Zeyn al-Din
appointed the guards for the night, went himself the rounds.
Where one of the fires had burned he found certain of those men who
were not merchants nor servants of merchants, yet traveled with the
caravan. Here were Hassan the Scribe, and Ali the Wanderer, and the
dervish Abdallah, and others. Here was the big Christian from some
outlandish far-away country, who had dwelt for the better part of a
year in the city whence the caravan started, who had money and a wish
to reach the city toward which the caravan journeyed. In the first
city he had become, it seemed, well liked by Yusuf the Physician, that
was the man that Zeyn al-Din most admired in life. It was Yusuf who
had recommended the Christian to Zeyn, who did not like infidel
sojourners with caravans. Zeyn himself was liberal and did not so much
mind, but he had had experience with troubles created along the way
and in the column itself. The more ignorant or the stiffer sort
thought it unpleasing to Allah. But Zeyn al-Din would do anything
really that Yusuf the Physician wanted. So in the end the big
Christian came along. Zeyn, interpreting fealty to Yusuf to mean care
in some measure for this infidel's well-being, began at once with a
few minutes' riding each day beside him. These insensibly expanded to
more than a few. He presently liked the infidel.
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