Chief Ali Shareef was an impressive man, tall and stern of face. He wore a white robe, as did most of the men that gathered in the council to greet the Seven Sleepers. The Sleepers themselves were curious about their host. They had been introduced by Abdul and were aware that some of the desert people were suspicious.
“I'm not sure we're all that welcome here,” Sarah whispered to Josh. She was sitting beside him in front of a group of elders and wondering what would come next.
“I guess all they have to do is look at Jake,” Josh answered almost grimly, “and see that some of us are a little suspicious too. The chief is getting up. I guess he's made up his mind about us.”
Chief Ali rose to his feet and focused his dark eyes on the young people. “We welcome you to our home,” he said in a deep voice. “My servant Abdul has told us that you have come to help.” A frown swept across his dusky face, and he shook his head in despair. “Indeed,” he said sadly, “we are in desperate need.”
One of the elders, a short muscular man with a bristling beard, spoke up. “Indeed, Chief Ali, we are in need of friends. But I fail to see how these—these children can be of any help.”
Another elder spoke. “I agree. What we need is a host of mighty armed men. Only by force will we be able to combat the Winged Raiders.”
A murmur of approval swept over the elders, and Josh felt a moment of despair. He waited until the men had spoken, then rose to his feet. “May I speak, Chief Ali?” he asked. When the chief nodded, he said, “We have a saying in our world, 'The race is not always to the swift.' I realize that we seem to be useless to you, but Goél sometimes uses the weakest to overcome the strongest. We have seen him do mighty things when all looked impossible. All we ask is that you let us remain with you for a time.”
“You're welcome and will be our guests,” Ali said. A smile tugged at the corners of his thin lips, and he added, “We had hoped that Goél himself would come to our aid.”
Jake piped up, 'That's what I say! And until he comes, I don't believe we can do business.”
“Will you shut up?” Reb Jackson whispered, digging his elbow into Jake's side. “We've got problems enough without you making it harder.”
Chief Ali, however, seemed amused by the stocky Jake's truculence. “My young friend, you are outspoken. That is not always good, but at least we know where you stand.” He swept the Sleepers with his eye saying, “Be our guests. We will learn from you, and perhaps you will learn from us.”
* * *
For the next few days the Sleepers had what amounted to a vacation. Reb, more than anyone else, had a blast! The desert people were horsemen, and their horses were strong and swift. They were amazed to find that the young man who wore the outlandish hat was as good a rider as many among their own people. And they were amused at the use of his lariat.
The first morning Reb had demonstrated his skill by dropping a noose over the head of a half-broken pony.
Abdul gasped with surprise. “We have never seen such!”
A murmur of approval went up, and Reb found himself giving lariat lessons each morning and became very popular.
The girls also found themselves the object of much attention. Abigail, with her blonde hair and blue eyes, worked her usual havoc among the young men. They could not take their eyes off her. Abbey, of course, loved the attention and spent most of her time doing her hair in different ways and experimenting with new kinds of makeup. The young girls of the tribe practically fawned over her as she instructed them in the art of beauty.
“I think it's disgusting!” Sarah exclaimed, slumping down beside Josh. “All she does is primp! Can't you say something to her, Josh?”
“What would I say?” Josh demanded. “She's a girl, isn't she? All girls act like that—primping and putting on makeup and worrying about this dress or that.”
“Well!” Sarah gasped. “I'm glad to learn what you really think about me, Josh Adams!” She flounced away, and Josh stared after her.
Dave, who had been sitting across from him, said, “Just an old charmer—that's all you are, Josh. You ought to write a book on how to be a Prince Charming.”
“Will you shut up, Dave?” Josh snapped. “I don't know what to do with them.”
One thing that fascinated the Sleepers was the camels. They were all given riding lessons by Adbul, but none of them did very well. Reb decided that you had to treat camels firmly, just as you treat a horse, and when he went up to his first camel he gave the bridle a jerk.
The camel turned calmly around, looked at him out of soulful eyes, and then spit what looked like tobacco juice right into Reb's face.
Abigail laughed in sudden amusement, and the others could not help themselves. The sight of the vile liquid running down Reb's face amused them all. He'd always been so capable, and now this.
Reb gasped and wiped the mess from his face. He took his hat off and stared at it. He looked around at his friends, who were laughing, and for a moment they thought he would plow into them.
But he had a sense of humor. “Give me your handkerchief, Sarah,” he said. Drying his face, he looked at his white Stetson. “At least I didn't get none of that camel spit on my hat!”
They enjoyed the food after a fashion. Mostly it was some form of mutton. The desert people kept large flocks of sheep and herds of goats. One item at every meal was goat's milk, and Wash, for one, couldn't stand the stuff. “What I wouldn't give for a good ol' Dr. Pepper!” he moaned.
“You won't find none of those in this place,” Reb said. “I've got to admit, they know how to do a good thing with this here sheep. Although I'd sure like to have a good hamburger!”
On the third day, Josh had a council with the Seven. “I think we've got to do something,” he said. They were all sitting inside one of the large black tents on rich and luxurious rugs that covered the sand. They were really comfortable, and it was a great deal like camping out every night.
“What do you mean, Josh—‘do something?’” Sarah inquired.
“I've been waiting for Goél to appear and give us some kind of directions—”
“That's what I say!” Jake broke in. “And until he does, we better not try anything.”
“I don't agree with that,” Dave Cooper broke in. He was lounged back, tall, athletic, and handsome, but now he came to a sitting position. “We've got to do something! Why, we might stay here for a year!”
“That's right,” Wash said. “Now that we're here, I say let's do something.” He looked at Josh and asked, “What?”
Josh was irritated. “How should I know, Wash? All I know is that we've got to do something.”
Sarah said, “I know one thing we need to do and that's to see if we're really fitted for long travel. If we do have to make any long trips, I'm not sure how we'd take it.”
Josh smiled at her. “That's right, Sarah. I'll tell you what—I'll ask Abdul if we can make a trek. Just to see how we'd do in the desert.”
“Well, I hope we go on horses instead of camels,” Reb complained. “I can't get a handle on those hairy critters!"
But Reb didn't get his wish.
Abdul agreed at once to lead the Sleepers on a “maneuver,” as Josh called it, and the next morning they started out early. All morning long they bucked the heavy winds that whipped across the desert. They never quite got used to those winds, which blew constantly—sometimes softly, sometimes enough to almost tear away their clothes, but always blowing.
They traveled all day and then reached a pleasant oasis with palm trees and bubbling springs.
That night around the campfire Abdul entertained them with stories about his people. They had a long and honorable history. But finally he shook his head, saying, “We were a great people until the Winged Raiders came. Since then we've been like no more than frightened sheep.”
“Where do they come from? Who are they?” Sarah asked.
Abdul picked up a stick and began to draw in the sand at his feet. “No one knows. They appeared when I was a boy, and they've been growing stronger ever since.”
“I'd like to see one of them critters,” Reb said. “Can't imagine a man being able to fly. They must not be men at all,” he said. “I think they must be a cross between a bird and an ape of some kind.”
They went to sleep rolled in their blankets and the next morning went across the desert again. The sand dunes rolled, white sand almost blinded them at times, and the wind blew. It was about ten o'clock in the morning when Abdul suddenly drew his camel to a halt. “Look there!” he cried out.
Josh, who was right behind him, pulled his camel to one side. They were in a part of the desert that formed a deep depression. At the bottom of it lay a camp by a stream. Tents dotted the sand, and Abdul said, “That is one of the neighboring tribes. They are friendly. Come, and we will let you meet them.”
He started down the slope, slipping and sliding, for it was very steep. Bob Lee held on to his camel, leaning back as he would on a bronc.
But Abigail was nearly shaken off and was whimpering with fear by the time they had reached the bottom. “I want off of this thing!” she cried out.
“It'll be all right,” Wash said. “Just hang on, Abbey. We'll be—” he broke off and suddenly looked up. “What's that?”
The Sleepers, caught by his voice, looked up, and Abdul gasped. “It's the Winged Raiders!” he said. “They're attacking the camp!”
Josh squinted against the brightness of the sun. They were about two hundred yards from the camp, and he could see overhead what seemed to be nothing more than black dots. As he watched, however, the dots became larger, looking like monstrous birds. “What are they?” he whispered to Abdul. “What are they doing?”
Abdul's voice was subdued. “They are attacking the camp—see, the men are coming out to do battle.”
The Sleepers watched as some of the desert people came out armed with swords. A few had bows and arrows. All were looking up, and even from where they stood, the Sleepers could here the cries of wives and children—high piercing cries of fear.
And then Josh got his first look at the Winged Raiders they'd heard so much about. They were far enough away so that they did not attract the Raiders' attention, yet close enough to see. Josh stared in shock as one of them suddenly plunged out of the sky. It was a strange sight that made him gasp. What he saw was a strong muscular form, a coppery-skinned young man with a fierce face. In one hand he held a bow. Across his chest were twin straps that crossed. At his side hung a quiver of arrows.
But the most amazing thing was the huge wings that spread out seemingly fifteen feet. They were like the wings of a gigantic hawk or eagle! They did not beat the air but seemed to catch the breeze. Josh watched the Winged Raider shift his body slightly, which caused him to swerve in the wind. He understood then that these winged ones were gliding rather than flying.
Sarah gasped as the fierce flying warrior loosed an arrow. It pierced the chest of one of the desert people, who fell to the ground and lay still. Other Winged Raiders were dropping out of the sky, loosing their arrows.
“They don't have a chance!” Reb yelled. “We've got to go help them!”
Abdul reached out and grabbed the young man with a steely grasp. “We can do nothing,” he said. “They would kill us, just as they are killing my brothers!”
The Sleepers stood there, helplessly watching, and soon it was over. Many of the men lay dead. The Winged Raiders had swooped to the ground and picked up some of the children and young people, then caught the breeze and soared back into the sky like huge birds. They mounted the rising wind currents, and Josh watched, his throat tight, until they became mere dots again, then disappeared.
“Where are they going?” he whispered.
Abdul pointed to a line of mountains that ringed the desert. They rose high in the air, though they were far away. “They are going there,” he said quietly. “To the Citadel. That is where they come from.”
“The Citadel?” Josh stared at the mountains. “They're nothing but a bunch of murderers! Something's got to be done!”
Jake looked down at the bodies with feathered shafts sticking from their backs and chests. “Well, it's going to take more than us to do it,” he said. “Let's get out of here before we get butchered like that! Next time maybe you'll listen to me. We've got to wait for Goél.”
Josh shook his head but did not answer. He was thinking, though, as they turned and rode away from the camp. Maybe Jake's right! Maybe we have jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.