As Basim approached the door to the Sharqiyah Bureau, he overheard an argument.
Ali:They took them in broad daylight and executed them! They will die for this, every one of them! It is time we fight!
Fuladh:Your anger is just, but you will not win a war, Ali.
Basim entered the bureau.
Fuladh:Basim! Good, you are needed. Mercenaries have taken some rebels and executed them in the square.
Ali:And your Rafiq would have me hide like a rat while they hunt my men openly.
Beshi:We must at least return the dead to their families.
Ali:Do you still fear to fight these devils, Beshi?
Beshi:My only fear is that we become like them.
Fuladh:There is more to this than it seems. The Caliph would not risk war. This is the work of the Order.
Ali:Then I will find those responsible, and slaugther them like dogs.
Fuladh:The Order will find you first. It's likely they are looking for you and Beshi already. You are well known to them. Basim, however...
Basim pledging to assist Ali in his mission
Basim:Ali, I will find who did this, and I will kill them all. You have my word.
Fuladh:Basim is right. Let him do this. When those responsible lie dead, you will receive the credit.
Ali:All right. Everyone must know it was me. I will return to Jarjaraya, but I will not wait long. I will meet you at the gate, Basim.
Ali took his leave.
Beshi:And I will make sure the bodies are returned to their families for burial.
Beshi followed suit as well.
Fuladh:That might have gone badly.
Basim:You think this is the work of the Order?
Fuladh:Yes. As you know, Sharqiyah is run by Turkic mercenaries paid by the Caliph, who himself is only a puppet for the Order. Spies tell me at least one of the mercenary commanders in Sharqiyah is with them.
Basim:Tell me who, and I will find him.
Fuladh urging Basim to go with Ali
Fuladh:We must tread carefully. Sharqiyah stands on a razor's edge. The rebels are armed and growing in number. They could attack at any time. A misstep here could start a war that threatens even Alamut.
Basim:What do you advise, Fuladh?
Fuladh:Go with Ali to Jarjaraya and look around. Someone there must know something.
As Basim put up his hood and turned around, Fuladh called to him.
Fuladh:And Basim ... work quickly. You see what is at stake.
Basim nodded. Before leaving, he approached Fuladh with some questions.
Basim:I have some questions, Fuladh.
Fuladh:I hope I have answers for you.
Basim:What do the rebels want?
Fuladh:You yourself know well the divide between rich and poor. Many have grown tired of the injustice, and want change. In the beginning it was mostly slaves, but now tradesmen, the wealthy, and even some nobles support Ali's cause.
Basim:And Ali inteds to lead them in overthrowing the Abbasid Caliphate?
Fuladh:Ali believes the most qualified should rule, not just the wealthy or highborn. Ironically, he considers himself the most qualified, and claims descent from the Prophet's own family to support it.
Basim:Tell me of the Zanj.
Fuladh:It is a bitter story. The Zanj are peoples stolen from their homelands in the Horn of Africa, and brought here to work the fields for the wealthy.
Basim:So they are slaves?
Fuladh:They are paid, but they are not free. Like all men, they desire to be masters of their own lives.
Basim:What do you know about Jarjaraya?
Fuladh:It is a small village to the south, home to a divided population of rich and poor. Most of the Zanj are there. It has also become a refuge for those who came to Baghdad looking for work, and failed.
Basim:No wonder Ali has gained support there.
Fuladh:Yes. In few other places is the divide between those who have everything and those who have nothing so sharp.
Basim:What of yourself, Fuladh? How did you come to the Hidden Ones?
Fuladh:That is a story that should be shared around a good fire after a long meal.
Basim:Will you tell me nothing?
Fuladh:I was the child of my father's concubine. His favored wife, worried I could claim inheritance, threw us both out. I grew up in the desert alone. My friends were the animals, particularly birds. We understood each other.
Basim:That explains your love of eagles.
Fuladh:After I grew to manhood, a Hidden One saw me hunting with my birds. He brought me to the Brotherhood, and I stayed.
