Chapter 503 - 356: Marching on Damascus

Master Musa, with the Holy Relic and his dream, ended the war between the Turkic People and the Arabs and Persians in Baalbek and its surrounding areas.

He achieved this by choosing Shansi.

Shansi was, of course, a Turk. This meant the Turkic People in Baalbek and the surrounding regions were willing to follow him. And because he had been declared King by an Arab Abbot, the Arabs and Persians were willing to support him as well.

Thus, the two greatest rival powers—the Turkic People, and the Arabs and Persians—were united. The Bedouin—Christian tribes west of Damascus that still maintained their nomadic ways—were told by their Sheikh to accept Master Musa’s choice, and so they did.

Declaring a king is one thing, but whether that king can actually rule is another. Master Musa, however, had made a wise choice.

Shansi was a ’good man,’ but he was also the son of Aziz.

Aziz had once proclaimed himself the master of Syria and Palestine, giving Shansi a claim to his rule.

The people of Baalbek needed a ruler, a King. They had long been plagued by internal strife, suffering raids from the surrounding Turkic Warlords and, more recently, a brutal invasion by the Sunni Tutush.

By enthroning a Turkic King, they united the Turkic People, Arabs, Persians, Bedouin, and all the Shiite Believers—the followers of Ali. Now, they could form a much stronger army to face these enemies.

There was, perhaps, one person who could have been his rival.

That man was Kazan, a Turk who owned land south of Baalbek. His wealth surpassed that of most of the bandit lords and petty warlords in the vicinity.

After killing Aziz, Tutush was preoccupied with quelling rebellions within his Duchy and fending off attacks from the Fatima. These rebellions were mostly composed of Aziz’s former loyalists. Meanwhile, the bandit lords and petty warlords, due to their limited finances and manpower, were left alone. Some didn’t even have a settlement, instead roaming and plundering the lands near Damascus.

Tutush had neither the time nor the resources to deal with them, so they survived.

But the mighty Tutush would eventually deal with them, whenever he chose to.

As Tutush continued to gain the advantage on the battlefield, these bandit lords and petty warlords felt a growing sense of crisis. Kazan, in particular, was deeply aware of the threat.

He was old and lame, with no sons.

Therefore, he swore an oath of fealty to Shansi. Kazan’s example, in turn, convinced the other Turks to accept Master Musa’s choice.

One by one, they knelt. Shansi called each by name, raised them to their feet, and embraced them tightly.

After the ceremony, Shansi said to Eric,

"I really ought to become a Shiite. Of course, I also considered becoming a Christian. That thought started when I met you. You’re the first good man I’ve ever met."

"Hardly!" Eric laughed. "You want to become a Christian?"

’If the Pope of Rome knew he’d successfully converted a Turkic Lord to Catholicism, an achievement like that would probably be seen in the eyes of Gregory as far greater than conquering a city.’

’Not that Eric was interested.’

’In this sea of Heretics, the conversion of one or two was insignificant. In many ways, it would only hasten his own demise.’

"If you were to insist on matters of faith, I honestly wouldn’t know what to do." Shansi put on a troubled look. "Does it hurt to become a Christian?"

"Why would it hurt?"

"I don’t know. Do you... nail people to a Cross? I heard you do."

"Of course not. We just give you a bath."

"So that’s it? Just a bath?"

"It’s called baptism."

"Do I have to give up other gods, too?"

"You should."

"And only one wife?"

"Only one wife. We’re very strict about that," Eric said, deliberately emphasizing the point.

Shansi thought for a moment. "I feel like that’s probably the right way to be, but I just can’t accept having only one wife. I’m going to live for another forty, fifty, maybe even sixty years... and I’d have to face the same person that entire time. I would hate that.

It seems converting to the Shiite faith is the right choice for me," he said. "Besides, Master Musa’s god truly has Power. Look at that dead man! His body hasn’t decayed. It’s a miracle!"

Like a preacher, Shansi chattered on to Eric about the Shiite Power he had witnessed, making no effort to hide his astonishment.

Eric knew there was a hidden meaning behind Shansi’s prattling, but he chose to ignore it.

The Turkic People were very interested in Master Musa’s Holy Relic.

Most people didn’t understand why a group of Sufi Practitioners would carry a corpse, the head of a deceased holy descendant, and a jewel-encrusted book all over Baalbek. They did, however, understand that these things were sacred, and they were very interested in them.

Sacred things possessed Power; they were pathways from this world to a vaster one. Even before Shansi arrived in Baalbek, some of the Turkic People had accepted baptism, hoping to gain the Power of the Holy Relic.

Shansi wanted the Power of the Shiite Holy Relic for his own use. That very afternoon, he requested to undergo the conversion ceremony. Musa was overjoyed and performed it for him.

The ceremony was held in the open, just outside the Grand Mosque.

All the Sufi Practitioners raised their hands to the heavens, proclaiming the wonders of God’s work.

"I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of God!" Shansi chanted loudly, guided by Musa.