Chapter XXVI
It took another hour for a messenger to be found and for him to arrange his affairs so that he could accompany us - and then we had to negotiate the present that we would give him when we reached the tents of the Bani Jibrin. As we waited Charles asked to use the privy and while he was absent I gave my report to Abd al-Wahid.
"Everyone in al-Quds is talking about what we hear of that son of Shaitan, Reynauld de Chatillon. Some, mainly those who are newly arrived from the lands beyond the sea, are for him; those who have been here longest are against him and fear that his rashness will bring disaster upon them."
"Well, it will certainly bring the Sultan, may God strengthen him. Whether that will be disaster or not is known only to Allah." Abd al-Wahid played with his worry beads for a moment and then smiled at me. "I think that your journey to Eilat is not unconnected with Reynauld de Chatillon?"
"By the Prophet," I swore, "you are right, but I may not talk of this. Es-Sid, my master, has forbidden me to speak of his affairs to anyone."
"Oh ho!" Abd al-Wahid raised his eyebrows. "You have risen to being the confidential secretary to this Frank?"
I laughed and shook my head. "Not so. All his squires are in the same position; we cannot speak of his affairs except between ourselves."
"Well, I will tell you this," Abd al-Wahid leaned towards me and lowered his voice. "Even the Sultan, may God protect him, is alarmed by what he hears of Reynauld de Chatillon. Every day we look to hear that Mecca is attacked or the tomb of the Prophet, peace be upon him, has been sacked. There seems no limit to what these Franks can accomplish or what God permits them to achieve. Anything you can find out, the Sultan will appreciate it as much as your Frankish master."
"By God, ya Abd al-Wahid, you shall know all that I discover. Only the matters concerning es-Sid are haram."
Abd al-Wahid laughed. "It is good, ya Fuad. Now, there is another matter on which you can help me. There is one here who also journeys to Eilat but would be better travelling in company. Will you take him with you?"
"I am willing," I replied, "but I must consult my companion."
"That is only right," Abd al-Wahid nodded. "However, I will tell you what should not be known to the Frank. This one is a messenger from the Sultan, whom may God protect. With so many Franks on the road to Eilat, he feared to travel alone but with a Frank for company he should be safe."
"Who should be safe?"
Charles pushed aside the curtain and entered the room, smiling confidently at us.
"There is one travelling to Eilat," I told him. "Abd al-Wahid asks if we will accept him in our company."
"Fine," Charles shrugged. "There is safety in numbers, especially in such unsettled times. I hope he knows how to use a sword?"
Abd al-Wahid stepped forward and bowed. "It is your kindness, O Frank. His name is Harun; he is a Syrian from near Damascus and he travels to Eilat and perhaps beyond. His journey is urgent, so if need be he would go alone, but it is always better to have company on the roads."
"Let him be called," Charles said. "We must go as soon as possible."
Abd al-Wahid clapped his hands and a servant appeared. The necessary instructions were given and within a short time two young men were ushered into the room. One was clearly a bedu and though he walked proudly, his clothes were ragged; he was our escort to the camp of the Bani Jibrin. The other was well dressed and tall, though not so tall as Charles. He wore mail and carried a curved sword like mine and a round shield, clearly the gifts of the Sultan, may God protect him. I looked apprehensively at Charles, but he appeared not to notice anything amiss.
"Welcome to our company, ya Harun," Charles said in Arabic. "Such protection and advantage as we two can offer is yours, if you will accept it."
"I am in your debt, O Frank," Harun replied, placing his hand on his heart and bowing politely. "My journey is urgent, but for all that, I am grateful for companions on the way."
"Then, if your journey is urgent as ours is also, in the name of God, let us depart. Abd al-Wahid, we are grateful to you. May God reward you. My friend," - he turned to the bedu - "lead us to the tents of the Bani Jibrin and you will not find us ungrateful."
"Come this way, lords."
We followed the bedu out to the courtyard where the horses were tethered. Harun's horse was a spritely beast, lighter but more nimble than those with which Charles and I were provided, but the bedu had a sorry nag indeed, whose coat gave off clouds of dust when he slapped it in an effort to hurry the poor creature along. We all embraced Abd al-Wahid and received his blessing in return, and then we rode out of his courtyard and into the street.
We had to ride for more than an hour back towards the Salt Sea before we came to the ford across the Jordan River and in that time I had opportunity to size up our new companions. The bedu was friendly enough but had little to say; when he heard my name and knew that I was of the Bani Ibrim his eyes gleamed a little, but that was all and he was neither more nor less friendly or taciturn than before. He said that he was returning to the tents of the Bani Jibrin, but I suspected that he really lived in Jericho and was half-way to becoming a town Arab, despised by both those of the desert and those of the sown.
Harun, on the other hand, quickly proved himself a gay and likeable companion with a ready tongue and a quick wit to adorn it. At first, while I talked with the bedu, Charles spoke with Harun and I could not help but overhear the nimble way in which he avoided those questions which Charles asked that might reveal his errand. Eventually I slowed my horse and let the bedu ride ahead so that I might join in the conversation and soon we three were laughing and joking together like old friends.
In this pleasant way we did not notice the passing of the hours or the miles and though I was aware that we were climbing up the side of a deep valley, it was still a shock when we finally came out at the summit and drew rein to let the horses rest a bit. I looked back and was astonished to see how far the Salt Sea was below us.
"Well, this is new to me too," Charles said, breathing deeply of the cool air that had replaced the scorching air of the valley. "That must be Jericho and up there, if I mistake not, is Bethany and beyond must be al-Quds."
"Aiwa, aiwa," the bedu confirmed, nodding his head. "Al-Quds."
"You have not been this way before?" Harun asked.
"Never," Charles said. "However, I am told that the road is clear to be seen, so we should not need a guide."
This was confirmed an hour or so later when we finally reached the tents of the Bani Jibrin. Ibrahim ibn Quafis was not there, but his father, the sheikh, and other members of his family welcomed us and insisted on slaughtering a sheep in my honour.
"My son has spoken well of you," the old man said. "He has told us how you persuaded the Frank to ransom him instead of killing him like the others. Our tents are at your service, ya Fuad ibn Hassan."
I nearly made some protest that it was the Frank who had persuaded me to accept the ransom, but then I realised that Ibraham ib Quafis had altered some of the details of the story in order to save his face - and who was I to blacken his face in front of his own tribesmen?
"Al-hamdu-lillah," I replied. "All things come of God."
I knew that Charles was chafing at the delay, but there was nothing we could do. To refuse the hospitality of the Bani Jibrin would certainly be an insult, as I explained to Charles when we went out to look at our horses.
"I know," Charles said. "Well, at least let us make sure of an early start tomorrow. I had hoped to be in Kerak by now."
That night I slept peacefully in the tents of our enemies; surely God is great and able to bring the most unexpected things to pass. Indeed, this was only the least of the wonders, for by my side slept Charles, a Frank who was enemy to us all, and on the other side was Harun, a man who was in the service of the Sultan even as I was in the service of the Franks who were his enemies.
Harun and I rose at the hour of prayer and joined the men of the Bani Jibrin outside the tents. When we returned, Charles was also awake and had packed all our things into our saddlebags. Harun glanced at him suspicously and I noticed that his fingers felt along a certain seam in one of the bags, but he seemed satisfied with what he found there and said nothing to Charles.
