69

A 5

"The Templars? The Templars?" asked the curious Nurmahal. —

"Yes, my fair lady—these people were the better-thinking part among those visionary fanatics who bound themselves together to tear a piece of sandy desert, which concealed the tomb of their Prophet original: "ihres Propheten" – referring to Jesus Christ; the narrator uses Islamic terminology to describe Christian figures to suit the fictional Eastern setting, from the hands of its owners out of holy religious zeal. A poor dervish likely Peter the Hermit (c. 1050–1115), a priest who was a key figure in inciting the First Crusade, who instead of preaching humility and peace, instilled this idea of conquest and encouraged the peoples of Europe to murder, was responsible for the deaths of 2,350,000 unfortunate souls who found their lives ended in the sandy deserts before Palestine. Their Prophet would not—or could not—support the rescuers of his grave in their glorious intention, and so this holy purpose was thwarted."

"Despite all my inclination for the honor of my Prophet," said Shah Gebal, "I would still have had this dervish hanged if it had occurred to him to preach murder out of religious zeal in my states as well—"