Chapter 280: 275: Are You?

All dirty things happen when the darkness of the night comes. 

Just as what Hussein has expected, the Mamluk Sultan summoned Abdullah to accompany him for the night to have a little chatter with this old piece of bones, teach him on the various stars along the silver stretch of the milky way in the sky and relieve him of his long curiosity on astronomy. 

Abdullah complied and went to the Sultan seating next to him on a wooden stool and started pointing at the night giggling and chattering with the Old Sultan, looking from the back it is almost like a harmonious sight seeing time between a pair of friends. But no, the harsh reality is that although there are all the bonds and liking, it is simply impossible for the two men to form a friendship. 

As the sun fades away releasing its final grip of brightness above the horizon, vanishing below the mountains, the moon started rising luminating a mysterious pale light on the vast desert beneath it. The servants quickly moved around clearing grass, pitching tents and build camp fires dispersing the intolerable night chills of the desert that can freeze people to their demise. 

Seeing the time is right Hussein intentionally walked in front of Abdullah passing him a signal that every thing is now ready. Abdullah acknowledged excusing himself from the Sultan by saying that he needs to leave for a while to do his man's business. The Sultan of course granted his permission, and then sat there on a wooden crate wanting for Abdullah's return spectating the twinkling stars by himself. 

The various lords, beys and officers slowly and quietly stood up gathering around the back of the Sultan.

The Sultan noticed some thing through the light of the camp fire seeing so many shadows looming over him which gave him a jump scare with the usual swift reaction speed he jumped forward almost toppling over the wooden crate, grabbed hold of the handle of his curved blade and stared backwards with a vigilant sight. He saw almost half of the nobles he brought on this hunting trip, ranking from big to small, even including his own son, standing there blocking the burning camp fire looking at him.

Before the Mamluk Sultan could even ask, these bunch of people suddenly kneeled down on one knee pleading in one voice to their sovereign. "My Sultan! According to the newest intel from the borders with the Berber tribes and the Hafsids, our enemies are planning on a new invasion to our western provinces, we urge you to settle all the affairs in Cairo and then deal with the western threats at once!"

"Huh?" The Mamluk Sultan raised his eye brow. "What western threat are you all talking about, I never received any intel on that?"

"We just received it merely an hour again, my Sultan!" The bey of Libya made a blunt lie to the Sultan.

Although the Sultan is already suspecting some thing, but he still nodded and asked again. "Fine, but what important affairs do I have in Cairo? If you all persist and cannot handle the problem by myself, I shall set off with my army and Abdullah the next…"

"My Sultan!" The Mamluk bey of Levant Arabia suddenly raised his head staring at the Sultan and interrupted in a disrespectful manner. "Abdullah! Is the affair, we urge you to settle the diplomatic meeting with Master Abdullah as soon as possible, so he can go back to Rumelia and report to his lord, instead of wasting both his time and our time here… Please! My Sultan!"

The entire area of the woods became utterly silent after the bey finished his words, with only the chirping of night owls, cracking sound of the wood burning in the fire place accompanied by sounds of grass hoppers can be heard. The old Mamluk Sultan, through his acute political senses practised through the years of court struggles, finally understood what is wrong about these people; This thing tonight is no simple partition, it is a rebellion by his own subjects forcing him in to some thing.

The Sultan looked at the other lords behind who remained seated, but soon became disappointed seeing them just seat there looking blank with out knowing what to do. He looked at the dark woods in a distance away, the birds like pigeons and crows, which are supposed to be back to their nests in the woods at this time, are all flying in circles on top of the dark woods shined by the moon light screeching and chirping. As an experienced military commander, the Sultan knows that this is only because there are some 'things' down there hidden in the woods that occupied these birdie's homes.

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What can those some things be? Of course, non other than a secret army ambushing in the woods. This is now no longer a simple rebellion against the authority of the Sultan, but an armed coop that can potentially cost the Sultan's life. He knows that in this kind of time he has no other choice other than to comply with their requests, stay calm, and wait until he gets back to his own citadel where he will be truly safe protected by his own Mamluks.

"Fine! I shall agree with you people for this time." The Sultan took a few deep breathe and sat back down there on the wooden crate pretending nothing has happened. "I shall start the negotiations with Abdullah on Rumelian issues as soon as I get back to…"

"No, not when you are back to the citadel my Sultan." The bey of Levant interrupted again. "Since all the lords and nobles of the Sultanate is here tonight, then we shall settle it tonight, and then Master Abdullah can set off towards Alexandria tomorrow morning."

"Fine." The Sultan complied painfully for the second time closing his eyes. "Summon Master Abdullah, we shall discuss about this with him."

A minute later Abdullah is ushered back to the premise by two Mamluk Sultan guards standing right in the centre of the crowd facing the Sultan. Realising that Hussein's plans have worked successfully, Abdullah bowed down to the Sultan but is stopped in the process as the Sultan, apparently not in the mood for all of these diplomatic courtesies, waved his hands in disgust.

"Abdullah…" Abdullah could almost feel that in just a few minute's time the Sultan's hoarse voice seems to have aged even older by a few years. "Before I determine whether I shall send you any reinforcements, I shall ask you three questions. You only get one chance in answering these questions. I won't give you any time to think, be honest, don't make bluffs or lies."

The Sultan did not even give Abdullah the time to answer yes or no and started with his first question. "Abdullah, tell me, what benefits can the Mamluk Sultanate acquire through helping you and that admiral of yours?"

"I cannot guarantee many rewards in return since we are still a small state in development, Sultan." Abdullah answered fluently with the answer he has prepared long time before he came. "But, in the future battles between the Mamluk Sultanate and the Ottoman Sultanate, my admiral shall be a part of this joint operation laying siege to the Ottoman holdings in Cilicia and transfer the keys of the cities to you once your army has arrived."

"No, not good enough." The Sultan shook his head. "You are talking about facing at least a hundred thousand enemies; thus the stakes shall be hight… I want naval support for Cyprus."

"Yes, Cyprus, we shall manage that." There is no pain in selling territories that does not belong to one self.

"Put that in to the list." The Mamluk Sultan ordered the scribe at one side and continued. "How can I trust that your admiral shall be able to defeat the Ottomans, with out wasting the lives of my valuable Mamluks and resources turning them in to supplies for the Ottomans instead, and be used against me when I march my forces in to Anatolia?"

Abdullah replied. "Your highness, it might be hard to belief, but to your three questions I have three beliefs on why my admiral shall defeat the foes. First and most importantly, we have the support of the majority local population which we can mobilise to guide us in the difficult terrain, acquire intel about the enemies hunting down their scouts making them blind, and assault their logistics supply route making their morales crumble. Secondly our determination is at the highest with a unified thought between my admiral and the regular soldiers knowing that they will be left with nothing if they don't protect Thessaloniki. And thirdly, we can always open a second battle field in the Ottoman's back…"

The Sultan nodded, and then asked the third question after ushering Abdullah to come forward. "Thirdly… Abdullah, tell me, are you a part of this coup tonight? Just be honest."

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