Casca 51: The Saracen by Tony Roberts

Author:Tony Roberts [Roberts, Tony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-05T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Balian d’Ibelin and his party had spent the night comfortably at his castle at Nablus, just over halfway between Tiberias and Jerusalem. They had taken their time as there seemed no rush; de Beaucaire was still getting used to riding again and Eleanor wasn’t one to hurry. Balian took the opportunity to show off his estate to his guests, hoping to impress them, which it did.

South of Nablus they received a shock. Coming up the road from Jerusalem was a huge host, banners flying, armor glinting. “What in the name of God?” Balian exclaimed, reining in across the road. “It’s the king’s army!”

De Beaucaire and his little group remained where they were while Balian and two of his men rode forward to speak to the vanguard which was under the command of Gerard of Ridfort. “Where is the king? I must speak to him!” Balian demanded.

“Why?” Ridfort replied, put out that the nobleman wasn’t interested in him. “He’s busy.”

“So am I!” Balian replied and rode on into the main part of the army, spotting the king’s standard. Balian rode up to the king and pulled alongside. “What are you doing, my liege?” he demanded.

“What?” Guy seemed amazed that anyone should ask the question. “Why, marching on Tiberias to punish the traitor Raymond, of course!”

“Are you insane?” Balian bawled, causing heads to turn. “Do you want Raymond’s ally Saladin to come rampaging in and devastating your kingdom? You touch Raymond and you’ll have the entire Saracen army battering at your walls before you could say Mary, Mother of Jesus!”

“But-but,” Guy blustered, completely confused by what he’d been told, “Raymond is guilty of treason, isn’t he, Ridfort?”

Gerard de Ridfort had galloped back to listen to what Balian had to say. “Yes and he deserves to be destroyed!”

“So are matters of state determined by the king or by your overriding desire for vengeance, Gerard?” Balian shouted. “Do you decide the kingdom’s policy?”

Guy sat in his saddle dumbly. He didn’t know what to do. He’d wait to see who shouted the longest, loudest and last of all.

“Oh for the love of God!” Balian said, pouring scorn on the Templar leader, “your petty argument with Raymond leads the king into danger! Do you know a huge Saracen army is being assembled right across the border from Tiberias? Do you? If it hears you’re marching on Saladin’s ally it’ll come down on you like the Wrath of God! And how will you fight it without Reynauld de Chatillon, without Raymond or without me, too, for that matter?”

Ridfort sat there, face red as the cross on his surcoat. Balian turned to the king. “My liege, return to Jerusalem and we will decide on a proper course of action to take against Raymond. There are other ways to punish a traitor than by trying to besiege his town. We can send an embassy to make him see reason.”

“He deserves to die for his treason,” Ridfort persisted angrily.

“Then challenge him to single combat, Ridfort,” Balian replied, “that way we would see an end to this tiresome feud between the two of you.

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