Tree of Pearls, Queen of Egypt

A Secret Conversation

 A Secret Conversation rukn al-din returned immediately to his quarters in the Citadel. He informed no one of his arrival and he postponed his meeting with ‘Izz al-Din to the morrow . He dismissed the servants and shut the door to his bedchamber fast behind him; then he undressed while mulling over all the extraordinary things he had heard that day. Despite his great bravery and his martial prowess, Rukn al-Din was still an inexperienced youth. Only now, after hearing of the upheaval that had taken place at the heart of the Egyptian State and being informed of the condition of the Caliphate in Baghdad, was he beginning to understand the true meaning of ambition. Sahban’s purpose in disparaging the Abbasid Caliphate and praising the Fatimids had not escaped him.Neither was he deceived by Tree of Pearls’s exaggerated account of Al-Musta‘sim’s faults, and her incitements against him. Likewise, he had taken careful stock of her rancor against ‘Izz al-Din, and he well perceived that if she wished him—Rukn al-Din—success in his endeavors, it was only to be revenged on her enemies. All these thoughts passed through his mind as he changed into his dressing gown and nightcap and stretched out onto his bed. One thought now became fixed in his mind: that Tree of Pearls and Sahban had attempted to incite him to seize power, not out of the high regard or affection in which they held him, but simply for their own various ends. He saw no perfidy or injury to himself in this, nor did he find it strange that it should be so, for he was sensible and astute and saw straight into the heart of a matter. He was not the sort of man to believe in the selflessness of even his closest friend, for he knew full well that men never embark on an action without having a secret purpose and an expected profit to themselves in mind. Those who claim to do good without recompense and for the sole benefit of others are either mistaken, or deluded, or outright liars: those who will but acknowledge this simple fact would be in a a secret conversation |  much better position to treat their friends justly, neither expecting the impossible from them, nor blaming them for their natural selfishness. Rukn al-Din was grateful to his two friends for revealing the outlines of their blossoming intrigue and he resolved to profit from it when the time was ripe, but for now he preferred to conceal his own intentions for as long as possible. In the close privacy of his rooms he considered his situation aloud. “They have taken Shwaykar from me. The Caliph has summoned her to Baghdad so that he might delight in her unparalleled voice, a rare treasure even amongst the loveliest and most accomplished of singing-girls. Tree of Pearls attempts to provoke my anger against Al-Musta‘sim because of this. But is it right to resent him for an act by which both Shwaykar’s worth and her good fortune have been multiplied? I have no right to feel myself injured on this score, for he did not deliberately deprive me of her. Perhaps it is true that this Caliph is weak, or extravagant and licentious , and that he consequently deserves to die or be deposed, as some would say. But who shall guarantee that his successor would be any better? And who would undertake such a perilous mission, unless himself a hardy aspirant to the throne? Truly, our Shi‘ite friend’s delusions of reviving the ‘Abidi State or some like Alawite dynasty in Egypt were quite amusing! What possible benefit could Egypt thereby derive? Were the Caliphate to be transferred to Egypt, there would be no more Sultanate! The Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad is the guarantor of the might and independence of the Egyptian Sultans, after all. I would do well, nonetheless , to keep myself apprised of the man’s intentions, and even to encourage his fancies, for some good might come of it. There is no harm in it for the present, at least.” The thought of the Sultanate made the blood run quick in Rukn al-Din’s veins and enflamed his burgeoning ambitions. He jumped up from the bed and paced restlessly about the room. “Egypt’s throne!” he whispered to himself. “It is better by...