Read Online Desert Rising by Kelley Grant - Free Book Online Page B

was!” Kadar told them. “It wasn’t my choice.”
    â€œNo, I don’t imagine it was; although even some of our own ­people might say you should have left Farrah to Severin,” Uncle Tarik reassured him. “We know better. Severin’s been getting cocky.”
    â€œAnd you clipped his feathers without hurting anything but his pride,” Uncle Aaron said. “I’m impressed.”
    â€œI’ll be more impressed if he has a contract for us to negotiate,” Uncle Aaron said, eyeing Kadar’s empty hands.
    â€œAshraf said it was worthless for us to write a contract when you and his elders would just rewrite it to your terms anyway,” Kadar said. “The clan of Nasirof wishes to contract with the clan of Hasifel for transportation and sales of the Nasirof silks at the standard rate plus 5 percent for good faith. We shook on it, and the innkeeper witnessed the transaction.”
    Uncle Tarik let out a tribal whoop, and when Aunt Raella and the younger cousins appeared, danced his wife around the table as she laughed.
    â€œI assume we got the contract?” she said, throwing herself breathlessly into a chair. When they nodded, she said, “Excellent! I was just dusting off our official documents to get the wording. Once you give me the details, we can send it off with Ashraf.”
    â€œIf you weren’t negotiating, what took you so long?” Uncle Aaron asked.
    Kadar shrugged. “Ashraf assumed from the beginning we would have an alliance. We spent the time getting to know each other, as you said we should.”
    â€œI see,” Uncle Aaron said, nodding.
    â€œWe do have a lot in common,” Kadar added.
    â€œI’m glad,” Uncle Aaron said. “We’ll need friendships and alliances to get us through what I am afraid will come.”
    Uncle Tarik stopped spinning his boys around and interrupted them, coming over to clasp both on the shoulder. “I think this is cause for a celebration,” he declared.
    â€œYou think everything is cause for a celebration,” Uncle Aaron said with a laugh. “But I agree. Simon, Rashal,” he said, calling two of Kadar’s cousins over. “Gather your brothers. Farrah, send for your sister; she can help prepare the festivities. Let the clans in town know we are holding a celebration tonight. Wine and ale are on us!”
    Kadar knew word would spread quickly through the tight-­knit community. Soon, neighbors and friends would be arriving with today’s dinner they’d cooked and put in a crock to share with all. There would be an amazing variety of food spread on the long table, with a pie someone just happened to have and a flaky pastry someone had been saving, and the clans would spend the night eating, drinking, and celebrating the alliance of the Hasifels and Nasirofs.
    Farrah’s younger sister Ava arrived before the other clans began showing up. She was fairer even than Farrah, her blue eyes alight as she helped Farrah and Raella set up tables for the potluck.
    â€œI brought the bread from the baker, like Miz Raella asked; he gave me one of his leftover sweet rolls, and it was so good. Mother said to tell you to stop at the butcher next restday before you come, and I’m not to chatter too much.” Ava paused as she smoothed an embroidered cloth over the rough wood. “I don’t think I chatter too much, do you? Did you see those drawing pencils set out on the kitchen counter? Did they come in with the last caravan?”
    Aunt Raella laughed as she placed a dish on the table. “Yes, Aaron found them and a sheaf of drawing paper up north and brought them for the sales hall.”
    â€œThey probably cost a lot, being from the North and all,” Ava said, reaching for some dishes. “They’d be really easy to use, though. Way easier than burning charcoal. Is Mister Tarik going to sell them to the art school?”
    â€œI don’t