Black Gold Page #3

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You are absolved.

You must free a slave,

Or, if you are not able to do that,

Fast for three days and say three times:

"I divorce thee, Leyla, daughter of Nesib"

And you will be rid of her.

Thankyou for the advice your Eminence.

You say you come as an Emissary Of Peace.

A poor choice of words.

Indeed.

Because it is we who have been violated.

But it is we who have kept the peace.

Either when my army was replenished and,

The tribes want shout for vengeance,

I held them back.

Why?

Because I gave my word.

The Yellow Belt belongs to no one.

But now you are free to act.

This war serves the Cause Of God!

May I speak?

Let us hear my son!

My father always urged me to read the Quran.

So I am surprised that the vulnerable men of faith

whom I see gathered here,

Are unanimously calling for war.

When the Holy Book condemns it.

Sura 2, Amir,

Instructs us to defend ourselves against the infidels.

No! No! Sura 2, allow you to defend yourself,

Against non-believers who seek your destruction,

thats different.

Precisely, these foreign workers,

Seek our destruction.

How? They came here you threaten you?

Unbelievers can be a threat for Muslims.

Can be a threat to Muslims!

"Do not be the friend,

"Of anyone who is not one of your people."

Oil is ungodly since we need infidels to extract it.

So you are against Oil all together.

What use is Oil? For making a heavens vehicle go.

What vehicles do Arab use?

Camels. Of course!

Camels! Arabs use camels.

May I ask you one question?

If ALLAH had not wanted the oil for the Arabs.

Why did he put it under the soil?

Allah put it there but if he had wanted the Arabs

to use it, he would have said so in the Quran.

He would have said so in the Quran.

But he didn't forbid it in the Quran.

I think its very likely he put oil in the ground,

So it riches may improve our lives.

What matters, is eternal life in the here after.

Life here on earth is not to be improved,

It is just pleating pleasure.

Just pleating pleasure!

And the glasses on your nose, are not sinful?

Do they not improve your life.

No, Amir.

They allow me to see the words,

Of the Holy Quran even clearer Amir!.

Listen to me!

The enemy are the apostates.

Do you hear me?

Assalamu Alaikum. You are alone.

Yes, unfortunately yes.

I'm sorry King Amar kept his son.

Prince Auda stayed with his father for further complications.

Ibn Idris, can I rely on your support?

You remember how you taught me to pray?

I was just the size of your sword.

Tell me....

Was it wrong for me to come here?

It is been my fate to fight wars for a living, Sidi.

But in truth, I have never seen anyone gain by it.

Come in.

Good Evening, Doctor.

Iam not at all well.

Would you mind describing your symptoms in slightly

less general terms.

I have a high fever,

My heart is racing,

And my head feels like it is about to explode.

Sleeve up please.

Yah, I think I know what's ailing you.

What? cigarette?

Its a, the ordinary attack of hypochondriasis.

No, I am not.

Ooh I bet you are, its your mind that is uneasy not your

body although frankly you could do a bit of more exercise.

Listen doctor, my body really aches.

Somatization.

Its a manifestation of your turbulent mind,

When then if you manage to calm your spirit than the symptoms will ease off,

Which is for the best really because if something is physically wrong with

you I couldn't actually prescribe you anything of use.

Most modern medicine is banned in Salmaah.

Medicines are banned?

Yes! Why?

Why? Its a foriegn import.

And therefore, obviously the work of the devil.

But at least the venerable theologians that

advice our Sultan say so.

You.. you've met them, haven't you.

In their case they have overlooked a small detail which

is the Prophet himself said:

"You should make use of Medical Treatment,"

"For ALLAH has not created any disease for which is not

also a point at a cure."

Apart of course from old age .

But their spoon feeding Sultan is, and he swallowed the Quran whole.

Old boys digestion isn't very good.

Good luck with yours.

Wait, doctor.

What's your name?

Ali.

Ali Ibn Amar.

Sultan's least favourite son.

And favorite scapegoat.

We are brothers?

I see your illness hasn't dimmed your powers of deduction.

Yes! we are brothers but from different mothers.

Mine was obviously the better looking one.

If you ask our father,

He will probably say you are the only one left.

And Saleh is now dead.

Ascended to the gardens of paradise now, surrounded by virgins.

Obivously I didn't really count so this will all be

yours ronde.

Don't spend it all in one go.

Why do you say you don't count?

I don't count, because I have opinions.

And they are not popular in Salmaah.

Only blind obedience.

Listen, be careful of our father, he is the only politican.

And who prefers emptied treasury to a full one.

Strangely seductive.

You spoke well, last night.

I have become unaccustomed to the voice of the younger generation.

I let go of you and Saleh, far too early.Come sit.

Father, I have to ask you something.

Nesib offered to return Saleh and myself to you.

Why didn't you accept?

I'll tell you exactly why?

When Nesib's book keepers offered me 5% of the Yellow

Belts prosits.

I said no.

When they reached 32%, they offered to....

What was the expression to....

with throw you in.

Now....

When I returned from defeat in the desert fifteen years ago

to tell your mother,

That I had to leave you and Saleh as hostages....

She was like a... bird.

Who no longer wanted to sing.

She went to her room,

turned to the wall....

Six weeks later she was dead.

Your lives were priceless to her,

and to me.

To have put a value....

On you would have been to disgrace her memory.

Because, you see my son,

Everything you see in this room,

Was won with either blood or love,

Never money.

Because, anything that can be bought,

Has no real value.

Father I came here to warn you.

Nesib has a Trained Army,

They are all along the Northern Road,

with modern weapons.

He is getting richer by the minute and he's

united the Southern Tribes.

Even when Nesib was poor, he still had money for machine guns.

Well he who puts his faith only in weapons is a very poor soldier.

As for the Southern Tribes,

In my experience, they are happier to go to a wedding,

Than they are to pick sides in a war.

Speaking of which, I used to...

Do this to you when you were a little boy.

Do you remember?

I used to tell you,

I could look into your souls.

So, you tell me the truth.

Do you Want to repudiate this marriage?

No.

I love her.

Really.

You know my son,

The greatest gift in the man's life, is love.

Hassan!

Yes, Amir.

Go to Hobeika.

Tell Nesib my son has softened my heart.

And in celebration of the Union of our two houses,

I propose a peace meeting on the first day of the New Moon.

Father, the doctor last night said,

Aah, he is a bitter man.

A joker.

He said he's my brother.

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