The journey to the first Bedouin tribe passed in silence. Mia had to admit it, the desert, this expanse of sand that she thought was uninteresting had a certain charm. There was a certain mystery surrounding this place. The hot wind that seeped into the car through the open window caressed the skin of her face, giving her an intense pleasure that pushed her to stick her head out to better enjoy it. Maya was right, none of the warm clothes she had in her suitcase corresponded to this climate, she would have suffocated long before they arrived. She was so immersed in her contemplation of the landscape that she didn't realize the car had just stopped until her gaze fell on the row of men all identically dressed, their faces covered in white keffiyehs. which was positioned in front of the car.
-Are we attacked ? She panicked as the king unbuckled his seat belt to get out of the car.
Hackim suspended all action, this question had taken him by surprise, but he recovered immediately when he read the panic in the young woman's eyes.
Unable to see the expression on her face behind this keffiyeh, Mia somehow supported his inscrutable gaze on her.
-Miss Khelani, contrary to what you seem to believe, Khahazan is a very safe country, much safer than yours. I personally made sure of that. As for these men, they are the chiefs of the Bedouin tribe which occupies this part of the desert. They are there to welcome me. Nothing more. He explained before opening his door and leaving the car.
His deep, deceptively calm voice didn't fool Mia. It was obvious that he didn't appreciate her assuming that his country was unsafe. Relieved not to be attacked, Mia in turn left the car while the king greeted with a firm handshake each of the chiefs who had come to welcome him.
Standing by his door not knowing whether or not to approach, she watched him interact with the leaders. Entirely dressed in black in this medieval setting,
he gave the impression of a viking who maintained his troop before an n-th war.
- Are you planning to stay there all night lest my friends attack you?
"How had he approached without her noticing?" she wondered as one particular piece of information raced through her brain.
-What ? All night long ? Are we going to spend the night here ? Under the stars? She almost shouted, attracting a little more attention from the chiefs who looked at her curiously.
-As you can see, the sun has been down for a while now. I do not intend to rush my discussion with our hosts so yes, we will sleep here, under the stars near the camels. But don't worry there are very few scorpions in this part of the desert and we have a traditional remedy to keep the rattlesnakes away. So everything is going to be fine.
Mia lost all color at the understanding of this sinister program like a horror movie script. Was that how he punished her ? Scorpios ? Rattlesnakes ? She backed away as if to flee the threat that at this moment was everywhere around her.
-Of course you can always decide to sleep in the car but I still have to warn you that even if the Khahazan desert is safe for regulars, it can very quickly become a nightmare for foreigners especially women at night. No country as safe as it is is ever safe from a few repeat robbers.
Hackim was aware of playing dangerously with the limits of the young woman but wanted to teach her a lesson. The Khahazan was his pride, his finest achievement and he was proud that despite modernization, the country had retained certain traditions. However, Mia Khelani's habit of depicting her country as being medieval and unlivable for modern people did not please her. He didn't care what foreigners thought of his land as long as its inhabitants were happy and felt good there, but curiously his unfavorable opinion pissed him off. Why ? He couldn't tell.
- Well, I think I've exposed you to all the possibilities you have at this precise moment. It's up to you to make a choice.
-Why ? she asked suddenly in a trembling voice, her complexion livid.
- I may be able to answer your question if it were more specific.
-Why am I here with you? Is this my punishment?
-Well, I think you'll have to wait until you recover from your crisis to get your answer. Hackim answered, crossing the space between them with a stride to catch her in his arms before she fell on the hot sand.
There was no longer any doubt that he had gone a bit far in his punishment...
TO BE CONTINUED....