The Amir had not disturbed his thoughts, but entered them. Idrisi looked at him and smiled. ‘Because we could not take Rome. Our ships were moored on the Tiber, but we were morally too weak to take advantage. They bought us off with sacks of gold. If we had taken Rome, our armies would have marched South and prevented the intrusion of the Franks.’
‘And the Pope?’
‘He would have worked with us till a more powerful force emerged.’
Both men laughed at the thought.
‘Our faith,’ Idrisi remarked, ‘inspired devotion and conquests, but it is like a hurricane. Transient.’
‘Let me ask you something, Ibn Muhammad. I appreciated your discretion last night. Everyone present was loyal, but it is better not to take risks. If they burn Philip it will be difficult to control the anger of our people.’
‘But why? As far as they are concerned Philip is a Nazarene just like the Sultan. Might not some think it’s good they’re killing each other?’
‘You underestimate the intelligence of our people. Few believe in Philip’s conversion. I have noticed that those who do are themselves converts from our faith. What matters is what they say to each other at home or in the bazaar. And here as well as in Palermo and in the lesser cities, they whisper to each other that Philip remains a Believer. His punishment will only confirm this belief.’
‘You are right, my friend. In fact, that is what they are going to charge him with.’
‘There will be a response.’
‘In Siracusa?’
‘I will keep the city under control because anything that happens here has much graver implications. But your two sons-in-law will be able to give you much better information. And later today, my sister-in-law arrives with our niece Elinore. It would be a great honour if you ate with my family tonight.’
‘The pleasure will be mine.’
As the Amir walked away, Idrisi wondered how much he knew. His wife must have told him about Mayya, but did he or his wife suspect that Elinore was not the Sultan’s daughter? Before he could think about this further, his attendant came forward to inform him that his grandsons and their fathers awaited him for breakfast.
The boys ran to hug him and he kissed each of them tenderly. ‘You little devils, why did you run away from me in Palermo? I was going to show you many things in the city and buy you gifts, but…’
‘It wasn’t us, Jiddu,’ said Khalid.
‘Our mothers said you were angry with them and if we didn’t rush home, you would put them in prison,’ interjected Ali.
Idrisi threw back his head and laughed. ‘Did you believe them?’
The boys shook their heads.
‘Good. Now just look at this breakfast the Amir has had prepared for you. Eat all you want, but you must start with the fruit. What delicious figs and dates we have here. After that you can eat what you like. I need to discuss something urgent with your fathers. When you’ve finished, come outside and join us. There is a beautiful fountain and if it gets warmer you can take off your shoes and dip your feet in the water.’
Idrisi put his arms around the shoulders of his sons-in-law as he guided them out of the room. He wanted the boys to see he appreciated their fathers.
‘We know why your daughters went to Palermo and we are grateful for your support,’ said Abu Khalid. Of the two he tended to speak more openly. ‘We do not know how to deal with the situation. If they were to speak like this to an enemy you can imagine the fate that would befall us.’
Idrisi’s face became a rock and he spoke with a stern voice. ‘Warn them both. Tell them we have spoken. If they behave like this again you must divorce them immediately and return them to their mother. If you feel that you need to do that anyway you will have my support. I will not see them while I am here, but I have already sent a message to their mother warning her against any repetition.’
‘May you live long, Jiddu,’ said Abu Ali. ‘You have freed us from a highly painful task. For myself I will not divorce Ali’s mother, but I will take another wife. I wish Ali to have brothers and sisters and that is no longer possible with his mother.’
With a despairing shake of his head, Idrisi indicated his agreement and then looked straight into the eyes of Khalid’s father. His look did not waver.
‘I will not wear a mask, Abu Walid. I can no longer live with Sakina. Our marriage has not been a happy one and was forced on me by my parents. The hurried union that produced Khalid was never repeated. I will abide by all the terms of the marriage and Sakina never need rely on anybody else while I am alive, but I can no longer live with her.’
‘I understand you perfectly, Abu Khalid. You must do as you wish. I will make sure her mother understands this as well. We do not need more mischief. And Khalid? Is he close to his mother?’
There was a moment’s hesitation.
‘I thought you might receive us politely, but coldly. Your warmth has reached our hearts. What is the point of hiding anything from you? The answer to your question is no. Khalid is closer to my mother than his own. Children have a capacity to understand who is genuinely fond of them. They can sometimes see through pretence and falsehoods better than grown men.’
Idrisi was relieved. If he, as their father, felt little or no affection for his daughters why should their own children feel differently? When Samar and Sakina were young he had noticed the feebleness of their brains, but thought that in time they would attain their full development. Allah had willed otherwise.
‘I am not surprised by what you say and I am glad you have spoken in a direct fashion. May Allah guide you both and protect your children. But there is a more important matter we need to discuss.’
The two men exchanged looks. How much did he know?
‘Our faith,’ Idrisi continued calmly, ‘has produced brave warriors and brilliant minds, but we also possess a restless, impatient, unstable side that can flare up one moment and disappear the next. It produces a lack of discipline. I have no wish to know your exact plans. The fewer who do so the better, but I would urge caution in respect of timing. Nothing — I repeat nothing — must happen, while Rujari is alive.’
‘Nothing at all?’ asked Abu Ali.
‘What do you have in mind?’ inquired their father-in-law.
‘We are not preparing a full-scale rebellion at the moment, but we are in touch with our people throughout this region. In each quarter of every city and in even the smallest hamlet there is a mehfil that meets every Friday to discuss the situation on the island. We will try and control the anger of the multitude after the martyrdom of Philip, but make no mistake. When the time comes Noto and Siracusa and the villages that lie in between will raise the banner of our faith and challenge the bishops.
‘In the meantime, we have to maintain the spirit of our people and defend them against all tormentors. For that reason, we have decided to inflict a severe punishment on the monks and the Lombards who guard them in a village near Noto. The atrocities they committed have created a sense of fear. We need to teach these people a lesson. One Lombard will be left alive to spread the news.’
Idrisi did not reply, but from his eyes they could tell he was proud of them and this strengthened their confidence. ‘Who is the preacher in your village, Abu Ali? I have heard talk of him. They tell me he sees visions of our armies fighting the infidels in the sky and recites poetry of his own making.’
‘I’m truly astonished that you have heard of him, Jiddu.’ Abu Ali spoke in such a soft voice that Idrisi cupped his ear. ‘He is the son of our cook and has been prone to visions since he was a boy. He was born blind and that may have encouraged the visions. He is twenty years old but many people from neighbouring villages come to see and hear him. His verses burn with a religious passion and he sings them with a beautiful voice. If you have time, come and stay with us for a few days. Ali will be thrilled and you can meet the cook’s son. I can’t stress this enough, but there is something remarkable about him. As you can imagine, he sings a great deal of future battles, of victories and of the day we will occupy the palaces and Allah’s vengeance against all those who collaborated with the enemy.’