The old man smiled, now, to look at his prize pupil. “A wonderful speech, Your Highness,” he said. “Most effective.”
“Quite,” Jafar agreed. “Now more than ever I hope we succeed in our quest. You deserve to be king of something.”
“I couldn’t have dreamed of such a reaction,” Ahmad said, still amazed at his own effectiveness. “I was sure of Nurredin and a few of the others, but to hold them all so completely….”
He reached forward suddenly and clasped his teacher, hands to forearms. “Thank you, Umar, for all your years of nagging me about my lessons. I couldn’t have made this speech without your discipline behind me.”
The old man’s face was a fascinating study in emotions. The fatherly love was more than evident, as was the pride in having taught him those skills he’d shown today. But th
