Interlude Five

Krak des Chevaliers

Headquarters of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller Syria

May 30, 1192 C.E.

“Come in,” said the priest without turning. “You must be cold.”

Sir Guy removed his cloak and drew near to the massive fire that blazed in the stone hearth. The priest’s private study was deep within the bowels of the Krak des Chevaliers, and it was always winter down here.

“Draw near to my fire, my son.”

Nicodemus always said it that way—“my fire”—and it always mildly unnerved Sir Guy, as if the priest ascribed some special meaning to those words that no one but he appreciated.

Nicodemus picked a poker and began jabbing at the burning logs, repositioning them. Each thrust of the metal rod sent up showers of glowing sparks and dropped the ghosts of ashes onto the stones. “Tell me, my friend, what news do you bring from the agreement?”

“I met with Ibrahim as you directed, Father,” said Sir Guy, holding his hands out to the blaze to thaw his fingers. “He is ill, but still strong enough to work. We are nearly finished coding the books. I have four monks working now on the Book of Shadows, but Ibrahim does not seem to trust anyone else with what he is calling the Saladin Codex.”

“He is very secretive,” said Nicodemus, though his tone suggested admiration for that quality.

“However I fear for him,” said Sir Guy. “His health fails and I believe that it is the work itself that assails him. It seems to be draining the life from him with every page.”

“And what sickness do you suppose he has contracted from doing God’s work?” asked the priest with asperity.

Sir Guy chose his words carefully. “Ibrahim and all of his Tariqa are very religious.”

Nicodemus paused to cut him a quick look, then continued to poke at the fire. “Can that not be said of all of us, my son? Did not the two of you conceive this as an expression of your faith and concern for the future of our respective churches?”

“Yes, Father, but when I have doubts and fears about the spiritual cost of this, I have you to turn to. You are the church to me. Ibrahim has no such guide or refuge.”

“Islam has Istighfar,” countered Nicodemus. “It is one of the five pillars of that faith. The Tariqa confess their sins directly to God—not through man. Have you not heard your friend say ‘astaghfirullah’? ‘I seek forgiveness from Allah?’”

“I understand that, Father, but when the Saracens pray for forgiveness they often cite specific sins that were made and the passages of their bible which speak of forgiveness of those sins. His struggle comes from the fact that we have essentially written new pages into the Koran and the Bible.”