Read Online Sultana by Lisa J. Yarde - Free Book Online Page B

animals.”
    Niranjan entered the room and grabbed one of the burlap snacks, surprising another rat that scrambled between the crates. Niranjan emptied a cascade of grain on to the floor and motioned for Fatima. She stepped into the hemp sack and he pulled it up to her shoulders.
    Ulayyah knelt and pressed her forehead against the ground for a moment. “Know that I am loyal. I hate Ibrahim and if it is ever within my power to help you destroy him, I shall do it. Now go, princess, go! Go with God.”  
    When Niranjan tried to close the sack, Fatima grabbed Ulayyah’s hand. “What about you? Ibrahim said he would kill the slaves if I escaped.”
    “When my master Abdallah leaves, I shall be with him and his guards. I shall warn him to prepare for any treachery. Do not worry for me.”
    “But….”
    “I must return to Naricha. I have a child there. My son Faisal is very sickly. I cannot be without him and I am heavy with another babe. Promise me only this – live and reach your father’s house. Let your father know of your mother’s sacrifice and tell my sister that I am still alive.”
    “I shall never forget you!”
    Ulayyah lifted her fingers and kissed them, before she turned to Niranjan. “Close the sack. I go ahead of you to ensure the way is clear. Once you reach the courtyard, do not stop. Put the sack over the donkey’s back and leave at the end of the caravan with the others. Lag behind them. My master’s steward is old and his eyesight and strength are failing him. He shall not notice if you are careful.
    “The caravan travels unguarded. My master does not have enough warriors to spare a portion for the safety of his goods, but he and Abu Muhammad shall catch up to the caravan. You must break away from it the moment you can. When you see the orchards in the hills above, you must turn south to the marketplace.”
    She poured a fistful of jangling coins from a small, red pouch into her hand, murmuring under her breath before she put them back inside. She pressed the pouch into his hand. “For the Sitt al-Tujjar. I shall ensure Ibrahim does not see you leave.”
    “How?” Niranjan raised his eyebrows in a questioning slant. Fatima glanced at him, recognizing something familiar about his nasal tone. They had never met before this but she was certain she had heard his voice before.
    “I’ll go to him. If I am with him, he won’t be thinking of what is happening elsewhere.”
    Niranjan tied the hemp sack. Enveloped on all sides of its stifling warmth, Fatima fought for calm, even breaths. When Niranjan hefted her over his shoulder, a shrill wheeze escaped her.
    He murmured, “Not so loudly, princess.”
    “Don’t tell me how to breathe!”
    He chuckled. “You sound just like your mother.”
    “What?”
    “Niranjan, don’t provoke her. This night has been very difficult.” Ulayyah’s voice came from up ahead.  
    Fatima groaned when Niranjan maneuvered her at an odd angle. She realized they must have started up the stairs. She could not see anything from within the dense, fibrous hemp. 
    “The courtyard is clear. Go with God.”
    Ulayyah’s whisper preceded her hasty footsteps before they faded. A little light penetrated the strips of fiber. The air thickened with the scent of juniper and rosemary. Voices bellowed instructions, but above the cacophony came the sound of water murmuring in unseen channels.
    Such a peaceful sound, so unlike anything Fatima had experienced in the last hours. She closed her eyes but still, tears squeezed out beneath her lashes.
    Deep inside, she silently vowed, ‘ I’ll never forget, Ummi, never.’
    She stifled a grunt when Niranjan set her across the back of a swaying animal. When thick rope secured her at the waist, it was nearly impossible to breathe.
    “Open the gate! Get those sacks out of here and onward to Naricha.”
    Fatima recognized the voice of her mother’s brother. He would never know the truth of what had happened to Aisha.
     
    When Fatima