CHAPTER FOUR
Eva awoke to hear the sounds from beyond the tent walls. The sounds of men busy with early morning preparations. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up. She wondered what time it was, how late she had slept.
Faint hints of the early morning light seeped in beneath the tent walls. She felt sudden panic that maybe she had overslept, that perhaps she'd already missed everything.
Eva got out of bed, pulled on her jeans, slipped into her shirt and pulled on her boots. She knew she probably looked untidy, but there was no time to mess with her hair or try and make herself look acceptable. Riaz and the others would just have to take her as they found her.
She pulled back the drape and stepped out of the sleeping alcove expecting to see no sign of Riaz. She assumed he would be out there mixing with the men, attending to the tribal business.
Eva froze on the spot and gazed over at the table and sofa. Riaz was sitting there and on the table in front of him there were dishes of food.
Breakfast.
He glanced over at her and smiled. "Good morning," he said brightly. "Did you sleep well?" he asked with a casual lift of one brow.
She hesitated, her hand rising self-consciously to her mussed up hair. The aroma of the food filled the whole tent making her instantly hungry again. She had to hand it to him. He certainly knew how to feed a woman, she thought to herself, finding that thought instantly amusing.
She paced slowly across the floor towards him. "I assumed you would be out there," she said tentatively nodding in the direction of the entrance.
Riaz stood and gestured to the table. "I thought it would be a good idea to start the day with something decent to eat," he said.
Eva glanced down at the plates on the table and had to agree. The food did look enticing. She nodded and sat down on the sofa. They both started to eat.
Eva squinted at him. "What time is it?" she asked.
Riaz shrugged. "Early," he said simply.
Eva squinted at him. "How early?" she pressed.
"We don't pay much attention to clocks out here," Riaz explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "All we care about is when the sun comes up and whether or not we have all eaten. After that, we get down to business," he said.
"Business?" she asked.
Riaz didn't say anything in reply. He simply nodded and continued eating. After a moment he added: "You'll see all you need this morning."
Riaz glanced at her and she was still conscious of the fact that she probably looked less than her best. Normally she wouldn't care about that, but for some reason, right now, it seemed to matter to her. Still feeling slightly self-conscious, she pushed the thought firmly away as she matched his glance.
"How did you sleep?" he asked.
Eva chomped down on a fig and chewed for a few moments. "I slept okay," she replied eventually.
She tried to sound as casual as possible. Did he think she sleeping in tents like this was something she'd done plenty of times before? If he did, then he was wrong. Okay, she'd spent time in desert encampments before. But, she'd never spent a night quite like this. Nor with a man quite like Riaz.
Riaz nodded as if accepting her brief explanation.
Eva glanced at him. There was so much she wanted to ask him about the coming day. But she could sense a slight reticence in his manner. A hesitancy which was leftover from the previous night.
The barrier he'd constructed around himself was still firmly in place, she told herself as she continued to eat.
They both ate for a while, saying little, and Eva became aware that, as had been the case when she had been sleeping in the bed hours before, she felt strangely comfortable next to the sheikh.
Riaz was obviously a man who was adept at putting people at their ease. She guessed that was a necessary skill out here where tempers could flare in an instant. She could imagine situations where it was vital to calm people with a gentle word or carefully chosen gesture.
Riaz exuded a quiet authority that she was becoming more and more aware of. Every one of his gestures while he ate was made with care and precision.
He was a calm, assured man. She found that surprising because some of the media reports about Riaz had described him as someone prone to impulsive acts, someone with a dominant personality and even explosive temper.
She'd seen little of that side of him. Yet. Maybe she would see it on display this morning when he dealt with the other tribal leaders. It promised to be a fascinating thing to witness, she told herself.
After the breakfast, she followed him out of the tent. The light of the early morning was bright and the air surprisingly cool. Eva breathed in deeply as she stood and gazed at the scene around her.
As on the previous evening the place was a hive of activity. Tribesmen were moving around and over on the far side she saw some packs been loaded onto the backs of camels and horses.
"Are they getting ready to leave already?" she asked sharply.
Riaz shook his head. "No. Once the business is attended to, tribes generally move on pretty quickly. They have long journeys to make. As do I," he explained.
Her interest was instantly stimulated. "And where exactly are you headed?" she asked.
Riaz's eyes narrowed and she saw him examine her, obviously aware that she had switched hats and was now in full professional mode.
"My settlement is a short ride up to the north," he explained.
Eva lifted her chin and looked into his eyes searching for the barrier she'd seen go up the previous night when she had asked him questions. "North?" she probed.
Riaz nodded and said nothing else, turning away from her, tight-lipped. Was he giving her a signal already that that would be the full extent of her knowledge about where he lived? Why wouldn't he tell her where his encampment was located?
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" she said tentatively.
Riaz looked immediately cautious. His gaze was steady and even. He didn't say anything but she saw his eyes narrow slightly.
"You know I'd like an interview don't you?" she declared bluntly.
She heard him sigh. He rolled his eyes slightly and turned away from her. Once again, she knew she'd stepped over a line. But they both knew it existed.
Riaz gestured with his hand at the scene around them. "I would have thought this would be enough for someone like you," he said.
Eva squinted at him. "Someone like me?"
Realizing that what he'd said might be misinterpreted, Riaz peered at her intently, as if determined to clarify what he'd meant to say. "You're a journalist. We don't often have such visitors to this gathering."
"I suppose you're telling me I should feel privileged," Eva snapped.
Riaz shook his head. "That's not what I meant."
"Never mind," she said waving a dismissive hand towards him. She squinted at him. "I'll take that as a no" she added. "A girl's got to try," she added with a tilt of her head.
Eva saw a few curious glances toward her and Riaz as they made their way slowly through the crowd of men.
She realized they had probably seen her emerging from Riaz's tent. She didn't care what they thought, although she could see by the looks in their eyes that they assumed something she knew not to be true.
She wasn't the sheikh's woman. As primitive as that sounded, she told herself.
Some low seats had been set up in a circle and already a few obviously senior tribal leaders had taken their places at those seats. Eva assumed this was where the meeting would take place between tribal heads.
"Would you like to listen in?" Riaz asked.
"I've only got a smattering of the Qazhar language," she explained. "I'm afraid I won't be able to understand everything that's said."
Riaz's brows furrowed. "As a journalist, I'd have thought you'd know the language more than just a little."
Eva nodded. "I get by on what little I do know," she said trying not to sound too snarky.
Riaz's eyes narrowed and she was sure he was trying to judge the tone of her voice. "I thought perhaps you may find it interesting just to watch," he said.
She peered up at him. "Maybe you could translate for me," she suggested.
Riaz snorted. "Me? Translate? I don't think so," he said firmly. He seemed genuinely surprised at what she'd said.
Eva shrugged. "Just a suggestion."
He gave her look which made her think that he'd considered it as more than just a simple suggestion. Had she caused unintentional offence? Before she had a chance to say anything else, she heard a voice from behind her.
"Sheikh Riaz," the voice called out.
Eva saw Riaz turn and she followed his gaze. A man was approaching them. He looked in his late forties, and he was dressed elegantly in formal, white desert garb. He was a heavyset man with deeply ridged brows. The hood of his robe hung loosely on his shoulders, revealing his greying hair. His eyes had a fierce glow and his gaze was fixed firmly upon Eva. Immediately, she felt uncomfortable.
"Sheikh Ahmed," Riaz replied.
Both men bowed ceremoniously to one another. Sheikh Ahmed glanced at Eva. "And a good morning to you," he said.
Eva nodded courteously but said nothing.
Ahmed's glance went to Riaz. "Are you ready for the meeting?" Ahmed asked.
Eva noticed that Ahmed had deliberately chosen to speak English. His accent was thick and unrefined and she wondered where he had learned it.
"We'll be ready in a few moments," Riaz replied.
Ahmed looked surprised and glanced at Eva. "From that I take it that the esteemed lady will be observing the proceedings," he wrote.
Eva saw Riaz's body stiffen slightly at that comment. Had he taken offence at Ahmed's description of Eva? She'd never been called "esteemed" before.
"Eva will be a guest of mine," Riaz stated firmly to Ahmed. "You know as well as I do that each tribal leader has the discretion to have whomever he wishes by his side, even during meetings like this," Riaz declared.
Ahmed's eyes narrowed slightly and Eva was sure that she had seen a hint of irritation on his face. Was it simply that these two men were already enemies of some kind? Was there a story here that she should know about?
Ahmed peered at Eva and once again she felt as if she was been scrutinized, examined somehow.
"Did you pass a pleasant night?" he asked. "I could not help but notice that you were sleeping over there by your horse in the corner of the fort." Ahmed said pointing in the direction to where she had began her night. "But I did not see you there this morning."
Eva felt Riaz's hand reach up behind her back and touch her gently, as if indicating to Ahmed that the conversation had strayed into unwanted territory. She saw Ahmed's glance take notes of Riaz's gesture.
"I slept well enough," Eva replied sharply.
Before Ahmed could say anything more, there was a bustle of activity, and Riaz eased Eva toward the circle of makeshift seats arranged in a circle.
Ahmed made his way to his own place and the other tribal leaders also took the seats. Riaz squatted down onto the seat and indicated the Eva should take a place behind him. Some of the other tribal leaders looked with curiosity towards Eva. One or two of them spoke to each other and she knew they must be talking about her.
Riaz turned and smiled at her. "Okay?" he asked.
Eva pursed her lips. She nodded, without saying anything and tried to take in as much of what she saw as possible.
Over the next hour or so she witnessed something unique. A tribal meeting like something out of antiquity.
The conversation between the men was animated and sometimes even aggressive. More than once Eva was sure that the men would come to blows. At times, men stood and gestured, sometime facing off. But every time, the situation calmed as quickly as it had flared, and dignity was restored.
Most of what was said she could not fully understand. Even with her smattering of Qazhar language, she could hear dialects that were thick and impossible to figure out.
She could sense the importance of what was being discussed even if she couldn't understand the words.
All through this, Riaz kept his composure. He remained even-tempered and watchful. On occasions he contributed to conversations and she could not help but notice that on every single one of those occasions, the effect of Riaz's intervention was always calming. Every time he spoke, exchanges became more civilized.
She knew she couldn't take any notes or photos. That would have been completely unacceptable. A violation of an unspoken protocol.
So, she remained behind Riaz, watching and observing, taking in as much as she possibly could. She knew that later she would have to write her impressions down as well as she could.
Eventually the meeting was over, and the men stood shaking hands, exchanging words. She got the distinct impression that business had been done between the tribal leaders.
Smiles were exchanged and, before she knew it, groups of men started heading off into different parts of the fort, loading up camels and horses making ready to leave.
The tents were dismantled in rapid time. Eva watched Riaz busy himself with his men. After the conclusion of the meeting he'd asked her what she'd thought, and she had told him how impressed she'd been by the whole affair.
He'd asked if she'd would find it all useful, and she'd confirmed that she would, once she got back to Qazhar city.
Upon mentioning that, Eva was certain she'd seen his expression change. Had he been disappointed on hearing her say that? Was he already thinking about their separation? Indeed, was even planning to do something to prevent it? Part of what he'd said to her sounded like he was already trying to dismiss her.
Finally, preparations had been completed and Eva had taken her belongings back to her horse and packed things away, readying herself for the long journey across the desert.
She had to admit that she was slightly confused by all of this. On a personal level, Riaz seemed to have made it clear that he had some kind of interest in her. She was sure of it, had felt it in her bones, seen it in many of his glances.
She realized she would not been even slightly surprised if he had insisted on accompanying her back to where she had left the car, even if that involved along day's journey across the desert far to the west.
But when she led her horse over toward where his men had packed everything away onto the thirty or so horses which were lined up, awaiting Riaz, she'd already decided that she wasn't even going to talk to him about that.
Eva watched as she saw lines of men on horseback and camels wending their way out through the open fort gate. The place was already half deserted as she paused holding onto the reins of her horse. She gazed around trying to find Riaz but she couldn't see him anywhere.
Then she heard a pair of angry voices coming from beyond the group of Riaz's men.
With a jolt of concern, Eva heard her name been spoken by Riaz to someone else. She recognized the other voice from earlier in the morning. It was Ahmed
Eva couldn't understand what was been said, but every once in a while she heard her name knew she was the subject of the angry exchange which was taking place.
She took a few steps towards the group of men eager to see what was going on and then she heard a final roar of outrage, and Ahmed appeared from behind the group of men. He tried to smile at Eva as he walked past her but that was obviously beyond him for the moment. He forced himself to pause for a moment, bowing obsequiously toward her.
Eva felt tension tighten her body. There was something about the way this man looked at her that made her feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Then she saw Riaz appear. Ahmed and Riaz exchanged one final angry glance, and then Ahmed headed away toward his own group of men who were amongst the last to leave.
Eva caught Riaz's gaze as he came toward her.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
Riaz shook his head emphatically. "Ahmed and I were just discussing one or two final issues," he said.
"I heard my name," she retorted.
Riaz's brows rose with. Obviously he hadn't realized she had overheard.
"Was that about me?" she asked, trying to control the impulse to be even more demanding. She stared at Riaz, needing an answer.
Riaz looked thoughtful for a moment and glanced at his men.
Riaz looked at her horse. "Do you have everything you need?" he asked leading her by the arm away a few steps. She followed him and paused. "You still haven't answered my question," she demanded.
He was tight-lipped again and thoughtful for a moment. She wasn't going let him off the hook on this one, she told herself. She wanted an answer.
"Ahmed is a troubled man," Riaz explained.
"Troubled?" she replied. "About me?"
Riaz shook his head. "It was more about whether it was appropriate for any woman to be present at the gathering," Riaz replied.
Eva rolled her eyes. "Ahmed sure is up to speed with the times, isn't he?"
She saw Riaz smile at that comment. "Actually, I think it was to do with the fact that I chose to have you by my side during the meeting," he added.
"What did he think that meant? "Eva asked.
Riaz sighed impatiently. She could see that he was already becoming irritated by the conversation. "It's complicated and we have to leave," he said, obviously irritated. Eva saw the gates go up again behind his dark gaze.
She realized this might be her last chance. "I have to ask," she said. "One last time. But are you gonna give me that interview that I came for?"
He gazed at her as if he was measuring the seriousness of the question. "Haven't you got what you came for?"
"I didn't just come to see all of this," she said gazing around the almost empty compound of the ruined fort. "You know I came to meet you," she said.
"I would have thought that this would have been enough," Riaz replied ignoring the way she'd worded her last, desperate attempt at persuading him. "Surely you have enough to write a decent story."
Eva bristled at that last comment. "I came for more than just a decent story, as you call it," she snapped.
She saw the familiar tightening of his features, as if he had already decided that that was all she was going get from him.
"I can have my men accompany you back to where you left your car," he suggested.
"Really," she said acidly. "You think I need some kind of escort?"
"The desert can be a dangerous place, Miss Braddon," he said.
She noted the formal use of her name. She had been right. The barriers were already fully up. Impenetrable as ever. The man was infuriating.
"I am well aware of the dangers of the desert, Sheikh Al Shirah," she retorted.
Impatience flared on his features and he moved closer to her but she took a step back away from him feeling suddenly defensive.
"I would feel a whole lot happier if you had some kind of protection," he continued.
Eva turned to her horse, threw the reins over its neck and started fussing with the pack loaded on the side of the horse.
Riaz came to her and she knew he was going to make one last attempt to persuade her. But she'd be fine without his help, she told herself firmly. She didn't need his protection, even if he thought it was absolutely necessary.
Riaz started to speak but she cut him off and glared at him. "It's been nice meeting you, Sheikh Al Shirah," she snapped.
She saw his gaze widen in surprise at the vehemence of her comment, but she didn't care. She needed him to know that she'd be fine on her own, thank you very much.
Riaz watched her as she tightened the cinches of the saddle. Then she put her booted foot into the stirrup and lifted herself up onto the saddle, looking down at him.
For a moment she thought he looked momentarily helpless, as if she'd won a victory which had affected him more than she could have imagined.
"It's been nice and very interesting, Sheikh Al Shirah," she said sardonically.
Eva tugged on the reins and turned the horse away from him. As she did so she give him one last parting remark. "I guess we'll just have to leave the interview to some other time, then," she said.
She was sure that she saw emotion flare on his face. And then she tightened her grip on the reins and moved the horse into a steady trot, through the open gate of the fort and out into the desert.