Максим Удовиченко - The stargazer’s servant

City of Aoudaghost, frontier territory, possession of Caliph Abdallah-ibn-Yasin from the A/moravids dynasty, year 1056, (presently known as the city of Tegdaoust, Eastern Hodh in the province of the republic of Mauritania).

"Al-Majnun [1] Al-Majnun (مج نون) – in Arabic – the crank, a little touched. ! Where are you? You slacker! Let Allah, the Almighty and Merciful, shorten your abominable days!" Cried, the exasperated rider, dressed in a black turban, embroidered with golden seven-pointed stars and crescents. The blue satin robe on his shoulders was, richly decorated with golden ornaments.

"Here I am! Oh, great Stargazer of the Caliph and the wisest of the soothsayers, the Honorable Al-Farukh-Ibn Saudi" Answered the dwarf with a big nose that vaguely resembled an elongated squash.

The high spiked astrologer's hat, pulled over his bulgy ears, was embroidered with seven-pointed stars and crowned at the top with a sleazy string attached to a tiny rusty bell. From under the hat, the outer world was observed by a thievish look of sleek black eyes that expressed unconditional allegiance.

His sunburnt black bearded appearance, belonged to those ageless, unchanging men, who might be thirty, forty, who might of any age, and one would have never guessed it, and only after a thorough look at him, one would say that this chap had for sure fairly reached the years of discretion. Clumsily moving the flaps of the large tent aside, with a drawling groaning he tried to get outside, but awkwardly fell twice at a time, being traitorously caught by the long sleeves of his black Bedouin robe. Behind the large tent's thrown off flaps, a very pleasant young Berber woman's [2] Berbers – people who lived in the Libyan Sahara, which way back when Greeks named Berbers, that is "barbarians", pulled through from the Roman legionaries, and had to go deep into the desert to conduct their free nomadic life full of depravations. Berber tribes – Zenato, Sanhadja and Godalla, have appeared at the Atlantic coast of the Sahara in II century. In oases they dug wells, planted date palm trees and sowed sorgo. And today, those Saharawi, which are engaged in agriculture, conduct the genealogy from these tribes. face flashed distinctly.

"Here it is, 500 mithqals [3] Mithqal – is a monetary unit in the form of a gold coin, commonly used at that time. According to far-fetched survived documentary records, for one gold mithqal, it was possible to buy 10 sheep. Whereas trained woman slave in the city of Timbuktu cost 25 mithqals. (The city located rather near to Aoudaghost, in the north of the central part of Mali, a bit less than at 13 km to the north from the river Niger). Nowadays the capital of the self-proclaimed Islamic state Azawad. , a bag of gold dust and three golden dinars [4] The Gold dinar – is a monetary unit. The gold dinar of that time was a very weighty piece of metal, with 4.729 grams of pure gold…. ! You are to buy 20 slaves, 10 camels, suitable for a long journey through the desert, 30 muds [5] The mud – was an ancient measurement unit for volume of weight, used in Aoudaghost at that time. One mud equaled to 1,5 litters of liquid or 2 kg. of grain. of wheat, 30 sheep and goats, spices, water, vegetables and herbs enough for a 40-day journey! We will depart tomorrow at dawn!" said Al-Farukh, throwing heavy and massive sacks on the dust, before Al-Majnun. Al-Majnun bowed in respect. His master unexpectedly, in swarms of dust, and saying – "you will find me in my tent!", disappeared, exactly in the same sudden way as he had popped up.

"I listen to you and obey! Oh, great astrologer of the Caliph," said Al-Majnun, addressing to the place, where just a few seconds ago the voice of his master was heard.

Having humped the heavy bags on his back, Al-Majnun wandered along the road towards the town. The ancient road was hedged by solid masses of shady acacia trees. The hot Saharan sun, passing through the thick tree branches, cut through the clouds of dust, swallowed up from herds of sheep and camel caravans of local traders, and was very strongly reminiscent of the biblical "pillars of light illuminated the path to weary strangers".

"It is necessary to get a move on! "Al-Majnun thought out loud, lumping along the dusty road with his peaked sandals creased at the top.

Al-Majnun on the way to the town.

"The master is serious as never! Last time he promised to transform me into a toad, for that small nuance… what I had done in the local market… absolutely nothing… I just seduced the daughter of a local date's seller. And now if I'm not dilatory enough in running his errands, he will surely fulfil the promise" – reflected Al-Majnun, dragging the heavy load.

On having approached the town gates, his attention was attracted to a procession, of Caliph Abdallah's mounted worriers, who looked very busy indeed. They were promptly moving ahead through the crowd of merchants, travelers and townspeople.

"Listen! Listen! Those who have ears will hear!" Yelled the first rider in the black turban decorated with gold, «Sovereign of true believer, The Commander of the faithful, the merciful Caliph Abdallah (Let Great Allah strengthen him with the support and will surround him with His grace and merciful deeds) starts a military campaign in Maghreb lands, to proselytize unfaithful in a veritable faith! (Let Allah Almighty help him in his merciful attempts and save him for his tender heart!)

"For those who heard this proclamation!" continued the rider with the black turban", The merciful Caliph Abdallah orders you to bring a tenth part of your income, in acknowledgement and approval of acts of his merciful hands!! Those who refuse to bring a scanty payment, will face the inevitable death!!!" The last phrases of the rider vanished in a deafening roar of pipes from the Caliph's musicians. The Caliph's warriors discourteously wrested money, jewelry and valuable goods from hands of scared merchants, travelers and citizens. Goods and treasury were piled into the creaking carts, and moved away together with hastily herded cattle, horses and camels.

Having learned that Al-Majnun was the servant of the great Al-Farouk-Ibn-Saud, the Caliph's warriors didn't take any payment from him and let him through to the town unchallenged.

Passing along familiar streets, smothered in greenery from the acacias, date palm trees twined up with wild grapes, Al-Majnun turned at the mosque on the street leading to the market.

Meanwhile, in Caliph's Abdullah Ibn Yasin palace.

A tall, gaunt man of about 50s, his wrinkled brown face looked dry and scaly. The droopy moustache and a bushy black beard gave his appearance a hue of a determined character. His high blue turban was adorned with gold and sapphires; the black brocade garment was richly decorated with gold threads.

Caliph Abdullah, the ruler of the tribes and peoples of a vast territory, which ran from Spain to the borders of the Kingdom of Ghana, was. Concentrated, he was deliberating on something, listening to his military leader Yahya-Ibn-Omar. Overseeing the assembled subordinates through the dark, with the shining quickness of a robin's eye, he occasionally made some consequential comments. The military leader was a real shorty one, with long arms and big round head embosomed with dappled red beard through which one could distinguish a chubby face of a middle age man of very martial appearance.