“You are about to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia,” the man stated. “You should bow when you meet him and when you leave, and address him as ‘Your Royal Highness.’ If His Royal Highnessstands, you will stand. If he sits, you will sit. You will otherwise take all instructions from His Royal Highness and follow all his directions. Is that clear?” The advisor spoke English with a slight British accent.
They all relayed their understanding.
“Good,” the man said. “Then please come with me.”
They followed him through the door, with Ahmed taking up the rear. Inside was a room more opulent than the previous one. Strong walls interspersed with columns and high windows supported a vaulted ceiling from which hung multiple crystal chandeliers. It appeared to Nate to be some type of state room, and there were sofas, tables, and chairs lining the perimeter of the room. In the center were two high-backed chairs with a small table between them.
One of the chairs was occupied by a man who looked to be just a few years older than Nate and who sported a dark, close-cropped beard. He wore a gold-trimmed blackbishtover histhobe, and a red-and-white-checkeredghutraadorned his head, held snugly in place by a thick blackiqal. Nate immediately recognized their host as he rose from his chair.
“Your Royal Highness,” the royal advisor said, “may I introduce Mr. Nathan Wilde, Mr. Timothy McBride, Mr. Benjamin Walton, and Miss Anastasia Metry.” He turned to face the group and simply stated, “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.”
Nate stepped forward and bowed. The others did the same. “As-salamu alaykum.”
“Wa alaykum assalam,” the prince responded.
“Pleased to meet you, Your Royal Highness,” Nate said.
“The pleasure is mine,” the prince replied in perfect English. “Major Malik has relayed the story of your adventures to me.”
Nate didn’t know what to say, so he settled on silence. The prince continued.
“First, let me assure you that your friend, Mr. Price, is being wellcared for. I have dispatched my physicians to ensure his good health, and they have assured me that he will make a full recovery.”
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” Nate said, relieved. “We are grateful.”
“Of course. Now, Major Malik tells me that you have discovered the lost city of Iram within our kingdom, and that he has verified this with his own eyes.” The prince referred to the city by the Muslim name.
“It’s true,” Nate said.
“I would be very interested in hearing the story of that find, but perhaps another time. First, we must address your illegal incursion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Nate said nothing but swallowed hard.
“Illegal entry into the country carries with it a mandatory prison sentence. However, I also cannot overlook your contribution to our country. You have not only returned a national treasure to our people that we had thought lost to the sands of time forever, but you have helped establish a proud and prosperous history for us to share with the world.”
“The discovery will rewrite ancient history,” Nate added. “The lands of Arabia played a more prominent role in the advancement of civilization than anyone has previously realized. The more Ubar is excavated, the more apparent I believe that will become.”
“It is as you say,” the prince agreed. “You all have also done our people another great service. There was a foreign energy company we were in talks with for drilling rights in the Rub’ al Khali. The area was of little value to us and so it was a fair deal. However, it appears they were attempting to hide the discovery of a large source of fresh water in the region, which is far more valuable to us than oil.”
“Aye, we can verify that, Your Royal Highness,” Wally said from over Nate’s shoulder. “Nate here dispatched their agent after he confessed the plot to us.”
The crown prince raised his eyebrow at the mention of Nate killing the oil company’s mercenary, but did not address it, for which Nate was grateful.
“Ms. Metry.” The prince turned his attention to Ana. “I have been told of your father’s death, and it grieves me. On behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, please accept my most sincere condolences.”
“Thank you,” Ana said softly.
“I’m told he had the purest of intentions to help our country avoid an imminent water shortage. I can assure you that his sacrifice will not be in vain. The water flowing beneath our sands will rejuvenate the desert and bring new life to the region. It is going to help our people for years to come. And for that, I thank you all.”
“It was our pleasure,” Nate said.
“In recognition of services rendered to the Crown,” the prince continued, “I will commute your sentences, and you will each be paid a finder’s fee of one million U.S. dollars. However, as soon as Mr. Price is ready to travel, you will leave the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia immediately and not return without an invitation from the Crown.”
Nate was slightly taken aback. He had hoped for a commuted sentence but had not imagined a reward. Of course, it was a minuscule figure compared to the massive amount of wealth he had seen down in the city, but he wasn’t about to haggle over the offer. Walking away with a million dollars and their freedom was a hell of a deal considering what the alternatives could have been. He only felt a twinge of sadness that he would not be returning to Ubar right away, if ever again. There was so much more history down there and he had barely scratched the surface.
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness. That is most generous.”
“You are very welcome. Now, Major Malik will accompany you back to your rooms and arrange for your travel.As-salamu alaykum,” the prince said, ending the meeting.
