Chapter LXVIII
The flowers of spring had disappeared and the grass was turning brown when word came that the Sultan, may God protect him, was gathering a great army in Damascus and we all waited to see where the blow would fall. A week later I was in Jericho in the house of Abd al-Wahid when one brought news that the Sultan's army had been seen in the hills on the other side of the valley, heading south.
"Now by God," Abd al-Wahid exclaimed. "He is going against Kerak again. May God give him more success this time."
I reported this to es-Sid as soon as I returned to al-Quds, considering the matter important enough to waken him but he shrugged. "There is nothing we can do now that cannot be done in the morning, Fuad, so let us sleep and take the news to the palace when it is daylight."
Once again we four Musselmen rode for Kerak to join ourselves to the Sultan's train. I went as servant to Babrak together with Hilmi and Hamed, for there was no message to take to the castle this time.
"They knew that the Sultan was making ready and I doubt Reynauld will be taken unawares again," Guy told us. "He'll have had scouts out to give him plenty of warning. According to the clerk at the palace, they got a message from him a couple of weeks back, asking how long it would take us to relieve him, so he knows just what the score is."
"And there will be a relief?" Babrak asked.
"Certainly," es-Sid said. "We cannot afford to let the Sultan take Kerak, no matter how much we detest its chatelan."
We rode together down to Jericho and up the other side to Madeba and Charles came with us, enduring much teasing for this matter of the sheikh's daughter. When we came in sight of the King's Highway, however, we paused and took counsel, for the road was busier than before with convoys of supplies for the army.
"We will stop here," Babrak ordered after we had watched the road for perhaps the time of several prayers. "Charles, my friend, it is too dangerous for us to go in your company - dangerous both for you and for us. When it is dark we will go on."
Hamed expressed great concern over finding our way to Madeba in the dark, but Babrak assured him that after so many visits Charles could probably find his way there with his eyes shut, at which we all laughed and Charles' face went red.
As soon as it was dusk and the convoys had camped for the night we went forward, looking for their campfires so that we might skirt round them, and before moonrise came to Madeba and, after the usual challenges, were admitted into the village. Charles went to the sheikh's house and we prepared to sleep in the square, but the priest came and took us into the church.
"Pilgrims sleep here often," he said, "and also those who seek healing. Sleep in peace, my sons, and we will bring you food in the morning."
We thanked him, for although the stone floor of the church was neither warmer nor softer than the stones of the square, at least we were out of the night air and safe from wandering afrits and djinns - though Hilmi jokingly suggested that while we had escaped the djinn, we were in peril from the Nasrani saints, who might well take offence at having True Believers in their domain.
In the morning Papa Makarios came with several women of the place and brought us bread and onions and cucumbers and we ate until we were satisfied. Charles also came and bade us farewell.
"When will you return to al-Quds?" Babrak asked him.
"Tomorrow or the day after," Charles replied.
Babrak shook his head. "You have seen how it is on the road," he said. "You should stay here. As soon as I have news, I will send Fuad to take word to our lord and you can travel back with him."
There was much discussion of the matter but eventually, with the backing of all of us and Papa Makarios and finally of the sheikh himself, Babrak's will prevailed and Charles agreed to stay in Madeba until I returned.
"I call you to witness that this is against my will," Charles declared.
"Is it so very much against your will?" Hamed asked quietly.
Charles glared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing. "In truth not, but that is exactly why I am unwilling that Sir Guy should suspect me of turning craven at a woman's behest."
We rode on down to Kerak to find the Sultan, may God give him success, outside the town, for clearly Reynauld, that son of Iblis, had used the time to strengthen his defences. Instead of wasting time attacking the town, however, the Sultan, may God prosper him, had set up camp on the ridge overlooking the castle and from there was bombarding the opposite side to the one he had attacked before.
We joined ourselves to the company of the Emir Abdullah Amir Fiqri, but while Babrak lived in the emir's tent, no doubt eating sherbert and drinking nectar cooled with the snows of Hermon, Hamed, Hilmi and I were with the other grooms and servents, sleeping on the bare ground and eating only bread and greens, with a few dates as a special treat on Friday.
On the next day Babrak gave me certain messages to es-Sid, such as the size of the Sultan's army, the progress he was making with the siege and other matters of like sort. I listened carefully to it all, that I might remember it clearly, but my mind was troubled.
"Is it right for me, a Muslim, to tell this to the enemies of our religion?" I wondered.
Babrak laughed shortly. "It is es-Sid who pays us, Fuad, not the Sultan."
"True," I said, for it is not right to take a man's gold and not give him that for which he pays.
"In any case," Babrak said, looking at me sideways, "I think there is a certain merchant in Jericho who receives messages from you."
I felt my face darken, for I had been sure that my work for Abd al-Wahid was not known to others.
"Does the Sultan pay you for these messages?" Babrak asked.
I shook my head vehemently. "Not a single coin," I declared.
"Then it is the Sultan, may God prosper him, who is in your debt, not you in his," Babrak stated. "Take these words to es-Sid and after that you may tell them to whomsoever you choose."
I rode that same day and slept with a party of the Sultan's men that evening. In the morning I came to Madeba and found Charles waiting for me and ready to leave upon the instant - or rather, after some considerable time while he bade farewell to the sheikh and also to the girl herself. I sat with the sheikh while Charles was admitted into the inner part of the house whence came much whispering and giggling until my ears were weary with it.
We spent that night in my own tents, for though we might have reached al-Quds that day, night would have fallen and in such times the gates would certainly be shut and we should only have to sleep outside the walls. Better, therefore, to stay in comfort with my father and ride on in the morning.
Thus we reached al-Quds at mid-day of the third day and Sid Guy received us warmly. I told him all that I had seen and done and also all that Babrak had told me of the Sultan's affairs, then, after Guy had gone to speak to the king, I had to repeat it all again to Trudy as we sat in comfort in the window seat and ate grapes together.
Two weeks later I again rode for Kerak, this time to carry the word to Babrak that the Frankish army was ready and would march the following day. Of course an army does not move fast and it would probably take two days to travel to Jericho. By that time I was at Kerak, for I stopped only to rest at night and took the most direct road.
"Two days ago?" Babrak asked me when I gave him my message. "By now they will be in Jericho and in another two days or a little less they will be at the King's Highway. Hmmmm. The Sultan, may God preserve him, will need to take a detour into the desert to avoid our people. I will go and tell the Emir; you wait here in case I need to bring you to speak with him."
I waited, chatting with Hilmi and Hamed and eating the food they brought me, until Babrak returned. He grinned at me.
"You have served both the Sultan and the king," he said. "The Sultan desires to not meet the Franks, the Franks desire to raise the siege. Both are now accomplished, for the Sultan leaves today and inshallah he will escape meeting the Franks - and the Franks need come no further, for the siege is finished."
It was indeed so, for when I emerged from the house I found the Sultan's men packing up. The great machines had been taken apart and were being loaded onto camels and donkeys, the tents and pavilions were being pulled down and already lines of men were starting to march away from the city.
By nightfall the whole army was riding away from Kerak, the rear guard shepherding the animals who were carrying the stone-throwing machines. In the confusion it was easy for me to ride on ahead while Babrak bade farewell to his Emir. They caught up with me at nightfall and we camped together on the far side of the wadi where Charles and I met ibn Hamza.
The next day we bypassed Madeba and descended into the valley of the Jordan. Halfway down we met the Frankish army coming up. We sought out es-Sid Guy and gave him the news that Salah ed-Din had left Kerak.
"I expected this," Guy said, taking off his helmet and wiping his forehead. "I'll ride and tell de Courtenay. The king wasn't well enough to lead the army," he explained to our astonished looks.
Soon after that the order came for the army to halt and we waited by the roadside in the heat for a long time and then the command came down the line to make camp. There was little enough level ground and the servants of the great lords seized that for their masters. The rest of us made what shift we could with goat tracks or rocky outcrops.
"They've sent out scouts," Guy told us when he finally returned. "They'll shadow the Sultan until he's well past es-Salt, but I think that we'll be back in Jerusalem before the week is out."
Fortunately we were near enough to the river for teams of donkeys to go and return bringing water, for by God it was hot on that exposed hillside. There were even desertions, for now that the crisis was all but over there were those who saw little point in suffering when they could return home and a steady trickle of men headed down the hill pretending to go for water but never returning.
"By our Lady, I've half a mind to join them," Charles said, fanning himself with a handkerchief as we sat watching the stream of men and animals going down the hill and the somewhat smaller stream climbing back up again.
Instead we beguiled the time by telling of our adventures and there were gasps of envy as Babrak spoke of the sweet sherbert he had drunk with the Sultan's courtiers.
"It must be kismet," Hilmi said mournfully. "I slave looking after the horses, Hamed polishes your armour and washes your clothes, Fuad rides here and there in the heat - and you eat sweetmeats and drink sherbert. Ya Allah, how have I offended you?"
We laughed and spent the next hour discussing improbable ways in which Hilmi could have offended against religion, but after that there was nothing to do until night came and we settled uncomfortably to sleep with nothing more to eat except some dry, hard bread and dates.