And for a moment they stood there in the
sunlight before the long colonnade that occupied the lower story
of the citadel; while from beneath that colonnade issued a dozen or
fifteen of the black, muscular Maghrabi men, two of whom--in the
role of official stranglers--they had already seen. These powerful
half-savages took the horses away, the hoofs clacking hollowly on the
golden pavement.
Bara Miyan led the way in under the colonnade, which, though of gold
like all else in this, wonder city, still offered grateful shade.
The perpetual glare of the golden roadways, houses, towers,
balconies--even covered as many were with floating curtains of muslin
or silk--had been trying to eyes and nerves. Infinitely preferable
would stone or wood have been, for dwellings; but as Jannati Shahr
was, so the Legion had to take it. And doubtless long generations of
familiarity with it had made it wholly normal, pleasant, and innocuous
to these super-Arabs.
The Jannati Shahr men began kicking off their _babooshes_ and sliding
their naked feet into light slippers, rows upon rows of which stood
under the portico. The Master and Leclair quickly put off their
shoes and took slippers; the others followed suit.
Pages:
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418