The captain turned to his men and started to lead them away.
Perfume Stall Guard Captain:We have worked hard, men! Time for a rest.
Soldier:What? Wait we are still—
Perfume Stall Guard Captain:Do not question me. Let's go!
Basim freed the merchant.
Basim:What did yo do to incur such aggression from the guards?
Merchant:I did nothing! I... I'm only short of coin. Business is business, but I do not have the means to pay their tax.
Basim:Are your wares moving slow?
Merchant:No, but in recent times they have increased the coin requested. Therein lies the trouble.
Basim:Not just for you, but for others as well?
The perfume merchant telling Basim about her struggles
Merchant:Mostly for people like us who are not from here, or not of the same faith. We find it's hard to feel safe in Karkh. I have a shipment that's late. I fear my goods and camels might have been seized by the guards. They should have arrived with some merchants bound for the Da'irat Al-mal. If I could ask a favor, my friend, please look for them.
Basim:Very well.
Merchant:They should be along the road that leads to the south gate of Baghdad.
Basim:Ah! I might catch them at the watering hole along the southern road.
Merchant:Thank you, sayyidi (sir).
The merchant left her stall.
Basim:The road beyond the south of Baghdad... I should see if I can find those stranded merchants.
He first read the note on the merchant's stall table.
An Apologetic Draft
I just need a few more days, please. I will get the coin and pay my debt. The perfume that I stock is important and cannot be touched... I implore you to understand. The recent spike in tax has—(the rest of the letter is incomplete)
Basim discovering the caravan in the grove
Basim left the market and the city, heading south towards the road mentioned by the merchant.
Basim:The merchants should be down this road, perhaps near a ridge for shelter.
Entering the Palm Grove, Basim spotted a camp by a pond.
Basim:That camp must be where the merchants are.
Basim entered the camp and approached a merchant pacing before a severed horse head on the ground.
Merchant:Halt! Who goes?
Basim offering to help the merchants investigate the scene
Basim: As-salamu 'alaikum. (Peace be upon you.) I was sent by a friend of yours who was worried for your safety.
Merchant:As you can tell from the horse's head, she was right to be. We do not know what to make of this...
Basim:Let me help. Perhaps I can find out what happened.
Merchant:We would be grateful.
Basim:The culprit must have left a clue.
He looked around the surroundings.
Basim:Footprints... and a blood trail. The horse's head was carried to the center of the camp.
Merchant 2:My horse, my sweet Legume! Maláka! Who would do such a terrible deed?
Merchant 3:Do not cast your eyes on me. I did no such evil!
Basim investigated the horse head.
Basim:The head is cut clean. Must have been a sharp blade.
Basim talking to the Greek merchant
Basim spoke to the horse's owner.
Basim:Was this your horse?
Merchant 2:He is claimed by Hades now! Not only do I have to worry about Baghdad's ridiculous thirst for coin, now I must be concerned about my livestock! Maláka! Rest in peace, Legume...
He spoke to another merchant.
Basim:What happened here?
Merchant:It happened in the dark of night. I could not see well... but... I saw someone. I think... I cannot be sure.
Next, he found a note on a crate.
Guard Instructions
ATTN: Guards
Coin Collection from:
Anka's Perfumery Wei's Exotic Mears Bubble Pop Soap
NOTE: Must I do your jobs for you? Stop their supplies if you must, but do what you need to do to secure coin. Do not forget the extra taxes for the dhimmiyun—if they want to bask in the richness of Baghdad, they must pay the right price. Do whatever you must.
Basim:This is a work of intimidation. Someone is trying to prevent your arrival.
Merchant: La! (No!) Who... who would do such a thing? I have no enemies, no bad blood...
Basim:There could be worse fates if you continue down the road. Let me escort your crew to the gates.
Merchant:You would do that for us? Shukran! (Thank you!) God bless you. Quickly, get us away from here!
Basim:Let us move. The city is not too far.
Basim:Hold on. There is something I must do.
Merchant:What? Alright, alright but mind you, we're easy pickings here. Please hurry!
Basim left to complete unfinished business then returned.
Basim: Sayyidi? (Sir?)
Merchant:You're back! Quickly, we must hurry back to Baghdad. We are not safe here.
(returns to previous options)
Basim:Come, we should leave this place. Quickly.
Basim and the merchants got onto their camels.
Merchant 2:Should have stayed home. Hmph.
Basim:Where is home?
Basim escorting the merchants
Merchant 2:I come from a place called Greece, west from here across the water. With my horse Legume, we carried goods to and from Baghdad. Oh, the cities we visited! Al-Quds, Basra, and even Samarra!
Basim and the merchants left the camp and headed towards Baghdad.
Basim:Your merchant friend tells me that these goods are bound for the Da'irat Al-mal.
Merchant: Nai. (Yes.) The Great Auction is a big event, and that meant bigger demands.
Basim:So you are attending, then?
Merchant:Attending? I only wish I had the coin to spend! No, we are just providing stock for the preparations.
As they passed by a hill, a number of oil jars nearby exploded, with a number of soldiers coming out of hiding to attack Basim and the caravan.
Basim defending the merchants from the soldiers
Soldier:Found them! Argh!
Basim:Who sent you?
Soldier:You cannot run or hide! To enter Baghdad you have to pay the price!
He obtained a note from one of the bodies.
Letter of Execution
The merchants must be found. One knows where I am, and for my safety he must be silenced. Kill the rest too, they are of no consequence. From what I gathered they should be enroute to the west of Baghdad. Find them before they arrive and report back—a prize of coin awaits the ones who succeed and return.
Basim:The guards report to someone called Al-Anqa. This confirms my suspicions.
Basim and the merchants resumed their journey.
Merchant:Good heavens, could they have been sent to kill us?
Basim:Likely.
Merchant:This is not surprising. We've been vocal against the Caliphate and unfair taxes. It can cost us our heads. But the silent sheep is an ally to corruption.
Basim:They do not like this opposition.
Merchant:I would not be surprised if they made an example out of us to others who might try the same.
Merchant:A thousand thanks, ya sayyidi (sir). Baghdad is not safe. Rumors swirl through the markets of merchants dragged from their stalls. Have you heard of such injustice? Who would do this? Rumors say they target the dhimmiyun (foreigners), traders who are not from here. The Abbasids want a stake in all businesses. As long as there is coin, lives are secondary.
Basim:The note dropped by the guards was from someone called Al-Anqa. This person is the one behind the attack.
Merchant:Hmm. I overheard the guards refer to the Tax Collector as Al-Anqa... which was odd because is the Anqa not female?
Basim:Tell me his name, and where I can find him.
Merchant:Suhail lives in a mansion west of Karkh. Be careful, friend. I doubt he works alone.
Basim:Thank you, friend. Waffaqaka Allah. (May God grant you success.)
The merchant took his leave.
Basim:The Tax Collector is due a visit.
Basim assassinating Al-Anqa
Basim made his way to the Tax Collector's Mansion. He infiltrated a room on the second level and found the tax collector in it.
Al-Anqa:Where are they? They should be back with the coin! My head will roll if we do not deliver it. How hard is it to shake the coin from those fools, hm? Greece... India... China... hmph. No partiality, not even to their own kind. The Da'irat Al-mal is almost here. If I do not get the coin before then...
