"You ask what I may not tell," and Musa smiled in his gentle way.
"Enough, I was told all that was in your heart, about an hour since,--the ship, the men, the design. Count Roger also knows; and, my lord, he has been none too well pleased with your faithfulness of late. I have come with forty given me by the Count. They do not know their errand; they are to move at my nod. Ride back with me to Palermo, my lord, and pledge me your word, by Allah the Great, said thrice, that you will not molest Mary Kurkuas so long as you remain in Sicily, or--"
"And if I will not--" broke from the raging emir.
"Then, my lord, I shall carry you to the castle in fetters. My men are also without--" Iftikhar had half started upon the Spaniard, swinging his cimeter. "Never!" came between his teeth. Musa beckoned away Mary with his own weapon. "To your father!" he commanded. But the Egyptian let his point sink. "Allah make you feel the fire of Gehennah!" was his curse. "I am trapped, I will swear."
"Then, my lord, saving Count Roger, and the lady, and myself, none shall ever know of this," said Musa softly, and he pointed with his cimeter to the doorway. Iftikhar repeated the great oath--the most terrible among Moslems--thrice; bowed to the Spaniard; made a profound salaam to Mary; the samite curtains in the pa.s.sage closed behind him; his footfalls died away; he was gone. Musa bowed in turn:--
"Allah is merciful, dear lady. Do I prove a faithful cavalier?"
"Ah, Sir Musa!" cried Mary, still faint and weak, "G.o.d requite you. I offer you all I have, except love--and could I give that, it were mean repayment."
Musa"s plumes almost brushed the pavement as he again saluted.
"I may not tell how I learned of this plot. I was warned secretly by a strange Arabian woman, who required of me solemn oath not to reveal her. To her, owe the thanks! But my mistress"s words are more precious than as if each syllable were treasures of gold; the praise, flashed from her eyes, beyond gems; her voice sweeter than all the nightingales of Khora.s.san. I am well repaid."
He, too, departed. Mary stood long clinging to the pillar, now shivering, now laughing. What had she not escaped? When might she forget the unholy desire on the emir"s face when he departed? Had he indeed forsaken his pa.s.sion for her forever?
"St. Theodore," she cried with a sad, wild laugh, "I am cursed with too much love!"
Then she went to her father.
CHAPTER IX
HOW TRENCHEFER DROVE HOME
November sixth; feast of St. Leonard, the warrior hermit; third hour of the morning. In the monastery church the monks were chanting "terce" to an empty nave. When the muezzins climbed their minarets to bid all Moslems "come to prayer," few heard. Mary Kurkuas sat in the pavilion of Countess Adelaide, viewing the lists and wondering if even the vision of the Golden Horn and Constantinople might be more fair.
The lists were set in the broad plain betwixt the city and Monte Pellegrino, the loftier western height of Castellaccio and Monte Cuccio. All about lay the matchless country--Palermo, its ma.s.ses of white buildings crowned with gilded minarets; the blooming "Golden Sh.e.l.l" a sea of olive trees, palm, fig, orange, running down to that other sea of emerald; and in the background rocks of saffron topped by the broken peaks beyond.
Against the stout wooden barriers with pointed palings, pressed and jostled a vast swarm of city folk,--Greek, Frank, Arab, Jew,--their busy tongues making babel. Within the barriers, but behind the low inner fence, loitered the impatient squires, splendid in bright mantles and silvered casques, ready, the instant conflict joined, to rush to the _melee_, and drag dismounted combatants from under the horses. But for the ladies--"the stars of the tourney"--were set shady pavilions,--wooden lodges, brightly painted, flag-covered. Now their rising tiers of seats were filled by a buzzing throng, rustling their silken mantles and satin bleaunts. And the sun was glancing on many a gemmed fillet and many a ribbon-decked, blond tress that fell nigh to its proud owner"s knees. These on the western side. On the eastern fluttered gauzy veils, feathery fans, blazing brocade of Mosul, and kerchiefs of Kufa. Dark eyes flashed from beneath the veiling. But Moslem watched Christian in peace. A clang of trumpets was drifting down the wind--the tourneyers were coming from Palermo.
Fifty viols braying in the hands of marching Frankish _jongleurs_; fifty Egyptian timbrels clattering; kettledrums, northern horns; heralds in blue mantles, Christian and Moslem side by side--the combatants two abreast--Norman, Provencal, Sicilian, Arab, Egyptians of the emba.s.sy,--a goodly company; gold on every Toledo hauberk, silver on each bit and bridle; a trailing pennon on every lance, save when a prouder banner streamed--the silken stocking of some fair dame, gift of love to her chosen cavalier. So the procession entered. Behind them trailed a new horde of common folk who had come from watching two blindfolded varlets chase a pig in a ring; these, too, now pressed against the palings, peering and edging for a glimpse within. Then, while the actual combatants rode to the tents at either end of the lists, two cavaliers--Count Roger de Hauteville and Prince Tancred, his nephew--came to take seats in the Countess"s lodge; for they were judges of the games.
A lordly cavalier was the Sicilian count despite threescore years and more; fire still in his blue eyes, command and power in his voice; worthy suzerain of so fair an isle. At his side stood his nephew,--stranger as yet to Mary Kurkuas; but at once she noted his flaxen hair and crafty "sea-green" eye, and stature above that of common men. She was told he had fame as the most headlong cavalier in all south Italy; but she little dreamed what deeds G.o.d destined him to dare. Very ceremonious was the Prince, when he saluted the Greek lady.
He spoke her own tongue fluently, and never in Constantinople had she met a gentleman more at his ease in courtly company. Their talk ran soon to the tourney and the combatants.
"I wish you joy, fair princess," protested Tancred; "not often may any lady see two stouter champions ride with her name on the lips of both!"
Mary shook her head.
"Would G.o.d they might do anything else! They tell me Sir Louis has sworn to have Sir Richard"s life; and the Auvergner is a terrible cavalier."
Tancred shot a glance keen as an arrow. Did he know that Mary"s heart would ride with one of the train and not with the other?
"Spare him your tears," was the answer. "Louis de Valmont is a famous knight; but I do not think he will down Richard Longsword in one joust,--or in seven."
"St. Basil spare both--and forgive both!" was the unuttered reply. But she asked, "Yet I saw neither among the combatants?"
"True; both protested they could not meet in the regular tourney and take the required oath to fight solely to gain skill. Fight on the same side they will not; therefore they will come forward when the general games end." Tancred was cut short by a word from the Count.
"See, my princess--a cavalier asks your favor."
None other than Musa had reined before the pavilion on a prancing white Berber. His plain black mail fitted his fine form like a doublet. His mettled horse caracoled under his touch with a grace that made a long "Ah!" come from betwixt more than one pair of red lips.
His glance sought the Greek.
Mary rose deliberately; long since had she learned not to dread the public eye.
"See, Sir Musa," cried she, loosing the red ribbon from her neck.
"Wear this in the games and do me honor!" More than two heads had come together.
"Has De Valmont a new rival?" ran the whisper. But Mary knew her ground.
"Your reward for service untold," she tossed forth; and only the Count and two more knew what her words implied. Musa caught the ribbon with a flourish of his lance; pressed it to his lips, then wound it deftly around the green, peaked cap which he wore Andalusian fashion in lieu of turban.
"You honor a gallant cavalier," said the Count, applauding. "I offered him much to join my service; but he listens to the proffers of the Egyptian envoys."
"Look!" came Tancred"s voice; and Mary saw Iftikhar Eddauleh, on a dappled Arabian and in his panoply of the night before, come plunging down the lists. Abreast of Musa he drew rein in a twinkling, and the two riders came together so close that no other might hear the words which flew between them. But ten thousand saw Musa"s hand clap to hilt, and Iftikhar"s lance half fall to rest.
"Holy Mother--keep them asunder!" was Mary"s whispered prayer.
Count Roger had risen.
"Sirs--what is this? Brew quarrels under your lady"s very eyes? Go apart, or I forbid you to ride in the games." Iftikhar bowed his head,--in no very good grace, it seemed,--and cantered sulkily to the upper end of the lists.
"I fear Iftikhar Eddauleh and I must soon seek other masters,"
remarked the Count to Tancred, in Mary"s hearing. "Rumor has it, he has dealings with the Ismaelians. He grows haughty and insubordinate.
A good captain and a matchless cavalier; yet I shall not grieve to see him return to the East."
But now the Christian heralds were calling on the Normans and Provencals to range themselves in two companies and do battle, after the rule of that knightly paragon, Geoffrey de Preully,--"for the love of Christ, St. George, and all fair ladies." Of the pa.s.sage at arms that followed, needless here to tell. Many a stout blow was struck despite blunted weapons; ten good knights fell senseless from their horses; the squires took up two dead; sent for a priest to anoint a third. Before the fray ended, little Countess Blanche and her ladies had fluttered and shrieked till wild and hoa.r.s.e. They had torn off ribbons, necklaces, lockets, bracelets, and tossed forth madly "gauntlets of love" to favorite cavaliers, until they sat--or stood rather--dressed only in their robes and their long, bright hair.
Then came respite, while the lists were cleared for the Saracens"
games,--for the wise Count suffered no ill-blood to breed by letting Christian ride against Moslem. The Egyptian cavaliers took part--stately men, in red, silver-embroidered tunics, with blue, gem-set aigrettes flashing in their turbans. No less gallant were the Sicilian Saracens, and Iftikhar most brilliant of them all. A small palm tree was set in the midst of the arena,--the trunk bronze, the leaves one sheen of gold-foil. A silver dove dangled from a bough, in the bill a golden ring. Then the Arab heralds proclaimed that each horseman should ride in turn, catching the ring upon his lance; and he who once failed should not try again.
So they rode, twenty or more. The first round none missed; three in the second; and so till the ninth, when there were but two,--and these Iftikhar and Musa the Andalusian.
"Beard of the Prophet!" cried Hasham, the Egyptian envoy, who sat at the Count"s side, "the two are as enchanted. Not in all Egypt--in all Syria and Khora.s.san,--such hors.e.m.e.n!"
"And the All-wise alone knows," responded the Count, "which of the two be the better! Yet I wish any save these two were contending. See!
Again!"
And the twain rode many times; till Mary, whose cheeks were very hot and eyes very bright, forgot to count the rounds. At last a shout:--
"Iftikhar fails!" The ring was still in the dove"s mouth. Musa swung lightly his horse; dropped lance-point, dashed at the tree at a gallop, fleet as the north wind, amid a cloud of dust; but as he flew down the lists a mightier shout was rising. The ring glittered on his spear. The Count placed the prize in Mary"s hand, when the heralds led the victor to the judges" lodge.
"Sir Musa," said she clearly, while he knelt and she fixed the diamond-studded aigrette upon his cap, "you have so ridden that all your friends grow proud. May it be ever thus!"