Chapter 7

We had a four hour flight time from New Delhi to Riyadh, but only gained two and a half hours, so it was almost nine at night when we were finally approaching Riyadh. We were in no way overloaded when we took off so far as weight was concerned. But loading the cargo bay took some extra work.

The front cargo bay was just over fourteen and a half feet long. But the actual flat part in the middle was only forty-four inches tall, with the width varying from eighty-two inches at the very top, down to forty-eight at the bottom, in a nice little arc that gave us all of twenty-two inches of height at the sides. The other minor detail was that the opening for the cargo bay door was only thirty-five by forty-eight.

One hundred seventy four inches sounds like an awful lot of length, until you end up having to fit two eighty-seven inch long motorcycles inside it, and not damage them. We drained the gas out of them before loading them, but they still weighed nearly six hundred pounds. Each. It also didn’t help that standing upright, they were also fifty-seven inches tall.

It would have been easy for me to put them in there, but I couldn’t help. What surprised me was how many people could actually fit into the cargo hold to literally manhandle the bikes into position. They used straps to all the available tie-downs so the bikes couldn’t move at all, while keeping them from laying on the crash bars. Captain Bhate and some of his men had waited for us, either at the airport or at a secure facility nearby, so when we showed up, they were very handy in moving things around. I made sure and tipped the Captain and Lieutenant for their efforts, even though I wasn’t completely sure of the protocol in this case.

Of course, to load the bikes required us to completely empty the cargo bay, and that left us with less than half the cargo space for anything else. That’s where Wally’s tool box came into play, because he had the tools available to take down the weapons racks, so they could be loaded. Then we stacked weapons on top of those. We didn’t have moving company blankets, but I made an old lady selling ‘handmade’ prayer blankets happy by purchasing everything she had, so that things weren’t laying with metal on metal. Then more straps going to tie-down points, and suddenly there wasn’t squat for room left inside the front compartment.

Which is what I’d expected. It was a little annoying, having to put all of our luggage into the bedroom area of the plane. With Wally’s toolbox in there as well, plus the boxes of money, we were only slightly tail-heavy, because Cassandra had also made sure that we were flying with full tanks. My new girls were all slightly nervous, because none of them had flown before. We had plenty of seats for everyone, so my pregnant women got to stretch out, helping reduce ankle swelling from being on their feet all day.

One thing that did surprise me was Chuck taking Sayel, Jeremy, and the rest of the security team back into the work area and sliding the privacy door shut.

I sat next to Carrie on one of the love seats, discussing her past, her skills, and her plans for the future. Especially ones that I sort of hoped didn’t include me as her boyfriend. I think I surprised her by informing her that we’d be getting her records from Adak, so she could enroll in high school. She was fascinated by the story of Holly, and how she was going to become the Salthawks JV quarterback.

One thing I had to warn Carrie about was simple. Regardless of her Guardian status, she was still only five foot two and a hundred twenty pounds. She was going from the land where people were short and kept body fat on because of the climate, to a land where strangers or her classmates might end up trying to shame her. It was okay to deal with things so long as nobody got hurt too badly, but it wouldn’t be a good idea to destroy an entire football team with her strength.

At ten minutes out, Cassandra called me up to the cockpit.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“We’re being diverted from King Khalid to the Riyadh Air Base, so we’ll be landing in the middle of the city. We’ll be met by officials appropriate to your rank, along with transportation,” she said with a slight grin.

“I suppose I ought to go warn everyone, so they don’t freak out. Thanks, Cassandra.” The tone in my voice showed what I really thought about it. I stopped at her reply.

“Cal ... you’re actually doing a good job, with what you’re accomplishing around the world. You’re entitled to a few perks.”

“Again, thanks, Cassandra.”

When I told my ladies about our change, Hannah just simply shrugged. “You didn’t think we’d be landing anywhere else, did you? You and I are part of the House of Al Saud now, even if we don’t have titles from here.”

Chuck and Jeremy agreed with Hannah, when I told them. Apparently, they’d spent the first hour discussing shared responsibilities, and then played cards the rest of the time, just talking about their pasts, so they could all get along better.

We were met by a follow-me that led us to a parking area separate from the military aircraft parked outside. I noticed that most of the airplanes here looked to be of American make, and there were quite a few of them flying American flags. There were half a dozen stretch limousines with Saudi Royal flags on the front fenders. One car had American flags on the fenders.

Once the plane was stopped, a stairway was immediately rolled up to it. A dozen troops in Saudi uniforms made a pathway at the bottom of the stairs. Wally opened the door, then stepped back. I made sure that Hannah was right with me, so we both stepped out at basically the same time. When we did so, an officer on the ground ordered the troops to attention. They all brought their arms up in salute.

We went down the staircase together. When we got to the pad, we solemnly walked the line, then I stopped in front of the officer at the end. I acknowledged his salute by nodding at him. He brought his arm down swiftly and neatly, then ordered his men to do the same. Just past him were two men, one of whom I recognized. I stepped up to them.

“Your Highness, it seems that no good deed goes unpunished. I had simply planned on stopping here for a brief discussion with you, get a little fuel, give you a few presents that I’ve picked up in my travels so far, and borrow the services of a US C-130 because I’ve also managed to overload my cargo bay.”

Nayef said, “Unfortunately, Your Highness ... or Your Majesty ... you are also a member of the House of Al Saud. Which means that your visit here is not just one of family, you’re also visiting royalty.”

He stopped, because his eyes were caught by the parade of women that had started to follow us down the stairs. The grin on his face threatened to break his cheeks.

“It seems that we have a few things more to discuss with you as well. Oh, where are my manners? This is Walter Cutler, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mister Ambassador, this is His Royal Majesty, California Lewis, Prince of the Punjab, and member of the House of Al Saud, and one of his ladies and also a member of the House of Al Saud, Miss Hannah Rothschild.”

Cutler said, “It is my pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty. We’ve heard something about the native people of Alaska asking you to become their Sovereign, but not about your also being a Prince of the Punjab.”

Hannah’s voice was rather frosty. “You are in error, Mister Ambassador. Prince Lewis is not a Prince of the Punjab, he is THE Prince of the Punjab. Prime Minister Gandhi is even now in negotiations with Prime Minister Bhutto to discuss the peaceful separation of Punjabi territory from both countries, so it can once again become self-ruling.”

That made Cutler pause, a look of surprise on his face. After a couple of seconds, his voice changed tone, from one of slight disdain, to one of obsequiousness. “My apologies if I’ve given any offense. It was not intended.”

“Of course it wasn’t intended, but you managed to do so, anyway. Mister Ambassador, I well remember most of the people that my father met with at our estates. I don’t know if His Royal Highness is aware of all the areas my father and the council discussed, but I can quite assure you that I do remember you from those discussions,” Hannah said.

Nayef looked amused, then. “Really? Thank you for attending this arrival, Mister Ambassador. I’m quite certain that your services will no longer be required here.”

“I must protest, Your Highness. Many of these people are American citizens, and it is my duty as their Ambassador to make certain that they are taken care of while here.”

Nayef shook his head in amusement. “You misunderstand me, Mister Ambassador. Your services are no longer required in Saudi Arabia. Please convey my regrets to your President, and we shall await the appointment of your replacement.” He turned to us. “Come, we have enough vehicles for everyone from your party, including your flight crew. Your plane is quite safe here, of course, as a member of the House of Al Saud.”

Hannah, Margie, Helen, Carrie, and I headed for the front limousine with Nayef. I was pleased that Sayel didn’t try to make any fuss about joining us. Once the five of us were seated in the passenger compartment, Nayef broke out into a full belly laugh.

“Thank you, Hannah, for that amusement. We have been looking for an excuse to get rid of that man, but didn’t have one. Having him be the cause of a diplomatic incident while Ambassador will do wonders so far as destroying his career.”

“You’re welcome, Nayef. I was serious. He’s someone my father met with.”

“I’m quite certain he was. Cutler was the political officer in Algiers during their fight for independence, political officer in Seoul when the US spy ship was captured, political officer in Saigon during the Vietnam War, and nominated Ambassador to Iran just prior to their revolution. I’m certain that Cal knows what all that means.”

“One more person that’s been playing the game of ‘control the world’ behind the scenes.” The disgust in my voice was obvious.

“Of course! It’s so refreshing to actually be doing this out in the open, where all can see, and none can contest it. Well, not in the ways they’re used to doing, anyway.”

“Yes, well, I seem to be turning things a bit upside down, without completely intending to do so.” I glanced out the window, where the lights of Riyadh were flickering by as we sped through the city. “I presume we’re going to end up meeting Fahd tomorrow?”

Nayef frowned. “Unfortunately, no. Definitely, the head of Aramco and I will be meeting with you in the morning, after you’ve had a good night’s sleep.” That made him chuckle again. “Although if I recall, I thought you mentioned Hannah brought you up to eight women, not sixteen.”

“Yes, well, it was either that, or kill them. You know that I’m no stranger to violence, if need be. I killed two men on the estate. At the same time, simply allowing those women to die because of the way their culture would see them?” I shook my head. “Not going to happen if I can prevent it.”

I leaned back, then leaned forward again. “I’m sorry, I’ve been rude myself. Nayef, this is Margaret Lewis, my CFO, who goes by Margie, and Helen Awarai, also known as Helen Lewis. And lastly, Carrie Holsinger, of the Aleut People from Adak, Alaska. Ladies, this is His Royal Highness, Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of the Interior for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and brother to King Fahd. Nayef, Margie is Elroy’s blood niece.”

“Then she is doubly family to the House of Al Saud,” Nayef declared. “In case you’re unaware, Elroy has been friends of our family for decades.” He looked at Helen. “But you ... you are dressed formally, for your people, and I must apologize to you for not noticing it until now.” He performed a seated bow to Helen. “Your Highness!”

Helen said, “I don’t claim the Royal title, Your Highness. That is his.”

Nayef immediately held his hand up. “I am Nayef, just as my brother is Fahd, unless it is formal, such as when we met you at the airport. We are almost at the palace where you will be staying this evening, and which is your home any time you are here. You will have a permanent suite of rooms there.”

“Not that I’m not grateful, but that seems ... excessive,” I said.

Nayef grimaced. “I have four full sisters, but more importantly here, I have six full brothers. I also have thirty-eight half-brothers. One of my brothers, Turki, has left the country and been removed from the line of succession due to incidents that are not worthy of our family. Sultan is the Defense Minister, Abdul is Deputy Defense Minister, Ahmed is Deputy Interior Minister, and Salman is the Governor of Riyadh. The vast majority of my half-brothers are interested in business, whether intentionally or not, leaving the actual governing of our nation to us.”

“However ... one of my sisters is married to the son of a younger half-brother of my father. I’m certain that Hannah will recognize his name. Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud.”

“Bloody hell!”

“Exactly.” The car stopped. “They will not open the doors until we signal from in here, but I do not have much time. Your suite of rooms in this Palace is a very deliberate signal to the family from Fahd. Keep that in mind.”

With that, he hit a button, and the door opened from outside.

We were parked along a semi-circular drive. There were gardens to our left and right, with trees and fountains in the middle of the drive. Ahead of us was a large, covered walk that led up a small flight of stairs, and to a large double door. Two servants were waiting by the doors. Another was waiting at the curb.

Nayef nodded. “Abdullah will show you to your suite of rooms. I shall meet you and your immediate council for breakfast in the First Palace tomorrow morning. Until then, have a good evening, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.” I stepped out of the limousine, then helped my ladies out. Abdullah shut the door, so the car could leave.

“If you and the rest of your party would follow me, Your Majesty?”

“Of course, Abdullah. I believe we met in Jupiter, did we not?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. His Highness felt that my presence tonight would allay any ... issues ... that might arise.”

The building itself had impressive columns out front, as it was a full three stories in height. The entry hallway was easily fifty feet wide and a hundred feet deep, with polished marble floors, the full three stories in height, with dozens of columns supporting the roof. There were several people sitting in chairs conversing in different spots on the floor, but all conversation stopped when we walked in.

“Just how big is this palace, Abdullah?” I could tell that my slightly raised voice carried easily throughout the entire entryway.

“The building itself is approximately sixty meters by ninety meters, Your Majesty. All but the entryway here is two stories tall. The entire grounds for this palace is five hectares.”

“Almost sixty thousand square feet on twelve acres. You said, ‘this palace’?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. The First Palace is to the northwest of here. That is where His Majesty the King lives and conducts business, where you will meet with His Royal Highness tomorrow. The Second Palace is immediately north of here. It is laid out differently than this one, of course, but has approximately the same square footage. That is where the five brothers and their families live. To the northeast of that is the Fourth Palace. Directly to the northeast of here are the Royal Gardens, with the Fifth Palace on the far side of those. The Sixth Palace is to the southeast of this one. The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Palaces are all larger than this or the Second Palace. They are where the remaining members of the family live.”

“This is the Third Palace. The primary residents here are the sisters of His Majesty the King and their families. And now, of course, you. Now, if you’ll all follow me...”

He began walking down the center of the entryway. “The immediate area to our left is the residence of Princess Luluwah, to our right, Princess Latifa. Directly ahead and to your left is the residence of Princess Al Jawhara, to the right is the residence of Princess Jawahir. We turn right here at the end of the entryway. There are open dining rooms on either side of this hall, should you desire.” He’d ignored the people sitting in the chairs and watching us walk by. Finally, he stopped at the end of the hall, and opened a set of double doors.

The first thing I noticed was the smell of chlorine. “Your residence contains a swimming pool, with the three skylights you see providing light during the day. The rooms on either side of the pool are for your staff and private servants, then your private rooms are on the far end. Meals can be served either in your residence, or, as I said, in the dining rooms. Please note that all meals are halal. Breakfast begins after the Fajr, Lunch is after Dhuhr, Mid-day snack is after Asr, dinner is after Maghrib, and evening snack is available any time except during the actual Isha call. Snacks are available only in the dining room areas. There is a dedicated staff of palace servants that serve meals, clean, and otherwise care for things here. Your day servants will be waiting outside these doors just after the Fajr call to prayer.”

He paused, frowning. “Oh, if you are here during Ramadan, of course we fast between Suhoor and Iftar. However, any of your women that are with child or have recently given birth are exempt from this requirement. And finally, His Majesty is well aware that you are not a follower of Islam. Due to the partnership you have with the Kingdom and because of the special exemptions granted to Aramco, no members of your party are at any time required to follow Wahhabi law. Should the religious police give you or any member of your party any difficulty, especially in public, please feel free to refer them to me.” At that, he grinned. That’s when I noticed that hidden under his robes was the handle of a sword.

“Ah, change. Isn’t it a wonderful thing? Thank you, Abdullah. I appreciate all that you have done for us. If we are meeting with His Royal Highness tomorrow for a breakfast meeting, we should get some rest tonight. Will there be a driver and car waiting for us?”

“Thank you for reminding me, Your Majesty. The five cars the rest of your party used to arrive here are yours for your stay. They, and drivers for them, will be available out front at all times.”

I nodded. “Again, thank you, Abdullah. You are a good and faithful servant. Have a good evening, and we’ll see you in the morning.”

He bowed, took a step backward, then turned and rose straight, walking away, shutting the doors from the hallway as he left.

We were all inside the quarters. None of my people had left while he was explaining things. I looked at Chuck. “You heard the man. If anyone is hungry or thirsty, snacks are in the dining rooms. Otherwise, um, not to be sexist or anything, but I think it’d probably be best if you five were on that side of the pool, you six were on the other side of the pool, and we’ll go see what we’ve got. I don’t know how loud the call to prayer will be, but it should be coming in less than half an hour.”

“It shouldn’t be that bad in here,” Chuck said. “Cal, we’ll do a quick walk-through of all three residential areas, so that we know where everything is, just in case, and then we’ll bed down, with shifts. I’m not sure what message was being sent, but you’ll note that we were allowed to keep our rolling suitcases. And you know they know what’s in them.”

“Great. Come on, girls. Let’s go do some exploring.” My eight new women were scared, but Sayel and Hannah spoke reassuringly to them. They’d experienced more new in the last few hours than they had in the last few years.

The actual swimming pool itself was about twenty by forty, with five feet of cement deck all around it. The men’s side was set up almost like a motel, in that there were stairways at both ends, rooms on both levels, and was twenty by fifty. The women’s side was similar, only it was twenty by sixty. My end was a solid forty by forty on both levels. The first floor was set up as living rooms, with furniture clusters and a couple of TV’s, while the second floor was basically one giant bedroom and luxury suite.

While we were finishing up, we could faintly hear through the walls the final call to prayer for the night. By silent agreement, we decided to call it a night then, with the men going off to their side, the women and Carrie going to the other side, and eleven women with me in the giant bedroom.

I think some of the eight were surprised that all we did was simply snuggle up for sleep. I know all of them were surprised that I took the time to rub Margie’s feet. Saryu and Jasveer tentatively moved to where Helen and Hannah were laying, and when no one yelled at them, began rubbing their feet as well.

The other six looked ashamed that they didn’t think of it. I quickly reassured them, saying, “Girls, you’re going to find that your life isn’t going to be quite what it used to be. There’s going to be a lot of adjustments you’ll have to make. Don’t be afraid to ask questions; nothing bad will happen to you if you do so.”

Mina said, “Thank you, Master.”

After about fifteen minutes, I realized that Margie had fallen asleep, and she wasn’t the only one. That made me laugh a little inside. I tucked Margie’s feet in under the covers, then crawled up next to her, on my side with one hand just above her belly. Helen had curled up on her side, with Hannah spooned up behind her. I felt a small body crawl up behind me, hands that I didn’t recognize yet then reached around me, holding me tight.

A very faint voice simply whispered into my back, “Thank you for being our Master.” I honestly hadn’t heard enough of each of them speaking to actually know for sure who it was, but at this point, I don’t think it mattered.

I simply whispered back, “You’re welcome,” then shut my eyes for sleep.

I’d set my internal alarm clock to wake me a half hour before when I figured the Fajr would be, so I’d have time to get cleaned up for the day. I slipped out of bed and into the bathroom side of things, getting a quick shower, so I’d be fully dressed and ready. By the time I was done, all of the girls were up and starting to get ready for the day.

“You slipped out on me, and our child didn’t even wake me up,” Margie complained.

“You were sleeping too well. I think being treated like a princess is good for you.”

She shook her head a little. “I think the nerves in my feet are hooked right into my sleep center. I can’t even imagine how Emily is handling this. I know my center of gravity is off a little as it is.”

Helen chuckled. “Women have been dealing with this for a long time, my sister-wife. Be thankful we have someone like Cal supporting us.”

“Only every moment of every day. Just a second.” She got a far away look, then nodded her head. “Sorry, just confirming how much we’re spending in California on the expansion. It’s expensive compared to Kansas, but not that much in the whole scheme of things, and worth it.”

“What expansion?” I asked.

Margie continued to get dressed while she explained. “Simple, Cal. We have, once again, outgrown something without even using it. Three triple wide trailers were going to be fine, even with Hannah added to the group. Obviously, Toby was going to have his own room, and we were simply planning on turning the second trailer completely into the clothes closet for everyone, with multi-level hanging racks. That way, the third trailer could actually be a study area, while the rest of the first trailer was the kitchen, living area, and nursery. Now, we’ve added ten more people that will be living directly with us, because of these eight, plus Carrie, plus Sayel. We also need guest rooms, because you know that family is going to visit, plus Holly will need her own room while she’s on summer vacation, which means William and Leah will also need rooms.”

Hannah said, “The good thing is that Dora’s cousin is available. Instead of ordering in modulars that would take two or three months to get, we’re going the quick and dirty way of simply pouring slabs and literally bringing in trailers this time. They’re going to stick-build a single roof over the trailers, so it won’t be obvious exactly what we’ve got, once they’re done. They’re slipping a double-wide in between each section of triple-wide modulars, so there’ll actually be a little garden space for a gazebo or otherwise private sunbathing, and then three more on each end, so we’ll have two triple-wide trailers, three triple-wide modulars, and two double-wide trailers. They’re moving the garage, because that’s going to have...”

She stopped, because we could hear the sound of the Fajr.

“Sorry, three trailers sitting there now. And you and Margie are ready. Helen and I will take the girls shopping.”

I walked out, followed by Margie, who was dressed smartly in a business pantsuit. All of our party was waiting for us.

“I hope everyone slept well. Margie and I are going to breakfast with Nayef. Sayel, obviously you’re going with us. Chuck?”

“I’m going along as well. After breakfast, Jeremy is going with Wally and the flight crew back to the airport, to see about the cargo plane. Sharon will go with them. Angela and Wendy will go with Hannah and Helen, plus however many. Since Hannah also has a family ring, I don’t anticipate any issues with unescorted women being out by themselves.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, giving them my agreement. Sayel walked to the door and opened it. There were ten people waiting outside. From the way they were dressed, eight of them were obviously servants. The other two were men with a bit of a family resemblance to Nayef.

The older of the two rather imperiously said, “I did not believe it when Hamood said that there were westerners suddenly living in our palace. It appears that I owe him an apology. Who are you, and why are you here?”

“I am one who is favored by His Royal Highness and His Majesty. Who are you, that you may question their decisions?”

“I am Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Saud Al Saud!”

I held up my right hand, showing him the ring I wore. “I am the bearer of the ring of a protector of the House of Al Saud, as given to me directly by King Fahd Abdulaziz Al Saud, making me a family member of the House of Al Saud, but without title of my own from the House of Al Saud. However, it was not necessary for His Majesty to grant me any titles. I am His Royal Highness, California Lewis, Prince of the Punjab, and also His Majesty, California Lewis, King of the indigenous First People of Australia and the Aleutian Islands.”

Both of them looked at me in surprise, their eyes wide. “Now, if you would please remove yourselves from my path, I have a meeting with His Royal Highness, Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi, the President of Aramco.”

I stepped forward, leaving them no choice but to scurry backwards, out of my way. Margie was right behind me, with Chuck and Sayel behind her.

I didn’t turn to look, because it wouldn’t have been proper. So all I could do was listen as Hannah went to the door next, and said in Arabic, “Gentlemen, as you can see, I also have a ring as protector of the House of Al Saud, that was personally given to me by His Majesty, King Fahd Abdulaziz Al Saud. Unless you plan on joining the servants inside, I suggest that you consider our portion of this palace as sacrosanct as your own. I am quite well aware of who you are, Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud. I am Princess Hannah Rothschild, one of the sister-wives of His Majesty, King Lewis.”

I was waiting to hear the explosion from him because she had left off his title, and used both princess and sister-wife in dressing him down. Instead, the apology as he groveled was quite amusing. Especially since, due to the acoustics of the entry, both Hannah’s dressing down and his apology carried, so others could hear it.

Amusingly enough, two other groups of men scrambled to get out of our way before we got to the door.

I walked outside, where cars were waiting with drivers by their doors. I walked up to the first one. “I have a breakfast appointment with Prince Nayef. Are you aware of it?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I am here to take you and your party to it.” He opened the door for us to get in, then hurried to the driver’s side once we were inside. It was less than a three minute drive, but apparently some protocols had to be followed. Once we were stopped, he opened the door again for us.

I walked up to the main palace doors. There was a man waiting, who led us inside and to what was a small room, considering this was the King’s Palace. It was only twenty by twenty, with a dining table set up with seating for four, two single chairs with tables beside them, and buffet servers along one wall. Nayef and the other man that I presumed was Al-Naimi were inside.

“Ah, welcome. I am glad you are here so early. I was concerned that due to your late night, you would not be up quite yet. President of Aramco Ali Al-Naimi, this is the Prince of the Punjab, California Lewis. His CFO, Margaret Lewis, and his personal bodyguards, Charles Allen with Wackenhut, and Sayel Pashtar, the second deadliest man of India.”