第123章 The Dregs of the Cup(1)

Saladin looked at them, but gave them no greeting.Then he spoke:

"Woman, you have had my message.You know that your rank is taken from you, and that with it my promises are at an end; you know also that you come hither to suffer the death of faithless women.

Is it so?"

"I know all these things, great Salah-ed-din," answered Rosamund.

"Tell me, then, do you come of your own free will, unforced by any, and why does the knight Sir Wulf, whose life I spared and do not seek, kneel at your side?""I come of my own free will, Salah-ed-din, as your emirs can tell you; ask them.For the rest, my kinsman must answer for himself.""Sultan," said Wulf, "I counselled the lady Rosamund that she should come--not that she needed such counsel--and, having given it, I accompanied her by right of blood and of Justice, since her offence against you is mine also.Her fate is my fate.""I have no quarrel against you whom I forgave, therefore you must take your own way to follow the path she goes.""Doubtless," answered Wulf, "being a Christian among many sons of the Prophet, it will not be hard to find a friendly scimitar to help me on that road.I ask of your goodness that her fate may be my fate.""What!" said Saladin."You are ready to die with her, although you are young and strong, and there are so many other women in the world?"Wulf smiled and nodded his head.

"Good.Who am I that I should stand between a fool and his folly I grant the boon.Your fate shall be her fate; Wulf D'Arcy, you shall drink of the cup of my slave Rosamund to its last bitterest dregs.""I desire no less," said Wulf coolly.

Now Saladin looked at Rosamund and asked,"Woman, why have you come here to brave my vengeance? Speak on if you have aught to ask."Then Rosamund rose from her knees, and, standing before him, said:

"I am come, O my mighty lord, to plead for the people of Jerusalem, because it was told me that you would listen to no other voice than that of this your slave.See, many moons ago, you had a vision concerning me.Thrice you dreamed in the night that I, the niece whom you had never seen, by some act of mine should be the means of saving much life and a way of peace.

Therefore you tore me from my home and brought my father to a bloody death, as you are about to bring his daughter; and after much suffering and danger I fell into your power, and was treated with great honour.Still I, who am a Christian, and who grew sick with the sight of the daily slaughter and outrage of my kin, strove to escape from you, although you had warned me that the price of this crime was death; and in the end, through the wit and sacrifice of another woman, I did escape.

"Now I return to pay that price, and behold! your vision is fulfilled--or, at the least, you can fulfil it if God should touch your heart with grace, seeing that of my own will I am come to pray you, Salah-ed-din, to spare the city, and for its blood to accept mine as a token and an offering.

Oh, my lord! as you are great, be merciful.What will it avail you in the day of your own judgment that you have added another eighty thousand to the tally of your slain, and with them many more thousands of your own folk, since the warriors of Jerusalem will not die unavenged? Give them their lives and let them go free, and win thereby the gratitude of mankind and the forgiveness of God above."So Rosamund spoke, and stretching out her arms towards him, was silent.

"These things I offered to them, and they were refused," answered Saladin."Why should I grant them now that they are conquered?""My lord, Strong-to-Aid," said Rosamund, "do you, who are so brave, blame yonder knights and soldiers because they fought on against desperate odds? Would you not have called them cowards if they had yielded up the city where their Saviour died and struck no blow to save it? Oh! I am outworn! I can say no more; but once again, most humbly and on my knees, I beseech you speak the word of mercy, and let not your triumph be dyed red with the blood of women and of little children."Then casting herself upon her face, Rosamund clasped the hem of his royal robe with her hands, and pressed it to her forehead.

So for a while she lay there in the shimmering moonlight, while utter silence fell upon all that vast multitude of armed men as they waited for the decree of fate to be uttered by the conqueror's lips.But Saladin sat still as a statue, gazing at the domes and towers of Jerusalem outlined against the deep blue sky.

"Rise," he said at length, "and know, niece, that you have played your part in a fashion worthy of my race, and that I, Salah-ed-din, am proud of you.Know also that I will weigh your prayer as I have weighed that of none other who breathes upon the earth.Now I must take counsel with my own heart, and to-morrow it shall be granted--or refused.To you, who are doomed to die, and to the knight who chooses to die with you, according to the ancient law and custom, I offer the choice of Islam, and with it life and honour.""We refuse," answered Rosamund and Wulf with one voice.The Sultan bowed his head as though he expected no other answer, and glanced round, as all thought to order the executioners to do their office.But he said only to a captain of his Mameluks:

"Take them; keep them under guard and separate them, till my word of death comes to you.Your life shall answer for their safety.

Give them food and drink, and let no harm touch them until I bid you."The Mameluk bowed and advanced with his company of soldiers.As they prepared to go with them, Rosamund asked:

"Tell me of your grace, what of Masouda, my friend?""She died for you; seek her beyond the grave," answered Saladin, whereat Rosamund hid her face with her hands and sighed.

"And what of Godwin, my brother?" cried Wulf; but no answer was given him.

Now Rosamund turned; stretching out her arms towards Wulf, she fell upon his breast.There, then, in the presence of that countless army, they kissed their kiss of betrothal and farewell.

They spoke no word, only ere she went Rosamund lifted her hand and pointed upwards to the sky.