you’ll be fighting. Polo and war are different. You’ll work in my
office and learn how to move fighting men and horses quickly
and to find food, weapons, and a safe place for them to sleep.
Remember that brave soldiers and fast horses are only half the
story. We only win wars when strong men are ready to fight in
the right place at the right time.’
Yusuf was in the army now, but life wasn’t easier. Every day
he made sure that the soldiers and their horses had good food to
eat. He counted weapons and made sure that they were strong
and clean. He paid soldiers and kept the army’s money safe.
He found answers to all kinds of problems from morning until
night, but sometimes he felt sad because he never knew if his
uncle was happy with his hard work. There was no fighting for
Yusuf, but sometimes Nuradin asked him to play polo and on
Aneed’s back he forgot his troubles.
Aleppo – 1163
Yusuf was twenty-five, and still working for his uncle, when
news came of trouble in Egypt. Vizier Shawar wanted Nuradin’s
help to keep the country out of the hands of his enemies. He
promised to give a lot of money to the Syrians to make them
come, but it was only when Amalric, the Frankish King of
Jerusalem, decided to move into Egypt that Nuradin began to
think about sending his army. ‘The Franks mustn’t get to Cairo
and use the money that they find there to make their armies in
the Holy Land stronger,’ he said.
Yusuf worked hard for months to get the soldiers ready for
the long journey to Egypt. There was a lot to do and General