Chapter XIX
Es-Sitt was waiting in the courtyard when we returned, chatting cheerfully to the slavegirl who waited on her. As we walked in Trudy looked up and her eyes widened.
"Bon jour, Fuad," she said.
It took me a moment to realise that she was talking to me and then another moment to run her words through my head and translate them into Arabic and then a final, much longer moment as I struggled to assemble a reply. I felt my face grow hot as I stammered, "Bon jour, ya Sitt."
Trudy laughed. "Non,non. Bon jour, Madamoiselle."
Hamed jabbed me in the ribs and I bowed and said "Bon jour, Madamoiselle."
"Fatima and I need to go to the shops," Trudy said, "but my father won't let us go on our own. He says that we must find a man to come with us. Will you come with us, Fuad?"
I was aching all over from the exertions of the day and my feet were tired from all the miles we had walked, but before I could speak my refusal Hamed jabbed me in the ribs again.
"Fuad would love to go, Madamoiselle, but he has been hard at work all day in the field and at the butts. Grant him five minutes to refresh himself and he will be at your service."
Trudy pulled a face at that but then shrugged her shoulders. "Five minutes. No more."
Hamed slipped his arm through mine and dragged me round the corner to our room. He pushed open the door and Hilmi and Babrak greeted us with smiles and jokes.
"Guess what?" Hamed announced. "Es-Sitt takes Fuad shopping."
There was a good deal of laughter, but I did not join in, for I was too tired and was somewhat annoyed with Hamed for saying that I would go.
"We've all done it," Hilmi told me. "Your turn comes early, that's all."
"What do you mean, 'my turn'?" I demanded, slumping down on a bench and holding out my hand for the cup of cool water Babrak was offering me.
"Well, why do you think es-Sitt asks for you to accompany her when she could have me?" Hilmi demanded. "You are a bedu from the desert and can give a name to the thirty-seven varieties of sand dune, but you wouldn't know a pickpocket from a pilgrim. I, on the other hand, have been born and bred in Jerusalem. I am skilled in all these matters."
I shrugged. "I don't know and I'm too tired to think. Why does she want me?"
"Because you're new," Babrak said.
"Because you're different," Hilmi said.
"Because you won't know about all her old jokes," Hamed said. "If she asks you to buy her some Aieee, refuse."
"Some what?"
"Aiee," Hilmi laughed. "Surely you've heard that story?"
"No." I was mystified. "What is Aiee?"
"Well," Hilmi began, "there was a young chap as ignorant as yourself who came to work in the city. On the second or third day his master told him to go to the bazaar and get some Aiee, so off he goes and asks the merchants for some Aiee. The first one said that he didn't sell it and directed him to a shop right over the other side of the city. That man said he was completely out of stock and sent him way up to the Damascus gate. The man there declared that he was waiting for new stock and sent him down to the Zion gate."
"Yes, but what is Aiee?" I interrupted.
Hilmi waved away my question with his hand. "Finally he came to a merchant who said that he had a stock of the very finest Aiee you could get. He took the lad out the back of his shop, picked up a thick stick and began to beat him with it. 'Aiee!' the young fellow screamed, 'what are you hitting me for?' 'There you are,' the merchant replied, 'you now have some Aiee - and because I am generous I won't charge you anything for it.'"
At last I saw the joke and joined in the laughter.
"But you haven't told the rest of it," Babrak said. "The lad took his bruises off outside the city and thought about what had happened. Then he found an old bottle, hunted around and caught a bee and put it in the bottle and then he returned to his master.
"'Well,' his master said, 'Have you got me some Aiee?' 'Oh yes,' the lad said, 'the very finest.'
"Now this surprised the master, for when he sent newcomers on such errands they usually came back discouraged and empty handed, or else weeping from the many beatings they had received. 'Show it to me,' he demanded. 'Oh, I can't show it to you,' the lad replied, 'but you can taste it. Here, stick your tongue in this bottle and you will taste the Aiee.'"
"And did he?"
"So the story says," Babrak grinned. "He stuck his tongue in the bottle, the bee stung him and he danced around screaming, 'Aiee! Aiee!' 'Oh, I'm terribly sorry,' the boy said. 'I forgot to warn you that the Aiee is rather hot.'"
We all laughed until Hamed sat up and said, "Come on, we can't keep es-Sitt waiting. Off you go, Fuad, but be careful. The honour of the beduin rests with you."
Trudy and Fatima were indeed waiting for me, and none too patiently, to judge by the expression on es-Sitt's face. They rose at once and started towards the doorway that led onto the street and I made haste to follow them. We walked through narrow lanes for no more than five minutes and then we came out into the busy bazaar.
"Keep close!"
Trudy turned her head to instruct me, but there was no need. I was already beginning to feel a little panicky as I realised that if I lost sight of her I would never find my way back to our house. I pressed up close behind the two girls, even if that meant pushing and shoving at those who tried to come between us.
Even more annoying than the people who were simply going about their business and bumping into us as they did so, were the beggars who pestered Trudy at every turn in the road. To all Trudy gave a small coin and a word of blessing, but that was not enough for one fellow, a burly man with only one leg and a crutch. He took the coin, looked at it and then hurled it to the ground, demanding greater largesse in loud and angry words. Trudy turned to me.
"Fuad, explain to him, please, that I only give what I have given."
"Gladly, ya Sitt."
I turned to face the beggar, who shouted in my face, showering me with his spittle. Without thinking I kicked his crutch from under him. He fell heavily, sprawling full length on his back and a donkey laden with a huge bundle of greens promptly trod on his out-thrown arm, causing him to yell in good earnest. I snatched up his crutch and hurled it away, sending it skittering over the cobbles.
"Follow us again and I will let you taste this," I shouted at him, drawing my dagger two or three fingers' width out of its sheath. I glared at him, snapped the dagger back into its place and then turned and hurried after Sitt Trudy. Only later did I realise that the beggar, who was a Frank, might not have understood my words, but he must have understood my actions, for he troubled us no more.
The shopping that Trudy wished to do consisted of visiting every shop that sold trinkets and gaudy clothing, then getting the shop-keeper to turn out everything that he had for them to handle and touch, and finally deciding to buy nothing. After many such visits I felt myself becoming increasingly weary and at last, in exasperation, I spoke to Trudy.
"Ya Sitt," I said. "In the name of Allah, what is it you are looking for? Let us buy it and be done."
Trudy glanced sideways at Fatima and then took my arm and drew me to the side of the street.
"Well, Fuad, there are two things I need. The first is women's things and I cannot explain it to you, but the second is very simple, so perhaps you could go and get it for me?"
"Willingly, Sitt."
"Call me Trudy," she snapped. "Now, what I need is a square hole, about so big." She indicated a size with her fingers. "But remember, it must be square. Any other shape is no use to me."
"Very good, Trudy." I bowed but as I straightened up I caught a fleeting smile pass between Trudy and Fatima and Hilmi's story of the Aiee came into my mind. I passed her request through my mind and suddenly realised that she was trying to make a fool of me and blacken my face - and I determined that I would not have my face blackened by a woman, even if she was Sid Guy's daughter. In an instant I knew what to say.
"Sitt Trudy, you are a very beautiful lady and your father is a very great man, is this not so?"
Trudy raised her eyebrows and looked at me for a moment before nodding her head slowly. "Ye-e-s."
"So an ordinary hole such as the common people might buy will not be good enough for you."
"True, true."
Fatima giggled and the two girls exchanged glances again.
"So with what should your hole be surrounded?" I asked. "Gold? Silver? Ivory?"
"Oh never mind!" Trudy stamped her foot impatiently. "If you can't get me a simple thing like a square hole, forget about it."
She snatched at Fatima's arm and the two girls hurried off up the street with me trailing along miserably behind them. A moment later, however, Trudy stopped and turned back to me, a smile on her face.
"How did you know that it was a trick? Hamed spent all day searching Jerusalem when I told him to get me a square hole."
"We beduin are not so easily deceived as an Egyptian fellah," I told her, putting on a lofty air.
"Huh!" Trudy snorted. "Hilmi spent seven dirhams buying all sorts of rubbish when I told him to get me some bright pink - and he's a smart city lad from Jerusalem."
Fatima giggled again. "First he brought you some cloth, lady, then some wine."
"Yes, then some face paint, remember that?" Trudy shuddered. "It was a particularly horrible colour."
"Did he ever tell you where he got it, lady?" Fatima asked.
"No, where?"
"From the house of Heloise the Lombard, lady."
Both girls laughed immoderately and even more when they saw the puzzlement on my face. Trudy shook her finger at me. "Don't ever let me hear that you have gone to visit Heloise the Lombard, Fuad, or any of her girls."
"Yes," Fatima said, "She is for the benefit of pilgrims who have endured a long sea voyage. Leave her to them."
After that the shopping seemed to go more easily and only four shops later Trudy bought a small silver ornament for her clothing - and then promptly gave it to Fatima, who wore it all the way home. I was looking forward to eating and resting but while the food in the dining room was good there was little rest, for Phillipe, one of the Frankish squires, had heard some news from a pilgrim newly arrived from overseas and there was great excitement.
"He said that just before he left Cyprus there was a rumour of a revolt in Byzantium," Phillipe told us. "We know that the Emperor Manuel has died and that his wife was acting as regent for their young son Alexius. However according to the pilgrim she took a lover and between them the two of them so upset the people of Constantinople that there was a popular revolt and a man called Andronicus has taken over."
"Andronicus?" another Frank called Charles interrupted. "I wonder if that's the Andronicus we know?"
"Don't interrupt," Phillipe reproved him. "There is more. The previous Emperor favoured us, as we all know, so when this Andronicus took over the people of Byzantium rioted. It is said that they have killed every Latin in the city - men, women and children."
"By St Denis!" Charles exclaimed. "How dare they!"
"Oh, there is more," Phillipe continued. "Andronicus killed the young Emperor's mother . . ."
"God forfend!" a squire called Karl exclaimed. "She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman in the world. Why didn't he bed her?"
". . . and then he killed Alexius and finally, to explain why he wasn't interested in the mother, he took Alexius' young wife."
"Agnes!" Charles looked aghast. "He dare to marry Agnes of France?"
"Not only marry her," Phillipe said. "She is only twelve, so Alexius had not touched her, but despite his great age - and his relationship with his cousin - Andronicus has known her in the marriage bed."
"That sounds like the Andronicus we know," the voice of Sid Guy broke in and we hastened to stand in respect. "Sit down, everyone."
We all sat and Sid Guy came and sat among us. He listened to the story Phillipe retold to him and nodded at the end.
"Yes, that fits in with what I have heard," he said. He nodded at Charles. "It is the Andronicus we know." He turned back to the rest of us. "This Andronicus has been a lady-killer from his youth, even daring to seduce the Emperor Manuel's neice, Eudocia Comnena, which was doubly offensive because Eudocia's sister Theodora was Manuel's mistress. What was worse, when some reproved him for his profligacy, he laughed and said, 'Subjects should always follow their master's example,' and added, 'Two pieces from the same factory are usually equally good.'"
Some of the Franks sniggered but the others hushed them angrily.
"How do you know him, sir?" the Frank called Karl asked.
"He came out here years ago and did something or other for us - I never did find out exactly what - and was given Beirut as a reward for his services, whereupon he seduced another of his cousins, a woman also called Theodora, who was the widow of our King Amalric. That was when I knew them. She was only twenty-one and he must have been forty, at least. Of course, they couldn't get married but they were quite open about living together."
"Why did he leave Beirut, sir?" Karl asked.
Guy chuckled. "Oh, it wasn't long before he made Beirut too hot for himself and had to leave in a hurry, but by then there was nowhere else for him to go in Christian lands. That didn't worry him, however; he went off among the Muslims and finally settled down as a brigand in Colonea."
"What happened then?" one of the serving girls asked, for they too were listening to es-Sid.
"He might be there still except that the Duke of Trebizond captured Theodora and their two sons and sent them off to Constantinople." Guy shook his head. "He must have really loved her, because he chased after them to Constantinople and begged the Emperor Manuel to give him back his mistress and the Emperor, somewhat unwisely, forgave Andronicus and even gave him a small pension. Mind you, he had enough sense to exile the pair of them to a remote castle on the Black Sea coast."
Guy laughed quietly. "He's a great rogue, but he's a friend to us, so I don't know why the mob rose up against the Latins. Andronicus is as likely to support us as Manuel was."
After much talk the lamps began to run out of oil and that was the signal for us all to go to our rooms. As he left Guy beckoned to me and bade me follow him. Once more I stood in Guy's room; Guy was seated at his table and Trudy was sitting beside him.
"How is your training getting on, Fuad?" es-Sid asked me.
I groaned and rubbed my arm.
"It would be less painful just to let someone kill me, ya Sid. I ache all over."
Guy laughed. "Well, keep it up. I hear good reports of you from everyone, including my daughter. Be glad, however. Tomorrow you will have a holiday. How does that sound?"
"It sounds very good," I told him. "I feel as if I could sleep all day and all night."
"Ah, not that sort of holiday," Guy chuckled. "A holiday from fighting. I have a group of pilgrims eager to go to Jericho and the Jordan. I want you and Charles to accompany them - oh, and I think we'd better send Hamed as well. A good bowman is always useful."
