Chapter XIV
Sure enough, in the morning es-Sid sent for me after we had eaten. The squire who brought the message conducted me to Guy's private rooms where Guy was sitting at a table from which the women were clearing away his breakfast. I was astonished to see that Guy's daughter, the girl Ermintrude, was sitting by his side, and hesitated to approach until she was gone. I gazed at the floor that I might not look upon her face, but almost at once Guy called me over to him.
The first thing he did was to greet me in the Franks' language and though I stumbled over the words, he smiled at me and said, in Arabic, that I was doing very well. Ermintrude looked at me with her green eyes and she also smiled and spoke to me, giving me the same greeting. At this I was greatly embarrassed, for I did not know the proper way to speak to a woman, but Guy told me what to say and I found that the Franks use the same words when they are speaking to a man and to a woman, whereas with us, although the meaning is the same, the form of the words changes for a man or a woman.
"Now, Fuad," Guy said, putting his hands on the table in front of him, "that merchant in Jericho, Abd al-Wahid, was very helpful to me and I wish to send him a token of thanks. It is nothing much, just some sweetmeats prepared after the Frankish manner, but it is always good to return gratitude to those who show kindness."
"Give him my thanks also," Ermintrude said, astonishing me by speaking in almost perfect Arabic. "If it were not for his kindness my father would have been gone for many days."
"From my heart, O Sitt, I will do as you require," I replied, laying my hand on my heart and bowing.
At this the girl Ermintrude giggled and said something to her father in her own language. Guy grinned and turned to me.
"She says that you are courteous enough to be a knight already. See, then, that you behave like a knight. Remember, you are free to speak of anything you have seen in Jerusalem, except only what you have seen in this house."
I bowed even lower. "It shall be remembered, Sidi."
Guy laughed and called aloud and an older man came into the room, carrying a purse and a small parcel. These he handed to me and then bowed to Guy and departed.
"The parcel is the present for Abd al-Wahid, the purse is for expenses by the way. Take your horse and weapons, take whatever food and drink you may require from the kitchen, and go and come as swiftly as possible. I will expect you back by the evening of the next day or the day after that at the latest, so if you wish you may spend some time with your parents to let them know that you are well. Greet your father from me."
Ermintrude broke across her father. "Is it true that you are a bedu?" she asked.
"It is as you say, Sitt," I told her.
"How romantic!" she exclaimed. "Tell me, what is it like to be a bedu?"
Guy laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. "I don't think you would enjoy being a bedu woman, my dear. Come, we mustn't delay Fuad. You can have a long talk to him all about the beduin when he comes back."
Clearly others knew about my errand, for a servant was standing in the courtyard holding my horse when I came out of Guy's rooms, and in the kitchen the cook had a parcel of food all ready for me. Charles, Hilmi, Hamed and Babrak gathered to bid me farewell as I mounted and, when I asked for directions, Hilmi very kindly offered to come and show me the best way out of the city. I tried to remember the streets so that I could find my way back again, but it was all so confusing that I quickly gave up and just followed Hilmi. I would have to ask for directions on my return.
Once outside the walls I had no difficulty over the route. The road from al-Quds is downhill all the way and I rode easily through Bethany and out into the desert. How clean and fresh the air smelled and how peaceful the countryside, after the noise and bustle of the city. I rode with a light heart and even sang aloud for joy, much to the astonishment of a group of Nasrani pilgrims and their guards who were returning from a visit to Jericho and the Jordan River. How they stared to see a man in Frankish clothes and with Frankish weapons, yet brown-faced like an Arab and singing Arab songs.
They tried to speak to me in their own tongue, but at that I yelled "Bon jour", the only words I could remember, and hurried past them. The encounter, however, made me realise how easy it would be for someone to mistake me for a Frank. Even one of my own tribe could be lying in wait with a bow - and I had no protection apart from the iron cap I was wearing beneath the Frankish hat. My experience in the arena the previous day had shown me not to trust in my sword, so as soon as the pilgrims were out of sight I stopped the horse, climbed down and searched the ground until I had found ten good round stones for my sling. These I put in my pocket with the sling before I resumed my journey.
My father's tents were just where I had left them and everyone came running out at the sound of my voice calling greetings. My younger brother was away looking after the sheep in my place, but the youngest children were there and even my mother, once she was assured that there were no strangers about, came out to greet me. My father killed a sheep in my honour and I gave him one of Guy's gold pieces: after all, I had to eat and who could tell how much an inn-keeper would charge?
It was late in the afternoon by the time the meal was finished and all the talk was done and I could leave for Jericho. I hastened the horse along, but the sun was low in the sky before I came out onto the plain with the Salt Sea on my right, and just on the point of setting when I reached the little town of Jericho. I asked for the house of Abd al-Wahid, the merchant, and once they knew that I was an Arab, the people of the place gladly showed me the way.
"Ya abu Khallil!" my guide yelled, banging on the door. "One has come from al-Quds to speak to you."
"Go away, O shameless one," a woman's voice shouted back. "Abu Khallil is not here. Seek him at his shop."
Sure enough, when we got there Abd al-Wahid was still sitting in his shop, drinking coffee and talking to his friends. When he learned that I had come from es-Sid Guy in al-Quds he rose up to welcome me and brought me by the hand to sit at his side. I gave him the sweetmeats and the message from the girl Ermintrude and then he began to question me about myself.
"You are an Arab?"
"I am of the Bani Ibrim," I told him proudly.
"And I of the Bani Jibrin," he replied, drawing himself up.
"I am your guest," I replied. "I am also a messenger."
"True, true." He nodded, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Nevertheless, what do you know of Ibrahim ibn Quafis?"
"He has been my guest," I replied.
Abd al-Wahid looked up sharply. "And your name?"
"Fuad ibn Hassan ibn Tallal ibn al-Hajji."
"Welcome, thrice welcome, Fuad ibn Hassan. Abu Jelal spoke of you with honour only three days ago. By Allah, you are welcome in this house and whatever is mine is yours also."
The other men sitting there put their hands on their hearts and murmured blessings and soon the talk was flowing freely, for Abd al-Wahid was a generous host and there was no lack of coffee, bitter, sweet or flavoured with cardamums.
"So," he said, pouring me out another glass. "You have been in al-Quds. What do you think of the place?"
"A wonderful city," I replied. "I have been there before with my father's flocks, taking them to the market, but never did I imagine that the city was so large or so full of people."
"Ah yes, the people. You have seen how the place is full of Franks? What do you think of them?"
"By Allah, O host," I told him, "the Franks are an amazing people. Their walls are of iron, as high as those built by Gog and Magog. Their horses are as big as the largest camel and twice as swift. They themselves are as tall as giants, with amazing strength so that the heaviest armour is as nothing to them. All the Franks in al-Quds think of nothing but fighting all day long and there is a place outside the walls where they come to fight every day, in preparation for battle."
I described the fights I had seen, which went on for hours, with mighty blows given and received so that armour rang like a coppersmith's shop; the hundreds of guards at the Tower, the thousands of knights at the Hospital of St John and at the Temple. I told of the Varangian guard I had seen with his huge sword and heavy axe, though in order to impress them with a proper sense of wonder I made the single man into a company. Save only for the household of Guy, I told them everything I had seen in al-Quds.
When I had finished I was a little surprised at the attitude of those listening. Instead of wonder and amazement, there was disappointment and discouragement. Indeed, one or two of the men actually questioned whether everything I had said was true and I was obliged to swear by Allah, by the Holy Quran and by my own head, that these things were so, before they ceased their questioning.
"If the Franks are as strong as this," one man said, leaning back against the wall of the shop, "how can we ever hope to conquer them?"
"It will be as God wills," Abd al-Wahid said, sipping at his cup. "If there are champions among the Franks, there are also champions among those who follow the Sultan - and at least Allah is on our side."
"Yes, and never forget that these same Franks came to attack ash-Shams, and went away with empty hands. Allah has granted to them a measure of success in order to punish us for our sins, but soon the time that is written for them will come to an end and the Believers will conquer the infidels." The man who had spoken leaned back and stroked his beard.
"May Allah grant it," Abd al-Wahid said. "Nevertheless, if the Franks are as strong and well prepared as Fuad ibn Hassan declares, it is something to be reported to the Sultan."
A murmur of agreement ran round the room. Abd al-Wahid took pen and ink and got me to repeat my story, questioning me about all I had seen in al-Quds and writing down my answers.
"You have done well, Fuad ibn Hassan," he said at last. "Ibn Quafis said that those of the Bani Ibrim were of the party of God and now I see that it is true. May Allah reward you."
"What will you do with that?" I asked, nodding towards the piece of paper on which he had been writing.
"I will send it to ash-Shams by a trusted messenger. By the mercy of Allah it will reach the Sultan in three days."
"And what then?" I felt so excited that I could hardly breathe.
"Why, the Sultan will take note of this and I think that there will be no great attack on the Franks this year. Even though many Egyptians have come to our aid, they are still only raw. They will need to be well trained before they can think of fighting men who spend every day in the practice of arms."
