HOW RICHARD WENT TO PALERMO
The yawning servants had carried the bishop from under the table, long
before Baron William that night found the bottom of his last flagon.
Yet early the next morning, none was more nimble and jovial than he.
The Greeks did not come down to the great hall; they were fatigued,
said Sylvana the old servant who had adjured Richard to rescue them
during the fight. The Cæsar's wound was paining him, and he required
the care of his daughter. So it was noon before Richard set eyes again
on the princess, as she came into the bailey with her father on her
arm, to help him into his litter. The bishop was impatient to be away.
What with the clamor of the foot-boys and grooms, and the neighing of
impatient steeds, there was little chance for ceremonious
leave-taking. The bishop had thanks and blessings for his rescuers and
hosts. The Cæsar gave a few courtly phrases of gratitude; his daughter
bestowed on Lady Margaret and Eleanor each a hearty kiss, and for
Richard, one smile from her bright eyes, and the words, "Fail not to
wait on us, if you come to Palermo." So the troop started, leaving
Richard to stare after them until the cavalcade was a speck on the
roadway, and for the rest of the day to resolve many times that to
Palermo he would go ere many months be sped.
But in the days that followed he was not idle. First of all the
bishop's gift, the great black horse, had to be wrestled into
submission; no light task, for the mighty beast would rage like a
bull; but in the end the brute was conquered, and "Rollo"--such was
his christening--became Richard's boon comrade and second self; dear
as those horses whereof the _jongleurs_ sang, that would snatch their
masters from the midst of a host of foes, or recognize them returning
home after seven years, when the riders' own wives had forgotten them.
But this was the least the raid of the Berbers had brought to Richard,
for he and Musa became grappled to each other by bonds of friendship
that tightened each day. The Spaniard had sealed his gratitude by the
gift of a Valencia hauberk, inwrought with gold wire, light almost as
velvet, on whose links once the sword of Cid Campeador had turned. And
Musa brought also a wonderful chessboard of rock crystal with men of
silver, over whose magic squares the Norman was to puzzle many an
hour; but beyond all else, Musa brought himself--more a marvel every
hour to Richard Longsword. What had he not learned and done! A
swordsman whose prowess in the fence tested Richard's utmost skill; a
poet whose musical Arabic must have charmed many a fair brunette by
the darkling Guadalquiver. He could talk of elixirs, alembics, and
horoscopes. The learning of the University of Cordova was his; he
could read Greek and Latin, and had a smattering of the Languedoc.
Only a consistent Moslem he was not,--neither going to the mosque on
Fridays, nor abstaining from wine nor remembering the fasts; and when
Richard asked, "Will you turn Christian?" Musa had replied, laughing,
"I am of the rationalist school of the Kalif Mamun,--reason alone is
the father of religion; even the commands of Al-Koran are not fetters
to bind, when reason directs otherwise."
Richard could only shake his head. Moslems, he was very sure, were
likely to scorch in eternal fire, but at least he conceived they ought
to be consistent in supporting their superstition, if they held to it
at all. As for himself, when he compared his life and acquirements to
Musa's, he grew exceeding humble; born in a camp in Campania, his
boyhood spent now in this, now in another Italian or Sicilian castle,
from a lad he had learned to wield a sword as became the son of a
doughty sire. But he had neither the gentle troubadour's art, as the
knights of Provence, nor the deeper lore of the Spaniard. Reading,
thanks to Sebastian's patience, he might make shift with; he could
barely scrawl an awkward fist. One accomplishment his south-Italian
life gave him: he could speak Greek, Arabic, Latin, the Languedoc, and
the Languedoil; but with these and some skill in hawking and jousting
his learning ended, and it was small enough.
As day sped into day, Musa was ever at the castle of Cefalu. He had
relatives in Palermo who desired him there, and declared the city safe
against kidnapper or assassin; but he was not tempted to leave the
country house of Hajib. The Baron smiled on the friendship; he had
long since learned to love infidels, if they were only brave knights;
Sebastian alone was all fears and frowns, and had many a wordy tilt
with the Spaniard.
"Ah, Richard," cried the chaplain once, when the two friends sat at
chess in the great hall, "know you not Holy Church condemns chess as
no less perilous to the soul than very dicing?"
And when Richard, despite prickings of conscience, would not leave the
game, Sebastian admonished in private:--
"Remember the words of the Apostle: 'Be not unequally yoked with
unbelievers, for what concord hath Christ with Belial?' Be warned;
bitter sorrow or perdition will come of this friendship; have you
forgotten your vow to slay the unbelievers and free Jerusalem?"
"But we await the will of God, father," answered Richard, carelessly.
"And the will of God is that you first cast off these ties of Satan,
and make ready for holy warfare, or assuredly God will remember your
sin and punish you." But Richard would not hear. Ever he drew closer
to Musa; the reckless paladin Roland and his "sage" friend Oliver were
no nearer comrades, and in the after days Longsword likened their love
to nothing less than the bonds betwixt David and Jonathan.
Yet Sebastian never forbore his warnings. "Dear son," he said, when
Musa was telling his wondering friend of the marvellous mountain of
Kaf, which encircles the earth, and whither the Almighty had banished
the rebellious genii, "be not seduced by the wisdom which cometh from
the Father of Lies. Though Musa called himself Christian (and were not
damned already), yet his soul would be lost because of his sinful
learning. It was so with Gerbert, whom the Devil even aided to become
Pope, yet in the end snatched away his soul; in testimony whereof his
bones rattle in their tomb, every time a pope lies nigh to death."
"_Wallah!_" cried the Spaniard, gently, "your mind, friend, is as wide
as the bridge Es-Sirat, which bridges Hell on the road to
Heaven,--finer than a hair, sharper than a sword-edge."
"Mock me not, Child of the Devil," retorted the unappeased churchman.
"Nay," was the mild answer, "I am not obstinate. Convince me, satisfy
my reason; I will then turn Christian."
"Ah," replied Sebastian, sadly, "have you never heard the words of the
holy Anselm of Canterbury, 'Let the intellect submit to authority,
when it can no longer agree therewith'?"
Musa shook his head.
"Let us not wrangle to no purpose," said he, extending a frank hand;
"our own Prophet commands us, 'Dispute not with those who have
received the scriptures'--the Christians and Jews--'save in the
mildest manner.' Think not we blaspheme the Son of Mary. No good
Moslem speaks His name without adding 'on whom be peace.' We too hold
He was born of a pure virgin, by a miracle of God, and Al-Koran says
'He is the word of God, and a spirit proceeding out of Him.'"
"Aye," made answer the priest, stripping his arm, and smiling grimly
as he pointed to his scars, "and is this not a token of your tolerance
and reverence?"
Musa shrugged his shoulders.
"_Mâshallah!_ Those Seljouks at Jerusalem are but barbarians. We
Arabs love them a little less than we do most Christians!"
"One fire awaits you all," muttered the obdurate priest, withdrawing.
So days sped, and a letter came to Musa from Palermo, from his uncle
the great merchant Al-Bukri, the "general syndic" of the capital.
There was promise of patronage and high office with the Fatimite court
at Cairo. Would the Spanish knight come down to Palermo for
consultation? And Richard vowed loudly he would travel to the city
too, only his heart grew sad when Musa spoke of parting and a career
in Egypt. "Be not troubled, brother mine," quoth Musa, lightly; "what
is fated, is fated; as for my fortune, so far as man may dispose, I
say as did once an Egyptian kalif, 'I carry my kingdom here!'" and he
slapped the hilt of his cimeter. And Richard, when he thought of what
awaited in Palermo, went about with his head in the air. Night and day
had the vision of the Greek been before his face. Would he not hew
through hosts to possess her? Had he not already won a name and a
fame--as a true sprig of the Longswords? Was not the lady in his debt,
had she not shown all favor? What hindered him to recount his father's
fiefs to Manuel, and say, "Sir, give me your daughter!"
"But the lady may be dowerless," objected old Herbert, who had been
Richard's confidant since earliest boyhood; "I have little liking for
cat-hearted Greeks who spit, not bite. And I fear the Emperor has
snapped up all the exiled Cæsar's estates."
"No," was his answer; "I hear that through Venetian merchants, Cæsar
Manuel saved much ready money. But"--and Richard's voice rose
high--"were she mine with only our old Norman dower,--a chaplet of
roses and a mother's kiss,--by St. Michael, I swear I would take her;
for the tips of her fingers are dearer than red gold!"
"_Ai_," cried the old daredevil, "you have indeed a merry passion.
Well, go your way, and the Holy Mother favor you!"
The Baron consented half reluctantly to his son's desires. He did not
love most Greeks; but Cæsar Manuel had been a brave cavalier, and had
saved the wreck of his great fortune; and the Baron was too fond of
his eldest to refuse him anything in reason. Only, before starting, he
gave Richard this advice:--
"Be not over-anxious to brew up more quarrel with that Louis de
Valmont. I know he comes from your mother's country of Auvergne, and
his family and hers have been long at feud. But he is a knight of
great renown, and till you have won your spurs, do not bear yourself
loftily. He is a haughty man, high in favor with Count Roger, and a
broil with him may breed you little glory."
So Richard vowed discretion after his careless way. The two friends
were to sail from Cefalu upon a Tunisian corn-ship, that made Palermo
on her homeward voyage. Herbert was to follow by land, bringing down
the retinue and horses; and his young master went on board, laughing
and promising himself that when next Cefalu lay under his eyes, at his
side should be another.
* * * * *
Brief voyaging and a kind west wind brought the Tunisian soon in sight
of the red crags of Monte Pellegrino, which dominated the "City of the
threefold Tongue," where dwelt Greek and Latin and Arab in peace,
brotherhood, and prosperity. Before Longsword and his friend stretched
Palermo, its white palaces, its domes and minarets bright as snow
under the morning's azure sky; around them lay the fair wide crescent
of the harbor running away to the wooded headland of Capo Zafferana;
and on the emerald waves loitered the rich argosies of Pisa, Amalfi,
Venice, and Andalusia, beating out against the laggard wind. Behind
the long reach of the city stretched the "Golden Shell," one long
green vega, thick with orchards of olive and orange; broken with
feathery palm groves, tinted with flowering thickets bright as the
sunset; threaded by the circling Preto, and many another silver
rivulet hurrying to the sea.
A fair picture, thought Musa; while Richard repeated the proud boast
of its citizens, that Palermo was indeed _prima sedes, corona regis,
et regni caput_. Then their ship made anchor off the old Saracen
castle of Castellamare, where now lay the Norman garrison. Busy
boatmen set them down on the quay in the harbor of Khalessa, where
were the warehouses of the great Arab merchants, and where all around
brawled the crowd and clamor of a half-Eastern traffic. And even
Musa's eyes were amazed at the wealth and splendor of this busy city,
which had hardly yet realized that her masters now went to church and
no more to the great mosque. At the stately house of Al-Bakri courtly
hospitality awaited them. The grave syndic was all smiles and flowery
compliments to his nephew's preserver, and cried out when Richard made
to go to the castle. On the next day a messenger came for the Norman,
with words that made his sun shine very bright and the sea-breeze
sweet as nard of Araby--Cæsar Manuel Kurkuas begged Richard to wait on
him at the "Palace of the Diadem," which lay without the city by
Monreale.