Chapter XIV - Merchantmen
Early morning
November 1313
Near the souq
Jerusalem
He was jittering. The document was still with him.
Strange events have happened lately to some of his merchant friends, and he was considering leaving the city for a couple of days, perhaps even weeks, to let those delicate, troubling affairs calm down and return to the apparent normalcy he had before. He doubled the number of guards at his house but that seemed to not be enough. Perhaps he was somewhat paranoid, he often thought, but extra security measures can only do good. He called for his servant who came rushing inside his chamber, only to find the strange gaze of his master. Why did he run towards me, I cannot understand. No, I must not let these thoughts get the best of me, I must calm down, Asad thought. Lately, he was becoming even more paranoid regarding this whole issue and it affected the clear judgement he had before. He was no longer ruthless and calculated, he was mellow and weak, giving enough leeway for his rivals to gain the upper hand in the negotiations. One such negotiation went bad for him, and he was to pay a hefty sum that affected his profits.
“What is the latest rumour, Farad?” asked Asad, the Jerusalem merchant.
“Sadiq, it seems to me that several market administrators have received a special scroll containing information about three Crusaders who may pose a threat to our integrity. Most odd, I must add, considering they are three men. And why us, it makes no sense.”
“Do you think it has any connection?”
“Highly unlikely.”
“I do think so.”
“You do, Sadiq?”
“Yes. This whole business has been affecting me greatly. I must let it stop now.”
The eunuch did not reply. He did not know what to reply, it was the first time he had seen Asad in this position.
“Any other information gathered from the market?”
“There seems to be an inflow of French merchants into Jerusalem lately, they wish to organise their guild.”
Asad curled his brows and readjusted his position, somewhat worried. What are the westerners doing here again? They have been expelled some time ago, especially the French. The unwelcome visitor was French. Odd.
“Their guild? In our kingdom?” he asked incredulously.
“I believe so.”
“Most odd. The Sultan will not grant permission I believe.”
Asad gently brushed his moustache and beard, thinking at the same time about these recent developments. He was worried, and not necessarily because of his business. Something was amiss, and Asad was worried.
“Where is Masruq, the messenger?”
“He is in Jerusalem, enjoying the company of fine women.”
“Bring him back and get on a mission for me.”
“Sadiq, he will be most displeased about your decision.”
“I do not care!” snapped Asad, yelling at the eunuch who immediately knelt in submission. The move seemed to calm down Asad somewhat, regaining his lost composure.
“I want you to find out why the French merchants have set up their outpost in here. I have been dealing with foreigners a lot but I still do not trust them. Leave now, and do not come back without the proper information. And tell Masruq to report to me immediately once you find him!”
Satisfied, Asad sat down at his desk just as his eunuch left his quarters. He took the dubious scroll once more in his hands. It felt rough and somewhat uninviting looking at the yellow colour of the parchment and the odd touch as he slid his callous hand over it. He rolled it in his hands until it fell back on the table, inert and lifeless, the yellowy colour matching the papyrus scrolls on his desk. The sun's rays peeping through the window behind him gleamed against the wax seal, drawing his diverted attention. There was something mysterious and sinister about the scroll itself as he looked at it, but the merchant could not pinpoint exactly what was bothering him.
"What are the French merchants doing here?" asked Asad, a question only for himself.
Asad took the scroll and unfolded it immediately on the table, placing small items on each corner to prevent it from reverting to its original shape. His grasp of Latin was perfect, but he still had difficulty in understanding the writing itself and the complex, formal grammar of the writing. It puzzled him to the point that he stood there staring at the document for a couple of minutes.
“This seems to be the real reason the French merchants are setting up their guild in Jerusalem,” muted Asad to himself. He looked up and saw no one. There was only silence around him, the only sounds coming from the busy roads outside. Asad stood up and called for his servant.
“Please arrange that I will have a couple of servants and my strongest guards with me tomorrow, I will go to a place inside Jerusalem where I will need protection and help.”
The servant looked uneasy but complied, exiting Asad's cabinet without uttering a single word.
“The Temple holds the reasons. Interesting supposition, I would have never thought that myself,” said Asad out loud, all alone in his private cabinet.
Asad walked away from his desk, looking down towards his luxurious shoes, staring at the thin gold line stretching from the tipping point to his ankle. Stretching his limbs, he paced a couple of steps until he reached his library stacked with treatises and dusty scrolls, piled on top of each other like a knowledge pyramid. A small scroll with Maronite symbols stood out from the pile. He was a Maronite himself, but there was no need for that scroll's knowledge now. He needed a detailed plan. A building plan.
Asad twisted open a lock with a golden key. The glass panel slid open to reveal a small stack of protected parchments and four vellum books. He took one of the vellum books stocked in a corner and opened it on the edge of his desk, the supple pages creating a wondrous feel that the merchant enjoyed even more. It was a local chronicle of the previous warring years, written by a Byzantine scholar. And particular detail was given to the Templar headquarters, the Temple of Solomon. And the building plan was there for him to see.
“The underneath tunnels have not been mapped. But no matter, I shall see tomorrow for myself,” grinned Asad as he uttered the words to himself.
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