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Mr Kozim rang a bell.
The doors opened.
Amanda was mystified as to what the matter could be. Then Mocca came bouncing in, his boyish face beaming with what looked suspiciously like mischievous delight. He performed an elaborate bow, then followed it with a long flat-tering address, extolling the wisdom and generosity of Xa Shiraq.
‘You may address the princess,’ he was dryly told.
Mocca was not slow to pick up his cue. ‘I have come with good news and bad news.’
‘What is the bad news?’ Amanda asked, wondering if there was another mountainous pile of invoices about to be sent to the palace.
‘We could not find the caves for which we were searching,’ Mocca announced dolefully.
‘Then it is proven that they do not exist,’ Amanda declared. ‘You have done well, Mocca. I thought it was a wild-goose chase but I wanted to know. Thank you. I am glad the matter is finally settled.’
Xa Shiraq squeezed her hand. She squeezed back. The secret would remain with them.
Mocca’s face lit with pleasure. ‘In that case,’ he said cheerfully, ‘there is only good news.’
‘What is the good news?’ Amanda inquired.
‘Your bodyguard has performed an invaluable service for you.’
That was certainly news to Amanda, but she was not confident that it would be good.
‘They have caught the man who has been saying the most ridiculous and offensive things about people who have the colour of hair that you have, oh, Princess,’ Mocca continued.
Here, too? Amanda thought in exasperation.
‘He has been saying you are stupid, you are dumb and you are a female dog.’
Amanda bristled.
Xa Shiraq leaned over and whispered, ‘I rejected Charles Arnold’s petition to appeal against his dismissal from the Oasis Hotel chain. Apparently he thought that gave him a license to be as offensive as he pleased.’
So that was why Charles Arnold had come to Alcabab. No doubt he was taking out his peevishness by insulting Xa Shiraq’s choice of wife. Amanda felt a warm glow of approval for her bodyguard.
‘What has my bodyguard done with him?’ she asked Mocca.
‘As you are aware, people of your hair colouring are much admired in Xabia,’ he declared fervently.
‘I knew this was a wonderful country,’ Amanda declared with equal fervour.
‘So we hung a sign of what he’d said around his neck and marched him through the streets. The populace showed their disapproval. They booed him. They pelted him with camel dung...and other evil-smelling refuse.’
‘Oh, dear!’ Amanda wasn’t at all sure he deserved that much humiliation. ‘He is a creep and a slime, but I’d better go and see the poor man in case he’s damaged.’
‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ Xa Shiraq remarked very dryly.
Mocca flashed him his friendliest grin. ‘We also carried out the unspeakable. It felt really good doing it to him.’
A vision of the rat-hole flew into Amanda’s mind. She sprang to her feet. ‘Take me to him at once!’ she commanded.
‘Princess!’ Mr Kozim started up in alarm.
Xa Shiraq gave Kozim a knowing look as he rose to accompany Amanda. ‘There’s no stopping her once she gets the bit between her teeth, Kozim. The only thing to do is to satisfy her.’
‘Wise. Very wise,’ Mr Kozim mumbled, but could not hide his distress at this highly inappropriate turn of events.
