travel quickly and secretly. My hope is to surprise them by taking
the road down to the Dead Sea, and then travelling through the
Sinai Desert. We’ll get into the country by the back door while
our enemies are looking for us through their front windows!’
‘But, Uncle, won’t it be terrible for the men?’
‘Yes, but my soldiers are brave, and they want to win against
Shawar and his Frankish friends. They’ll do it!’
They crossed the hot dry land and near Suez, there was a
deadly desert storm that very nearly killed them all. Men and
horses were ill or died, but Yusuf spoke to the soldiers to help
them go on bravely: ‘Nuradin needs you to teach Shawar that
he can’t break his promises to Syrians and stay out of danger!
Under Shirkuh we’ll have a great victory in Egypt and then
he’ll give rich presents for the bravest!’
Finally, they arrived. The men were very weak, and Shirkuh
decided that they weren’t ready to fight against the large armies
of Vizier Shawar and King Amalric. He stopped his soldiers at
Giza, on the other side of the river from Cairo.