what it said and grew so angry that I didn't keep reading...didn't read far enough."

"That's why you...did what you did?" Alex questioned, rhetorically, not quite able to voice it, even if he could almost grasp the reason it had happened. Evy nodded, glumly.

"You arrived just then, Ardeth, and I was so furious, I...I didn't even realize what I was doing until...," Evy paused to choke down fresh tears.

"You have...read more since," Ardeth prompted, in a calm whisper that masked his rising desperation. He did NOT want to relive the memories of which she spoke!

Evy nodded, forgetting his eyes were closed.

"What did it say!" Alex prodded. His mum sighed.

"The Medjai didn't kill my parents," she dejectedly admitted, glancing toward the door, as she found herself unable to face either Ardeth or Alex. "They saved them."

"Saved them?" Alex parroted. She nodded in reply. "How? What happened to them?"

"They'd become ill...with fever," Ardeth informed him, before Evy had the chance. Alex glanced from Ardeth to his mum and saw unexpected anguish on her face.

"So then what happened," Alex continued to prod.

"The Medjai found them abandoned in the desert and took them to their camp to be tended," Evy hesitantly continued, when Ardeth remained silent. As the weight of the anguish emanating from both adults grew almost palpable, Alex realized he was missing something important.

"What?!" he questioned, fearfully. He kept his eyes on his mother, even when Ardeth answered.

"The fever spread...throughout my people...many died," the Medjai explained, long-aged grief coating his words. Alex knew from the look on his mum's face what Ardeth was leaving out.

"Nameer?" The child's gaze remaining pinned on his mother, he saw her flinch at the name.

"Yes, my brother...was among...the dead," Ardeth confirmed, in a whisper.

"And?" Alex prompted.

"My mother...and sisters," the Medjai answered, weakly.

"Oh," was all Alex could manage in response. He could tell from his mum's face that there was more, but he didn't want to know. Squirming free from her, he climbed back onto the bed and curled up next to Ardeth.

"And you..." Evy choked out, once it had become clear Ardeth didn't intend to say more. "What you endured...Ardeth! The fever...your father...!"

Ardeth brow furrowed at the mention of his father. She could not know about his father; that could not have been in the journal - only he, Fathi, and Badi'a knew of it.

"My father?" He questioned, finally forcing his eyes open. Evy shook her head, despairingly.

"How he treated you...oh, Ardeth!" She wailed. "He turned his back on you; I don't understand how anyone could be so cruel!"

Ardeth studied her for a moment, then, closed his eyes again. "I do not know...what was said...in this journal of yours...but you misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Evy echoed, stunned that he would defend his father's treatment of him. "Ardeth, he abandoned you!"

The Medjai sighed, but said nothing. Lacking the strength to continue, he lay still, hoping that, after a bit, she'd assume he'd fallen asleep - not that he would have to feign for long before it became truth.

"Ardeth?" Evy asked, concerned by the silence as a minute ticked past. She sighed when he didn't respond, assuming he'd dozed off. Glancing at her son, Evy found that he also appeared to have fallen asleep. Rising from the chair, she turned toward the door. Evy paused when she realized she still held a damp cloth in her hand. Dropping it into the basin, she rushed out to fetch Najat. It suddenly seemed cruel to continue tending Ardeth herself; hers was not the first face he needed to see when he next awoke.

Evy didn't have to go far, colliding with the Abadi just outside the door. All but Najat's eyes were still hidden beneath the burqa, but Evy didn't need to see more. The emotion emanating from them screamed that the Abadi had overheard...enough, anyway.

"He is correct; you misunderstand," Najat stated, chidingly, after studying Evy for a moment. Beckoning the Englishwomen to follow, she wandered toward the deck, stopping long enough to whisper something to one of the other Abadi women.

Watching the other Abadi rise, Evy's gaze followed her until she disappeared into Ardeth's room, presumably to tend him. She assumed it must be Zaynab, since she and Najat seemed to take turns tending the Medjai - when Evy wasn't insisting upon doing so, anyway. Turning back, she realized Najat had continued onto the deck and scrambled to catch-up.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Seeing his sister follow Najat onto the deck, Jonathan nonchalantly shuffled toward Ardeth's room. Evy'd kept such a close eye on the Medjai since joining their entourage, he hadn't dared look in on him. Zaynab glanced up as he entered, causing Jonathan to hesitate. He hadn't considered someone besides Evy or Najat might be tending Ardeth.

"Oh...um...hello there," he stammered, nervously. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Jonathan suddenly found the floor _extremely_ interesting.

"Do you require something?" Zaynab patiently inquired, studying the Englishman.

"Um, could I...would you mind...uh..."

"You wish to speak privately with Ardeth Bey?" The Abadi guessed, sparing Jonathan the necessity of forming a complete sentence.

"If it wouldn't be a bother," he muttered in reply. Zaynab nodded, politely, quickly rewetted the cloth across Ardeth's forehead, and excused herself.

Moving to the bed, Jonathan silently studied the sleeping Medjai. It was obvious from the ghostly pallor hidden beneath the feverish glow of Ardeth's skin that he continued to worsen. Jonathan wondered how much of the deterioration could be blamed on the arduous journey. Sighing glumly, he plopped into the bedside chair. Regretting for the umpteenth time helping Ardeth leave the house, he softly chastised himself for going along with it...and with leaving Rick and his sister in the dark. The later was something he knew he'd hear about once everyone was less distracted, but that didn't concern him as much as the possibility that Ardeth wouldn't recover. Even after ten years of acquaintance, the warrior remained more mysterious stranger, than friend, but Jonathan didn't doubt Ardeth was a good man. Sighing again, he snatched the cloth from Ardeth's forehead, rewetted it and replaced it.

Ardeth stirred as water dripped onto his eyelids. Jonathan flinched as they abruptly flittered open. Disoriented, his eyes wondered aimlessly, until finally landing on the Englishman.

Jonathan smiled, nervously, as the Medjai stared at him.

"Hello there," he mumbled, unable to think of anything better to say. Ardeth tried a weak smile and closed his eyes again.

The attempted smile sent a fresh wave of remorse washing over Jonathan, and he sighed, again feeling the need to apologize for this part in the whole mess. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of what to say. Silently wracking his brain for another minute, Jonathan decided it didn't matter if he found the perfect words; Ardeth appeared to have fallen back to sleep, anyway, so he might as well just babble for a while and hope that what he meant to express came out somewhere along the way.

"Well, wouldn't you know it, I finally get a moment alone with you and I can't think of a bloody thing to say..."

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

"What do you mean I misunderstand," Evy asked, breathlessly, as she caught up to Najat and dropped into a seat next to her. Najat glanced up, again scrutinizing the Englishwoman. Evy huffed, impatiently.

Hidden beneath her burqa, Najat smiled, amused by Evy's impatience, but quickly grew serious again.

"It is true, Dabir Bey abandoned his family and his people," Najat admitted. "However, cruelty was not his intend."

Evy gapped at her. "What possible reason...justification is there for something so horrid?"

Najat softly sighed. "Guilt. Remorse. Grief."

Evy shook her head, not understanding.

"Your parents would not have been brought to the camp without his consent. And so, he blamed himself for all that followed."

"But, still...," Evy muttered, unable to reconcile his abandonment of Ardeth.

"He could not face him," Najat stated, bluntly.

"Ardeth?"

"Yes."

"Why? I don't understand..." Evy prodded, frowning.

"As I said, he blamed himself for all that had occurred - the deaths of his wife and children, and so many others - but more grievous than these losses, Dabir Bey believed his actions had cost the Medjai their future."

Evy's brow wrinkled. "Why would he believe he had cost the Medjai their future? And how does that explain abandoning his son?"

Najat sighed.

"You see, Dabir Bey was not young when he married, and, then, it was many more years before the union produced children. And so, by the time Ardeth reached manhood, age had begun to weigh heavily enough upon Dabir's shoulders that, not unlike his people, he'd already grown to rely on Ardeth's strength. In it, he saw the future of the Medjai - a leader that could guide his people through the trials of a swiftly changing world. A world in which Dabir Bey felt himself ill-equipped to survive. When that strength was stripped away by the fever, he blamed himself. He could not bear to witness his son's misery, believing that he had inflicted it upon him, but more so, Dabir Bey could not face his son believing himself responsible for destroying Ardeth's future."

"And, therefore, his people's future."

"Indeed," Najat confirmed.

"But, Fathi..." Evy began to ask, remembering that Dabir had spent his last weeks with his younger son.

Najat shook her head.

"Dabir Bey loved his younger son dearly, but he did not see in him the same strength that he saw in Ardeth. He hoped for no more than to prepare Fathi to assist what was left of Ardeth, for he clung to the hope his heir would yet recover... sufficiently, at least, to accept the mantle of leadership when the time came."

Evy gaped at the Abadi. Nothing in the journal had indicated that Dabir had continued to believe in Ardeth; in fact, it had seemed to say quite the opposite. She found herself unsure of what to think.

"How could you know all this?" She finally asked, skeptically. Najat peered at her with a resigned look in her eyes, as though she'd known from the start that Evy would doubt her.

"In his self-imposed exile, Dabir Bey had to seek refuge somewhere; he sought it amongst the Abadi," Najat patiently explained.

"Why the Abadi?"

"Why not the Abadi?" Najat asked, chuckling softly, and Evy shrugged. "He had long-trusted friends amongst my people; it was with them, in particular, that he sought refuge and a compassionate ear."

Mulling over all she'd been told, Evy said nothing for several seconds, then, something occurred to her and flew out her mouth of its own volition.

"So you already knew Ardeth...before this, I mean? Old family friends, or something?"

"Indeed, we have been acquainted since childhood," Najat confirmed.

Evy nodded, distractedly, as she silently pondered. Thinking aloud, she unintentionally asked, "what happened to him?"

When Najat cocked her head, as though puzzled, Evy realized she'd spoken aloud and clarified the question. "Dabir. He was mortally injured...the journal didn't say how. Do you know what happened to him?"

Evy was surprised when Najat glanced toward the deck, seemingly reluctant to answer.

"Najat?"

The Abadi sighed, before reluctantly speaking. "You asked, earlier, if the Devourer's weapons had been used often."

"Yes."

"Do you recall my answer?" Najat quizzed, shifting her gaze to the passing scenery.

"Of course I do. You said that, in recent times, they'd been used only once...on a leader of Medjai...oooooh!" Evy's eyes grew wide with dawning realization. "You mean to say that it was Dabir?!"

Najat nodded, mournfully.

"How? Who?" Evy quizzed, but the Abadi didn't seem inclined to reveal any more. "You can't tell me that much and then just leave me hanging!"

After a deep breath, Najat reluctantly spoke. "Many years ago, strangers arrived at our camp. They claimed to be lost and sought shelter through the night, and it was granted to them. Our queen did not trust these strangers, however, and posted guards around the sarcophagus, but to no avail. During the night, the strangers stormed their way to the weapons and stole away with them. Dabir Bey arrived in our camp as we were preparing our dead for burial and resolved to retrieve the weapons. Though it was not his responsibility to do so, he was adamant; I do not know why. It was in his effort to do this that he was mortally wounded."

Evy said nothing, finally understanding why Najat had been reluctant. The Abadi had failed in their duty to protect the weapons, and, in the end, it had cost an honored guest his life. She imagined that, collectively, the Abadi honor still stung from the blow.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I should tend to Ardeth Bey," Najat requested, not quite managing to face the Englishwoman.

"Of course," Evy responded, politely, and watched the Abadi walk away, until she turned a corner, vanishing from view. Shifting her gaze to the passing scenery, Evy mulled over all the she'd been told.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Glancing up as she walked through the door, Najat was startled to find Jonathan, instead of Zaynab, tending a sleeping Ardeth. Hearing soft words spoken, Najat hesitated. She didn't want to invade Jonathan's privacy, but was already close enough to overhear him. It made her even more uncomfortably as she realized he was apologizing for agreeing to go along with Ardeth's plan. Hearing the grief and remorse in his voice, Najat felt for the Englishman, who abruptly fell silent, as he caught her out of the corner of his eye.

"Jonathan," Najat greeted, awkwardly, as he glanced at her. "I was not expecting..."

"I asked Zaynab to give me a moment...wasn't sure if I'd get another opportunity," the Englishman interrupted, shrugging apologetically. Najat nodded.

"I will leave," she offered, compassionately.

"Not necessary," Jonathan replied, with forced nonchalance. Self-consciously dropping the cloth in his hand back into the basin, he shuffled past her and out the door.

Sighing wearily, Najat considered following, but decided against it. Clearly, the Englishman wasn't comfortable admitting to emotion, especially to a woman. Attempting to shrug off his visit, she took his place next to the bed and grabbed the cloth from the basin. As she turned toward Ardeth, Najat glanced at Alex and paused, frowning. It was apparent that, although his eyes were closed, the child was no longer asleep. Praying silently that Jonathan had not revealed too much, Najat opted to play along with the ruse and began to hum softly as she swirled the wetted cloth across Ardeth's feverish flesh.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ