Chapter LXX
It was as well that I took Trudy to visit my parents when I did, for that was the last big trip of the year. Not only were there very few pilgrims, but once more there was war with a big raid into the area around Galilee. Babrak, Hilmi and Hamed went to see if they could join the Sultan's forces but es-Sid sent me to al-Kahira in Egypt with a present of dates for a merchant with whom he was acquainted and I came from there with much news about the movements of troops and the supply of dates and many other such matters.
"Did you see Joseph's graneries?" Trudy demanded when I returned.
"What are these 'graneries'?" I asked.
She explained that the Prophet Yusuf, great-grandson of el-Khalil, the Prophet Ibrahim, had gone into Egypt and built there huge store houses that were broad at the bottom and pointed at the top and that these were still to be seen in Egypt in the vicinity of al-Kahira.
"Truly, ya Sitt," I said, "I saw two or three such things in the distance but it seemed to me that they were the works of unbelievers, if not of djinn, and so I passed them by. I am of Islam; what have I to do with such things?"
At that she became annoyed with me and said that she longed to see these graneries, having heard of them from others, and declared that if ever she went into Egypt she would certainly go to see them and, if possible, to enter into them.
"Why?" I asked. "What profit is there in going to look at a building? Is there some merit to be gained by this according to the Nasrani religion?"
"No, silly," Trudy snapped. "It's nothing to do with religion. They're just - well - just interesting."
At that Sid Guy came into the room and he also declared that he would love to see these things and for no other purpose than simply to look at them. Truly Allah alone is great and has made many different sorts of people, but sometimes I think that He has made the Franks a little touched in the head.
In matters of war, however, the Franks are greatly skilled and it was lack of men, not lack of ability, that allowed the Sultan, may God prosper him, to ride so freely in the plain of Sharon. It was to repair this problem that, while the army mustered to ride against the Sultan, Arnold de Toroga, the Master of the Temple, and Patriarch Heraclius departed that they might raise more soldiers from among the Franks. With such dangers in the land they were reluctant to go and almost left it too late, for the ship they sailed on was one of the last of the season. Of their quarrel with the king no one made mention.
We travelled to Bethlehem for the feast of Christ's Mass, but the feasting was very subdued, for all were worried at what the next year would bring. Babrak managed to kiss Fredegund - and reported that she returned the kiss with a smile - and I sat with Trudy while the others danced and this time Sid Guy sat with us and talked the whole time about whether the mission of the Patriarch would be successful or not.
At the time of the giving of gifts, my father came to al-Quds bearing a gift for es-Sitt - the embroidered black garments of a beduin woman made for her by my mother. Trudy declared herself delighted with the costume and often wore it when she called me to come and sit with her.
