(10)
‘One day soon I want to make all the Muslim people stop fighting each other. We must work together to take Jerusalem back from the Franks. Palestine isn’t their land after all. Nothing is more important than this, and we must all fight to make it happen!’
Now Yusuf wanted to fight the Franks too. It was wrong that they held the holy places. He also understood that Franks sometimes made friends with some Muslims and together they fought against other Muslims and took their houses, Iand and animals. Nothing was safe. It was also very hard for Muslims to go on pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah. The road was too dangerous because of all the Frankish castles near it.
‘I must get into Nuradin’s army! But how can I do it when Uncle Shirkuh thinks that I’m too weak? I’ll have to learn clever ways to win against stronger men. I know that the Franks are good fighters. Their horses are bigger, their soldiers wear a lot of armour, and they have many castles. But I know that we’ll win if we work together and make good plans.’