the killings of the garrison. Without even realizing it, she’d been seeing these Saracen soldiers as men, too, men who’d surrendered in good faith, men with mothers, wives, children.
“I heard some of Richard’s knights saying that Saladin deliberately sacrificed the garrison, that the two hundred thousand dinars were worth more to him than the lives of those soldiers, who were not men of rank, after all. Do you believe that?”
“Only Saladin could answer that with certainty, my lady. But based upon my experience with him, I’d say no. Yes, he probably needed the money more than the men to continue the war, and may have had trouble raising so much in such a short time, too. I do not think, though, that he expected your brother to do what he did. You must remember that he does not know Richard yet, is accustomed to facing foes like that dolt de Lusignan. So it is only natural that he’d test this unknown English king, and I daresay he got more than he’d bargained for.”
Rising then, he kissed her hand. “It has been a pleasure, my lady Joanna. God keep you safe.”
He’d taken only a few steps before she rose, too. “My lord, wait!” As he turned back toward her, she said, “I have one last question for you. I gather your objections to the killing of the garrison are political, not personal, no?”
He looked surprised and then faintly amused. “That is so, Madame. They were brave men, yes. But in my years on God’s Earth, I’ve seen many brave men die, some of them by my sword. Blood does not trouble me. What does is the future of our kingdom. Your brother will be going home eventually. For me, this is home, and so it matters more to me if the wells are poisoned.”
“Is that what you think Richard did—poisoned the wells?”
“Only time will tell. I fear that in the long run, the killing of the Acre garrison will be one more grudge borne against the Christians. It is over ninety years since Jerusalem was taken and the Muslims and Jews in the city massacred, yet to hear Saracens speak of it, you’d think it happened yesterday. But in the short run, it might well work to your brother’s benefit. After yesterday, how many Saracen garrisons will be willing to hold firm when they hear Malik Ric is marching on their castles or towns?” He suspected this had occurred to Richard, too, but kept that suspicion to himself. “If you truly want to aid Outremer, my lady, persuade your brother that Guy de Lusignan could not be trusted to govern a bawdy house or bordel.” And having coaxed an answering smile from the English king’s sister, he left her alone in the sun-drenched courtyard, marveling that she’d found a kindred spirit in one of Richard’s enemies.
FROM THE CHRONICLE of Bahā’ al-Dīn, discussing the slaughter of the Acre garrison : “Various motives have been assigned for this massacre. According to some, the prisoners were killed to avenge the deaths of those slain previously by the Muslims. Others say that the King of England, having made up his mind to try and take Ascalon, did not think it prudent to leave so many prisoners behind in Acre. God knows what his reason really was.”
FROM A LETTER written by King Richard to the Abbot of Clairvaux: “However, the time having expired, and the stipulation which he had agreed to being utterly disregarded, we put to death about two thousand six hundred of the Saracens whom we held in our hands, as we were bound to do, retaining a few of the more noble ones, in return for whom we trusted to recover the Holy Cross and certain of the Christian captives.”
CHAPTER 25
AUGUST 1191
Acre, Outremer
Richard had set up camp outside the city walls and for two R days he’d labored to round up reluctant crusaders, men loath to leave the sinful comforts of Acre. Now on this fourth Thursday in August, the army was finally moving out and the women had gathered on the flat roof of the royal citadel so they could watch. It was a stirring sight—the sun slanting off mail hauberks and shields, pennons and Richard’s great dragon banner billowing with each gust of the southerly Arsuf winds, dust already rising in clouds as the dry summer soil was dislodged by thousands of marching feet and plodding hooves. All the roofs near the palace were crowded with spectators, too, and people cheered