The doctor was still speaking.
‘Tell the boy this,’ he said. ‘It’s from the word of God, from the Bible we share. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.’
Salim’s forehead wrinkled as he tried to turn this into English.
‘From your Bible,’ he said. ‘Word of God. Doctor say, when you walk into death, like into a valley, into a shadow, there is not to be afraid. God with you then.’
‘God was with his mother too, at the moment of her death,’ the doctor went on, his voice calm with certainty.
‘He with your mama too, when she die,’ said Salim.
‘Go on. Now.’ The doctor was pushing at Salim, who stepped down noiselessly into the courtyard. The cloud was over the moon and it was so dark that the watchers in the alcove could see almost nothing. Silent as a shadow, Tewfik had slipped away too. Adam, straining into the darkness, saw only a patch of slightly denser blackness moving near the horses.
He’s fetching the rope, he thought with a shiver. It’s really going to happen.
He felt his way down the pair of steps. Faithful, lying at the bottom of them, stirred and thumped his tail sleepily.
‘Quiet,’ breathed Adam. ‘Be quiet.’
And then, suddenly, Salim was in front of him with Tibby in his arms. She was lying dead asleep against his shoulder, her pale golden hair glowing dimly in the darkness. Faithful sat up and whined, then let out a bark of welcome, which sounded so loud that Adam and Salim froze, expecting the whole khan to wake and come running.
‘Quiet!’ hissed Adam furiously. ‘Down! Lie down!’
With a whine, Faithful subsided.
Adam felt the doctor’s hand on his arm. He was giving him something – a long wide piece of cloth. Now Salim was laying Tibby against his back and the cloth was being wound round them both, securing her firmly in place.
‘What is it?’ he whispered to Salim.
‘The doctor’s turban!’ answered Salim, a choke of laughter in his voice.
Salim was feeling wildly excited and triumphant. Picking up Tibby had been easier than he’d expected. He’d been quite prepared to act the fool, like a boy who didn’t know what he was doing, but it hadn’t been necessary. Tibby had been lying on her back near the woman, on the outer edge of the alcove, her arms flung out in the abandonment of sleep. She’d mumbled something and given a little cry when Salim had picked her up. Salim had soothed Tibby with strokes on her back, and she’d been still again at once.
The worst part had been carrying her back across the courtyard. He hadn’t been able to see where he was going and was terrified of stumbling and dropping the little girl.
Tewfik was back now with the rope.
‘The stairs are in the corner,’ he whispered, leading the way.
Adam turned to the doctor for a last goodbye.
‘You’re good,’ he whispered, knowing the doctor couldn’t understand, but needing to say it anyway. ‘I won’t let anyone tell me different. I’m sorry for what we did in Acre. I didn’t understand when I took the cross.’ The others were waiting impatiently. ‘Shukran,’ he said again.
As he crept stealthily after them towards the stairs, Faithful arched his back, stretched out his forelegs, opened his mouth in a gigantic yawn, then shook himself and followed.
I don’t know how I’m going to get you out of here, Adam thought. You’ll have to work it out for yourself.
It was unlucky that the moon came out again just as Tewfik, Salim and Adam were halfway up the steep stair leading to the flat roof. Silhouetted against the white stone, they knew they were horribly visible. They stopped instinctively and shrank against the wall, then forced themselves on.
The khan was built on a hillside, and it was easy to see from the roof that the wall was higher towards the front than the back. Peering over the side, Tewfik led the way along the top, looking for the best place to lower the rope. He stopped so suddenly that the others nearly bumped into him.
‘Here,’ he whispered.
He tied the rope round a stone jutting up from the corner of the wall, laid one end round his waist and dropped the other end over the side. It was impossible to see if it reached the ground.
It’ll just have to, Adam thought, with a lurch of his heart.
He caught hold of the rope and was about to lower himself down when Salim said, ‘Wait. You meet Tewfik tomorrow, but where?’
Tewfik was scanning the hillside above. In the moonlight, half a mile away, was a small white dome surmounting a square building.
‘He meet you there. You hide till he come,’ whispered Salim. ‘Is tomb of saint. Very quiet place.’
It was hard climbing down the rope. Although it seemed to be securely fastened round the corner stone, and Tewfik was bracing it too, Adam was afraid he would fall. To his relief, the rope was only a metre short of the ground. He nearly missed his footing as he landed, and dislodged a stone which went rolling noisily down the hillside.
At once, a fearful noise broke out. The khan dogs, who had been sleeping outside the main gate, burst into a cacophony of hysterical barking. They came racing round the corner of the building, heading straight for him. He picked up a stone and stood with his back to the wall, protecting Tibby and braced to fight them off. Above him, Faithful was answering the dogs with a furious tirade of his own.
On the top of the wall, Salim stood, rigid with horror. Beside him, Faithful was running up and down, out of control, desperate to get at the dogs below and fight.
A voice called out from the courtyard.
‘Meen? Who is it? What’s happening?’
The watchman had woken up and was making for the steps. Tewfik landed a brutal kick on Faithful’s rump. His bark changed to a shocked yelp as he went flying over the edge of the wall. Tewfik had time only to drop the rope before the watchman had stumbled sleepily to the top of the steps.
‘What’s happening?’ he said again.
‘Nothing, ya-bawwab,’ Salim said soothingly, his mind racing for an excuse. ‘We – we thought we heard something up here. We were afraid there was a thief. There’s nothing. A jackal disturbed the dogs, that’s all. I think they’ve killed it.’
‘Killed a jackal? They’ve never done that before. Let me see.’
The watchman approached the edge of the wall and was about to look right down on to Adam’s head. Tewfik and Salim stood by the corner stone to hide the rope, praying that he wouldn’t see it.
‘What’s a dead jackal, more or less?’ Tewfik said sternly, barring the watchman’s way. ‘You should keep those dogs tied up. I never heard a noise like it. I shall have a word with the owner in the morning.’
The watchman responded immediately to the authority in his voice and retreated from the edge of the wall.
‘I’m sorry, sir,’ he said, leading the way down the steps again. ‘It’s the owner’s fault, after all. Again and again I’ve asked him for decent rope to tie them with. They chew through it every time.’
‘Well, that’s enough now.’ Tewfik pretended to yawn. ‘Let’s get some sleep at last.’
Adam, standing just below, had watched in astonishment as Faithful came flying through the air. He was afraid the dog would be hurt, but Faithful leaped up as soon as he’d landed and launched himself at the khan dogs. Daunted by his size and ferocity, they began to back away, their barks turning shrill with fear.
Adam waited until the noise above had died away, then, with Faithful at his heels, he set off as fast as he could across the rough hillside towards the white dome in the distance, praying that Tibby, who had been so miraculously quiet all this while, would sleep on until they were out of earshot.
Salim lay awake, watching as the moon slowly set behind the far wall of the khan, then stared up at the stars, bright diamonds wheeling slowly across the black velvet sky.
He was thinking, as he had so often done before, about Adam, and the strangeness of his life. He was trying to imagine the place – Eng
land – that he came from. Endless cold, and mists, and rain, people said. And the English were dirty, wild and violent. He couldn’t picture it at all. Adam had tried to describe Fortis to him, and the valley where he’d been born. He’d said he would live in his own manor when he went home.
A property of his own! At his age! Salim thought wonderingly. And yet he’s all alone. He’ll be there alone.
His thoughts moved on, in a natural sequence, to his own family.
They’ll be safe in Damascus now. Thank God, they’re not in Jerusalem. If Malek Richard attacks, it’ll be even worse than Acre. At least we won’t stay there, if that happens. The Sultan will want sidi Musa with him again. We’ll be back with the army.
He shuddered at the thought of the Crusader army, which even now might have left Acre and be crawling towards Jerusalem, the columns of men and horses eating up the miles, killing and raiding all the way, like a vast hungry animal devouring everything in its path.
He must have fallen asleep at last because he woke with a jerk at the sound of shouting and running feet.
‘What?’ he said stupidly, starting up. ‘What?’
The doctor was still snoring, genuinely asleep, but Tewfik, lying further away, opened one eye, caught Salim’s and shut it again, feigning sleep.
The events of last night came crowding back.
Now we’re for it, Salim thought, his stomach contracting nervously. Now we’ve got to fool them.
He swung his legs over the edge of the alcove. The traders were standing in a knot round the khan owner, shouting angrily, and the owner, in his turn, was pointing accusingly at the watchman, who was waving his arms about, trying to make himself heard. Near them, the four slaves sat in a dejected huddle, taking no interest in what was going on.
‘There was a noise, masters,’ the watchman was babbling. ‘The dogs were going mad. I went to look. Up there!’ He pointed to the roof. ‘It was a jackal. The dogs had killed it. I saw it with my own eyes. Ask that man, and the boy. They were up there too. They saw it too.’
He pointed towards Salim. All eyes turned to the doctor’s alcove. Salim bent over Dr Musa and touched his hand.
‘Sidi Musa, wake up! They’re coming!’
By the time the angry crowd had reached them, Dr Musa had sat up and was draping his cloak round his shoulders in an effort to look dignified.
‘My turban!’ he was saying crossly to Salim. ‘Where’s my turban? I laid it down here last night. What have you done with it?’
The khan owner was the first to reach him. He was clearly upset.
‘I’m sorry for the disturbance, sir. These people have lost a child. A slave of theirs. Your boy and your man – excuse me for asking – did they see anything during the night?’
‘You were up there on the wall!’ the watchman broke in, desperate to excuse himself. ‘It was a jackal, wasn’t it? The dogs were going mad!’
‘I heard nothing,’ the doctor said. ‘I composed myself to sleep, and I slept. As for the dogs, the wretched cur belonging to the boy who was here barked a couple of times, I believe. Why I ever permitted him to attach himself to us – but he pleaded so hard! We met up with him on the road only yesterday. On his way to join his master in Jerusalem, so he told us.’ He bowed courteously to the slave merchants. ‘A man in your line of business, I believe.’
The slave merchants looked at each other.
‘It must have been Abu Hussein’s boy!’ one of them said furiously. ‘The dirty villain! If he’s stolen that child I’ll kill him with my own hands.’
‘My dear sir, how could anyone have stolen anything from this very well-guarded khan?’ the doctor asked peaceably. ‘If I’m not mistaken, the gates are still shut. There’s no other way in or out, is there?’ He turned to the watchman. ‘You haven’t opened up for anyone today? I thought not. Then the boy must still be inside somewhere. In the kitchen, perhaps, begging for scraps for that monstrous hound. The child too, no doubt, playing in some corner. Now, Salim, my turban! What have you done with it? Produce it at once!’
A shout from above made everyone look up. One of the traders’ men had run up on to the roof.
‘There’s a rope here!’ he called down. ‘Someone’s climbed down this way!’
Instantly, everyone but Salim and the doctor made for the stairs.
‘Go with them, Salim,’ the doctor said quietly. ‘It’s your turn now. God forgive me for the untruths I’ve uttered today. May the rescue of that poor child justify them.’
As Salim reached the others he heard one say, ‘Yes, that’s what must have happened. Abu Hussein – that son of a dog! – he must have got wind of the child and sent the boy to tail us. The little thief took his chance, got in with the doctor and stole her from under our very noses! Here you—’ he said, turning suddenly on Salim. ‘The boy who was with you. What was his name?’
‘I’m not sure.’ Salim turned innocently to Tewfik. ‘Was it Adnan? Akram? Adam? Something like that. He was very quiet. Hardly spoke two words to us. I think he was a Kurd.’
‘A Kurd! I thought he had a furtive look to him.’
‘What are we waiting for?’ said one of the merchants, who had puffed up the steps last after the others. ‘Saddle the horses! Never mind loading up the camels. Two of us must go after him as quickly as we can. The rest will follow with the other merchandise. Which way? On the Jerusalem road, of course! Where else can the boy be going?’
Adam had made his way quite easily to the tomb on the hill. It stood alone above the terraces of olive trees, and as far as he could see there were no other buildings nearby. Carefully he unwound the doctor’s turban and eased Tibby off his back. She sighed and whimpered in her sleep, but still didn’t wake. He laid her down on a patch of smooth ground, folded the turban and tucked it round her to protect her from the cool night breeze.
He sat against the tomb’s wall and looked out across the moonlit valley below. He could see the khan in the distance. He laid his hand on Faithful’s head, taking comfort from it.
‘We did it,’ he said out loud. ‘We got her back.’
But he was oppressed, too, by the thought of Tibby. He’d wanted desperately to save her, mainly for Jennet’s sake, but now that he had her he realized how little he knew about children. What would he find for her to eat? How could he stop her from wandering off? What if she called out loud in English when they were close to other people? Worst of all, how could he hide her mop of blonde curls, which would attract attention everywhere?
Tewfik’ll know what to do, he thought, gratitude to the doctor welling up again. Sending him back with me, that was the grandest thing. If I could do something for him I would, but I won’t ever see him again, I suppose. Nor Salim either.
He wished he’d said goodbye to Salim properly. He’d turned out to be a true friend after all, even if he was a cursed Saracen.
His mind veered off on another tack. What was it the doctor had said? He tried to remember.
The dust was no good. That was it. It didn’t work to get you into Paradise.
He’d wondered about it lately, in his heart of hearts. And what was that about death being like a valley in the shadow? If it was in the Bible it must be true. ‘Not to be afraid,’ Salim had translated, ‘because God is with you when you go into it.’
But that’s when God judges you, he thought with a shiver.
That’s when you get sent to hell.
He imagined his mother standing in front of God, the great eyes under the white eyebrows seeing into her soul, the deep voice questioning. And beside Him the Virgin in her blue robe, her face soft with compassion.
She’ll see that Ma was good all the way through, he thought. Anyway, that sin, with Lord Guy, was a long time ago and she paid for it all her life.
He felt as if a burden had rolled off his back.
Not to be afraid of death, the doctor had said. Not to fear for Ma any more.
He’d have masses said for her soul when he was home again, for her and
for Jenny too, just in case, but all was well with them both. He could feel it in his bones.
King Richard, Sir Ivo, Lord Robert and all the rest of them would be marching now towards Jerusalem. There would be another siege, more battles, perhaps another massacre.
I won’t ever see Jerusalem, he thought, but it doesn’t matter now. I’m going to take Tibby home.
His eyes were closing of their own accord. He stood up and took a last look round, checking that all was safe, then lay down.
‘You’ll see off anyone who comes, Faithful,’ he murmured, and he fell asleep.
The sun was already high before Tewfik appeared on the hillside below. Adam had been watching anxiously since dawn, trying to keep Tibby quiet without knowing how to go about it. She’d woken at last, and though floppy from the effects of the drug she had clearly been given, she was crying for something to drink. He stood up and hugged himself with relief when he saw the two horses leave the khan and pick their way up the hillside towards him. Someone else was riding the second horse. Screwing up his eyes, he recognized Salim and grinned delightedly. He’d be able to say goodbye after all.
Salim cantered ahead of Tewfik, reining the horse in with the expertise that Ismail had taught him.
‘What happened?’ Adam asked eagerly. ‘Did they suspect you?’
‘So funny!’ Salim laughed. ‘The doctor, he is very good at stories. He tell them you are servant of other slave men in Jerusalem. You steal Tibby for them. They are so angry! They send their men at once to Jerusalem to follow you. Then they go away themselves, but slowly. Only now they have gone. Sorry you wait for us so long.’ He swung himself down off the horse and gave Adam a packet of bread and cheese loosely wrapped in cloth. ‘The doctor, he send you this, for you and her.’
He squatted down to tickle Tibby, who responded at once with delighted laughter. Then he took a flask out from inside his tunic and held it to her lips. She drank greedily. Adam felt envious. Salim seemed to know just what to do with her. He was used to children.
‘I wish you were coming back with us,’ he said. ‘It’ll be funny, just Tewfik and me.’
‘I miss you too, Adam,’ Salim said. ‘Sad to say goodbye.’
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