Free The Holy Sail by Abdulaziz Al-Mahmoud Page A

all children. We have chosen a trustworthy man because we know it will be he who shapes and moulds their minds.’
    The sultan paused and then said, ‘I don’t know why kings always make the same mistakes!’ After another moment of silence, he asked, ‘So who sent you then if it’s not the king?’
    The messenger adjusted his sitting position. ‘I am here at the behest of my master, Vizier
Khawaja
Attar. He ordered me to come here to ask you help restore Salghur to the throne.’
    The sultan chased away a fly that had landed on his forehead. He shook his head in thought before he asked,‘Why does Attar want to bring back Salghur? Why him out of the four rivals?’
    It seemed that the messenger was prepared for this particular question. ‘He is the wisest of the sons in the view of my master. If he is reinstated, then Hormuz could restore its lost glory. My master has pinned his hopes on him to restore stability to the kingdom, because the current situation is going in a bad direction. Vays wants to wage war with you to consolidate his power and plunder Bahrain and Al-Ahsa. If that happens, we will all lose. Vays is a reckless young man who does not understand the consequences of his actions, and he is surrounded by inexperienced advisers.’
    â€˜How long will you be staying with us in Al-Ahsa?’
    â€˜A few days, Your Grace. Then I will return with your answer to
Khawaja
Attar, who is waiting for me anxiously.’
    Sultan Muqrin knew that the matter at hand required knowledge of the positions of the other powers surrounding Hormuz. ‘How are your relations with Persia in light of these conflicts?’
    â€˜Persia is also unstable. There is a bitter struggle between the Ağ Qoyunlu * and the Safavids. The country is in chaos. We do not know who will ultimately prevail, though some merchants told us recently the Safavids have won a few battles. I believe they will remain preoccupied with consolidating their gains in the north for some time. They have no armies in the south. We tried to contact them for the same purpose, but they did not respond to us. We are not too keen on them, Your Grace, so we did not contact them again.’
    The messenger then fell silent, seemingly reluctant to say anything else. The sultan did not like the messenger’s silence, and wanted to know more. He asked, ‘Why is that?’
    â€˜Your Grace, the Safavids have beliefs that are foreign to us. They have forced people to convert to their faith. Some refugees and merchants have told us of massacres in some of the areas controlled by the Qizilbash * . They force people to do unspeakable things and, if they refuse, they slaughter them and pile their bodies in the roads and alleys. In the evening, they gather the corpses and set them on fire in public squares.’
    The messenger paused, visualising the holocaust in his head. He then murmured, ‘The mere thought of them near our kingdom makes us fear for its future.’
    The sultan wished to keep the conversation focused, lest he misunderstand the messenger or vice versa. ‘So you are saying that Vays dethroned Salghur, and that
Khawaja
Attar wants to restore Salghur to the throne. You have contacted the Omanis but they did not help you, and the Safavids but they did not respond, and hence you came here to ask me to help. Have I understood correctly?’
    â€˜Indeed, Your Grace. As I mentioned earlier, restoring Salghur to the throne will benefit both sides, yours and ours. Salghur was raised by Vizier
Khawaja
Attar, and the vizier, through the authority the king would grant him, can improve conditions in the kingdom, rehabilitate its trade and—’
    The sultan interrupted him with a sudden question. ‘Do you have any idea how serious your request is?’
    â€˜Yes, Your Grace, but if Vays survives on the throne, he will be a danger to us all.’
    The sultan smiled, impressed by the