Chapter 13
The Sultan of Sultan's, The Eagle of the Desert, Salah al-Din Yusuf stalked into his chambers dropping down to sit on the floor, he petulantly threw a pillow to thump hard against the wall and slide to the floor.
Shadow's head came up abruptly at the sound that disturbed his sleep. Snuffling deeply the boy froze in place as he recognized the disturbing odor of rage lacing the familiar scent. Curling tightly in on himself he shivered and tried to burrow deeper into the nest of bedding.
The first thud was followed by another, then another as pillows were flung in a steady rhythm against the wall.
Mele opened the door and slipped into the room. The old man smiled to himself as another pillow thumped into the wall. At least I taught him this much control of that temper of his. Better the wall then killing those who irritate him.
Saladin never noticed as Mele nudged more pillows into easy reach. He turned to straighten the room and sighed deeply. I forgot about the boy. He would not sleep through this. He must be scared to death. Kneeling down beside the mound of bedding the old man crooned. "Hush now. It is alright. Come out from under there so I can see you," Mele ordered.
"Angry, he ver' angry," Shadow whispered shakily.
"Yes he is, but not at you Little One," Ari coaxed. "Now come out from under the blankets."
"Pleathe no . . . not hurt if not thee . . . be thmall," Shadow hiccuped between soft sobs.
You learned that lesson the hard way didn't you child. Mele stroked the trembling back through the blanket and waited patiently. Another loud thump filled the air and Shadow flinched.
"Yusuf ibn Ayyub!" Mele barked sharply.
Guiltily Saladin dropped a pillow. "Yes Old Father?"
"You frighten Shadow." Mele nodded at the hiding slave.
Saladin paled and cursed softly under his breath. Starting to stand he settled back and looked puzzled at Mele's gesture to stay where he was.
"Shadow, I need your help," Mele coaxed.
"Help?" Shadow's tousled head appeared, the blind eyes were turned fearfully towards Saladin.
"Yes, our master has run out of pillows. Will you please gather them up from beside the wall and return them to him?" Mele asked soothing back the loose curls.
"Ladin throwin' pillowth at the wall?" Shadow sat up shakily and moved into Mele's comforting arms.
"Yes it is something I taught him to do as a small boy. This way only pillows and a wall get hit when he is angry," Mele explained.
"Oh ith thmart get mad over, then think before do thtupid thing," Shadow said thoughtfully after a long moment.
Saladin flushed and threw his last pillow at the wall. Hopping to his feet Shadow walked over and recovered armsfuls of pillows and carried them over to the sheepish sultan. Staying well out of the way he went to recover more pillows ignoring the thud as a carefully tossed pillow hit the wall above his head and plopped to the floor.
Mele smiled sadly and slipped from the room. The boy has much to think about. Perhaps Shadow will be of some comfort to him.
Finally the pillows lay untouched as the sultan stared at the wall with unseeing eyes. I have no choice. It needs done no matter how powerful his mother's clan. How did it go so wrong?
Trembling fingers crept into Saladin's loosely clenched fist. Smiling sadly the sultan looked over at the troubled youth. If only . . . "I would not hurt you, Little One," the sultan promised.
"Thhadow knows, I just gotted thcared." The boy's brow furrowed. "The angry . . . thomething bad happened to Thhadow?"
"Yes Little One, something bad happened. That was before you came to me." Saladin stroked the soft curls.
Shadow nodded. "You hurt," the boy patted over Saladin's heart.
"Yes," Saladin sighed and pulled the boy in for a comforting hug. Who the comforter was wasn't quite clear.
"I will be very late, so I want you to eat and go to bed. You are not to leave my rooms," the sultan ordered.
"Yeth thir," Shadow promised.
"Tomorrow Neti is coming to meet you," Saladin said.
"Neti?"
"A very special woman," Saladin answered. Who has no respect for the authority of a sultan.
"Momma?" Shadow sat back.
"Not of my blood, but like Mele, family none the less," Saladin answered.
"Like Arwen?" Shadow asked hopefully
"Arwen?" Saladin asked curiously. A memory? What an unusual name.
"Hugth . . . gentle handth . . . after . . . " Shadow hissed rubbing his temples and pulling distractedly on his hair.
"Hush, don't try so hard else you'll make yourself sick," Saladin gently tucked the boy close and freed the trapped curls.
"'Ladin come back?" Shadow whispered burying his face against the sultan's broad chest.
Come back? Oh tonight. "Of course I'll come back. We will eat breakfast together," Saladin promised.
"Can Thhadow go on balcony," Shadow asked faintly.
"Yes . . . no climbing alright?" the sultan tilted up the boy's chin so he could see his face.
"Not climb," Shadow agreed. The sapphire eyes were filled with tears and the stubborn chin quivered.
"Why the tears, Little One?" Saladin questioned.
"Don't like being 'lone." Shadow rubbed his aching temples once more.
"I wouldn't leave you all alone," the sultan comforted. A little boy in a new place. He might have one of those spells or anything else. "Do you remember Ari?" I hope he'll allow Ari to stay. Hassan has much more important duties.
"The guardthman?" Shadow asked softly.
"Would you like Ari to come and stay with you until I come back?" Saladin asked gently.
"Yeth pleathe, Ari funny," Shadow pulled back and wiping his eyes on his sleeve.
"Oh no you don't. Here's a mindeel, no wiping your nose on your sleeve," the sultan lectured.
"Yeth thir," Shadow smiled impishly and blew his nose on the mindeel still in Saladin's hand.
"Thank . . . you," Saladin sighed staring in distaste at the soggy material.
*******
"Sleepy Shadow," Ari asked in relief. Never again will I underestimate this one. Ari looked down at the chessboard ruefully. He never played before tonight and he's beaten me twice already and him only able to see the pieces in his mind.
The boy yawned widely and nodded before rubbing his eyes with fists childishly.
He really does seem like a little boy. Hakim said it was so but I never expected this. "Why don't you get ready for bed, then I'll tell you a story," Ari suggested. Shadow bit his lip nervously. "Little One, my Sultan ordered me to remain until he returns did he not?" Ari reminded.
Allah give my Lord strength lest he falter in his duty. May he heal his servant's broken heart. Ari took a moment to pray for Saladin as he faced an odious duty.
"Yeth, thorry, Thhadow actin' like a baby," Shadow answered looking relieved.
"It is a new place, of course you don't want to be alone. Now go change. Don't forget to wash your face and hands," Ari urged.
Shadow returned, tugging and moving his blankets until his nest suited him before laying down.
"Comfortable? Did you get a drink?" Ari gently pulled up a light blanket and tucked it in. Shadow nodded sleepily. He'll be asleep in moments.
Shadow waited, eyes opened unnaturally wide as he tried to stay awake for his story. The seasoned warrior shook his head and began to tell the wide-eyed boy about Aladin and the Cave of Wonders.
*******
Hakim ibn Ayyub stood protectively at the shoulder of his sultan Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub while he stared out the window, his back to the room.
Hakim stared with bitter eyes upon the veiled woman and her teenage son. My brother should have strangled her on their wedding night. He took her to wife in an attempt to appease the Shiites and only succeeded in bringing strife into his home. There is too much philosophical difference between Sunni and Shiite. How can two such different views come from the same teachings?
"My husband . . .," Bita, Saladin's second wife began.
"Not a word," Saladin snarled at the pair.
The sound of a door opening broke the tense silence. Saladin took a careful breath as he turned to face the on coming pair. Ari, his favorite of his many uncles, was escorting the Ayatollah Tirdad ibn Bozorgmehr, father to Bita.
"Why have I been called here at this time of night?" Tirdad demanded arrogantly.
Saladin turned regally, his eyes paused on Hakim and Ari the two witnesses necessary for his actions to be legal. "I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee," he spoke calmly and held out a scroll to Bita, thereby divorcing the woman by Islamic law.
"You can't do this," Bita hissed.
"Be silent woman," Tirdad ordered harshly. "What is the meaning of this?" the Ayatollah demanded.
"She has failed in her duties as a wife and as a mother. Twice before she has been warned that I will not tolerate her abusing my harem and my children. It is done," Saladin said calmly. "Take her from my house. I will hear nothing of her again."
"You would dishonor my family in this way?" Tirdad demanded harshly.
"If the boy dies she will be called into court." The sultan reminded.
"Come woman," Tirdad ordered spinning on his heel. He will pay for this, Sultan he may be but I am the voice of the prophet. What boy?
"Come Darek." Bita grasped the arm of her shocked son.
"He stays," Hakim snapped. "He is the son of Saladin and as such belongs to him. This is the law. Go now lest you be beaten from the door like a stray dog."
"No! He is my son," Bita protested.
"A child belongs to the father. Come now Bita," Tirdad snarled stalking toward the door with the stunned woman trailing behind.
No one spoke until Mele came to the door and bowed deeply before closing it, thereby indicating that the pair had left the palace.
"What am I to do with you?" Saladin looked upon his eldest son with bitter eyes. "Perhaps I should have left you among the children as my councilors advised. I thought only to make your path easier. Training you to your duties gradually instead of having them thrust upon you all of a sudden."
Darek scowled back with a defiant manner and arrogant look on his handsome face.
"You will prey upon those younger and weaker no longer. From this day forward you are forbidden to enter the harem. There is none there who will welcome you." Saladin ordered.
"I'm too old to play with babies anyway. I am a man," Darek interrupted his father.
"Age does not make a man." Saladin gritted his teeth and tightly grasped his robe with his right hand so as not to strike the boy. "There is more to manhood then swinging a sword and beating children. You are not a man." A sharp gesture cut off Darek's attempt to speak.
"Uncle, will you take this unworthy BOY and teach him how to be a man?" Saladin turned to Ari.
"Yusuf, he is your heir. My road is a most dangerous one, full of hardship and deprivation," Ari reminded his nephew gently.
"You can't do this," Darek snarled.
"This unworthy one is the son of no father," Saladin responded sharply. He disowned the boy with the words.
Darek's protests stopped and he stood pale, no longer defiant or arrogant, simply looking lost and bewildered.
"My firstborn son is dead. If this dishonored child proves himself a humble servant of God as well as a man. Then it might be possible that he could earn back his place in my house," Saladin spoke aloud but didn't look at the boy.
"Take him as the lowliest of your people. Let him earn his place in this world." Saladin turned to his uncle.
"I will take him," Ari agreed.
"Would you please wait in the anteroom for the boy?" Saladin asked.
"Certainly," Ari bowed and left the room.
"One whisper of your cruelty, one act of disrespect and you loose your place forever," Saladin turned to the boy.
"I won't go," Darek snarled.
"It is your choice. You may serve Ari as a vassal or be cast naked and waterless into the Empty Quarter, leaving your fate to Allah," Saladin responded calmly.
"For how long must I serve him?" Darek grumbled.
"Until you are a man, dead or I decide that you are unredeemable. Pray the day never comes boy. For on that day you will see me once more." Saladin answered coldly.
"I am the child of your body. Your eldest son," Darek protested.
"Emad is the child of my body as well, whom you may well have killed!" Saladin thundered. "If your brother dies you will be killed immediately."
"Father!" Darek's voice raised in shock as the repercussions of his actions finally hit home.
"So be it done!" Saladin turned his back to the boy.
"Go now, Ari waits," Hakim said coldly.
"Uncle Hakim?" Darek whispered.
"Go, I do not know you," Hakim ordered.
*******
"'Ladin," Hakim whispered.
"He was such a beautiful baby. Such a sweet natured child. Where did I go wrong? Now he is as twisted and cruel as his mother." Saladin sighed leaning on the window sill.
"Why is the sky blue?" Hakim huffed in exasperation. "The only thing you did wrong was not letting your harem guards strangle Bita after the boy was birthed." Hakim wrapped a comforting arm around his brother. "He had many chances to correct his behavior and did not. I will pray that he does not waste this last chance at redemption."
"I need to check on Emad," Saladin sighed tiredly.
"Hassan will send word when he is done. Better to stay out from underfoot." Hakim comforted. "If you had not arrived when you did . . . ," Hakim's voice trailed off.
"I have made a bitter enemy out of Ayatollah Tirdad ibn Bozorgmehr," Saladin reminded.
"He has never been a friend, Little Brother," Hakim growled. I will follow up on those whispers that Roxanna was poisioned.
"What will you do if Darek fails this test?" Hakim asked worriedly.
"If he comes before me without Ari's blessing, I will have him castrated and his tongue removed cutting off his line forever. Afterwards he will be sold into foreign lands lest he shame his family further." Saladin growled. Hakim paled at the judgment. "So be it done!" Saladin hissed coldly and stalked out.
*******
"Oh child," Mele slipped into the quiet room and gathered the trembling Saladin into his arms. For long moments he simply rocked and held the sobbing man to his shoulder. Duty done, the Sultan was forgotten and now only the grieving father remained. What do I do now? Praise Allah that Emad will live. How many of your own nightmares has this brought back, my son?