The stargazer’s servant. Максим Удовиченко

recognize his will by signs and stars," said the Caliph, referring to the tall greyish man, with straight delicate face features. The man of indefinite, but surely aged above fifty, with a black turban, embroidered with seven-pointed golden stars and crescents, looking very calm. His blue satin robe on his shoulders was richly decorated with gold ornaments.

      "Oh, the Great Commander of the Faithful! The plan of Yahya-Ibn- Omar is truly perfect …" he posed for a moment, tracing the gaze of the audience.

      "But the stars say that the campaign is doomed to endless battles against the infidel's superior forces of the!" Posted Al-Farouk-Ibn-Saud, and the glance of his intelligent, sharp piercing, black eyes expressed uncovered concern.

      "So, you are predicting defeat?" asked the Caliph, losing his patience and rising from his throne.

      "Oh, Grand Commander of the Faithful! I cannot predict anything, I've got a little ability to reveal the secret of Allah's Almighty and Merciful will, that He sends in signs and stars", said Al-Farouk, bowing in reverence.

      "I had completely different intentions! I was going to lead the campaign and reach the Maghreb city of Fes, where as I know, by the Will of God the merciful, my teacher and mentor Abu-Imran-Moussa, has recently arrived", said Caliph, thoughtfully looking into the water splashes of the fountain which fancy sparkle in the rays of the hot desert sun.

      "Oh, great Caliph!" Continued Al-Farouk, reverently bowing to the Lord.

      "I understand how important it is for You to see Your great teacher and mentor Abu-Im-ran-Moussa. However, the signs of Allah the Almighty and Merciful, that I have read indicate that, for You, oh great and wise ruler of the faithful, it is vitally important to stay with part of the forces in the city", said Al-Farouk, bowing reverently.

      "You are a brave man, Al-Farouk! By methods known only to you, in a very inexplicable way, you've been managing to read the Will of Allah the Highest and Merciful in the signs and stars", thoughtfully pronounced Caliph Abdullah, addressing the great astrologer.

      "I will follow the Will of Allah the Highest and will remain in city, and the army will be led by the honorable commander Yahya-ibn-Omar", the Caliph announced his decision, bringing the high talk on the War campaign to a close.

      "We Listen to You and obey! Oh, Great Commander of true believers!" Answered the attendees, realizing that the final decision was taken and the discussion on the War was over.

      1.1 The little tricks of Al-Majnun

      In the meanwhile, Al-Majnun has been hanging around the city market long enough, between the noisy rows of merchant stalls, who insistently and on surplus, suggested buying their commodities. To draw away merchant's attentions, he ostentatiously demonstrated his deep unconcern to the goods laid on the stalls. Walking along the rows, every now and again, throwing lecherously- furtive glances at the girls and women, he surreptitiously grabbing a cluster of bananas quickly hiding it in his habit.

      At the market. Al-Majnun at his habitual business: chasing girls and stealing dates and bananas from the sacks of gaping merchants.

      Despite the master's order, he could not resist the temptation and hanged bumbling behind a Berber-woman, in a flashy desert gown, tight in the waist, which exaggeratedly protrudes, as its broad magnificently voluptuous curves. Following the beautiful Berber-woman, Al-Majnun did not notice, as he crossed the noisy market area and appeared on the edge of the date palms wood groves.

      In the middle of the Woods, was a small sun burned grass meadow, where on the braiding sacks, the pieces of salt[12] of different sizes where gently laying. Each piece has been carefully set up opposite the gold bars and gold dust[13] bags. Without a moment hesitation, with the words "the master has many of that stuff, and I have not a bit of it!" Exclaimed Al-Majnun and deftly threw in one of his bags a couple of pieces of salt and a couple of bars of gold.

      Despite the heavy burden on his shoulders, a sudden joy appeared in the soul of Al-Majnun, as well as an inexplicable ease at his feet. Sandals with curved tops, barely touching the ground, rapidly carried him back to the market.

      Climbing the high wall separating the market from the rest of the town, Al- Majnun suddenly heard loud screams behind him.

      "Stop, stop the thief! He has stolen my salt!" Shouted the black Messufa, dressed in a long brown coat, trying on the run, to choose a good position for throwing the javelin.

      Al-Majnun flings off pursuers.

      "That scoundrel stole my gold!" Shouted the berber-sanhaja, wearing a blue turban and bright orange brocade pants, waving a curve bedouin sword, furiously striving to get ahead and to be the first to over-take the robber.

      Marvelously dodging the javelin, which, with a cracking sound, smashed against the wall next to his foot. Al-Majnun jumped on the ground dissolving into the market noisy crowd.

      On the rush, he knocked down passers-by but when he rolled a cart loaded with watermelons and melons over, he unexpectedly felt that he was flying. On having made a dizzying somersault, he suddenly landed at the door of a familiar shop. It was the shop of an old acquaintance of Al-Majnun – the local brocade seller, who was fortunately sitting next to his shop.

      Instinctively thrusting into the hand of the merchant, a small bag of gold dust, that he had hidden in the pocket of his robe in advance, Al-Majnun disappeared behind the door of the shop.

      "Mustafa! Quickly bring me Indigo[14] and noble Soninke clothes!" Said Al-Majnun, gasping for new air almost before the phrase was finished.

      "Al-Majnun! But the golden dust that you gave me is not enough even for one turban!" Exclaimed dazedly the brocade merchant, examining the bag liner.

      "I square up with you as soon as I'll be dressed! Oh, and the most important clause… – you have not seen me here! For that clause you will receive another little payment!" Answered Al-Majnun, pushing his magic hat, astrologer robe and sandals with curved tops in the linen sack.

      Taking a view of Al-Majnun from all sides, Mustafa marked amazing resemblance to the nobleman Soninke. Blue turban with a silver clasp in the form of a crescent in combination with a brown robe and blue brocade bloomers, very suited to the newly acquired, bluish black face color, hands and feet, stressed the distinction of the origin of his owner.

      Having paid the merchant, Al-Majnun, in his newly acquired guise, went outside to carry out Al-Farouk's orders.

      Hardly could he managed to make seven or ten steps from the shop as he suddenly stumbled upon his pursuers. "Look, Master!" Screamed out loud the black Mesufa to his Berber-sanhaja, – "This is him! This is beyond all doubts him!" Cried the black Messufa, pointing the tip of his javelin at Al-Majnun.

      "You don't say so! Silly slave! (Let the Allah Almighty and Merciful tame your long and useless tongue!) The man who stole my gold was the Berber, in a big black cap and a black dressing gown! And who do you think is that? Look at him! You see the black grandee of a prominent Soninke, and he is dressed in a blue turban, a brown dressing gown and moreover in blue brocade pantaloons!" Said, said the Berber-sanhadja indignantly.

      "Rather look for the thief! And don't irritate me with your silly conjectures!" Added the Berber, trying to spot the black peaked cap with stars in the raging market crowd.

      Bargaining for a handful of grain, Al-Majnun, made all the necessary purchases. He loaded the portly and very fattened camels with water skins, pottery jars with grain and bales with food, and having fed and given water to the newly acquired black slaves, Al-Majnun directed his caravan to the town's gates.

      "Did Al-Farouk guess my "small pranks" in the market?" Reflected Al-Majnun, driving the camels and cattle, and from time to time shouting at the black slaves.

      The hot Saharan sun was slowly

12

Salt, digged out and brought to Aoudaghost, as a rule, from the salt mines of Taghaza (also Teghaza) an abandoned salt-mining centre located in a salt pan in the desert region of northern Mali. It was an important source of rock salt for West Africa up to the end of the 16th century. The obtained salt was brought on sale by the messufa, in the most cases, black slaves of berbers-sanhadzha.

13

"Silent trade", also called silent barter, dumb barter ("dumb" here used in its old meaning of "mute"), or depot trade, is a method by which traders who cannot speak each other's language can trade without talking. Group A would leave trade goods in a prominent position and signal, by gong, fire, or drum for example, that they had left goods. Group В would then arrive at the spot, examine the goods and deposit their trade goods or money that they wanted to exchange.

14

Indigo powder had a distinct black hue. Today is widely used by Sahara tribes to protect the skin from the direct sunrays.