You are unexpectedly awakened

A soft whistle disturbs your dreams; half-awake, you clumsily try to wave away whatever the source of the unwelcome noise may be, but then it comes again, and a third time. By then, you are awake enough to know that it comes from your speaking-tube which goes out to the parlor.

"What is it?" you ask into the tube, unable to keep the irritation from your voice; you had not fallen asleep easily, and it is still the middle of the night!

"My apologies, Sire," Captain Navarre says through the tube. "There has been an incident which could not wait until morning to be addressed. The Sultan is here in your parlor."

"Give me a moment," you reply, then drop the tube. You rub your eyes vigorously to try and wake up further, then throw the bedclothes aside and take your dressing gown from the hook on the wall. A quick splash of water on your face from your basin helps to make you feel more alert, and then you emerge from your bedchamber into the parlor. Captain Navarre stands there, and Subhi stops pacing across the floor and looks up to see you.

"Xavier, my friend," he says, his voice quiet, "I ask forgiveness for disturbing you at this late hour, but I must speak with you immediately."

"Of course, Subhi," you reply, trying to sound less annoyed than you feel. "What is the matter?"

"Abdul Hai El-Anwar is dead. He has been killed."

Suddenly you are fully awake. "You are certain it was ****, Subhi?"

"His skull was caved in by a heavy club. I found him myself in his tent, less than an hour ago. The body was still warm."

You motion for Subhi to sit down, and you take the seat opposite him. "Captain, please arrange for tea to be brought to my parlor," you say, and Navarre nods and leaves the room. "Subhi, you must tell me all you know. Was the killer caught?"

"No. Whoever it was must have come into my camp, done the deed quickly, and then left immediately. He even left the club behind, a crude oak branch with a large knot on the striking end." Subhi takes a deep breath, looking uncharacteristically hesitant to speak his mind. "Xavier, you know that I have **** but to ask you this. Do you know where Lady Trina was an hour ago?"

"I understand, Subhi. Lady Trina went to the high meadow this evening, intending to spend the night there. As far as I know, she is there still. Unfortunately, since she did go alone, no one can vouch for her. I will send someone at once to bring her back to the castle."

"Your Captain sent his falcon once I told him what had happened," Subhi says. "He assured me that she would return within the hour." The Sultan sits back, rubbing his beard. "Xavier, I cannot explain why Abdul has behaved as he did today. He was one of my finest warriors; you could be forgiven for not believing it, but he has always been a man of honor and decency. Headstrong, yes - and he has always been a bit too ready to succumb to pleasures of the flesh. But the man he was today... I tell you, I do not know this man. I was as shocked as you when he made a claim for Lady Trina as he did; I confess I could have handled the situation better, but it caught me completely by surprise. And as if it were not bad enough that he insulted both Lady Trina's honor and yours, tonight at the feast he scorned Allah Himself, consuming beer and wine in direct defiance of the holy commandments! It is as if he were sick in his mind. I intended to get to the bottom of this as soon as I was able... but now, of course, that is no longer possible."

"Perhaps he was **** to act as he did?" you suggest. "I do not believe Lady Trina is responsible for his ****, and I do not think you believe it either. But, someone certainly was; a man cannot crush his own skull with a club. Do you know of anyone who might have had reason to hate him, who might have threatened him?"

"The list is endless," Subhi says with a snort. "Abdul had many enemies. He fought over a hundred duels in his lifetime. Most of those who challenged him are dead, of course, but to some he gave quarter and they still live; and even the corpses had families. But, most of them are still back in my own kingdom, and those few who accompanied me here do not seem to hold a grudge against him. In any event, Abdul is - was - a man accustomed to having a **** mark. I hardly think one more threat would unsettle him, even if this one turned out to be more serious."

"Still, it would be worthwhile to determine where those who might have been his enemies were at the time he was killed," you say. "And, we should try to find out whether anyone lost a large wager on him this day. Subhi, this occurs to me: Abdul drew the attention of many women at the feast tonight. Surely, one of them must have accompanied him back to his tent, perhaps even more than one."

"I did not see him leave, but that seems more than likely. There was certainly no woman at his tent when his body was found. And, I do not think the killer was a woman, Xavier. The club found in the tent was not only quite heavy, it was swung with such **** as to crack the wood. It would take a very strong man to strike such a blow; for a woman, it would be near-impossible."

She is stronger than she looks. Subhi's words at the tournament regarding Lady Trina run through your mind. But no... no, she could never have done this deed!

A scratch at the door interrupts these unpleasant thoughts, and you stand up. "That would be the tea," you say. "Subhi, I believe we should wait for Lady Trina to arrive before returning to our beds. If you wish, you may spend the remainder of the night here in the castle, though I regret that the royal suite is spoken for. I do have another guest room; it is unworthy of a Sultan, but the bed is as soft as my own."