by Griff Hosker
When one grey-bearded but lean warrior walked towards us, I knew that he was the Emir of Damascus. He had a scar down one cheek which told me that he was a warrior. He smiled and spoke to us in French. “I know your names but as I have never met you before, I cannot put a face to a name. I am As-Salih Ismail, Emir of Damascus.” He looked at the Duke, “I am guessing that you are the Duke of Brittany.”
The Duke bowed, “It is an honour.”
“Which would make you his lieutenant, Raoul de Soissons.”
Raoul also bowed, “I am, my lord.”
He turned to look at my father and I saw his mouth opening to speak and then he stopped and stared. I looked at my father and he too had a strange look. I might have thought he had had a relapse except for the smile which appeared. My father said, “I know you, Emir! I recognise you! How is that possible?”
“And I recognise you. You must be Sir Thomas and suddenly all that I have heard about you makes sense. When I heard that you were coming, I was looking forward to speaking to you of the Battle of Gaza and also the Battle of Arsuf but now I see that we have been bound by longer silken threads than that!”
My father shook his head, “Now I remember! You have grown older.”
“As have you but when you spoke it took me back thirty years.”
My father nodded and took the Emir’s proffered hand. He had not offered the handclasp to the Duke or Raoul. I could not contain myself, “Father, I do not understand! How do you know this warrior?”
The Emir said, “And you must be Sir Thomas’ son, Sir William. Now that I see you, I am truly transported back thirty years for you and your father have the same look. I will explain all but let us do so seated. Your father and I no longer have young legs.” He turned and whispered in Rufus’ ear.
I noticed that Rufus hurried ahead. The seating arrangements were about to be changed. Instead of the Duke sitting on the Emir’s right-hand side, it was my father and I was seated next to him. Our squires and pages were at the very end of the table. I might have been worried about such an arrangement if it was not for the strange conversation I had just heard.
The Emir clapped his hands as we sat and said, “We do not drink wine, as you know, but in honour of this meeting and, especially in light of the twist of fate which has bound Sir Thomas to me there will be wine for you this night. I see the hand of God in all of this. Allah be praised.”
As desperate as I was to hear the connection, I knew that I would have to be patient. It was like being a squire again. The Emir waited until we had all had a sweet and chilled lemon drink. He told me its name but I did not hear it. Then, as the first course was brought, he began to speak.
“When I was young, I led a hundred warriors and served Lord Saladin. I fought at Arsuf and killed many Franks. Sir Thomas, then a young squire, slew many Seljuk Turks. It was war. I was given a valley to watch and one day some Franks came through who butchered villagers for no reason. I caught up with them and ended their miserable lives. I did so painfully. Then I met Sir Thomas who appeared to be from the same retinue. I captured him and his companions and I was angry enough to have slain him except that, when I looked in his eyes, I saw no fear. He was not afraid to die and he was honest. He told me that the Franks I had killed were enemies of his and I believed him, more than that, some of the survivors of the attack told me how Sir Thomas and his companions had saved their lives. I freed Sir Thomas and never saw him again until this night but it changed me. Until then I had believed that every Christian knight was evil and without honour. I saw in Sir Thomas someone I could admire. It was like Saladin and King Richard.” He looked up at Rufus, “You owe Sir Thomas your life, Rufus of Tyre. I bought you because I thought to do a kind act such as that which Sir Thomas had done. That meeting made me realise that not all Christians are evil and not all Muslims are to be trusted.”
My father nodded, “And it taught me the same lesson.”
The two of them began to chatter away. I caught parts of their conversation. They were telling each other what had happened to them in the intervening years. I was just stunned as I had never heard the story before.
Rufus appeared at my shoulder, “I am sorry, my lord, that I was so condescending towards you. I had heard the story of your father before but neither the Emir nor myself knew his name. His and your actions at Gaza speak well of you. I am sorry. Please accept my apologies.”
“You have no reason to apologise. You have treated us well.”
He looked relieved. The feast passed in a blur. I could not have foreseen this outcome when we rode north. When the food and wine had finished the Emir addressed all of us. “I had planned to speak of other things this night. Allah has shown me that I was wrong. Tomorrow will be the time to speak of politics and, besides, I have to think deeply about the significance of this meeting. Until the morrow, I bid you all a good night. Know that your men have been fed well although they had neither wine nor beer. Tomorrow we will convene here again but then we will talk of other matters. Sir Thomas.” My father stood and the two men embraced. “Goodnight.”
My father still had some Arabic and he said, in Arabic, “Goodnight and may Allah watch over you!”
The Emir burst out laughing, “Think of all that we could have said to each other. The years we have been apart might have made us different men.”
My father shook his head, “No, Emir, for we are still, in our hearts, the same men we were all those years ago. It is weaker men who change!”
There were no slaves in our chambers and as soon as we entered and the doors were closed the Duke said, “Sir Thomas! What just happened?”
My father just smiled and tapped the side of his head where he had been wounded. “I was spared for a reason. This is God’s will and you all saw that. I met the Emir when I was a young knight and the evil Frank he executed was Robert of Blois and the Emir, although he was no emir then, spared my life. I had forgotten it and that was a mistake for nothing happens in our lives without a purpose. I now have hope, Duke Peter. The Emir may be a Muslim but I believe that he is a Muslim we can trust. I know that you are senior to me but I also know that if you let me speak then we may get more from these negotiations than if I do not.”
The Duke nodded, “You are right and I will play the vassal for you.”
I knew that my father was distracted yet I wished to know more. I knew about the knight from Blois who had been so treacherous but why had my father failed to mention the Muslim who had spared his life? I would save the questions for our journey back to Acre. None of us were under any illusions. The Emir of Damascus would strike a hard bargain. The coincidence allowed my father’s foot in the door but no more than that.
Henry Samuel woke me early, “Uncle, grandfather has risen and left the chamber. What should I do?”
I smiled, “If he did not wake you then he does not need you nor does he need me. I think he will be safe enough.”
Henry Samuel nodded, “Last night was a revelation was it not?”
“Aye, I was surprised for certain.”
“How many other secrets does grandfather hold?”
“This was not a secret. It was a memory hidden deep. Compared with my father we have not yet lived. We will meet people who will change our lives although we do not know it at the time.” I was thinking about the knight whose life I had ended. Although I had been preoccupied with my father, my dreams had also been about the squire I did not know, Geoffrey of Lyon.
As I was awake, I dressed and headed outside. The imposing and intimidating looking guards made it clear which route I could take and which I could not. It was almost like a maze and the mailed men were markers for my passage. I found myself in a courtyard surrounded by pots of lemon trees. There was a bubbling fountain in the centre of some seats and a table. The pots had been cleverly arranged so that a visitor could always find a shaded seat. I found a shady spot and sat beneath a tree covered in yellow and green fruit. It was a powerful smell and, so I had been told, kept away fly
ing insects. Certainly, it was pleasant.
“I like to come here too, Sir William, at this time of the day. It helps me to focus my mind.”
I looked up and saw Rufus. He had a tray upon which was a jug and some goblets. “Refreshment?” I nodded and he poured me a sweet lemon drink. He put the tray on the table and gestured to the seat next to me. “May I, my lord?”
He had obviously been a slave for so long that he could not help himself, “Of course.”
We sipped our drinks and both looked east for the sun was just peering over the wall which surrounded the palace. “The morning rays of the sun are welcome but they are also a chilling reminder of the danger from the east.”
“The east? I know we, in the west, fear danger from the east but that is the threat of the Turk and the Egyptian. Sorry, that was rude of me.”
“I know it is hard for I look as you do yet I am a Muslim but I am not offended. I understand your words. No, we have always feared the east. The Khwarzamians were a threat but the danger from their warriors ended when fierce warriors from far to the east appeared. The Mongols are a threat to the whole world, Christian and Muslim. They have no religion save rape and slaughter. They have conquered the land from so far to the east that a man could ride all day and all night and still take half a year or more to reach the farthest side. They are knocking at our door and even the mighty Egyptians fear them. It is why the Khwarzamians now hire themselves out as mercenaries for they have lost their land.” He had finished his drink and he stood. “I will leave the jug for you. I have duties to perform. It has been good to speak to a fellow Frank. I have missed their…” he smiled, “honesty!”
I sat, after he had gone, and finished my drink. I had much to think about for Rufus had told me secrets and I had to work out if that was deliberate or an accident. Certainly, it explained why we had been invited and why the Emir was so keen to talk. He and his people were on the eastern side of Outremer. A threat from Mongols would affect them first. Perhaps that was why the King had been invited to Homs and Hama; the emirs there would fear the Mongols too.
Our squires and pages found me. Sam’s eyes were wide with wonder, “This is an enormous palace, uncle. This is a powerful people.”
Mark nodded, “Aye, lord, it makes even York look mean and shabby and as for Stockton…”
“You are right, it has much to commend it but do not disparage our home.” I pointed to the lemon trees. “This land is blessed with plants we cannot grow. God has given us our land and we make the best of it. When we came here the journey was hard because we had to travel through a parched and dry land. We had to seek water all along the way. When my father and the first crusaders came here it was the land which defeated them and not a force of arms. The Emir would pay much gold for the water which flows past our home in England. Do not yearn for other grass. A wise man makes the best use of the grass he has been given.”
I stood and looked at them. We were alone and I could speak freely. “You four have a great opportunity today. You will not be required to serve us but you will be present at a meeting which is normally only accorded to kings and great lords. One day you will be knights. Remember this day for if you watch and listen then you will learn a great deal.”
A slave found us as we were preparing to leave. We were taken to the hall where food had been prepared. My father was there and was talking with the Emir. The Duke and his party followed us in. He nodded towards my father, “He never stops, does he? You would not think that he was at death’s door months ago.”
“It is his way. His whole life was shaped by Arsuf. When my grandfather was slain and my father was all alone, he knew he wanted to live and if a man wants to live, he must fight for life. When he was between life and death, I was not afraid for I knew that he would choose life and do everything in his power to return to life.”
“And I can see that trait in you.”
I nodded, “Before we go in, I have learned something which might have a bearing on today’s meeting.” I told him what I had learned.
He smiled, “I can now see God’s hand in all of this. Had the King come with me then this meeting might have gone very differently. You are right. We now have something to bargain with but how do we tell your father this news? He will be the one who will be leading the discussion.”
“Do not worry, I will find a way.”
After we had eaten the tables were cleared. This time there were more people present than when we had eaten the night before. The seating arrangement was also different. The four of us were seated at one table with our squires and pages standing behind us while the Emir was flanked by warriors and mullahs. It was as though we were outnumbered. Had we not spoken the night before I would have been worried but I saw the Emir smiling and my father also seemed relaxed.
As the ones with the Emir were taking their seats, I said, in my father’s ear, “I have news to impart which might change this meeting’s outcome.”
He turned and smiled, “You mean the Mongols?” My drooping jaw was his answer. “I know already.”
“But how?”
“The Emir. Fear not, my son, I know what I am doing and I now know why I was sent back to the Holy Land. It was not King Henry’s will it was God’s will.”
The Emir spoke. Knowing that the Emir had told my father all I watched the others who were seated with him. Their faces were a mixture of expressions but most of them were hostile. The Emir had his own battles to fight and we were about to be used to win that battle. “It is good that the Christians and the Muslims come together to speak for we have common enemies.” He gestured to his right. “The Emir of Homs and the Emir of Hama are here to show that we can all speak with one voice; the voice of reason.” A couple of the mullahs flashed angry looks at him. He continued as though he had not noticed them but he had. “An-Nasir Dawud, Lord of Kerak, is such an enemy. He conspires with the Ayyubid in Egypt and brings the Khwarzamians into our lands. He says it is to fight the Franks but how long before he turns those dogs of war loose on the rest of us? He seeks power and we all know that Al-Adil is not the warrior that was his uncle.” He turned to the mullahs, “I do not wish to rule this land as Saladin did. I wish to make that quite clear. I am happy to be Emir of Damascus and for my children to rule after me but the danger from the Mongols in the east is quite clear.” He turned his gaze to us. “What do you propose to end this conflict and to bring peace to this land?”
I saw the smile in his eyes.
The Duke stood and said, “I will ask my friend, Sir Thomas, the Earl of Stockton to give our position.”
My father stood and spoke in French. The ones who did not have enough French each had a translator next to them. They were slaves. I saw that some, like Rufus, were Franks, “I am a simple man and I will speak simply.” My father’s wits had returned totally. By speaking simple words and sentences, he would make it easier for those who did not speak French to understand his meaning. “We wish the return of Jerusalem and the land which surrounds it. We have no desire for any land which is to the east of the Jordan River. We are happy to keep open the roads and allow free movement of all peoples. We are happy for those who worship Allah to continue to do so in the holy places. We are happy to join the Emir of Damascus and fight against any incursion from the Mongols. All that we wish is the return of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Galilee.” I hid my smile for those were the places which were controlled by An-Nasir Dawud. Although they were not his to give the Emir of Damascus could give his support to us without any loss to himself. “That is all we ask.” He sat down and said, quietly to me, “I hope that eases the fears of the mullahs. They are terrified of the Mongol horde. The lands to the east of Damascus are no longer Muslim!”
The Emir stood, “Eloquently put, Sir Thomas. We will now debate your words. We will, perforce, use Arabic. For that discourtesy, I apologise.”
The Duke was beaming when he turned to speak to us, “Will they agree, do you think?”
My father nod
ded, “An-Nasir Dawud is seen as something of a mad dog. He seeks power. Kerak is a shadow of Homs, Hama and Damascus. The other emirs support each other. None of them wants the power Saladin had and they do not want An-Nasir Dawud to take that title with Egypt and the Khwarzamians behind him. They will debate but I am hopeful that they will agree. Of course, that is just the beginning of our problems for he gives away that which is controlled by others! The Emir of Kerak! We will still have to fight.”
The Duke asked, “And what of the Duke of Burgundy and the captives?”
My father shook his head, “One battle at a time. The Emir is not yet ready to take on the Ayyubid of Egypt. We have not yet gained Jerusalem. When we have that we can set our sights further afield and by the time we return, who knows, the rest of the knights promised by King Henry might be here and that would give us great power to force the Egyptian Ayyubid to come to terms for the captives.”
The Emir and his people spoke all morning. There were, of course, interruptions for prayers but by early afternoon agreement had been reached.
“We have decided to return to you those places you regard as necessary for peace: Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth and Galilee. However, any attempt to colonise or take land east of that will negate this treaty.”
The Duke stood, “Of course.”
“Then we will send word to the Emir of Kerak. We cannot promise compliance but, if you have to use force, then know that we will not interfere. You have the word of the three emirs here present.”