"If we two first agree," Grim answered with a dry smile.

"Do you agree that two and two make four? This is just as simple,
Jimgrim. Feisul cannot contend with the French. The financiers have
spread their net for Syria, Feisul has no artillery worth speaking of--
no gas--no masks against gas, and the French have plenty of everything
except money. Syria has been undermined by propaganda and corruption.
Let Feisul go to British territory and thence to Europe, where his
friends may have a chance to work for him. The British will give him
Mesopotamia, and after that it will be up to us Arabs to prove we are a
nation. That is my argument. Are we agreed?"

"If that's your plan, Hadad, I'm with you!" Grim answered.

"Then I also am with you! Let us shake hands."

"Shwai shwai!" (Go slow!) said Grim. "Better join up with me in
Damascus. There are six men in the car ahead who'll try to murder us
all presently. They've got a letter that they think is that one. The
minute they find out we've fooled them there'll be ructions."

"I am good at ructions!" Hadad answered.

"My friend Narayan Singh is forward watching them," said Grim. "What
they'll probably try when they make the discovery will be to have the
lot of us arrested at some wayside station. I propose to forestall
them."

"I am good at forestalling!" said Hadad.