Drawing behind a clump of palms near a door opening to a passage leading to Mizraim's quarters, he waited.

He saw David enter quickly, yet without any air of secrecy, and pass into the little room where Kaid had left him.
For a long time there was silence.
The reasons were clear in Nahoum's mind why he should not act yet.

A new factor had changed the equation which had presented itself a short half hour ago.
A new factor had also entered into the equation which had been presented to David by Kaid with so flattering an insistence.

He sat in the place where Kaid had left him, his face drawn and white, his eyes burning, but with no other "sign of agitation.

He was frozen and still.