The Holy Sail (15 page)

The delegation started screaming and wailing. Not only had they lost their money and were being made to work as slave labour, but they were also to be humiliated and flogged in public, thanks to the scourge that was Hussein Pasha.

The wall started to take shape around the city. It was fitted with only two gates, one overlooking the sea and one in the direction of Mecca. The wall had six watchtowers, each tower having a perimeter of sixteen cubits. After arranging a guard unit and a plan for the defence of the city, Hussein appointed a deputy to govern in his stead and set sail to Aden.

From the top of one of the watchtowers, a soldier watched as Hussein's flotilla sailed south. He kept his gaze fixed on it to make sure it did not turn back. The soldier
looked around quickly, and then spat in the direction of the flotilla.

 

–
 
12
 
–

Al-Ahsa, Eastern Arabian Peninsula

Salghur grew accustomed to life in Bin Rahhal's house. He enjoyed swimming in the pond from time to time and picking grapes from the vine that shaded it. In the evening, when temperatures cooled down, he would sit with Bin Rahhal and his close friends on a terrace outside the house, chatting and listening to the tales the guests and merchants had to tell. Bin Rahhal also brought many strange and wondrous stories from the sultan's
majlis
.

As time passed, the friendship between the two men grew stronger. Salghur was almost childlike in his spontaneity, while Bin Rahhal slowly took on an avuncular mentoring role. The newfound bond between them was like the bond between son and father, or little brother and older sibling. Bin Rahhal eventually took Salghur to see his mother's room, and told him how close they had been and how he had remained celibate to care for her in her old age. Salghur felt he had become part of Bin Rahhal's life, their friendship now indissoluble.

In the winter, the temperature dropped and cooled further with rainfall. Bin Rahhal decided to take Salghur and his company hunting. He prepared a party complete with servants and camping provisions, in addition to falcons and hounds.

The hunting party set off to Al-Ahsa's desert, which was teeming with gazelles, birds and hares. Salghur did not know
much about falconry, but soon learned how to hunt game using the birds of prey. He was extremely pleased when his falcon caught a large bird and swooped down with it, before the servants came and retrieved the prey from its claws. Salghur was so happy with his feat that he displayed his hunt on his saddle for the rest of the day – like a small child refusing to let go of a new toy.

In the evening, the group sat around a fire to roast their hunt. Salghur sat watching the raptors. Their decorated hoods gave them an added look of beauty and pride. They were majestic birds that – as he saw them – were proud of their strength and looked dignified and gracious. These birds were made to live proudly and die proudly, he thought.

Carrying the falcon on his arm as he rode his horse was challenging. He could not keep his arm straight all the time, and failed to notice many times when the bird fluttered its wings to protest against the unsteadiness of his moving human nest.

After a year in Al-Ahsa, Salghur had learned that the world was much bigger than the small island his brother now ruled and that there were many experiences only those who left their homes, travelled the world and met and mingled with people could know about. However, he did not want to live in any place other than Hormuz. He had no other throne but the throne of Hormuz. Here, he was only Bin Rahhal's friend, nothing more, and that did not satisfy him. He wanted to be a venerated king ruling the people and the realm like his father and grandfather before him.

One evening, before he opened the door to his guests, Bin Rahhal gave Salghur a knowing smile. Salghur returned the smile and said, ‘That smile hides many things behind it, my friend. I think there's something you want to tell me. Go on then, please, don't hide anything from me.'

Bin Rahhal's sly smile grew wider. He peeked at the fruit platter in front of them and took two large figs, offering one to Salghur. He said, ‘These figs are miraculously tasty. I can never resist them. Don't eat them immediately. Use your fingers to split them in half, then take a good look at the shape and colour before you taste them. You have to enjoy what is in your hands before you put it in your mouth; always remember that.'

Salghur was too impatient for this banter. He tried to end Bin Rahhal's sleight of words and get straight to the point. ‘Come. Tell me what's on your mind. I am at the end of my tether. I cry almost every day because of how frustrated I am and how much I miss home.'

‘Be patient, my friend. You must always enjoy what you already have. The more you do so the more you will grow fond of it. Such is life. Try to remember the blessings around you; if you forget them, you have renounced them, and if you renounce them, you will no longer see the world as a beautiful place.' Bin Rahhal put half of the fig in his mouth and slowly savoured its taste, before he said casually, ‘The sultan has agreed to prepare a campaign to restore you to the throne, God willing.'

Salghur stretched out his hand and grabbed Bin Rahhal's arm firmly, as though he was afraid he might lose him all of a sudden. ‘Is this true?'

‘Yes, it is true. We will leave soon for the Gulf of Salwa and from there to Julfar to rendezvous with our ships and men. After that, we will sail to your lost kingdom, my friend.'

Bin Rahhal offered the other half of his fig to his guest, who took it and kept it in his hand. Tears of joy prevented him from lifting it to his mouth. Up till now, he had lost almost all hope of ever returning home.

Salghur looked at the fig as though he had finally understood Bin Rahhal's lesson, and whispered, ‘I think you have known about the sultan's decision for some time, Bin Rahhal, but you hid it from me, is it not so?'

‘The sultan made the decision nearly a year ago, but I could not tell you before the sultan gave his explicit orders.'

‘I will never forget your generosity for as long as I live, Master Vizier. I have found in you a brother that I do not have in those who are of my flesh and blood. Isn't it strange that my own brothers turned out to be my enemies, and a stranger like you has become a true friend and brother?'

Bin Rahhal replied quietly, ‘It is all about money and power, Your Majesty. Almost all the blood that has ever been spilled has been spilled for their sake. Your relationship with your brothers was destroyed by this deadly twosome, which may well destroy your relationship with people you care about in the future. Never forget this. Money and power may bring you happiness if you handle them wisely, and misery if they get the better of you.'

Bin Rahhal chewed the rest of the fig before continuing. ‘Also remember that you must enjoy what you already have. Treat everything you have like you treat this fig. Enjoy it with your eyes and nose before you put it in your
mouth, because once you do, the pleasure you get from it goes away. Your relationship with those you love must follow the same idea; enjoy everyone around you with all your senses while they last.'

Bin Rahhal had not let the king leave his estate much during his stay; his movements had been strictly accounted for and tightly controlled lest people learn of his presence there. But the king felt bored from being restricted for many months, though he found solace in the idea that he would be returning to his kingdom soon, and consolation in his nightly meetings with Bin Rahhal that he eagerly awaited throughout the day.

Now that the sultan had overtly approved the campaign to Hormuz, there was no need to restrict his movements any more. People learned the former king of Hormuz was a guest at their vizier's estate, which tempered the secrecy imposed on the king's presence, whereabouts and movements.

In the remaining days leading up to the campaign, Bin Rahhal and his guest visited the large market in Al-Ahsa. Salghur was impressed by how well-organised everything was. There was a large shaded yard for tethering, feeding and watering animals. The shops nearby had a roof that was high enough to allow air to circulate. And goods like meats, vegetables and fruits all had tags with the prices written on them, something the former king had not seen in Hormuz. In one shop, Salghur noticed that the intact heads of slaughtered animals were displayed in front of their meats in an eye-catching way. When Salghur asked about this, Bin Rahhal told him it was so buyers could see
what the animals whose meat they were buying looked like and examine their condition.

In a higher place of the bazaar sat the
muhtasib.
His job was to ensure the market was clean and in good order, and that no cheating was taking place. The
muhtasib
also had to resolve disputes between buyers and sellers. The market was divided into several sections, with a
muhtasib
supervising each part.

What bothered everyone, however, were the flies that hovered in large numbers over the market. Everything was covered with the insects. Bin Rahhal was used to this, but Salghur was appalled. When he asked about this, Bin Rahhal explained to him that Al-Ahsa was an oasis surrounded by desert, and with its many palms and fruit trees, it was an oasis for insects too. Bin Rahhal passed his hand over a heap of dates, sending a swarm of flies buzzing loudly which startled Salghur, as Bin Rahhal laughed.

Salghur saw many women and children selling produce from their farms along the roads. This was also new to him; Hormuz had no agriculture to speak of and people worked either in trade or in the army. Only rich people had some small plantations on the island, and there were not many other ways to make one's living. Al-Ahsa, by contrast, had everything, and all a person had to do was to take their merchandise to the market or the road to find buyers.

On the appointed day, camels laden with supplies and bags were made to kneel down outside Bin Rahhal's home. Rugged-looking armed cavalrymen escorted the camels, twenty camel cavalries and fifteen horsemen in total.

The convoy made its way through the narrow roads between Al-Ahsa's farms. The air was humid and heavy, and the sun was just about to come out. Palm trees on both sides of the road swayed, as though feeling for those passing underneath. The babble of the brooks mixed with the sounds of birds and insects, complementing the landscape that Salghur was unfamiliar with. Salghur knew he would miss the palms, fruit trees and running streams when he left the beautiful oasis.

The convoy travelled for several hours. Trees suddenly disappeared, giving way to majestic desert. Proud, daunting and eerily quiet, the desert was infinite. There were barely any signs of life, save for a passing lizard, a concealed snake, a bird flying away, or a gazelle hiding behind a hillock here and there. Salghur turned around to catch a final glimpse of the greenery before delving into the monochromatic desert, doing what many did when they left a place permanently: taking one last look back before looking forward, hopeful about what lay in store.

Salghur looked at Bin Rahhal. He was cleaning his teeth with a
miswak
, which one of his servants had given him. Salghur felt that he had to say something; covering the vast distance ahead would be much harder in silence. Talking to each other was going to be the only entertainment they would have to help them cut through the desert, so Salghur decided to break the wall of silence.

‘How odd that all signs of life just vanish. From a lush green oasis, we're now in the middle of the desert. Have you not thought about digging canals to extend some of your streams to irrigate the desert? I've never seen water so
clear and fresh as the water in Al-Ahsa. If we had water like this in Hormuz we would be one of the richest nations.'

Salghur caressed his horse's neck and continued. ‘I planted palms around my palace to make it look more pleasing to the eye. My father made sure to farm the land around it too, but my brothers neglected it. I'm sure by now the palace's surroundings have become barren again.'

Bin Rahhal took the last small twig left of the
miswak
out of his mouth before he spoke. ‘The oasis is enormous. Its bounty reaches all places, even your kingdom, Hormuz. We don't know where the water originates and where it goes. We see it pass under our homes and farms but we don't see it after that. Some say it goes into the ground, others claim it flows to the sea. Some of our brave men tried to dive in the waterways to find out where they ended, but they never returned. Legends say they go to the
jinn
^*
, and that those who dive into the springs will be taken by the demons as slaves for the rest of their lives.'

Salghur pulled the reins of his horse to stay close to Bin Rahhal. ‘I've heard these legends. I was told a gushing stream of water straddled my father's farm in Bahrain, but no one knew where it came from and where it went either. The
jinn
may have a role in it, but I don't know.'

The former king added, ‘I had heard about Al-Ahsa before. My ancestors were interested in the oasis and bought farms and palaces there. A saying in Hormuz goes, “Hormuz dies when Hajr dies.” I believe this is happening right now.'

Bin Rahhal smiled but did not reply.

After a three-day journey, the travellers caught the scent of the sea before they finally glimpsed it. Bin Rahhal judged
it best for the convoy to set up camp near the shore before they arrived in Salwa; he loved the sea, its sound and its smell, and did not have many opportunities to see it.

They saw a three-foot-tall wall built with black stones in the shape of a horseshoe cutting through a large section of the shore. The semi-open enclosure started out from the coast, extended into the sea and curved back to the beach. Bin Rahhal, pointing at the structure, told Salghur, ‘We call it a
masakir
. It traps fish when the tide is low and fishermen collect them afterwards. Let's go and get some. This is our chance to catch some fresh fish.'