After the Franks killed so many people near Cairo, Caliph
Al-Adid sent a secret letter to Nuradin. He wrote:
Nuradin called Yusuf and said, ‘Find General Shirkuh.’
Yusuf went to the old general sadly. When his uncle told him
to get ready for another campaign in Egypt, Yusuf said, ‘By
God! Even if you give me the whole country, I won’t go!’ He still
remembered the terrible siege of Alexandria. But Nuradin’s
orders were law to all his men. So in a few short days, the army
was on its way to Egypt for the third time. Early in January 1169,
after three weeks’ journey, they marched into Cairo. Everyone
was happy to see the Syrians. The Franks left the country
without a fight, and the Egyptians felt safe at last. The Caliph
said, ‘Shawar is a criminal. He was loyal only to himself, not to
Egypt or to me, and now he must die. You must kill him, Yusuf.’
With Shawar’s death, Shirkuh was the new vizier. He gave all
the beautiful things in Shawar’s house to the people of Cairo.
He was also now the commander of the Egyptian army, but his
love of food killed him after only two months. One day, halfway
through a wonderful meal, he gave a great cry and died.
Important men working for the Caliph asked, ‘Who will be the
new vizier? We must find a good man.’
I no longer think that Vizier Shawar is loyal to the
Egyptians. He is too friendly with the Franks, and all the
money that Shawar pays to King Amalric does nothing to stop
Amalric’s knights killing my people. They want all the country.
Then, when they have it, they’ ll use all our gold to make their
castles and armies even stronger. Shawar’s ready to give them
anything as long as he can be the strongest man in Egypt. We’ re
all in great danger. Please help us!