He almost began to feel bad for the woman. The djinn was clearly making her uncomfortable - Faysal had a feeling that Zahir made an art out of frustrating people. Maybe it was the influence of the name. Still, he couldn't help but see the point to it. There was little djinns could do to prevent their power from being abused - but if they made such nuisances out of every interaction, at least their master wouldn't summon them for every little thing.
He brought up one of his crutches and knocked on the wall to signal his men. Hasan approached, opening the door. He backed away in surprise at the sight of Zahir. "Who are you?! How did you get here?!"
"Stand down" Faysal commanded. "The answers to these questions are none of your business. I did not expect your security to be so airtight to stop him from coming in, and I won't hold you responsible." If they believed that the unruly djinn and his victim-slash-mistress were working for him, they wouldn't ask questions. The last thing a sensible Essyrni wanted was becoming embroiled in Merchant Prince politics, where knowing just a little was enough to spell someone's death.
It would be rude to keep his new 'guests' waiting just because getting through the warehouse took time. Faysal sent Hasan ahead to instruct the slaves in front of the warehouse to let them inside the litter. It was rather spacious, so three people should be able to fit in without any problem. He had a feeling that Zahir would not take well to being dismissed for easier transport, so he decided against suggesting it. A cautious person could take it as an attempt to get rid of the djinn in order to attempt something dangerous - it was best not to antagonize a being that could erase him from existence with but a flick of his finger.
When he finally made his way outside, he found his personal guard lacking in numbers. Anticipating his question, Brahim approached and performed a quick bow. "The shadows lengthened, so the naqib decided to take Master Mirza back to the palace so he wouldn't be late for his history lessons."
That would explain it. Faysal let out a sigh of relief - he would have preferred not to make up a story in order to explain the presence of his new guests to Mirza. He would have to later weigh the benefits and drawbacks of this situation, decide whether to reward Ali for taking the initiative and sparing the family from having to look for a new, less fussy about punctuality tutor - or whether to punish him for acting without his leave and making decisions that weren't his to consider.
His guests have already taken their places in the litter. Faysal sat in the corner, putting his crutches down, and gestured for the slaves to lift. The crowds have thinned a little, although not enough for a foreigner to notice. While the congestion wasn't so thick that they couldn't move, it was rather slow, despite the best efforts of the guards.
Looked like he wasn't the only highborn visiting the market today. He could see another litter floating above the sea of people. The colours and heraldry indicated that the people inside were probably the family of Merchant Princess Ghada al-Budur. Zaahir was working with her on a deal concerning her exclusive trade routes, which meant that it was also in Faysal's best interest to treat those temporary allies well - even if the agreement fell apart, it was best not to make unnecessary enemies.
The other litter got close enough for him to recognize the two women sitting inside. They were giggling at each other, casting dirty looks at the djinn. This was, perhaps, to be expected, considering Zahir's outfit and appearance.
"Oh, is he yours?" one of the women asked, leaning over to speak to Lapis. "Would you be willing to part with this fine specimen for an evening? I'll pay well - and I promise to give him back unharmed!"
