Chapter XCVII
There followed a period when Trudy and I were the only people in the house, for the steward and his wife lived in a separate part of the building. Servants brought us our meals but for the rest we had nothing to do except talk and we passed hours each day sitting with our arms about each other, discussing many different things.
Every day I spent time going round the estate with the steward and I learned many things which I did not know before about growing crops and caring for strange animals such as cows. Trudy stayed at home doing her embroidery and training the steward's daughter to be a lady's maid in place of Fatima. Most evenings, however, we took our horses and rode to the top of one of the nearby hills, both for exercise and also to enjoy the evening breeze.
At night Trudy went into her room and I stayed in the hall. The walls of Gibran were high and the doors stout, so I was not afraid of robbers coming in the night, but nonetheless I slept across the doorway to Trudy's room, piling up the carpets to make a bed as winter approached and the stone floor grew colder.
Several times we talked about leaving Gibran and what we would do if someone came from the Sultan, but though we did some choosing of what we would take with us and what we would leave behind, we were agreed that we would wait until spring and the warmer weather. Trudy and the steward's wife began to make plans for the Christmas feast, so secure did we feel, and we even discussed the possibility of going up to al-Quds to purchase some things for the feast.
Five weeks before Christmas we woke to find a light frost on the ground, which disappeared as soon as the sun rose. The day was very cold and around midday clouds spread across the heavens and a chill rain began to fall, misting down out of the leaden sky. Trudy called the servants to build up the fire and we decided not to go for a ride that evening but to stay in the warmth.
We settled down on the carpet in front of the fireplace and I put my arm around Trudy's waist, but before she could put her arm around me the door opened and a gust of cold air blew in and made the fire flicker wildly.
"Sitt," one of the servants said, "There are men at the door."
"What do they want?" Trudy asked, sitting up.
"They say they have come to prepare the place for their master," the servant said.
"What!" I leaped to my feet. "Go, tell them that I am coming." As soon as the servant had gone I turned to Trudy. "Trudy, I think this is what we have feared. Go and get your things ready immediately and veil your face."
I went down to the courtyard and over to the gate where the postern was open and the steward was talking to some men on horseback.
"Salaam aleikum," I said, recognising the clothing they wore and the arms they bore.
"Aleikum as-salaamat," they replied.
"Ahlan wa sahlan," I said. "Welcome, in the name of God. Guests are a gift from Allah."
At that one of the men swung down from his horse and came towards me. "But we are not guests," he said. "The Sultan, may God protect him, has given this estate to our master Abdul Aziz al-Qamishli whom some call Abu Yusuf. He is on his way here and we have been sent ahead to prepare his food and his lodging."
"And us?" I asked. "This man is the steward, there are servants and cooks and tenants."
"It is for our master to confirm each man in office or to replace him," the man said. "Show us where the master's appartment is and then go to your own places. Our master will decide these matters in the morning."
"Come," I said. "The steward will show you the stable for your horses and I will see that there is a fire in the master's room."
The men brought their horses into the courtyard and the steward led them over to the stables. As soon as their backs were to me I raced up to the house and into Trudy's room.
"Are you ready?" I demanded, breathing hard. "These men are the servants of some emir who has been given this estate by the Sultan. They are coming up here to make ready for their master, so we must leave immediately."
Trudy's face was pale but she had two bags packed already with clothes and things and was busy stuffing more clothing into a third bag. I raced round the room bringing everything I found and laying it on the bed for her to pack. Finally she closed the last bag and I grabbed the first two and she picked up the third.
"Where will we go?" Trudy asked.
"Right now we will go to the steward's house," I told her, "but as soon as these men are out of the courtyard you and I must leave. If they see your face they will surely hold you as a captive. If we are lucky they will take a ransom for you."
"And if we are not lucky?" Trudy asked as she followed me out into the hall.
"If we are not lucky the emir will see your beauty and take you into his harem," I said. "Cover your face."
Trudy drew her veil over her face with her free hand and together we walked out of the hall and across the courtyard toward the steward's appartment. We were only just in time, for as we entered the door we heard the men coming out of the stable and laughing loudly about something.
The steward's wife drew us in and shut the door, but I opened it a crack and stood watching as her husband led the men up the stairs to the hall. As soon as they had entered the hall I grabbed Trudy's hand and together we hurried over to the gate. I struggled a moment with the postern bolts and then we were through and a moment later we stood in the darkness beneath the olive trees on the other side of the road.
"Stay here," I told Trudy. "I must go back and get my own things."
I entered the courtyard and climbed up to the hall where the men were talking to the steward. When I came in the steward turned to me.
"Fuad, these men want to know how many of the animals in the stables belong to this estate? I thought you would know better than I."
His eyelid flickered downwards and in a moment I understood what he was doing. I tried to keep my voice steady as I replied.
"All of them, Sid, apart from those two horses that were left here because they were sick." I turned to the men. "A merchant from Gaza came by here a month ago and left two of his horses with us because they were sick. I was charged to take them to al-Quds for him tomorrow or the next day."
"Weren't there some donkeys as well?" the steward asked innocently.
I slapped my forehead. "Yes, Sid. I forgot about them. There are the three donkeys belonging to the mill which we borrowed to bring the flour home. I have to take them back tomorrow as well."
"Do so," the leader of the men growled. "We will need all the room in the stable for our master's beasts. We have no place for those belonging to others."
I raised my hand to my forehead. "I will do so, Sid. Just let me get my things and I will go at once."
I went over to the chest in the corner of the room and began to take out my clothes and my weapons. I could feel the men watching me and just hoped that they would not question the quality of my belongings, for they were much superior to what you would expect for a stable-boy.
"I set Fuad to sleep in here," the steward spoke up behind me. "I wanted to make sure that no one got in to steal things while the owner is away."
In my heart I blessed the steward, even more when he began to ask the men what they needed to prepare for their master's arrival and under cover of the distraction I grabbed my mail shirt and hid it in my other clothes. After a moment he went off with two of the men to show them where the kitchen was and there was silence again in the room. I stood up, my arms full of my belongings and turned to leave.
"Fuad," the leader of the men said. "That is a Muslim name. Are you of the Household of Faith?"
"I am indeed," I said, halting.
The man came towards me. "Strange," he said. "You dress like a Frank."
For a moment I couldn't think of what to say but then I grinned and shrugged. "Sid, the owner - the former owner - of the estate gave me his old clothes."
"And weapons," the man said.
He stared at me for a long moment and I made haste to leave the room. I carried my things across the courtyard and into the stable. I waited a moment to make it seem that I had taken everything up into the stable-boy's room over the stable and then I harnessed and saddled Trudy's horse and mine and led them out into the courtyard. To my dismay the leader of the men was standing in the doorway of the hall, watching me.
I went back into the stable and picked three of the strongest and best tempered donkeys and led them out as well. I tied their lead ropes one behind the other and the first one to Trudy's horse, but just as I was about to mount my horse and leave the yard the man came down the steps towards me.
"Those are good beasts," he said.
I shrugged and said nothing.
The man walked around the horses, looked at them far too closely for my liking. When he came round to me again he stood for a moment looking at me thoughtfully.
"What manner of man was this merchant?" he demanded.
"S-Sid," I stammered, inventing hastily. "He was an Egyptian. He told us that he carried goods to ash-Shams where he was under the protection of the Emir Hasan ibn Hamza."
"Ibn Hamza?" The man raised his eyebrows. "What was his name?"
"Sid, I am only the stable-boy. All I know is that I am to take these horses to the house of Ali ibn Tabas in al-Quds."
The man shrugged, obviously disappointed. He turned and went back into the hall and I, feeling shaken, led the animals over to the gate and through the postern. As soon as I came out Trudy appeared and helped me lead the animals into the shelter of the trees where we loaded her bundles onto the donkeys and tied them there securely.
"I still have to get my things," I whispered to her. "I've taken them from the hall to the stable, now all I have to do is get them out from there. Wait here."
"Hurry," she said to me. "It's cold and wet out here."
Fortunately a man on foot makes less noise than a horse does. It was relatively easy to sneak back into the building, gather up my belongings and slip out through the gate again. In the shelter of the trees I armed myself, loaded the rest of my things onto one of the donkeys and then we set off down the road.
"Where are we going?" Trudy asked when we were well away from the house.
"There is a cave near here where we can take shelter for the night," I told her.
It was not as easy as I had thought to find the cave in the dark and we were both cold and wet through by the time we had the animals safe inside the cave and unloaded. I went out into the rain, searching for something we could burn, but there were only thistles and they were soaking wet. After a while I gave up and went back to the cave.
"I've made up a bed for us," Trudy said from the darkness. "It won't be terribly comfortable, but at least we should be able to keep each other warm."
I followed the sound of her voice and finally stumbled over her, for she was lying on the ground. I felt around and discovered that the bed consisted of the saddle cloths from the horses and the bags of clothes for pillows. Trudy was lying under both our cloaks and I was so cold that I didn't stop to think of shame or whether it was proper to do so. I lifted one side and made to join her.
"Take your clothes off," Trudy said, her voice sharp. "I've just started to warm up and if you get in here with your wet clothes on I'll get all cold again."
"Trudy!" I gasped.
"It's dark," she said. "Hurry."
I felt my face grow dark with shame but her advice made sense. I hastily stripped off my clothes - for by God it was indeed cold - and slid under the cloaks to join her. To my horror, she also was naked and I felt great embarrasment and shame as part of my body responded to the discovery. I lay down far away from Trudy lest she discover my shame, but I think she must have had knowledge of the matter, for she reached out and pulled me towards her.
"Lie with your back to me," she instructed, "and I'll help you get warm."
By God, it felt good to have her warm body pressed against me, but so great was the hunger I felt that I was sure I would never get to sleep, yet only a short time later - or so it seemed - I woke to find myself wrapped around Trudy and she with her arms around me.
Of course, as soon as I awoke and realised where I was, my problem returned in full strength and I had to hastily roll over and try to hide my shame, but the action must have woken Trudy, for she drew me close to her again and stroked my back and my arm. I opened my eyes and discovered that there was just enough light to see a greyness where the opening of the cave was.
"Al-hamdu-lillah!" I exclaimed. "It is nearly daylight, ya Sitt - ya Trudy."
"Yes," Trudy said. She slid her hand down my arm, over my hips and before I could guess what she was doing, she reached round and brushed her hand against my body. "I think," she said quietly, "that we had better find a priest and get married as soon as possible, don't you, Fuad?"
