The Wild Date Palm by Diane Armstrong

Author:Diane Armstrong
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQ Fiction
Published: 2024-02-24T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The Sinai, 1917

Eli took one look at Aaron and burst out laughing at the sight of his fashion-conscious friend attired like a Bedouin. ‘Your keffiyeh is a bit crooked but apart from that, you look quite convincing,’ he said. Eyes sparkling with mischief, he slapped Aaron on the back, excited as a boy heading off on an adventure.

And that’s how he felt. At last the frustrating months of waiting were over. The prospect of riding a camel across the Sinai all the way to Egypt to make contact with the British would be an exotic feat straight from the books about intrepid explorers whose exploits he had always admired. How astonished Nathan would be to see them. And Shoshana! He couldn’t wait to see her face when he returned triumphant. ‘I told you there was nothing to worry about,’ he would tease her.

His reverie was interrupted when their guide poked his head into the tent. Faisal was a tall thin man with a turn in his left eye that made it hard to know where he was looking.

‘The camels are ready,’ he said.

Eli found his gaze disconcerting, unsure whether Faisal was addressing him or Aaron. Faisal had been recommended by Abu ben Abadi, the patriarch of the local Bedouin tribe who had taught Eli to speak Arabic as a boy. He had visited the chief’s mud and straw hut to ask his advice about their forthcoming journey. Over warm rounds of flat bread sprinkled with sesame seeds and glasses of cold buttermilk served by his wife, they had sat on rush mats spread on the clay floor and discussed plans for the trip.

Like most Bedouins, the chief resented the Turks and was willing to help Eli and Aaron reach the British.

‘You will need a guide,’ he had said. ‘Faisal is the nephew of my kinsman Abdullah and he knows the desert like the back of his hand. He will provide your clothes and the camels, and he’ll guide you across the Sinai as far as Rafah. There you will find the British. May Allah protect you and bless your journey.’

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