Free A Sultan in Palermo by Tariq Ali Page A

preacher. Now Idrisi, too, strained to hear every word.
    ‘It has been reported to us that Philip al-Mahdia, the great Amir al-bahr and a worthy successor to the late George, may Allah bless his memory, is the victim of falsehoods. The Nazarene monks charge Philip with treason because they say that when he conquered Mahdia he refused to torture and kill Believers or rape the women. Is this a crime? May the stars rain on the head of the Nazarenes and may they be forced to drink their own blood for making this charge. Sultan Rujari is our protector and we must not do anything to shake his throne. Hear me, O Believers. This Sultan has defended us against the madness of his monks. The Sultan and his family will guard us against all catastrophes and for that reason let us pray to Allah to guide the Sultan and urge him to spare the life of Philip.’
    Idrisi joined in the prayer, cupped his hands and looked upwards. A collective ‘Amen’ rent the air and the sermon was over. As the faithful surrounded him, they shouted questions from every direction: Is what the qadi said true? Do you think Filib will die? Will our world end? Should we not resist now instead of waiting for the executioner’s axe?
    He smiled at them with sad eyes and allowed himself to be taken deep into the heart of the mosque, into a narrow room where the others had assembled. As his eyes became accustomed to the semi-darkness, he felt a lightning bolt. Philip, attired in long white robes, was seated on the floor with the rest of them. He rose to his feet and embraced Idrisi, kissing him three times. The others did the same. Apart from the qadi, Philip and himself, there was the Chief Eunuch from the palace and two young men who introduced themselves as Philip’s captains in charge of their own ships of war. Philip had taught them all they knew and they would die for him. Once the introductions were over, a silence fell.
    It was Philip who spoke first. ‘What the qadi said today was true. There is a conspiracy being prepared against us. So much is certain. It is in its early stages, but our choices are limited. Any resistance at this moment would be easily crushed. The Barons and monks are hoping that when I am burnt at the stake, there will be an uprising.’
    The two young sea captains shuddered in horror and the older of them spoke. ‘Amir Philip, if they burn you, we will burn this city. The loyalty of the men on the ships is to you and no one else ...’
    Philip raised his hand to stop him. ‘It would be a tragedy if this were to happen. The Sultan is ill. He will die soon. He knows. The boy who succeeds him is even more sympathetic to us than his father. He has mastered our language and al-Quran. He has admitted to his tutors that he would like to convert to our faith. Is that not true, Master Idrisi?’
    ‘It is true,’ whispered Idrisi, ‘but be careful. These are the wishes of an impressionable young man who is in love with our women and we should not assume that he will convert ...’
    Philip smiled. ‘Some men remain impressionable till the day they die. I am aware of this only too well. If the tide turns, William may float away. In a long war nothing can be taken for granted. That I know better than all of you. The fate of a battle is usually decided at the moment of victory or defeat. Who would have believed that a handful of Normans could have defeated our armies on this island? We outnumbered them, we had more weapons, more food and we controlled the towns and the sea. But they won. Till the last moment anything is possible. It is the quality of the men who fight, their mental capacity, that determines a great deal. It is the same in the situation that confronts us at this moment. But we must prepare carefully and give strength to Rujari by declaring our loyalty to his family. For us the best conditions for the struggle that lies ahead would be if the Barons refused to accept William as their King. If that happens, you must resist them