There was a large party that evening and Ardeth officially introduced the O'Connells to everyone present. It was true he had announced then at the gate leading into the city but that had been interrupted by Tarique's actions and at this party were a lot of Medjai who had not been present at the gate and also this was one of those rare social events where most people were in a good mood and had come just to enjoy the party.
The O'Connells moved around the room talking to people, Rick mostly in English, but Evie and Alex chattering with people in Arabic as well as English. Evie tried to stay at her husband's side so she could translate for those people who didn't speak much English if any.
A man approached Rick and began speaking to him in Arabic seeming unaware the Rick was unable to understand more than a few words of the language.
Rick began to look rather panicked that is until a woman came up beside him and calmly began to translate, "Altair asks you if you would teach him to catch a knife in midflight like you did when you saved the king's life."
Rick looked relieved and said, "Tell him it's a natural talent and I'm not sure it can be taught."
The woman nodded, and translated Rick's words into Arabic. The man named Altair looked disappointed but nodded affably and said something else.
"He is offering to teach you to use a scimitar if you will teach him how to shoot," the woman translated.
"Tell him I'll think, about it, but that I don't speak more than a few words of Arabic and I would be unable to understand his instructions without a translator. And tell him also that I have been trying to learn the language but have been having a difficult time of it."
The woman translated all this calmly and Altair nodded seeming to be disappointed but not upset. The man wandered away and Rick breathed a sigh of relief. "I thank you," said Rick turning to the lady who had gotten him out of a rather difficult situation. "I'm Rick O'Connell."
"I know who you Mr. O'Connell. My name is Sabira."
"It's nice to meet you, Sabira. Call me Rick."
"As you wish," said Sabira smiling at the foreigner who had come to mean so much to her people, but especially to Ardeth over the last few years. It was true only a small percentage of her people had met the O'Connells before recently but that small percentage had brought back stories of their bravery. Stories they had heard from Ardeth Bay or those who had witnessed their bravery firsthand. A lot of Medjai had nothing but the greatest respect for these foreigners who had risked their lives twice to make sure the Creature was put back where it belonged on the other hand however, there was a small group of Medjai who thought that the O'Connells should have been killed ten years ago. Most of the Medjai recognized bravery and courage and honored those who showed it whether they be foreigner or one of their own people. They also realized that if Rick O'Connell and Evelyn Carnahan—as she and Rick were not married at the time—had not been around to help defeat the Creature they probably would all be dead.
"Perhaps I can help teach you some Arabic while you are here?"
"It would be much appreciated," said Rick with a grin. "Evie and Alex have both tried to teach me but none of us have the time to put into lessons that it takes to learn a new language. Evie works long hours at one of the museum's in London and Alex is away at school for much of the year."
Sabira nodded in understanding and realized he hadn't mentioned anything about a tutor, but it was possible that there was no one that spoke Arabic in London that could be trusted.
"It will be my honor," said Sabira giving the American a firm handshake.
"Let me just check with Evie and Ardeth and then we can put aside a couple of hours a day for lessons."
Sabira nodded and they moved away from each other. Rick looked around the room searching for Ardeth. Finally, Rick closed his eyes and searched out his brother's presence that shone like the sun among all the other people in the room. Rick opened his eyes and followed the feeling like a beacon to a corner of the big room where his brother was surrounded by other Medjai all talking to him in Arabic or the language of the Medjai which was a mixture of Arabic and ancient Egyptian.
"Rick," Ardeth called sounding almost relieved at the sight of his brother. Rick nearly chuckled because of the relief rolling of Ardeth in waves at the sight of him.
"Ardeth," said Rick asked politely. "Can I a word with you for a moment?"
"Of course, brother," said Ardeth. "You'll have to excuse me," he added in Arabic for the other peoples benefit. "Rick and I have something important to discuss."
The of Medjai watched as Ardeth calmly broke of the circle to go to the foreigner's side. Some of them mostly the woman shot resentful or angry looks in Rick's direction
"Did I interrupt something?" Rick asked with an absolutely evil grin.
Ardeth sighed and once they were alone in a little alcove on one side of the room replied, "The only thing you interrupted was that half the woman were asking me to consider their daughters as my wife. Not only are most of the young ladies in question to young for me, I have no interest in any of them. The young ladies mothers are mainly interested in me for my position and not because they wish to make me or their daughters happy."
Rick nodded in understanding and said, "No wonder you were so relieved to see me. Now I understand why you spend so much time out patrolling the desert."
"Precisely," said Ardeth. "I love my home, but it is people like that that make it unbearable for anything but short visits. Ever since I was twenty and my father died some of the people have been bugging me to find a wife and although I have made it clear I'm not going take a wife just to marry some of the woman with eligible daughters can be—" Ardeth paused as if searching for a polite word to use.
"Like dogs in heat?" Rick suggested.
Ardeth shot his brother a look although he privately agreed with him. "Persistent."
Rick snorted but didn't comment.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I wanted to ask you if you knew a woman called Sabira?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because she has very generously offered to teach me some Arabic while I'm here. I mean once I get back home I won't have as much time to put into it and neither will Evie and to tell you the truth I would really like to learn enough of the language to be able to hold a conversation instead of trusting people to translate correctly."
Ardeth nodded seeming to be deep in thought. "I will have a word with her, but it is alright with me. I trust her and it was very generous of her to offer to teach you Arabic. So what brought this on?"
Rick told him and Ardeth nodded when he was finished. "I should have thought of that," Ardeth said sounding contrite. "I'm sorry I should have given you a translator, but I didn't think of it for a lot of my people speak both their native tongue and English. It is only the few who don't ever leave Hidden City for the outside world that don't speak anything but Arabic."
"It's okay," said Rick. "I didn't think of it either. I guess I'm so used to you speaking English that it just never occurred to me that some of the Medjai might not."
"Well, it was a rather large oversight on my part."
"Oh come on, Ardeth, old buddy. Nobody's perfect and you did have rather a lot on your mind until recently. You did just have to execute someone who was once your friend." The minute the words were out of his mouth Rick could have kicked himself for reminding his brother of his friend's death
Luckily, for Rick, Ardeth didn't seemed disturbed by his comment and to Rick that was a sure indication that Ardeth had at least mostly forgiven himself for Tarique's death.
"Yes, I think it is a good idea if Sabira gives you lessons. I realize you can't learn the whole language in the month you have remaining, but you should be able to pick up a fair amount in that time."
"I hope so, because I'm getting tired of not being able to understand what people are talking about."
Ardeth nodded in understanding.
"I suppose we should get back to the party," said Rick reluctantly.
Ardeth actually chuckled at Rick's expression. "I see you're enjoying this event about as much as I am which is to say not at all."
"Yeah, well, I never really been one for formal events where a whole bunch of strangers get together just to admire the art or whatever the hell the event is for."
"At least you aren't approached by a bunch of old women intent on getting you to marry one of their daughters or even several of them as our laws allow you to take more than one wife at a time, every time one of these events occur. It's one of the reasons I've never married you know."
"I can certainly understand why if they're as bad as you say, but don't you need to produce and heir to take over for you one day?"
"And someday I will, but I'm hoping I at least care for the woman I will someday have to make my wife."
"I can understand that, buddy," Rick said. "You need somebody you can really love in your life, like I love Evie."
Both men then came out of the alcove and rejoined the party.
~~~Rick and Evie~~~
The next day Rick told Evie about his conversation not only with Ardeth but with Sabira and to his surprise Evie nodded. "Yes, Sabira came to see me, while I assume you were talking to Ardeth and offered to give you Arabic lessons while you were here. I agreed pending on what Ardeth and you thought of it of course although Sabira did mention that you had had thought it was a good idea when she offered to teach you."
"I think it is a good idea, Evie," Rick told her. "Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of not being able to understand when somebody talks to me in Arabic."
Evie nodded in sympathy able to understand her husband's frustration very well. "I can understand how you feel Rick," said Evie. "And what makes Arabic such a difficult language to master is the fact that it is not Latin based."
"What does that have to do with me learning Arabic?" asked Rick.
"Because Rick, at least half of the languages in this part of the world have their roots in the Latin tongue, including French, German, Spanish and English, but since Arabic doesn't it makes it harder to pick up unless like me and Jonathan you grew up in a bilingual household. Well, either that or have an ear for languages."
"I see," said Rick thoughtfully. "Well, I'm certainly going to put as much effect into as I can, because I won't always have you or Alex or Ardeth around to translate for me and I figure it's kind of like not reading the fine print on a contract it can get you into a whole hell of a lot of trouble."
"That's one way to look at it," Evie agreed giving her husband a kiss.
~~~Rick and Evie~~~
The very next day the lessons begun and it had been decided at the start that the lessons would take place during the heat of the day because it was cooler to be inside during the late afternoon and that way Rick could still spend time outside the palace exploring or spending time with his wife and son. As for Rick he went at learning Arabic with a determination that Evie had rarely seen in him but was quite proud of.
It wasn't long before Sabira made friends with the O'Connells and they began to consider her as someone they could trust.
Rick's lessons in Arabic proceeded at a rapid pace after that and Rick, with Sabira's help began to pick up the language much more rapidly than he had at home. Rick wasn't sure why this was unless it was the fact that he had more time to concentrate on it then he did at home in London that and the fact that although Sabira was a stern taskmistress, she was fair.
It wasn't long before Evie, Alex, Ardeth and even some of the other Medjai they had made friends with began talking to him in that language as much as possible which allowed Rick to pick it up even more rapidly because of the fact that all the people involved in helping him learn the language would take the time to explain what a word meant and how it was spelled if it wasn't already in Rick's rapidly expanding vocabulary. It was just weeks later that Rick began holding simple conversations with not only his family but some of the other Medjai he had come to know in their time in Hidden City.
There were now several Medjai both men and woman that Rick now considered friends, people he could trust, Sabira and Kadin among them.
~~~Rick and Evie~~~
Ardeth and Rick entered the courtyard and headed towards the armory where all the weapons were kept. A few days ago Ardeth had suggested that Rick start learning to use a scimitar. When Rick had asked why Ardeth had replied that one day it might prove necessary. After all who knew what could happen? Rick might get himself into a situation where he didn't have his gun or he was out of bullets and then what would he do if confronted with a situation where his life was in danger or that of his family's? His sword could be his only defense between life and death. Rick had thought about it and then given in not being able to argue Ardeth's point.
They picked out practice swords and Ardeth began showing Rick moves and when Rick imitated him Ardeth corrected the way he was gripping the swords hilt and his movements.
"You must not grip the sword like that for if you hit a solid object with that kind of grip you're going to end up either breaking a finger or spraining your wrist. Here hold it like this," said Ardeth showing him how to hold a sword. When Rick had imitated his brother's grip Ardeth began to show him some of the easier movements involved in using a scimitar. "Now the moves of a scimitar are quite different then a straight sword. For one thing a scimitar is good for slashing or cutting with the edge while with most straight swords you can only use the point as the sides do not have sharp edges to them. Also a lot of straight swords are extremely heavy and take two hands to use properly while the scimitar is extremely light, can be used one handed, or from the back of a horse and it will not tire you out wielding it as fast as say an English broadsword will."
The lesson continued and after a couple of hours Ardeth said, "that's enough for one day."
"You seem to know a lot about other types of swords," said Rick as they put the practice blades away.
"I studied about different types of swords years ago. I figured I might need the information one day," said Ardeth with the Medjai version of a shrug.
"Well you never know, I suppose," said Rick putting his practice sword up.
"We'll continue this tomorrow and every day and by the time you leave you should have some of the basic moves down."
"But won't I forget what I've learned if I return home and don't practice? I mean I don't know anyone in London that knows how to use a scimitar. As far as I know Egypt is the only country to use this particular sword."
"There are ways for you practice when you get home," said Ardeth refusing to say anymore on the subject.
Finally, the two men headed inside Rick to head back to his quarters for he had a lesson in Arabic in a few minutes and Ardeth to see a friend of his.
~~~Rick and Evie~~~