Once safely ensconced in their rooms, with their bodies warm and their bellies full, the group resumed their deliberations. As the arguments went around and around, Leila began emitting a series of deep sighs. Finally she could stay silent no longer. “Is it necessary to tell the Nikhrashi king that Ahmad is the deposed prince of Ravan? Why can’t he be simply a warrior of noble birth, as he claimed in Buryan? That way the king would be far less tempted to kill him.”
“But would a powerful king be willing to withdraw his forces from his city, leaving it defenseless in the path of the invader, to ally himself with a simple warrior?” Jafar asked. “Prince Ahmad’s title has always been a strong convincing argument before.”
“We shall invoke the name of Oromasd,” Umar said.
“I don’t wish to soun
