Storms of Retribution

by James Boschert

  The secretary sidled into the chamber where he was met by Talon, who breezily asked him his business. The secretary seemed to be rethinking what he was about to say. Finally, in a politer voice, he said, “I simply wished to inform your Lordship that there have been reports of spies in the city. We wish to make you aware that the streets are very dangerous. They are full of soldiers, so you should not go out there. We also have reports that there are dangerous individuals who might wish you and your people harm.”

  Talon snorted and waved to the balcony. “Have you seen the drop to the ground? Anyone who wanted to get into our chambers would have to be a monkey to get in here. No, I feel perfectly safe, thank you very much.”

  *****

  Early the next morning Talon and Reza, with their two companions, visited the Count to discuss the up coming negotiations.

  The Count greeted them looking tired, but he appeared cheerful enough. Talon told him that his men had gleaned information from the street the night before.

  “Do you mean that you sent your men out of the palace to roam the streets last night?” The Count’s tone was incredulous and he looked surprised.

  “I have always found it useful to have information which is not provided by my host,” Talon remarked. “Word on the street is that the cavalry has to move very soon, as they cannot feed all the animals around the city. Lake Tiberius is on people’s lips, Lord. That is deep in your lands and would be an infringement of the treaty as far as I can tell. Were you aware of this?”

  Raymond shook his head. “No. So they are preparing to send cavalry south as soon as this month?” He sounded dismayed. "This tells me the Sultan is determined to move his army into an unassailable position. We must be careful as to how we approach this.”

  They were greeted at the entrance of the Count’s apartments by an armed guard who had been waiting for them. Their leader, a grizzled scarred soldier snapped to attention and addressed the Count respectfully.

  “My Lord, my instructions are to escort you to the audience chamber. Please to follow me.”

  “They look as smart as grasshoppers,” Reza remarked, as they fell into step behind the soldier, to be followed by his small contingent. The guards were indeed very well dressed, their chain mail burnished to a bright silver. The helmets were polished and their spearheads gleamed. Each man sported a huge mustache and short beard, but the most spectacular mustache belonged to the veteran who led them. This man led the way to the conference chambers with a strutting pace. Somehow the Sultan had instilled a sense of pride in their bearing, for his personal guard at least, Talon reflected. How well the tribal people would fight still remained to be seen.

  Raymond was quiet and thoughtful as they crossed the wide, flagstoned courtyard past several fountains. Talon and Reza looked around, taking note of the well-kept stables and the soldiers who manned the parapet. No loose mercenaries here; the Sultan liked to keep his army in good order, their weapons bright and their accoutrements clean and polished. Every man wore a tightly wound turban of the same patterned cloth and carried a long lance. Colorful banners bearing Salah Ed Din’s emblem, a single-headed eagle facing to its right with a shield on its chest colored red, white and black, streamed out in the light breeze above the roofs and towers. One huge flag with the crescent and the scimitar sewn in white on a bright green background dominated the courtyard.

  “He has a good, solid personal guard by the look of it,” Reza murmured to Talon, as they approached the steps leading up to the main palace. They were met by a finely dressed man sporting a huge turban who introduced himself as the Chamberlain. He smiled politely and asked them to leave their weapons with some guards by the main door. Neither Talon nor Reza gave any indication that they possessed other small but deadly knives hidden on their persons. He also indicated that only the Count, Reza and Talon were to follow. Matthew, Brandt, the other men of the Count’s escort, Yosef and Junayd were to remain at the doors.

  They were treated with the greatest of courtesy and respect as they moved towards the main doorway of the audience chamber. Talon saw expensive and opulent furnishings ton display everywhere. There was great wealth accumulated here in Damascus. Some of it had been left behind when the Abbasid dynasty of Caliphs removed to Baghdad, but the Sultan had also improved upon much and made the palace his own.

  As they approached, the doors to the great chamber were thrown open by immaculately uniformed guards clad in the finest mail with filigree-inlaid helmets, boots gleaming with polish, and brightly burnished spears. The Count of Tripoli’s name was announced in a loud voice by an officer.

  The murmur of many voices in the great chamber gradually died away as nobles, palace officials, soldiers and merchants alike stopped talking to observe the Count and his two companions walk slowly down the wide avenue strewn with beautifully woven carpets from Persia and Afghanistan. There was silence as the three men approached the throne upon which was seated the Sultan.

  The Sultan’s sons and brothers were arrayed on either side of Salah Ed Din. Talon recognized at least two of the sons, Al-Afdal and Al-Aziz, while just to the Sultan's right was one of his more capable brothers, Taj al-Muluk Buri, and at his side stood Al-Adil, whom Talon considered to be the most ambitious of the brothers. Other men Talon recognized as the generals who had helped the Sultan win his battles for Mesopotamia and Syria. The most capable and trusted of the generals stood closest to the throne, General Muzaffar ad Din-Gökburi, a Turk, and probably the man most to be feared should the army invade.

  The small group of visitors knelt respectfully when they arrived at the foot of the dais and stayed there with heads bowed. Salah Ed Din rose from his throne and walked down the steps to take Count Raymond by the hands and raise him to his feet.

  Talon remembered the man he had met in Egypt well over a decade before. The Sultan wore simple white robes and a loose turban rather than the huge, imposing turbans many of his followers favored. Taller than most of his followers, he had the bearing of a man who was used to command and who had seen his share of life. There were graying streaks in his beard; two deep lines running either side of his mustache crossed some scars. His brown, deep-set eyes regarded the newcomers without hostility but missed no detail. The lines around the corners of his eyes deepened as he smiled at the Count.

  “Salaam Alaikum! My Lord Raymond, it is always good to see you,” he said in a clear, firm voice. He spoke Arabic, in which language Raymond responded.

  “Wa-Alaikum Salaam, my Lord, Your Excellency,” Raymond addressed the Sultan with the utmost respect. “I come in peace.”

  Salah Ed Din gave the Count the kiss of peace and smiled warmly. “I, too, give you peace, Raymond; but… there is much to say and not all of it is pleasant.”

  Raymond dipped his head, then said, “My Lord, I bring with me two men whom I trust implicitly and whom I wish to present to you.”

  Salah Ed Din turned to stare at Talon and Reza. There was a smile lurking in his dark eyes as he intoned, “It is an honor to meet with you. Anyone who is with Count Raymond is an honored guest.” He regarded both men from under his dark brows, and neither had any doubt that he knew them. However, he gave no overt sign recognition.

  Raymond’s expression showed his surprise; he had thought the Sultan would acknowledge his companions. But then he collected himself. “Lord Talon de Gilles and Lord Reza, both of whom are familiar with your language and customs, have come with me to see you in the sincerest hope to God that we can maintain peace between our people.”

  Salah Ed Din nodded politely in turn to Talon and Reza, then took the Count by the arm and said, “We shall move to another chamber, my Lord, where you may have refreshments and we can talk more in private.”

  They were ushered into a much smaller room by the Sultan, accompanied by his brothers and sons and General Gökburi, who maintained a stiff silence even as the others whispered to one another.

  When they were all seated on a huge carpet, tea was brought and laid out with sweet
meats. Salah Ed Din dismissed the servants and gestured to the Count to speak. Raymond hesitated, coughed, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

  “Your Excellency, my Lords, General. As God is my witness I come with peace in my heart, even as I know of your anger, indeed rage at the most recent crime perpetrated by Châtillon. I carry that shame in my heart because he has spoiled the good name of our people and dishonored all of us. I come to ask for peace because war will serve no one. Even though I and the lords of Edessa and Antioch do not always agree with Jerusalem, we must seek a peaceful path on behalf of the Holy City for the benefit of all.”

  Talon shot a glance at Reza. What was the Count saying here? Reza gave an imperceptible shrug and focused on what else the Count might say. However, Al-Adil interrupted. “Your Christian lords, in particular Châtillon, have broken the agreements again and again. Are you here to speak for that… bandit, robber and rapist?” The last word, which he spat out with venom in his voice, created a stir amongst the others. Salah Ed Din raised his hand for silence.

  “My brother is enraged and disgusted by the actions of that man… as am I and all my people.” he said, with a frown at his brother. “I shall not labor the details of the crime, of which I believe you are aware, Count.” Even so, he was angry. It showed in his eyes, which flicked to Talon and Reza as though to gauge their reactions, too.

  Raymond coughed again into his sleeve and nodded. “Your Excellency, I am appalled, and I refuse to dignify the errant lord with excuses. I came despite the awful crime to ask that you reconsider your intentions, my Lord. I see with my own eyes the host that you have gathered; but the Kingdom of Jerusalem is not helpless, and despite the formidable numbers I see on display here, to go to war would be disastrous for all. Do not forget the Orders who will form the core of the army, my Lord.”

  Talon could see that the Count had struck a nerve, because the expression on the Sultan’s face hardened and his eyes flicked again to Talon. He knew that Talon had been at the battle of Montgisard, where the army he had brought with him from Egypt had suffered a resounding defeat.

  Salah Ed Din shifted his weight and looked thoughtfully at Talon and Reza, then addressed them. “The Christian Kingdom is not well endowed with men like you, who know our ways and respect our civilization. Most of the people who rule are fanatics and thieves who use God to make excuses for their excesses. Why now, after this the heinous crime in a long list of crimes, should I listen to one whom, while I respect, I know to have little or no influence over men like Châtillon? How can we believe you when you tell us that he can be controlled and this kind of thing will never happen again?”

  “Because I intend to go to Jerusalem and persuade the King to arrest Châtillon and put him in prison. There will be a trial and then punishment, my Lord.”

  “What assurances can you give for that? All we have seen from this Christian king is ignorance and arrogance; by his very inaction he condones the unforgivable crime perpetrated against my sister.”

  “Before God I swear that I shall do everything in my power to ensure that he is punished, Your Excellency,” Raymond countered forcefully, but neither he nor Talon not the alert Reza missed the deep skepticism on the Sultan’s face and evident in the visages of his advisors. Al-Adil, even shrugged dismissively.

  Raymond looked from one to the other and saw only sardonic disbelief. Finally, he shook his head, coughed again, then said, “What can I do to convince you that I am sincere?” He sounded almost as though he was pleading.

  “It is not that I don’t believe in your sincerity, nor that of your two companions,” the Sultan stated, eyeing Talon and Reza. “But it is indisputable that you are here in the north in Tripoli, while that animal is far south of Jerusalem, and he is still in control of the castle Kerak. There is no one, least of all that weak king Guy de Lusignan, who can stop him from breaking yet another truce unless he is removed from that castle. Do you intend to do this, my Lord?” his tone implied that he doubted it very much.

  Raymond looked uncomfortable. “I do not have the direct authority, Your Excellency, but I still have influence in Jerusalem and I intend to go there and carry out my promise!”

  They talked for several hours, making little progress as far as Talon could see, and the deadlock was creating a tension that had not been present at the start. Finally, Gökburi, who had said nothing at all up to this point, interjected; “Your Excellency, if I may?”

  Salah Ed Din waved his hand for him to continue.

  “Perhaps,” said the General, addressing the three emissaries, “if there were a show of faith, then we could take some steps back from a dangerous consequence?”

  “What do you mean, General?” Salah Ed Din demanded.

  “I am sure it has not escaped the notice of our guests that we have a large number of cavalry camped about this city,” he said. It was almost as though he knew that they had come to spy as well as to negotiate. Talon looked across the carpet at him with new respect.

  “Please get to the point, General!” Salah Ed Din said. His impatience was beginning to show.

  “If the Lord of Tripoli would allow some of our horsemen to take advantage of the waters of the great lake and the surrounding grassland about it, then perhaps that could be construed as a gesture of goodwill which is acceptable to yourself, Your Excellency.”

  Neither Talon nor Reza liked what they had just heard, and it must have showed on their expressions. The Count responded by saying, “Your Excellency, I would like to confer with my companions before I respond to this suggestion. Will you grant me some time?”

  Salah Ed Din looked somewhat relieved to be able to terminate the meeting. Then he offered something else, but it was so veiled that not even Talon grasped it at first. “As I recall, when you were the Regent of the Kingdom there was a long spell of peace, Lord Raymond.” He smiled but said nothing else, leaving it to his visitors to make of it what they would.

  “We can discuss this suggestion, and others which you might bring to us, tomorrow,” he continued, rising to depart. “Would you like me to send my physician to attend to you, my Lord?” he asked as they were about to leave.

  Raymond declined gracefully and led the way back to his apartments.

  Once they were back in their own accommodation and had posted Junayd and Yosef to ensure there were no spies listening, they adjourned to the main living area to talk. The Count took a seat and began to cough. He wiped the tears from his eyes and dabbed at his lips surreptitiously, but he could not hide the light stain of blood on the fine cloth. After he had taken a sip of cold tea, he sat back and said, “Well, what do you think of our chances of winning him over?”

  “You should take advantage of the Sultan’s offer of a physician, my Lord,” Reza told him. “Otherwise, I think the discussion went very poorly.” His tone was curt.

  “I agree with Reza, Lord,” Talon said carefully. “One thing is clear to me. The Sultan is under a lot of pressure to go to war. What was done to his sister is unconscionable and there must be a reckoning.”

  “You hit a nerve with mention of the Knights, Lord,” Reza remarked.

  The Count nodded. “I wanted to make it clear that they would be in the forefront of any battle. Talon here can attest to the Sultan’s fear of them.”

  “You mentioned punishment for Lord Raynald of Châtillon, Lord,” Talon said in a lower voice.

  Raymond looked up at him, then glanced at Reza, who had gone very still. Both men were staring at the Count with looks that chilled him. Raymond’s eyes widened with realization, then he shook his head vehemently. “Oh God, no! God forgive me for even thinking it, but I cannot allow that. His chastisement must be seen to in the eye of the public!” he said with emphasis. “If we do something like that we are no better than—” he stopped. “My friends, if I understand you correctly, and I am aware of what you are capable of doing, I simply cannot allow it!” he continued. “I do feel very cornered, though.” He pinched the bridge of his nose between a fin
ger and thumb, then shook his head in a weary gesture, suppressing another cough.

  “The County of Tripoli is independent of the crown in Jerusalem, is it not, Lord?”

  “Yes, but not quite,” Raymond responded. “Tripoli, Edessa and Antioch have sworn fealty to Jerusalem, although we can and have made independent truces with the Sultans before. Nur Ed Din, the Sultan’s predecessor, honored them, as did we, for the most part.”

  “Then you can make your peace with the Sultan again and it would be up to Jerusalem to do the same, would it not?” Talon pressed.

  “I dare say I could, Talon, but who would you suggest is suitable for negotiations in that court?” The Count curled his lip with contempt. “There is no one like Guy de Veres any more. His own people abandoned him to a terrible death at Jacob’s Ford!” He shook his head with acute frustration. “Besides, without Jerusalem we would all fall, one after the other. It would be just a matter of time. No… we need to hold the Kingdom together. But how, when they themselves seem intent upon breaking it into pieces? How glad I am that I could bring you both to this meeting. You have been able to follow everything that has been said… and left unsaid.” He sighed.

  “I wish I could somehow, just somehow be more in control. That bitch Sibylla and her wretched mother, along with Rideford, put Guy on the throne. No one is less qualified to rule!”

  “From what you have told us they play silly palace intrigues as though the Sultan were not sitting on the border waiting for his opportunity to destroy them,” Reza remarked with a scowl. “You should allow us to take care of Châtillon. The Sultan would know exactly what had happened and would probably accept a peace overture because of it.”

  Raymond gave him a smile and shook his head, albeit with reluctance. “No, Reza, but… one might wish it, for he deserves it more than anyone. I wish I had done more to protect the kingdom when I was Regent. I should have acted then to change it for the better, despite opposition from those foolish people.”