Chapter XXV
It was almost dark by the time we set out, threading our way through the crowded streets of the city. Several people called out to us as we passed, but Charles returned the briefest of greetings or even ignored them and I had to copy him for fear that I would lose sight of him. At the gate the guards saluted and asked that we speak to their captain.
"Ah, lads," he said, coming out of the guard room, one foot still wriggling into his shoe. "Any news?"
"No, sir," Charles said. "We're off to try and get some."
"How far are you going?" the captain asked.
"Oh, only as far as Jericho." Charles looked at him steadily.
The captain grinned. "Your lord must be really curious about Jericho. You're the second pair of his squires heading for that city."
I leaned forward. "That must be Babrak and Hilmi," I said. "When did they leave?"
The captain considered for a moment. "Oh, about half an hour ago. Funny, you know, they didn't follow the usual route. They went straight up over the Mount of Olives."
He turned to gesture towards the white, dusty paths that climbed the slope opposite.
"Shorter," Charles explained. "We are in a hurry as well, so if we may pass?"
"Pass and be welcome," the captain said, stepping back out of our way. "God go with you."
When we were well out of hearing I urged my horse up beside Charles.
"Why did you say we were only going to Jericho?" I asked.
Charles grinned at me. "There are spies everywhere, Fuad, and it is as well not to let our affairs be known to everyone. Oh, and let's go up the mountain, otherwise our friend the captain may begin to wonder why Babrak went one way and we another."
We rode our horses slowly up the steep path and at the top I scanned the path ahead to see if I could catch a glimpse of Babrak and Hilmi. Charles chuckled as he saw me squinting into the distance.
"You won't see them, Fuad. They will be out of sight off there." He gestured towards the north, where the path disappeared over the bulge of the mountain. "That's the shortest route to Damascus - unless you take the Damascus Gate, in which case you might as well send the crier around to tell the world where you are going."
By following this route we bypassed the village of Bethany, leaving it to our right hand as we rode down into the wilderness. Being well mounted, we had no need to follow roads and paths, but could go directly in the direction we wanted - and as both Charles and I were familiar with this desert, it was not hard to set a straight course.
Three hours later we passed the khan where, according to the Nasrani hadith, a man from Nablus once gave aid to a Jew who had been attacked by robbers. This story we told to the pilgrims, but I did not believe it; the enmity against Jews was so great that I did not think anyone, Christian or Muslim, would knowingly give aid to one; neither did I think it likely that the robbers - who may well have been my ancestors - would leave a Jew alive.
Half an hour later we approached the tents of my father and the men and boys came running to greet me and to marvel at the fact that a Frank was my friend and companion.
"Ahlan wa sahlan," my father said repeatedly, touching his lips and his breast as he did so. "Welcome, a thousand welcomes."
Charles replied to him in our language, which was almost as much of a marvel, even though they had heard es-Sid Guy speak in our tongue. By now it had been fully dark for several hours, so we were glad to accept when my father insisted on killing a sheep in our honour and by the time the meal was ready, it was far too late to consider further travelling, even if we had not been so tired.
"I'm sorry," I whispered to Charles when I had an opportunity. "It is the custom of my people."
"It's nothing," Charles whispered back. "We will travel faster tomorrow, that's all."
"Suely Kerak is not so far," I pointed out.
"I rather think we will need to go to Eilat," Charles replied. "I am sure that Reynauld will not be in Kerak."
In the morning, despite my father urging us to stay for another day, we left soon after sunrise. I showed Charles the place where I had saved es-Sid from the three men who were attacking him, but after that we rode in silence until we came out from the hills and saw Jericho before us on the left hand.
"Do we need to go there?" Charles asked. "The best ford is straight ahead."
"It is better for us to go," I replied. "We should speak to Abd al-Wahid, the grain merchant. He can arrange for us to travel safely through the territory of the Bani Jibrin."
Charles shrugged. "If you say so, Fuad. I am a Frank and I travel where I please, but for you these things are necessary."
Although one can see Jericho as soon as the road leaves the hills, the distance is greater than it appears and we were nearly an hour and a half crossing the plain to reach it. The first thing we did was to water our horses and drink ourselves from the spring of the Prophet Elisha and then we rode into the town to the shop of Abd al-Wahid.
"Salaam aleikum, ya Abd al-Wahid!" I cried at the door and at once he came out himself to greet me. I made haste to present Charles to him that he might know that this was a Frank who spoke our language, lest he should say anything that would betray me to Charles.
"Welcome, O Frank." Abd al-Wahid laid his hand on his heart and ushered us into the shade of his shop. "Anything in this shop or my house is yours."
"You are kind," Charles smiled back at him. "We want for nothing except for your good word with the Bani Jibrin."
"The Bani Jibrin?" Abd al-Wahid echoed back at him.
"Yes," Charles nodded. "We must travel to Kerak and perhaps as far as Eilat and while I, as a Frank, am not worried about passing through the territory of the Bani Jibrin, my friend is an Arab."
"Of course, but Fuad is known to us. He has a guarantor in no less a person than ibn-Quafis."
"Good," Charles smiled. "However, it is well that it should be known that we travel under his protection and that we come in peace. Only robbers and spies come unannounced."
"You know our customs," Abd al-Wahid looked gratified. "Very well. I will send someone with you as far as their tents, for they are grazing their sheep on the hills above es-Salt."
