Chapter XXXV
Montreal was, indeed, less strictly guarded than Kerak, but even so the soldiers took Harun and I to one side and emptied our saddle bags and felt along the seams while Charles laughed and joked with their captain. Again Charles lodged in the castle and Harun and I went to the inn where the food was bad and we both lay on the floor with our saddle bags under our heads because we could not lock the door of our room.
The following day we arrived at Wadi Musa, which the Franks call Valle Moise, and Harun took great pleasure in pointing out to us the tomb of the prophet Harun on top of a high mountain in the distance. By God, that is a strange country, for the castle is hollowed out of the rock and many of the inhabitants of that land live in caves cut in the rock. Charles went to the castle as usual, but Harun and I slept in an abandoned cave and cooked our food over an open fire that we fed with dry shrubs and thornbushes.
As we did so an old man came past and, seeing our fire, turned aside to discover who was in the cave which was his property. From him we learned that his son was one of those who had gone with Reynauld and that he had received a message from him that very day to say that he was returning with great wealth.
"May Allah advance him," the man told us, "for we are in dire poverty because of these kaffirs who rule over us. Many years ago, when I was a young man, we received a band of Turks and with their aid we entered the castle by surprise and took it away from the Franks. When they came to attack us we shut ourselves in the castle and they could not come at us, for, by God, that castle is impossible to take."
"And yet the Franks are inside it and you are not," Harun grinned.
"When they could not come at us," the old man continued, "they began to burn our houses, block up our wells and then to cut down our trees. When we saw that, we had no choice but to surrender, for though the castle is strong, we cannot eat rocks and sand and we had to think of our children. The Turks were allowed to depart in peace and we to return to our homes, but alas, most of us had lost everything we possessed."
"But you could replant your trees," I pointed out.
"He is a bedu," Harun explained to the old man. "He knows nothing of such matters. Fuad, can you ride a foal the day after it is born, or milk a camel on the day of its birth?"
"Ah!" I exclaimed, "Of course. It takes time for trees to grow."
"That is so," the old man agreed. "It takes at least ten years before an olive tree reaches full production, but worse than that; because there were no trees, the wind blew the sand where it would, so that some places where trees once grew now no longer permit them to grow. My land, which, as you see, is at the edge of the valley, is like this. It was never the best land, but at least it was once covered with trees. Now, by the will of Allah, it is as you see."
"So how do you live?" I asked.
The man shrugged. "I work for anyone who will hire me and for the rest I take refuge in God and in the charity of my fellow believers."
"Bring us to speak with the messenger who brought you news of your son," Harun said, "and we will reward you."
"I will do so," the man said and showed how truly poor he was by immediately getting up and going in search of the messenger.
It was late at night when he returned with the man, a donkey driver who had gone with the Franks to Aqaba and was now returned to his home.
"A ship came to Aqaba three days ago," he told us, "bearing some of the booty they had taken and also many wounded men. By Allah, there was much gold in that ship, for I myself saw three chests carried on shore and what else would be in them but treasure?"
"And when will Reynauld return?" Harun asked.
"When God wills," the man replied. "The sailor who gave me the message to this old man told me that Reynauld has landed on the coast near Jeddah and that many of the tribes have entered into alliance with him, hoping to profit from an attack on Mecca."
"True Believers are with him?" I exclaimed. "This I do not believe."
The man shrugged. "Believe it or not as you choose. I tell you what I was told."
When he had gone and Harun had given a gold coin to the old man, we discussed the news.
"It is possible that he is speaking the truth," Harun said. "It is well known to the Sultan that those of al-Qureish have grown rich from their kinship with the Prophet, peace be upon him, and not all the tribes love Qureish. There are many who would be glad to take their position as rulers and guardians of the holy places."
"But surely they would not join with those enemies of religion, the Franks!" I protested.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Harun quoted. "No doubt they hope to use the Franks even as the Franks hope to use them, thinking that when they have looted Mecca the Franks will be satisfied and go away again. May Allah confuse their councils."
The next day was a Sunday and we had to wait while Charles went to hear mass, so we were late starting. When he came at last he was pleased because the bishop of Petra had spoken with him and given him information about Reynauld. We rode up onto the hills above Wadi Musa and headed south till we came out in a broad plain, then spent most of the day crossing that. The land grew drier and drier and rocks and sand were the only crops, strange rocks that look like a candle that is half burned, drooping and melted. When night came there was no one to be seen, so we gave what water we had to the horses, put pebbles in our mouths and slept in the open some short distance off the road.
In the morning we rose before the sun and caught our horses and pushed on, seeking to escape the heat of the day. An hour after sunrise we came to a beduin encampment where we were received with hospitality and they showed us a scum-covered waterhole where we could drink, water our horses and fill our waterskins.
Thus refreshed we rode onwards, now following a wadi that led down from the plain between rocky cliffs, winding and twisting ever downwards until, at last, we saw before us the blue of the sea. Yet even so it was mid-afternoon before we came down on the shore at Aqaba and were conducted by armed men into the presence of their captain.
"You've come from Jerusalem, you say?" the captain asked Charles.
"That is correct," Charles told him.
"Why?"
"I seek news of a friend of mine who may be with the Lord Reynauld," Charles said.
"What's his name?"
"Henri, Henri of Anjou. Like me, he is nothing more than a squire."
The captain looked at him suspiciously. "A long way to come for a mere squire."
Charles laughed easily. "Fortunately my lord was sympathetic."
"Who is your lord?"
"Guy d'Orleans," Charles replied.
"Heard of him," the captain grunted, but whether he had heard good or bad I could not tell.
The captain turned to me. "And who are you?"
"I am his servant," I replied, pointing with my chin towards Charles.
"You're a Muslim."
"I am of the Household of Faith," I spoke proudly.
"Do you trust him?" the captain asked Charles.
"With my life," Charles' response was immediate.
"Very well, but you are responsible for his behaviour here. Keep away from the encampment and no spying." The captain turned to Harun. "And who are you?"
"He is my guide," Charles interrupted before Harun could answer. "I hired him in Jericho."
The captain look carefully at Harun. "Hmmmm. I'm sure I've seen him round here before. Still, if you'll be answerable for him?"
"He is my responsibility and under my protection," Charles said.
"Very well. We've no great comfort here - there's better lodgings to be had down the coast a bit at the castle - and anyway, you'll probably prefer to be with your servants and they can't stay in the camp, it's forbidden in time of war. I'm told that the sheikh takes in travellers. Go down to the village and ask for ibn Tahir."
He dismissed us with a wave of the hand and the guards led us from his presence and out to the edge of their camp. We retrieved our horses and I saw Harun look anxiously at his saddle bags, but there was nothing we could do and they did appear untouched.
