Chapter LXXX
We rode slowly until we were sure that the embassy was far enough ahead not to notice us and then speeded up to keep pace with them. All through the morning we rode, threading our way among the hills and seeing everywhere the peasants working peacefully in their fields, but no pilgrims or merchants, which was a bad sign.
Just after noon we came over a rise and saw before us a long straight stretch of road. The embassy was half way along the road but in the far distance a solitary horseman was riding towards us. From the trail of dust rising behind him we knew that he was riding fast. Hilmi nodded towards him.
"There is one who does not spare his horse," he said.
I considered the man for a moment. "He must be a messanger charged with urgent news," I said, "for no one else would tire his horse like that."
"By God," Hilmi said, "You are right. The news must be important; has the Sultan, may God preserve him, invaded Galilee?"
Almost unconsciously we urged our horses to a faster walk, so that we gradually drew nearer to the embassy and we had them well in sight when the messenger reached them. To our surprise he did not gallop past them but stopped and they stopped also and began to talk. I reined in my horse but Hilmi turned his head to me.
"Keep going. We are too close to just sit and watch; that would appear suspicious. We shall have to ride past them as if we were chance passers-by."
"Allah grant that none of them recognise us," I said.
Hilmi shrugged. "What to do?" he asked.
We rode slowly, hoping that the embassy would start on its way again
but they did not and within a very short time we had come up to them. Hilmi turned his horse aside to go round them and I followed, but before we had gone ten paces one of the Hospitalers of the escort called to us.
"Hey! Lads! This news concerns you as much as us."
Hilmi drew rein but went no nearer to them. "What news?" he called back.
The man who had spoken to us kicked his horse and came towards us.
"We've just had word from Count Raymond. There's a Muslim raid on and he expects the enemy to meet us if we carry on this road."
"What will you do?" Hilmi asked.
The Hospitaller, who by the mercy of Allah was not known to us, grinned. "That's what they are arguing about at the moment," he said. "Count Raymond urges us to take refuge in the nearest fortified house and my lord agrees with him, but old de Ridefort" - he lowered his voice and glanced nervously over his shoulder as he said the name - "insists that this is a golden opportunity to attack the enemy."
"And will you?" Hilmi asked.
The man shrugged. "That's not for me to decide," he said. "Anyway, you lads should take care. I don't suppose you want to meet the Sultan's men either: you don't want to end up in Damascus."
"I thank you for the warning," Hilmi said. "We'll take care."
I saw his hand twitch at the reins, but before he could shake them another man came out of the group and urged his horse towards us.
"Are you two in a hurry?" the man demanded, and I saw to my horror that it was de Ridefort, the Grand Master of the Templars himself.
"We have an errand," Hilmi said, "but it is not urgent, no."
"Do you know the castle of Caco?" de Ridefort asked.
"I do," Hilmi nodded his head.
"Half a dinar apiece if you are willing to carry a message for me. The Grand Mashall of the Temple is there: his name is Jaques de Mailly."
Hilmi glanced at me and I shrugged my shoulders. At least it would give us a good excuse for riding away from this perilous encounter.
"We will take your message, lord," Hilmi said.
The man fumbled in the pouch that hung from his sword belt and pulled out a strip of parchment, then he took out a seal and a block of ink. He spat on the ink and used the seal to mix the spittle into a thick paste. When the face of the seal was covered he pressed the seal onto the parchment, glanced at it to make sure the impression was clear and handed it to Hilmi.
"That is your authority," he said. "I am Gerard de Ridefort, the Grand Master of the Temple. Tell de Mailly, on his obedience, to bring all the men under his command - knights as well as footmen - and meet me ... meet me at Le Feve as quickly as possible."
Hilmi took the parchment but before we could move another man came over.
"Did I hear you say Le Feve, my lord?" he asked.
"Yes," de Ridefort replied. "We'll reach there tonight and find reinforcements."
"Raymond says that the Muslims are heading for the coast," the second man said. "Le Feve is too far out of the way. If we want to catch them we'd do better to gather at - say - Nazareth. It's closer to the road they'll have to take and it's on a hill, so we'll have a good view."
De Ridefort thought for a moment but shook his head. "What you say is correct, William, but it's too far to go in one stage. De Mailly will be lucky to make it to Le Feve before dark - and anyway, that's where the armoury is." He turned back to us. "Tell de Mailly to bring as many men as he can find to Le Feve."
"Very good, lord," Hilmi said.
He placed the strip of parchment in his own pouch, then turned his horse back along the road we had already come, for the turn-off to Caco was some distance behind us. When we were safely out of hearing I urged my horse up beside Hilmi.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"Act as messenger to my lord of the Temple," he replied and then chuckled. "I should think old de Ridefort would have a fit if he knew that he had entrusted his message to two Muslims."
I grinned. "Shall we forget his message or make some mistake in it?" I asked.
Hilmi jerked his chin. "No. We shall do everything exactly as de Ridefort said. Inshallah there will be a battle and he will be wounded or captured or, if God is kind, killed. Not only is he the enemy of our lord, but also there will never be peace between the Nasranis and Salah ud-Din, may God preserve him, while such as de Ridefort live."
