he said. The guards stared at their ruler.
"I have no wish to kill you," said the masked man.
"You will have no chance," shouted Joonkar, furious now. "Draw your knife while you can!"
Joonkar was not being foolhardy. He was as big as the masked man, and an expert with sword or knife. But the Seventh did not draw his knife. He stood with his hands on his hips, and said coolly:
"Don't be foolish, Joonkar. Go home and wait for your bride."
So the masked man had known all about him all along. Enraged, he rushed at him, the knife held high. The masked man's hands moved so fast that they were a blur to the stunned watchers. Joonkar's knife flew into the air, and Joonkar was on his knees before the calm masked man.
"I told you to go home," he said.
Furious at being humiliated before his men, Joonkar leaped at him. "I'll kill you with my hands," he shouted. "Or you'll have to kill me!"
Joonkar was a powerful man, trained in all the arts of hand-to-hand combat by experts. He had never been beaten, until now. An iron fist crunched on his royal jaw, then a quick twist hurled him hard onto the ground, and the masked man was upon him, hands at his throat. The guards started to move forward. A pygmy twanged his bow. They stopped. Do I have to choke sense into you, Joonkar?"
said the Seventh, not even breathing hard. Joonkar thrashed about. The iron fingers tightened, touching a nerve in his neck. He lost consciousness. After a time, he opened his yes. He was sitting against a tree. The masked man stood with folded arms watching him. "I didn't want to hurt you. I made you sleep," he said. Joonkar breathed deeply.
"You could have killed me as I would have killed you," he said.
"I do not kill, except to save my life. It was not necessary," said the Seventh.
Joonkar got unsteadily to his feet. "Whoever you are, you are a good man, and I have acted badly.
Can you forgive me?"
The masked man held out his hand. "I would like to be your friend, Joonkar," he said. The emperor smiled and took his hand. And the guards on the ground and the pygmies in the trees cheered.
They became friends. The Seventh was an occasional secret visitor at the great court. He enjoyed late dinners along with Joonkar in his private dining room, while the emperor awaited his bride. But she was overdue. A disheveled messenger arrived with the surprising explanation. Her ship had been captured by Barbary pirates, and Sheeba was being held for ransom. The Seventh was startled by this.
His own mother had gone through a similar trial.
The emperor was furious. He ordered out his troops and they marched to sea. Lying a mile offshore was the fleet of the Barbary pirates. On the main ship a large iron cage hung on the main mast, above the crow's nest. In it was a beautiful woman, the princess. Beneath the cage, a barrel was tied.
A smirking pirate emissary came ashore. He bowed in mock courtesy to the enraged emperor, who sat on a big white horse.
25
"A million pounds in gold for her safe delivery," he said. "She is secure-if slightly uncomfortable-but unharmed, as you can see through your glass," he said.
Joonkar started down from his mount. "I'll strangle you with my own hands and dump everyone of your pirate crew into boiling oil," he roared.
"Excellency," cried the emissary, no longer smirking as he retreated from Joonkar's fury, "Note the barrel beneath the cage." Joonkar's hands were at his throat. He went to his knees. "Gunpowder!" he choked out the word. "They're watching. If I die, they blow it up." Joonkar dropped the man to the ground and studied the cage through his telescope. The barrel was there with a long fuse attached.
"If any attempt is made to save her, they light the fuse," said the emissary, regaining his composure.
"What are your terms for ransom?"
"Two million pounds in gold."
"You said one million."
"The price has gone up. It will go up one million each hour we wait."
"Pay it. Save her," roared
"I have no wish to kill you," said the masked man.
"You will have no chance," shouted Joonkar, furious now. "Draw your knife while you can!"
Joonkar was not being foolhardy. He was as big as the masked man, and an expert with sword or knife. But the Seventh did not draw his knife. He stood with his hands on his hips, and said coolly:
"Don't be foolish, Joonkar. Go home and wait for your bride."
So the masked man had known all about him all along. Enraged, he rushed at him, the knife held high. The masked man's hands moved so fast that they were a blur to the stunned watchers. Joonkar's knife flew into the air, and Joonkar was on his knees before the calm masked man.
"I told you to go home," he said.
Furious at being humiliated before his men, Joonkar leaped at him. "I'll kill you with my hands," he shouted. "Or you'll have to kill me!"
Joonkar was a powerful man, trained in all the arts of hand-to-hand combat by experts. He had never been beaten, until now. An iron fist crunched on his royal jaw, then a quick twist hurled him hard onto the ground, and the masked man was upon him, hands at his throat. The guards started to move forward. A pygmy twanged his bow. They stopped. Do I have to choke sense into you, Joonkar?"
said the Seventh, not even breathing hard. Joonkar thrashed about. The iron fingers tightened, touching a nerve in his neck. He lost consciousness. After a time, he opened his yes. He was sitting against a tree. The masked man stood with folded arms watching him. "I didn't want to hurt you. I made you sleep," he said. Joonkar breathed deeply.
"You could have killed me as I would have killed you," he said.
"I do not kill, except to save my life. It was not necessary," said the Seventh.
Joonkar got unsteadily to his feet. "Whoever you are, you are a good man, and I have acted badly.
Can you forgive me?"
The masked man held out his hand. "I would like to be your friend, Joonkar," he said. The emperor smiled and took his hand. And the guards on the ground and the pygmies in the trees cheered.
They became friends. The Seventh was an occasional secret visitor at the great court. He enjoyed late dinners along with Joonkar in his private dining room, while the emperor awaited his bride. But she was overdue. A disheveled messenger arrived with the surprising explanation. Her ship had been captured by Barbary pirates, and Sheeba was being held for ransom. The Seventh was startled by this.
His own mother had gone through a similar trial.
The emperor was furious. He ordered out his troops and they marched to sea. Lying a mile offshore was the fleet of the Barbary pirates. On the main ship a large iron cage hung on the main mast, above the crow's nest. In it was a beautiful woman, the princess. Beneath the cage, a barrel was tied.
A smirking pirate emissary came ashore. He bowed in mock courtesy to the enraged emperor, who sat on a big white horse.
25
"A million pounds in gold for her safe delivery," he said. "She is secure-if slightly uncomfortable-but unharmed, as you can see through your glass," he said.
Joonkar started down from his mount. "I'll strangle you with my own hands and dump everyone of your pirate crew into boiling oil," he roared.
"Excellency," cried the emissary, no longer smirking as he retreated from Joonkar's fury, "Note the barrel beneath the cage." Joonkar's hands were at his throat. He went to his knees. "Gunpowder!" he choked out the word. "They're watching. If I die, they blow it up." Joonkar dropped the man to the ground and studied the cage through his telescope. The barrel was there with a long fuse attached.
"If any attempt is made to save her, they light the fuse," said the emissary, regaining his composure.
"What are your terms for ransom?"
"Two million pounds in gold."
"You said one million."
"The price has gone up. It will go up one million each hour we wait."
"Pay it. Save her," roared
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