Tree of Pearls, Queen of Egypt

An Important Message

 An Important Message the next morning ‘Abid brought him a message. “My Lord, Sallafa’s page is at the door and would speak with you on urgent business.” Rukn al-Din shivered imperceptibly, as though a sudden shadow had passed over the sun’s warming rays. “Let him enter,” he replied. The boy entered and bowed deeply. “A note from my Lady to your Lordship ,” he said, and placed a slender scroll in Rukn al-Din’s hand. From Sallafa to Prince Rukn al-Din, it began. It has come to my knowledge that you are presently in Baghdad, as am I. There is a matter of great importance that I wish to discuss with you. Pray come to my palace at the Kalwadhi Gate. My messenger shall guide you. Peace. After he had read the note, Rukn al-Din handed it to Sahban, who strongly advised him to ignore it. “I cannot,” he replied. “I have no choice but to accept an interview with that she-fox in order to ascertain Shwaykar’s whereabouts. Besides, man, what can she possibly do to me? It is unbecoming of me to fear her whilst I carry my trusty dagger at my side. But tell me, in which direction does her palace lie?” “It is far, my Lord,” Sahban replied. “The longest part of the journey will be that portion that takes you to the Tigris Bridge that we crossed yesterday. Soon after the crossing you shall arrive at the Kalwadhi Gate. If you insist on going, my horse is at your service. ‘Abid shall accompany you mounted, and this messenger on foot.” “I shall go immediately.” Rukn al-Din rose with a look of stony determination . He disappeared into his chamber to change his clothes, and armed himself with two daggers. He then swiftly quit the house and mounted the horse that ‘Abid brought to him. Rukn al-Din again observed the joyful expressions exhibited by the people of Qadhimiyya as he rode through its streets. Spite against an important message |  their Sunni neighbors was evident in the passing snatches of conversation he heard around him. The pride of Baghdad’s Sunni population had derived from the Abbasid Caliph and his government, and the coming upheaval of the Sunni State had, in consequence, greatly diminished the Sunnis’ collective confidence and sense of security. Outside Qadhimiyya, the mood changed drastically. Fear and dread ruled the streets, and Rukn al-Din saw many tight knots of men, seated or standing , avidly piecing together contradictory information from passers-by and anxiously discussing the latest rumors and reports. He arrived at the aforementioned bridge and crossed over to al-Rusafa, where the streets were much calmer. In spite of the occasional crash of an enemy catapult, the inhabitants felt secure in their proximity to the Imperial Palace, for official propaganda did not cease to celebrate the might of the Imperial Army and the strength of the Imperial fortresses. The artillery fire from across the river was fairly negligible, and frequent cease-fires allowed people to circulate in the streets and markets. But the damage it caused was terrible to behold. If a projectile fell on a house, it clove the structure in two. If a man were its unlucky victim, it killed him instantly. These projectiles were round flint boulders whose diameter measured approximately half a meter. They were fired by the siege engines from the Tatar encampment, aiming at the Gate’s towers or at the surrounding palaces. The soldiers stationed in the towers responded with catapults of their own. These antique machines were the cannon of those days. Rukn al-Din’s journey finally ended on the eastern bank of the Tigris. The messenger stopped and pointed to a palace on the riverbank surrounded by an enclosed garden. He entered through the gate on his mount, and the messenger preceded him to announce his arrival. Rukn al-Din descended and handed the reins of the horse to ‘Abid, ordering him to wait and above all to be on his guard. He walked on into the garden, his heart pounding in anticipation of the coming interview, his mind’s eye calling up the image of Sallafa on the day when they had last met. ...