Assassination in Al Qahira

by James Boschert

  Mukhwana’s one eye swiveled to Khalidah. “My Lady, forgive me, I have not said anything up to this minute, but it has to be told. Although it is early yet, the ones who have come back tell me that the palace of your husband was sacked last night and all within either taken prisoner or killed. There was a fire too; no one can tell how bad it was, but you were very lucky to escape. Now the word on the street is that they, the soldiers, seek you everywhere.”

  Khalidah leaned forward over her knees and gave a small sob. “My servants and the other women? My mother-in-law?” she whispered.

  Jasmine, who had been listening to their conversation, began to cry. The terrible events of the night before, and now the news of more deaths, and to learn that they were hunted, was too much for her. Surprisingly, she did not push Kantor away when he held his arm around her shoulders. “Is Grandmama dead?” she sobbed.

  Kazim began to sniffle, but then he caught Talon’s look; he brought himself under control. He lifted his head and said to his sister bravely, “Jasmine, if they have harmed Grandmama, I shall avenge her. I promise you.”

  Jasmine shuffled closer to him on her knees and hugged him, still crying, but Kazim held her hard and Talon for the first time realized that the boy really did love his sister.

  “My Lady,” Talon said in a low voice, “I share your desolation for the loss of the others, but if we had not left when Bilal told us to, you too would now be facing a terrible fate. As for the children…” his voice trailed.

  She nodded and lifted her tear-streaked face to look at him. “There was no choice, Suleiman, and I understand, but Allah has punished our family in a terrible manner and I do not know who our friends are, other than those who are here.” She glanced at Mukhwana.

  “I thought of my husband’s friend Kemosiri ibn Jibade, but I do not know how to reach him, if indeed he is even in the city now. He could be with the sultan.”

  Talon tried to smile at her. “We will find out in time, my Lady, but for now I think we are safe here. Try to rest, because our journey is not yet over.”

  He turned back to Mukhwana. “If you can find a ship to take us upstream, I can surely pay you for that.”

  Khalidah stared at him. “Where do you have the money, Suleiman?” she asked with surprise in her voice. There was no money to be had from the palace now, although her husband had plenty of cash in the estate, and of course with the bankers in Alexandria. However, that was useless to her unless she could get to it.

  “You might not have known it, my Lady, but I am the son of a merchant and I carried coin.”

  He did not want this to sound like a rebuke. It had not been her fault he had been made a slave. “After your husband made me a … servant it was taken off me; but Malek, may Allah bless him, made sure I brought it with me to Cairo. It is in the care of the Jews of the Bazaar.”

  Despite his careful tone, Khalidah bent her head, as though acknowledging the unjustness of his position, but said nothing.

  Mukhwana laughed and pointed. “I tell you he is a cunning man, this Suleiman of yours; he only ever tells anyone just what he wants them to know. Perhaps I can find a boat for you. A swift one is what you need to get you out of the city and well on your way to wherever it is you have to go for safety. I have friends in the harbor who owe me favors. It might take a few days, but I should be able to do something…but it will take gold…” he said thoughtfully.

  “Do you think we have a few days?” Panhsj had come up quietly and now spoke.

  He bowed low to Khalidah and then to Mukhwana, who greeted him with a smile and a wave of a pudgy hand.

  “You have no choice but to stay here, where you are safe, while the hunt moves away. It will give us time get to a boat. Allah willing, it will be soon. But I too have to be careful. If the authorities ever discover this sanctuary, my people will be scattered and lost. There is more going on in Cairo than just the attack on your home, my Lady,” Mukhwana said.

  Talon nodded agreement. “There is, but I do not quite know what. It has a lot to do with the absence of the sultan, of that I am sure, but beyond that I do not really know. In any case, we are powerless to make much difference and we need to look to our own safety first.”

  Panhsj seated himself, at a motion from Khalidah.

  “Suleiman, we must go back and find out what has happened. I shall not rest until I have seen with my own eyes what they have done, and perhaps, Allah willing, I can recover the body of my master,” he said in a low tone.

  Mukhwana glared at him with his one eye. “You will be recognized immediately, and that will compromise the rest of them, including my people,” he said. “You should not go out of here. Suleiman can go because he is as cunning as a jackal, and will be able to disappear easily in a crowd; despite that he looks like a green-eyed Frank. But I expect you back, Suleiman.”

  “I am coming back, my friend. As you have given us your protection, so I shall honor it and come back.” Talon pretended to look hurt. Mukhwana laughed; he knew that Talon was acting.

  “You will have protection on the way to the Jewish shop that you told me about, and on the way back.” Mukhwana grinned at Talon through his badly groomed beard. He shifted his weight on his huge cushion so that he could see Khalidah more easily.

  Talon agreed. “Panhsj, I can go because I will not be noticed. I can go as a beggar with some of the other people and be well hidden, but Mukhwana is right, you will be recognized immediately. It is too dangerous.”

  Even Khalidah weighed in on the side of the other two. “Panhsj, would you desert me and my children to rush off on some wild adventure when we need you nearby for our protection?”

  After that Panhsj could not say anything more. He took Talon aside later and asked him what he was planning to do.

  “Mukhwana will send a couple of men with me to the Jewish quarter to obtain gold, because, as he said himself, it will take more than good will for him to persuade a ship’s master to take us anywhere. Then tonight you and I will go back to the palace and see for ourselves what has happened,” Talon told him. “Have no fear; we shall bring back our master’s remains, if it is at all possible. In the meantime please defend our Lady with your life. Oh, and don’t forget the children. Defend them with your second life.”

  He danced out of the way of the huge hand that swung round to cuff him.

  “Do not get caught, my young friend. I am beginning to like you,” Panhsj growled.

  “I do not intend to. And Panhsj, we will avenge our master, Allah willing.”

  He left the gloomy cavernous tunnels in the company of two men whom Mukhwana had ordered to go with him. Their instructions were to ensure he came back, and Talon did not doubt that Mukhwana meant if without him, at least with the gold. Talon had few illusions as to how far the protection of Abbas’s family would go if there was no gold to lubricate the deal.

  They went by another route that brought them out at the back of a flax merchant’s shop. The huge bales of raw flax, which were for display only, concealed the passageway. Being near the docks, the warehouse made a perfect place to enter the souk proper.

  There was no one at the back of the shop when they emerged. They did not pause but hurried out onto the street via a side entrance and disappeared into the crowd. With a little help from his escort, Talon rediscovered the way to the Jewish quarter. While the two men sat on the ground, begging and waving their wooden bowls, Talon stayed near a wall and pretended to look at wares. He glanced around the street and began to take note of the people. There was a familiar looking woman begging on the corner opposite, and another man, bulky despite his rags, leaning against a mud brick archway. Talon knew he had both legs, but somehow he seemed to have lost one during the night. There was a hefty looking crutch leaning against the wall nearby.

  He was thankful that Mukhwana was taking no chances with his safety, or was it the gold? He knew he could trust the lord of the beggars; at the same time he understood that the gold would make a big difference in stature
for the man. He hoped that the ship would materialize and that they could leave without difficulty. If not, Mukhwana would not enjoy the gold for very long.

  He cautiously made contact with the Jew by sidling up and showing his face. He had discovered that these people, who themselves had been persecuted from time to time by the fickle Fatimid rulers, as had the Christian Copts, were good at remembering faces. So despite his change in garb, the man recognized him.

  “God’s blessing upon you, Oustez Suleiman,” the older man said softly. He was slim and well dressed, although not ostentatiously, and in the local style, but there was a kippah on his head of black curls which indicated his faith. There were flecks of gray in his well trimmed beard and on his temples. The few lines at the corner of his eyes crinkled as he smiled a welcome and offered Talon tea.

  Talon accepted the offer and went into the carpeted den, where he sat on cushions and tea was poured by a burly servant who, Talon guessed, served to protect as well as to serve tea. The room was filled with carpets and bales of silk which gave off a pleasant smell of dense fabric, mingled with the very light scent of some herbal incense that Levi the Jew appeared to like.

  He and Talon spent at least five minutes in quiet greetings and observation of good manners, which Talon had come to expect and even to enjoy; it was only after the second cup that they came to the point.

  “What can I do for you today, Oustez Suleiman?” Levi asked Talon. His eyes had not missed the dirty clothes, the rents in the cloth, the mud on Talon’s boots, which he had taken off and left at the edge of the carpet, or the tired face of his guest. But he also saw the clean sword and the hard look: so politely he did not allude to Talon’s condition. His servant hovered unobtrusively in the background, his eyes watchful.

  Talon spread his hands and smiled disarmingly. “Levi, I am about to leave this beautiful city of Al-Qahirah and I will need cash.”

  “How much do you wish to take away with you, Oustez?” Levi asked politely.

  “I shall need about one half of what I gave you, and chits to carry with me that I can use in other cities, perhaps in another country, maybe Jerusalem?”

  Levi looked at him for a long moment then he nodded. “I see…Suleiman. Oustez, if I might be permitted to ask, is this anything to do with the death of Emir Abbas? We are hearing terrible rumors about this.”

  “How did you know I worked for him?” Talon asked sharply.

  “How could I not? Your name was on everyone’s lips after the game of chogan a few weeks ago. Even my people were there, and they recognized you and watched you play. Some even bet upon the game, just like the Egyptians.” He looked disapproving at that but then gave a disarming grin. “Some of us bet on your team, and others did not. Their loss. I heard it was a good game to watch.”

  He paused. “Do not fear, Suleiman, I shall get your coin, but you must give me a day, because, of course, I do not keep it all here. I can give you some, but the rest will be available by tomorrow, God willing.”

  “What is the rumor on the street, Levi?” Talon decided to ask.

  “That there was fighting at the palace of my lord Abbas. It is well known that he was a favorite of the sultan, who is away with his army, so it is thought that someone took advantage of that to settle a score. Everyone is wondering where the family of Abbas has disappeared to and who is creating the unrest in the garrison with the soldiers that were left behind. It is not good for business you understand…this uncertainty. It could be bad for us Jews.”

  Talon looked closely at Levi, wondering if he could trust the man, who seemed to have a very good idea what was going on.

  Levi gazed back into Talon’s eyes calmly, and said very quietly. “We Jews know how to keep secrets, our own and those of others; it is our stock in trade. How could we do business otherwise?” He smiled drily. “Oustez Suleiman, you have nothing to fear. Come back tomorrow and your cash will be here.”

  Talon let out a silent breath. He stood up and Levi escorted him to the far rear of the shop, where he offered to give Talon the money in dinars. Talon knew the dinar was still one of the most trusted of coins, better than the bezat minted in Constantinople, because it was almost pure gold. So he nodded, and Levi counted out five dinars in gold coin. As half a dinar could buy a ton of bread, Talon estimated that this would help Mukhwana to buy a ship’s captain in a down payment and leave him some profit. Talon signed a chit, then bowed to Levi, and they parted with mutual expressions of good will.

  Talon picked up his escort, who abandoned their positions along the crowded street, and while the two who had come with him shuffled along, others shadowed them to make sure there were not lurking enemies who might try to waylay him. He smiled to himself at the thought, but was grateful for the company—the more so as he would have had a hard time finding his way back along the route they had taken this time.

  On their return to the hall, he found that Khalidah had gone back to her place with the women to rest, pleading exhaustion. He smiled to find Kazim holding court with several boys of about his own age. Apparently he had overcome his initial shyness and now was deep into an animated conversation with them. The boys were ragged and dirty, but they were for the most part healthy enough, so that, unlike his sister, Kazim did not feel bothered by their unclean condition. They asked many questions of him, and once he understood these were not threatening, he began to answer.

  The ever-watchful Panhsj was seated nearby and had relaxed enough so that the boys included him in their excited chatter, his deep voice booming when he responded or even laughed occasionally. Talon watched from the shadows some distance away, both amused and surprised at how resilient Kazim showed himself to be. Far from being the arrogant, spoiled little brat he had first known, Kazim seemed to be taking the situation in his stride, the ordeal of the last night already a distant memory.

  Such was not the case with Jasmine, although she seemed calmer today and less agitated. She was subdued. She was seated a short distance away, listening to Kantor, who sat facing her with some other older boys and girls, and Talon guessed she was glad of their company.

  He made his entrance known by walking across the dirt floor and halting behind Kazim. Panhsj grinned and lifted a hand in greeting. Kazim glanced behind him and noticed Talon standing and smiling down at him. “You are back,” he said, and excitedly scrambled to his feet. He seemed ready to rush into Talon’s arms, but checked himself; his dignity was important just now, so he stopped and asked in a grown up manner, “Where did you go, Suleiman?”

  He was interrupted by Jasmine, who had no such inhibitions, and ran into Talon’s arms and buried her head in his shoulder. Talon was too surprised to say anything, so he patted her gently on the back. “I was so worried about you, Suleiman. Where have you been?” Her voice was muffled in his shoulder.

  “I went up to the Bazaar, Jasmine. There is nothing to worry about. Are you all right?”

  “I am frightened,” she whispered. “Please take us away from this place…soon. Also, there are things in the beds that bite.”

  Talon chuckled and released her. She looked ready to cry, but he held her arms gently and said. “Come, Jasmine, you are older than your brother and he is being very brave. You are your father’s daughter so I know you are brave too. As for the bugs, that will be over before long and we will be on our way soon to your home in Fayoum, Insha’Allah. Then this will be a distant memory. Be patient, my Jasmine, your mother needs you to be strong. Panhsj and I are here to protect you.”

  She sniffed and wiped her tears, but stayed with him and Panhsj while they talked quietly together. Talon noticed with some wry amusement that Kantor threw longing puppy looks at Jasmine while she sat with them, but she was too preoccupied to notice.

  That evening when they had all eaten, surrounded on all sides by the army of beggars, men, women, and children, Mukhwana held court. Talon had delivered the gold to him and received his thanks. Talon got the feeling that Mukhwana had not really expected him to come up
with gold in payment, but now that he had, the man was overtly more attentive to them as guests and plied them with food, which while plain, was well prepared for all that. He shared with them what his people had heard on the streets. He looked sympathetically at Khalidah as he began.

  “The palace of Lord Abbas has been ransacked and plundered by people who belong to Lord Bahir Ibn Hakeem. There was a fire in the main house, but the stables and out buildings are undamaged. There is another man, who is called Al Muntaqim, whom we have heard about. Yes, he is called ‘The Destroyer’ by his enemies and friends alike. I know little of him, but my sources tell me that he is a senior commander for the sultan and oversees the troops left behind while the sultan is off fighting one of his wars with the Frans, God damn them.

  “There are men from the army throughout the city who are looking for you and your children, my Lady,” he said, glancing to her and bowing his head in commiseration. “There is also a rumor that the garrison is talking of rebellion.”

  There were audible gasps from Khalidah, Panhsj, and the two bodyguards, Hanif and Aahmes. “By our Lord Allah! How could that be?” Hanif burst out. “Our men are loyal to the sultan and would never think of rebellion. We belong to Emir Abbas!” He choked and all but broke down as he recalled that his master was no more, and that his own world was very uncertain now.

  Talon was the least surprised of all. Now the pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. As long as Abbas was alive, even if he was unable to command his men, those left behind would have refused to be a part of any insurrection. Now, however, without a leader they would probably do as they were told, and support this unknown commander in a rebellion, if indeed that was happening. He wondered if the Sultan had made a serious mistake in leaving all of Cairo in the command of this man. Then why and how was Bahir left behind, when he should have been with the Sultan? Perhaps he was the commander? Talon thought about this as he listened.