Chapter XXXVI
The village, a mere handful of mud huts by the sea shore dominated by half a dozen stone houses from the time of the Romans, was more than a mile distant. As we approached Harun spoke to me. "See the foolishness of the Franks. The village is well away from the wadi but the camp of the Franks is right in the middle of the wadi. The first time it rains they will be swept away and destroyed."
Charles turned his head and grinned. "That thought was in my mind also," he said. "How often does it rain here?"
"Not often enough," Harun admitted.
The sheikh received us kindly and insisted on killing a sheep in our honour - or rather, in Harun's honour, for it seemed that they were old friends. They spoke much of the doings in the Frankish camp and when Charles asked a question and the sheikh discovered that the fair-haired man spoke Arabic as well as he himself, he stopped in confusion.
"He is my friend," Harun said softly. "You may speak as freely before him as you would before the Sultan."
The sheikh relaxed and told us that ships came and went every two or three days - ships bringing wounded from the battles that were going on by land and sea far to the south, ships taking supplies of food, arrows and fresh men. From them he and the men of his tribe gathered news, for they were employed as labourers to load and unload the ships.
"That dog Reynauld has captured nine ships from Egypt, four of them merchantmen with cargoes of grain, three carrying pilgrims and two fishing vessels. All their crew and their passengers save two merchants who claimed to be worth great ransoms were slaughtered and thrown into the sea. He has landed at many places along the coast and burned the villages, killed those he could catch and even cut down groves of date palms. It is said that some of the tribes have been seduced to his party and accompany him on land while he sails on the sea. By this means he has destroyed more on land than he could by his own forces."
"Has he taken any great towns?" Harun asked.
"His men boast that he will capture Jeddah and then raise the tribes and march inland to sack Mecca, but so far as I know, he has not even arrived there yet."
"Al-hamdu-lillah," we murmured - even Charles.
"Men say," the sheikh continued, "that Reynauld is really seeking to raid the trade with India, for great wealth comes from there - spices, ivory, gold, and much else beside. Some say that he intends to sail to the furthest limit of the Red Sea for this purpose."
"I think I should try and have speech with some of those who have returned," Charles said. He turned to the sheikh. "Do you know if any of those who have returned are great lords among the Franks?"
The chief jerked his chin upwards. "No, that is not known to me. There are captains that have returned, for we have heard men speaking to some by that name, but who they are or what rank they hold I do not know."
"Never mind," Charles said. "In the morning I will return to the camp on pretext of seeking some information and see what I can discover. Do you know Ibrahim the fish merchant?"
"Of course," the sheikh replied. "He lives in the house with the pigeon loft on the roof."
We nodded. We had all noticed the house, the finest one in the whole place, for it looked a little less like a ruin than the other five or six stone houses which towered over the mud huts that made up most of the town.
"And I must see about passing on towards Egypt," Harun said. "The best way is along the northern coast, but I have been through Aqaba before. Can Mustapha guide me as usual?"
"Mustapha is away fishing," the sheikh replied. "He will return in a day or two, inshallah."
"And you, Fuad," Harun asked. "What will you do?"
I shrugged up my shoulders. "What shall I do? My lord told me to seek for news among the Arabs and now we have heard it. My task is complete. When Charles has learned what he can from the camp of the Franks, we can return to al-Quds."
We slept that night in the house of Sheikh ibn-Tahir and I learned to my astonishment that the water of the sea is salty - though not so salty as the water of the Salt Sea near our home - and that even so fish live in it in great numbers. In the morning Charles departed for the camp of the Franks, leaving Harun and I to walk up and down on the beach and talk until the sun grew too hot and we retreated to the shade of a small grove of palm trees.
About mid-morning one of the labourers returned from the camp with a message from Charles to say that he had gone to the castle. We questioned the man about this castle and he told us that it was half a day's journey to the south and stood on an island which was a short distance from the shore.
"Jezirat Farun it is called," he said, "for we believe that it was first built by pharaoh and that his treasure is hidden within it. Now we fear lest those sons of Iblis find the treasure which should belong to those of the Faith, for they continually work to rebuild the castle."
"It will be as God wills," Harun tried to comfort the man. "Do you know where Mustafa the guide is?"
"He is fishing," the man replied. "He left two days ago and will be gone for at least a week, perhaps longer, for he works with the father of Abdul who always sails further than the other fishermen to a place that he alone knows of where the fish, so he says, are larger and easier to catch."
"Now may God curse all fishermen," Harun burst out. "Here I am with important messages from the Sultan - God protect him - and my guide is away chasing fish."
"If you are in haste," the man said, "perhaps you should go south towards Jeddah and see if you can get a ship to carry you to Egypt, for although these Franks have caught a few, yet there are many that cross daily from one place or another to carry those who make the Haj."
"How far is it?" Harun asked.
"From here to Wej is ten days if you travel by horse, but by camel you can arrive there in seven days or eight days at most. If God wills, however, you will find a boat before that, for there are fishermen and merchants at ash-Sharma, which is only two days from here by camel and at al-Muwaylih which is little more than a day beyond that."
"Alas, we have horses," Harun said, pulling thoughtfully at his lower lip.
"Not all the camels of Aqaba have fallen into the hands of the Franks," the man said.
Harun turned on him, his eyebrows raised. "You mean that we could hire a camel or two?"
"Why not?" The man stepped closer. "I myself, your unworthy servant ibn Jubair, have four camels, fine stalwart beasts that will carry you to Mecca and beyond with the speed of the wind."
"Well, it is a thought," Harun said slowly. "I will consider the matter. Where can I find you if I wish to follow your plan?"
The man pointed out his house and went off and Harun and I continued to talk, but this time we discussed the possibility of travelling south and perhaps even going as far as Mecca, for both of us longed to perform the Haj. What honour we would have in our homes and among our friends if we could return as hajjis.
"I'll dye my beard with henna and set up as a cadi," Harun laughed. "It will be a change from all those old men in Damascus who think that travelling to Mecca gives them great wisdom."
