'If you had always been as you are now, I should have always loved you,' she said softly, and stooping down she took up his sword and drew it out and put it into his hand. 'I tried to wield one when you were not looking,' she said, 'but it hurt my wrist. Come, Khaled--let us go together.' Then he kissed her once more, and she kissed him, and putting one arm about her, he led her swiftly out by the passage towards the great gate. It was now broad dawn and the light was coming in by the narrow windows. Zehowah clung to Khaled closely, for the noise of the thundering blows was terrible and deafening, and the multitude without were shouting to each other and calling upon Abdullah to come out, for they supposed him to be in the palace. But the guards and soldiers within had all hidden themselves though they were awake, for there was no one to command them nor to lead them, and they dared not open the gate lest they themselves should be slain in the first rush of the crowd. Then Khaled and Zehowah paused for a moment near the gate. 'It is better that you should go back, my beloved,' said Khaled. 'Hear what a multitude of angry men are waiting outside.' 'I will not leave you--neither in life nor in death,' she answered. 'Let it be so, then,' said Khaled, 'and I will do my best. For a hundred men could not stop the way before me now, and I think that of five hundred I could slay many.' So he went up to the gate, and Zehowah stood a little behind him so as to be free of the first sweep of his sword. 'Abdullah!' cried some of the crowd without, while battering at the iron-bound doors. 'Abdullah, thou son of Mohammed and father of lies, come out to us, or we will go to thee!' 'Abdullah, thou thief, thou Persian, thou cheat, come out, and may boiling water be thy portion!' 'Stand back from the gate, and I will open it to you!' cried Khaled in a voice that might have been heard across the Red Desert as far as the shores of the great ocean. 'I, Khaled, will open,' he cried again. Then there was a great silence and the people fell back a little. Khaled drew the bolts and unfastened the locks, and opened the gates inward and stood forth alone in the morning light, his sword in his hand and his soul burning in his eyes. 'Khaled!' cried the first who saw him, and the cry was taken up. The shout was great, and full of joy and shook the earth. For the multitude had grown hot in anger against Abdullah, while they battered at the gates, supposing that he had slain Khaled. But he himself could not at first distinguish whether they were angry or glad. 'If any man wishes to take my life,' he cried, 'let him come and take it.' And the sword they all knew in battle, began to make a storm of lightning about his head in the morning sun. Then the strong man who had wrestled and thrown the other before dawn, stood out alone and spoke in a loud voice.