Though Mussulmans in these days, the schisms with
which they desecrated the true religion were worse in the eyes of
Maieddine than the foolish faith of Christians, who, at least, were not
backsliders. He would not even point out to Victoria the strange minaret
of the Abadite mosque at Berryan, which tapered like a brown obelisk
against the shimmering sky, for to him its very existence was a
disgrace.
"Do not speak of it; do not even look at it," he said to her, when she
exclaimed at the great Cleopatra Needle. But she did look, having none
of his prejudices, and he dared not bid her let down the curtains of her
bassour, as he would if she had been a girl of his own blood.
The extraordinary city, whose crowded, queerly-built houses were blocks
of gold in the sunlight, seemed beautiful to Victoria, coming in sight
of it suddenly after days in the black desert. The other six cities,
called holy by the Beni-M'Zab, were far away still. She knew this,
because Maieddine had told her they would not descend into the Wady
M'Zab till next day. Berryan and Guerrara were on the upper plateau; and
Victoria could hardly bear to pass by, for Berryan was by far the most
Eastern-seeming place she had seen. She wondered if, should she ask him
as a favour, Maieddine would rest there that night, instead of camping
somewhere farther on, in the hideous desert; for already it was late
afternoon. But she would ask nothing of him now, for he was no longer
quite the trusty friend she had persuaded herself to think him.
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