“To win your trade,” said Godwin, bitterly.
“I know not,” answered Saladin, “though it is true the man seems to have been a Christian among the Franks, who here was a follower of the Prophet. At least, he is dead at your hands, and though he sinned against me and betrayed my niece to Sinan, peace be with his soul. Now I have one more thing to say to you. That Frank, Prince Arnat of Karak, whom you call Reginald de Chatillon—accursed be his name!—” and he spat upon the ground, “has once more broken the peace between me and the king of Jerusalem, slaughtering my merchants, and stealing my goods. I will suffer this shame no more, and very shortly I unfurl my standards, which shall not be folded up again until they float upon the mosque of Omar and from every tower top in Palestine. Your people are doomed. I, Yusuf Salah-ed-din,” and he rose as he said the words, his very beard bristling with wrath, “declare the Holy War, and will sweep them to the sea. Choose now, you brethren. Do you fight for me or against me? Or will you give up your swords and bide here as my prisoners?”
“We are the servants of the Cross,” answered Godwin, “and cannot lift steel against it and thereby lose our souls.” Then he spoke with Wulf, and added, “As to your second question, whether we should bide here in chains. It is one that our lady Rosamund must answer, for we are sworn to her service. We demand to see the princess of Baalbec.”
“Send for her, Emir,” said Saladin to the prince Hassan, who bowed and departed.
A while later Rosamund came, looking beautiful but, as they saw when she threw back her veil, very white and weary. She bowed to Saladin, and the brethren, who were not allowed to touch her hand, bowed to her, devouring her face with eager eyes.
“Greeting, my uncle,” she said to the Sultan, “and to you, my cousins, greeting also. What is your pleasure with me?”
Saladin motioned to her to be seated and bade Godwin set out the case, which he did very clearly, ending:
“Is it your wish, Rosamund, that we stay in this court as prisoners, or go forth to fight with the Franks in the great war that is to be?”
Rosamund looked at them awhile, then answered:
“To whom were you sworn the first? Was it to the service of our Lord, or to the service of a woman? I have said.”