Dora Says Edward Wrote Me A Long Letter About His Experiences in Damascus

Dear Readers,

Edward wrote me a long letter about his escapade in Damascus. He and Lawrence dressed up as women in black abayas. They rode for a week to reach the capital city of Syria. Lawrence insisted on drinking hot coffee underneath a sign advertising lots of German marks for his capture dead or alive. That made Edward nervous. Lawrence called my fiance an old woman.

Then Lawrence strode into the city to look around. Edward had slops dumped on his head from an upper story window. Lawrence bought Syrian beer and washed him off with it. When they neared the River Barada, there was an explosion. The city walls in that area near the dock collapsed. A golden goo poured down the street after them.

Edward ran. Later he found Lawrence none the worse for the wear. The Colonel escaped by climbing into a barrel until the goo stopped flowing, for after all the goo turned out to be nothing more harmful than honey. Edward admired the Colonel for his cool and how he thought well under pressure.

Lawrence ran through a Syrian laundry and changed his clothes. They left to ride back to their encampment. Lawrence told lots of stories. One of the Bedouins said, "Sidi Lawrence is the greatest of the sheiks."

Then Edward thanked me for sending my little gift. Naturally he was referring to my silk stockings. So this is how Edward occupies himself instead of coming home to me!

Sincerely yours,

Dora Benley
P.S. Read more about my adventures in the first volume of my memoirs, King Abdullah's Tomb, that starts with the Lusitania and ends up with Lawrence in Arabia.