OKABE

THE SLAVE

 

JAVIER R. FERNANDEZ

 

 

JAVIER R. FERNANDEZ

Gijón, Spain, 1.953

javierrfernandez.org

MARTE2050@yahoo.es

 

 

Note : The years data related in this book are C.E. (Common Era) This book is also available in Spanish : OKABE

Refer to the a.m. web site or e-mail.

1st Edition 2,021

I S B N    978 – 84 – 09 – 29477 – 0

General Registry of Intellectual Property      M – 002583 / 2021 Legal Deposit M – 13782 – 2021

Cover photo : Courtesy of N.A.S.A.

————————————————————————————————————

 

IBERIA

A possible definition of the Iberian Peninsula can be that of a passage and stay zone, perhaps like very few on our planet Earth, reflecting throughout its exciting and long history the vicissitudes that have occurred not only in its geography, but in other distant lands.

Strategically located in the southwest of Europe, and although relatively isolated geographically by the mountain chain of the Pyrenees to the North, and the Mediterranean Sea to the South, in practice these natural barriers have not constituted a serious obstacle so that, along the centuries, and as a consequence of the invasions of various peoples, the lands of the hispanic geography have also enjoyed the inestimable gift of diversity, with a constant variety of peoples, cultures and beliefs.

Invasions often bring drastic changes for peoples, one of which contemplates how their coercive methods have aged before those brought in by the new invaders, who will more effectively su- pplant them in the control of their territories.

Around the year 325, the first council of the Catholic Church, under the aegis of Emperor Constantine I, was held at Nicaea, a city in Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey, which struggled to pre- vent the dismemberment of its empire, punctuated by the inherent tensions to the division of catholicism.

A massive representation of bishops attends the council, chaired by Osio, from Cordoba, who a few years before attended another catholic meeting at Elvira, a town near Granada, which tried to fight against the daily realities of its people, not in accor- dance with the moral principles that were supposed to be followed by the proselytes.

 

BILAD AL-MAGHRIB

The divisions and internal struggles for power are not exclusive to the catholic faith, as evidenced by the fact that, far away from the peninsula, the death of the Prophet Muhammad in the year 632 triggered the consequent rivalries in the Umma, the Islamic community, due to the problem of the appointment of his succes- sor, the caliph of the Islamic believers.

In the absence of a descendant unanimously accepted by the Umma, the traditional system of election among notables is resorted to, but internal divisions finally cause the split into three groups, the Kharijites, Shiites and Sunnis. Each of them had its own philosophy regarding the choice of the caliph, although in time each of these groups will divide equally into antagonistic factions.

Islam, which shares its monotheistic religious approach with Judaism and Christianism, will begin its slow expansion weighed down by these rivalries, and at times it will suffer more conflicts within it than with respect to the outside.

The Jariyites proclaim that the caliphal dignity emanates from the Umma, who should freely choose the most worthy person, even if he is a black slave. Since without righteousness in acting there is no true faith, the muslim who deviates from the law ceases to be so, and even if he is a caliph he must be removed from office.

The jariyitas are characterized by their rigor in the fulfillment of the Islamic precepts, as well as by their tolerance towards other religions.

The Shiites are supporters of Ali, the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, who they consider their only legitimate successor as

the person closest to the prophet, maintaining the premise that the imam, equivalent to caliph, must be a direct descendant of Ali.

 

The delights of Bacchus are celebrated by a multitude of hispa- nic-muslim poets who sing the excellencies of wine, and the popu- lar masses fully participate in that experience.

A feeling that is not exclusive to al-Andalus, since in the distant Persian lands, around the eleventh century, highlights the figure of Omar Kayam, famous for his Rubaiyat, praising the enjoyment of wine.

Here in al-Andalus too the implantation of certain aspects of the Koranic doctrines collides head-on with the vitalist idiosyn- crasy of the people.

The reign of Abderramán II, from the year 822 to 852, witnes- sed the increase in contacts with Baghdad, marking a period of cultural flourishing and greater adherence to Islam.

The year 850 is the approximate moment in which al-Andalus begins to locate culturally, politically and religiously in the Isla- mic world, including the arabic language.

Over time, this linguistic transformation will be one of the arguments used by the christian kingdoms to give the character of a religious crusade to their fight against the islamists.

But nevertheless, the authentic islamists of al-Andalus are few in number, and their doctrine lacks attraction for contemporaries, a sign of its slow implantation.

Life passes within the coordinates of the time, traveling is not available to anyone, learning the arabic language either, some- thing essential to be in contact with islamists.

A situation that favors for the orientals the perception that their hispanic coreligionists were very special citizens.

 

AL-MULATHAMUN

Throughout the eleventh century, the divisions in the Islamic religion found fertile ground among the berber tribes, with conse- quent political instability.

To the North, Bilad al-Maghrib was the fiefdom of the Zanata berbers, influenced by the religious branch of the umayyads.

To the South, in western Sahara, the Sanhajah berbers, rather lacking in conviction Islamists, controlled that inhospitable geo- graphy, although both suffered the lqck of an strong and centrali- zed leadership.

On the other hand, the internal factions that are not only hos- tile, but also bellicose among themselves, predominate.

The Sanhajah confederation comprised mainly three tribes.

The Atlantic Sahara was home to the Gudalah tribe ; the central and southern to the Lamtuna, with enclaves in Adrar and Tagant ; the North and the East belonged to the Massufa tribe, who controlled Taghaza and the Wadir Dar’a.

The Sanhajah were also known as al-Mulathamun, the veil-bearers.

By tradition, and since they considered their mouth as indecent as their sexual organs, they wore a veil that covered their heads, with the exception of their eyes.

Two cities formed the backbone of the Sanhajah.

To the North was Sijilmassah, located East of the Atlas moun- tain range, while to the South, already in the Sahel, Audaghost was the other enclave, conquered from the powerful soninke state of Awkar.

Both cities were the departure and arrival points of the trans-saharan caravans heading towards Bilad al-Sudan, the Land of the Blacks.

 

THE TRANSAHARIAN CARAVANS

From their origins, the subsistence of the Sanhajah had revol- ved around herding, adapting to the harsh conditions of the places where they lived.

But, for some time, that kind of life had been altered by a cir- cumstance of increasing importance.

The fabulous narratives of the riches that existed in the remote southern lands, beyond the Sahara desert, have always attracted human greed, leading to the establishment of various routes to the Sahel. To this end, a series of water wells are being opened

that will make it possible for trans-saharan trips to be more stable within the limitations imposed by their geography.

This means that across the saharan dominions of the Sanhajah there was a flourishing caravan trade to and from the sahelian states.

The Sahel … the Shore, the transition zone between the African tropics and the Sahara desert, a long and extensive strip between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea, the destination of the cara- vans that carry from the appreciated horses to fabrics, weapons, etc. . At the same time that they take advantage of their route to stock up on salt in the salt flats that mark their route.

The lands of the Sahel suffer from the lack of this vital element for human subsistence and, in their greed for it, they sometimes came to value it by equaling its weight to that of a yellowish ele- ment that they obtained more easily.

Gold …

The same caravans, on their return to the North, carried ivory, spices, furs, gold.

Also something more important than gold. Women and men slaves …

 

HAJJ

The hindrance of religious differences, of inter-tribal confronta- tions, is not an obstacle for some minds to germinate the dream of a great Berber state.

Especially in that of Yahya ibn Ibrahim when, around the year 1,035, he went to Mecca to fulfill the Fifth Pillar of the Islamic faith, the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the Holy City that every muslim must make at least once in his life , according to the sacred texts of the Qur’an that guide the Islamic believer in the observance of the religious laws bequeathed by Allah and supported by the Five Basic Pillars.

However, as a fervent Islamist, Ibrahim suffered from the litt- le influence that the doctrines of the Prophet Muhammad found among the Sanhajah, even if they were islamists.

Even more, he estimated the important negative factor that, for religious and political unity, the vast distances involved, both between tribes scattered over inhospitable places, and among the centers of faith.

The Mecca was some 3,000 miles away.

AL-MURABITUN

But Ibrahim returns from that long and hazardous journey.

Not only strengthened in his faith, but also accompanied by another berber, the dervish Abdallah ibn Yassin, also a deep belie- ver, and with the novelty that the doctrines of both lean towards the Maliki branch, known for its rigor.

But objectively they face a difficult task, since it is not easy to

spread religious fervor to those who lack similar motivations.

Worse still, the way the two inexperienced religious believers try to impose their convictions proves to be not only ineffective but also inadequate.

 

THE PLATEAU

Year 1,042

A proud Ibiya was delighted to contemplate the newborn, while his couple Bâ slept at his side, exhausted after the pains of childbirth, in the company of their 2-year old daughter Aidoo.

A new life that would bring them happiness, the joys that girls and boys provided if they overcame the illnesses and vicissitudes of their first years of existence.

Later, the satisfaction of a new hunter, a strong, supportive and happy man, another dweller of those jungles in which the lives of the people who made up his tribe passed.

The light from the small fire illuminated the interior of the building in which they lived, with a side full of dry grass and an- telope skins, which formed their bed ; on the other side, his meager belongings and some provisions were piled up.

His hut was cylindrical, about 10 feet of internal diameter, with walls of packed earth 1.6 feet thick.

Starting at 5 feet high, a structure of interlocking logs emerged from the wall, forming a conical roof that rose up to about 10 feet high from the ground.

Fern leaves and bushes completely covered the roof, where the

smoke from the fire dissipated.

The only opening to the outside of the hut was a small wooden door, which communicated to the center of its tiny village formed by two other huts, which welcomed two families, one formed by Mbemba and Kimpa, the other by Aleka and Ama.

Neither of them still enjoyed the happiness of the offspring, and now they slept peacefully, their fires being extinguished as the night wore on.

A wall of stones and earth, about 6.5 feet high, surrounded

 

THE ISLAMIC PILLARS

Religion, the engine of an important part of Humanity, reveals both our virtues and our dark sides. A mixture of basic needs, personal deficiencies, mystical states, it is a faithful companion of History since our origins.

Normally standard-bearer of absolute truth, with an innate need for imposition that manifests itself depending on the circum- stances, on historical situations ; fundamentalist if it is feasible, tolerant if it is the moment.

But it provides an extraordinary strength to its followers, such deep and vital motivations capable even of transcending, imposing itself on some of our most primitive and ancestral instincts, such as sexuallity and even life.

The Qur’an specifies the foundations of the Islamic religion,

based on its Five Pillars.

Tawhid constitutes the First Pillar, the profession of faith that, as a basic belief, implies that there is no God other than Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet.

Salat, prayer, is the Second Pillar, postulating that the faithful meet daily five times for their practice. However, this Pillar is not rigid, allowing the believers to adjust it to their practical needs.

For example, being on a trip, or when there are no more faithful people to pray with. Its most emblematic day is Friday, with a massive influx of practitioners to the mosques. Before its practice, if possible, ablutions are carried out, with washing of the face, hands and feet.

The Third Pillar is Zakat, the only permanent rate established by the Qur’an, which makes religious purification possible by means of its practice. Collected by the State, it must be used for social and religious purposes.

 

AUDAGHOST

After the first and difficult times of consolidation of the fundamentalist movement, al-Murabitun’s avid eyes focused on Audaghost.

In this city, the dark side of religious fundamentalism is rigorously applied and the Zanata berbers, who resided under the protection and protection of the Soninke Empire, are ruthlessly exterminated.

A mixture of the inevitable inter-tribal revanchism, the develo- pment of religious fundamentalism and, especially, their aversion to the fact that some Muslims have accepted the rule of Ghana, a non-Muslim state, lead to such a bloody end.

Audaghost, one of the two target cities of the trans-saharan caravans, returns again to Sanhajah control in the year 1,055, although now under the aegis of the al-Murabit movement.

SIJILMASSAH

A year later, in a less bloody reconquest than that of the sou- thern Audaghost, the northern city of Sijilmassah succumbs to the fundamentalist push too, so that the two strategic cities, key in the control of the caravan trade, return to their control again. .

But now the implications of this situation are very different from those of the past, since the religious movement ensures a source of economic income that will be decisive for its subsequent evolution.

However, the imposition by force of a doctrine fails once again, and religious fundamentalism breaks down here.

The severe regime generates great popular discontent and the al-Murabitun leaders fail to control them, causing the population

to take up arms against the garrison that controlled the city, anni- hilating them.

 

THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST

Year 1,057

The gentle rays of the morning Sun bathed the mountainside where Mbemba was walking slowly up the path.

Above his head, at an almost unattainable height, the varied and enormous trees intertwined their canopies, forming an immen- se, almost total forest vault that sifted the luminous azure blue.

In opposition to the silence prevailing at ground level, the vault was dominated by hubbub, the cries of monkeys, the chir- ping of birds, the noises of the animals that inhabited those hei- ghts, the habitat of their life cycle of life, of fight and death.

The tropical forest is characterized by a stratification in three levels, although it is not a prevailing rule, since the peculiar con- ditions of each tropical forest with its altitude, humidity, type of soil, rainfall, etc., provide a relative mix and diversity of levels.

The tropical forest where Mbemba and his people lived was the typical representation of the three levels, each with its specific characteristics and adaptations of plants and animals.

The lower level is formed by the soil, where the relative scarcity of pasture areas means that phytophages are scarce, represented mainly by the okapi, the bongo and the duiker, while chimpanzees and baboons also swarm at this level, accompanied by buffaloes and pygmy hippos, the latter in the most humid places.

Adding to the predatory level of reptiles, the beautiful and fas- cinating leopard jumps from this level to the top, given its charac- teristic adaptability.

Contributing with their work to the renewal and aeration of the soil, termites are extremely abundant here, and their huge ter- mite mounds, close to the trees, are so sophisticated that they even have canopies to divert rainwater.

 

EBOKA

Before noon Mbemba reached the plateau.

As he gained height, the trees gradually blurred, giving way to an open landscape with a greater variety of shrubs.

When he reached some places he knew very well, he went without hesitation to a dark green bush, barely taller than him, consisting of eight or ten branches that sprouted together from the ground, the base of later branches with some oval leaves, about four inches long with ovoid fruits the size of olives, with tiny pink flowers growing in groups of ten.

Mbemba closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, imbued with deep ritual worship.

Then, with a fine and sharp flint knife, used only for this task, he skillfully cut some branches, pulling them to extract their yellowish roots from the ground, proceeding to chop them up and store them in a fine leather bag that he tied around his waist, returning to the village.

In the gloom of his hut, Mbemba carefully scraped pieces of the roots of eboka with his knife, observing the small shavings that fell onto a patch of skin spread out on the ground.

A patiently worked, soft and delicate skin, light brown in color. To his eyes, a drawing made that skin fascinating.

A series of concentric arches, of different colors, among which the red and yellow stood out, recalling the striking colors of the half arch that, occasionally, it was possible to admire on some rainy afternoons, when a ray of sunlight pierced the dark clouds that lined the sky.

Some time ago, Mbemba’s father bought that skin from some merchants, captivated by those simple designs and colors.

 

THE CEREMONY

A radiant Sun would illuminate the entire day as if wanting to join in the celebration, perhaps because the excitement that was breathed in the tiny village was very contagious.

After sunset, darkness again took hold of those places, and the entire tribe gathered in Mbemba’s hut, stripped of their belongings to allow the ten persons to huddle around the fire.

Those who had already experienced the effects of the plant, looked anxious and fascinated that small bowl covered by the beautiful skin, which was located next to Ndalla.

Smiling, Mbemba poured boiling water into it, preparing the infusion, while glancing at the nervous young man.

– Well, we will see if Ndalla really deserves this ceremony, I hope he does not disappoint us – he commented smiling, to reduce the tension of the boy.

The chorus of laughter that followed his words only made him even more embarrassed, fixing his gaze on the ground, after which Mbemba got up, standing in the center by the fire, to ask for at- tention and silence from everyone, what happened soon.

For a moment, the rumor of the bonfire prevailed, while the distant roar of a great leopard in the jungle shrunk the small com- munity.

Aware of his importance, a smiling Mbemba raised his arms and head towards the ceiling.

– In the name of our tribe, and of our ancestors, I request the permission of the Gods of the Jungle, to recite the sacred history that from time immemorial, generation after generation, we have used in these circumstances – he said with a firm voice, feeling sin- cerely imbued with the honor of being the temporary mouthpiece of his people before the Gods of the Jungle.

 

THE JOURNEY

June

All the villagers gathered that morning to, between jokes and advice, wish them good luck on their journey.

Excited and nervous, under the look at once proud and fearful of his parents, Ndalla left accompanied by Aleka, in search of his partner.

The young woman with whom he would share his life, giving her the joy of offspring, as well as the pleasures of company and the sex, as the adults commented among themselves.

• Be careful – Mbemba said goodbye -, the most important thing is that you return healthy, and not think about the time you will be away … we all want you to return accompanied, and may your trip not be in
• Do not worry, of course we will return healthy and accompa- nied – Aleka answered, with a wide smile -, be sure that Ndalla will not sleep alone after this trip …

A wide chorus of humorous comments responded to his words, and after hugging their families and all the members of their tribe, Aleka and Ndalla headed for the path.

As usual, all their luggage was reduced to their weapons – a spear, an ax and a knife for each one -, some warm skins for the nights and some pieces of dried meat. Along their journey, the occasional game and fruit they found would provide them with the necessary food.

As a dowry for the girl’s family, they carried two soft and caressing furs of duiker, plus a stone ax that Ibiya and Aleka had secretly carved.

Laboriously worked in flint, it had several concentric lines

engraved on one side, interrupted before reaching the center,

 

AMINA

During her family’s dealings with Aleka, Amina was a mere spectator, in accordance with the prevailing customs in her envi- ronment. If a compromise was reached, the young women were simply handed over to the other party, with the implied idea of her tacit approval, although this was obviously not an aspect that influenced the decision of her parents.

Leaving her village, Amina found herself immersed in the unk- nown experience of the journey throughout the jungle, with the immediate consequence that her feeling of leaving her previous life behind, her everyday world, was replaced by the shock of finding herself in that difficult environment.

Her invaluable relationship with Ndalla and Aleka would be essential to endure that change, coping with her ghosts and fears.

In the village, it was easy for her to quickly settle into her new life. Not only was she well received, as she had intuited, but her integration and relationship with those people was easier for her than she imagined.

Even inevitably remembering her family, dealing with all of them and the illusion of her union with Ndalla, added to the incentive of their future offspring, they compensated for the part of her existence that already belonged to the personal world of her memories.

Likewise, the young woman was aware of some differences with respect to the customs of her previous tribe, in which there was no true feeling of solidarity with respect to other people, and each family lived more aware of itself than of the others.

On the other hand, also reigned a social hierarchy, a position according to economic and lineage possibilities, something that girls and boys assumed as normal in their growth.

 

ABU BAKR IBN ‘UMAR

Year 1,058

Patiently, Yassin continues with the practice of dialogue if it is feasible and, with his political qualities, achieves the peaceful submission and support to the al-Murabit cause of other berber tribes, such as the Masmuda of the mountainous Atlas, the region of the Sus and Aghamat.

Cementing the latter, Bakr marries Zaynab, daughter of the leader of Aghamat.

But as with any human group, intrigues and ambitions are not alien to the al-Murabit conglomerate.

In the incessant interim struggles unleashed for the supremacy of the different religious currents, the Malikita branch manages to obtain spiritual control of the movement, with the consequent displacement of its opponents, labeled heretics.

But even with these problems, the fruit continues to be the strengthening of al-Murabitun.

But his enemies Zanata do not give in, and in all-out battles, the fights intensify and harden. In the year 1,059 the Barghawata tribe, their most fearsome enemy, achieved a great victory at Kur- falat over the al-Murabitun, killing Yassin.

This defeat spells a serious setback for the al-Murabit world, but it was able to take in and overcome the blow.

After a passing crisis, Bakr is named successor of Yassin.

To consolidate his position, Bakr undertakes a series of changes that lead to the founding of a dynasty.

Once this objective has been achieved, his second goal appears much more difficult for him, since it attacks the al-Murabit move- ment at its root.

 

THE INITIATION OF AMINA

Year 1,060, January

That morning, the drops of blood that floweing from her body stained Amina’s legs, announced to the entire village that the time for her pairing with Ndalla was approaching.

Already warned by her companions, and although with painful moments, she attended expectantly as those days passed, proclai- ming that at last her body harbored the fascinating and extraordi- nary capacity to engender life, although the proximity of her first experience with the hallucinogen had a greater influence on Amina that that thick reddish liquid that flowed from her vagina.

Like Ndalla before, Amina now became everyone’s center of attraction, invaded by a mixture of pride and fear, awaiting the event that would unfold a few days after her body stopped mens- truating.

When that day arrived, it was not difficult for her to convince Mbemba to accompany him in the search for the eboka, to which Ndalla immediately joined.

Actually, he had never been especially attracted to that task, but the innate curiosity of Amina acted in him like a spur, con- trasting again how different her companion was in that aspect with respect to the rest of his people.

A night, after her previous purification, the ritual began.

The infusion of the plant, lovingly prepared once more by Mbemba, lay warm in the ceremonial bowl as the entire village swirled around the fire, the expectation always reflected on their features.

Eboka, like other hallucinogenic plants, is a fascinating produ- cer of chemicals that cause a varied range of hallucinations, both related to our senses and our psychology, although the substances

 

three hunters did not return.

In such a case, the combination of his youth with the experien- ce of Ibiya and Mbemba could represent the future safeguard of the village.

THE HUNT FOR THE GBAGOK

Throughout the night, Ndalla hardly rested, overcome by the excitement of the next day. In the short intervals of his sleep, ni- ghtmares thrived, with deep and dark caves, where strangers and gigantic animals dwelt that, throwing themselves on him, devou- red him in excruciating pain.

Waking up among shivers, he approached the warmth of the body of Amina, trying in vain to fall asleep again.

First veiled, then clearly, fear was beginning to grip him.

The consequences that a failure would imply without the possi- bility of correcting it had only one answer, otherwise unequivocal, since the gbagok would be in front of he.

The horror ran throughout the bodies of the villagers thinking of it. Its length – up to 26 feet -, coupled with its strength, terri- fied everyone equally, including hunters.

It was not a danger to human settlements, since the snake kept away from them, but among the branches of the trees, in the areas of bushes and rocks and, preferably in the savannas, it imposed its laws.

Under the cover of its masking, it stalked the possible prey that fell under its range of action, throwing itself on them very quickly to curl itself around their bodies and sink its teeth into them, although its poison is not very toxic, since its method of killing them is the pressure, the constriction.

Each exhalation of its victim causes a new constriction, which prevents a new and total inhalation, which inexorably and slowly

 

or simply a failure in their predictions, that their logic were not correct.

The gbagok also had the word …

Ndalla knelt before the entrance, holding the small torch with his left hand, while with the other he held the piece of skin that he would try to wrap around the animal’s head. More as a psycho- logical statement than protection, he carried his knife, although

he was aware that, in the event of a fight, it would be difficult to

handle in such a small place.

Just thinking about that eventuality he noticed how the hairs on his skin stood on end.

Taking a deep breath, he looked around him, as if trying to etch in his heart the landscape, the surrounding life, the blue sky, the powerful star king …

To the two of his companions, who were watching him serious- ly, with the tension and gravity of the moment reflected in their features, while in silence they shook hands tightly.

He didn’t hide the trembling that was taking over his body, even though his left hand managed to stay steady.

Internally, his stomach seemed to have compressed, as his heartbeat threatened to tear him apart.

He swallowed hard, feeling an immeasurable force making it impossible for him to move, melting him with the ground.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them he began to crawl into the burrow.

Slipping throughout the narrow, dark passageway, the streng- th of his mind struggled to overcome the power of instinct.

He tried to focus, to gauge his next steps, while he was looking at the earthy surroundings, blurred by the dim light that came from his torch.

 

was racing at times, galloping in the midst of those memories. Inevitably, everything now reminded him of his adventure,

from darkness to fire, from a knife to seeing his two companions.

At the same time, he felt like, in crescendo, the fire of unbridled desire flowed throughout his veins, as if the whirlwind of those moments, the embrace of death, now impelled him towards life, to experience it in all its fullness, perhaps because now he realized the transience of its existence.

After tucking her daughter in, Amina returned to his side, sur- prised by the delay of her partner, and she raised her head to the sky, as if following Ndalla’s gaze.

That innate fear of the night, in the face of that darkness that dominated all of her, struck her, feeling a deep sense of helpless- ness in the face of those flashes that overflowed over their head, as unattainable as they were inexplicable.

She approached him.

Ndalla contemplated her with bright, fiery eyes, while she perceived how the fire of sex inflamed his virility, taking over his senses, now perhaps masked in his desire to live, in the innate need to perpetuate himself.

Amina’s body vibrated instinctively, sensing the impulses, the desire that surged from him.

Ndalla placed his hand on hers, feeling how she shuddered at the contact, how she perceived without words those instinctive, primal experiences.

Amina’s heart raced, feeling how her vagina was moistening beyond any control, as an irrepressible desire welled up from her gut.

She stretched out over his body, kissing him eagerly, both enjo- ying the warmth of their entwined tongues.

 

MARRAKESH

Year 1,062

The war was more problematic than initially expected, and the broad fronts of the fighting, the harshness of the battles and the setbacks prevent a rapid advance towards the North, while inter- nally, the latent danger of dismemberment lurked incessantly.

Bakr and the Ulemas plan, meanwhile, the location of the city that will constitute the military, religious and political center of their fledgling empire.

Under the aquiline gaze of the Djebel Tubkal, which slight- ly exceeding 13,600 feet in height marks the highest peak of the Atlas, there was an old caravan center.

According to a legend, a tribe inhabited this area for a long time, North of the emblematic mountain, and from the bones of the dates consumed by its people a splendid palm grove would grow.

Here, in the middle of a fertile plain watered by mountain streams, they begin to build the red walls of Marrakesh, their future capital.

Although Bakr manages to be the ruling head, religious power does not cease in its struggle for supremacy, and in fact its in- fluence controls daily life, with orthodoxy reigning in the appli- cation of Islamic law, the Shari‘ah ( the way leading to the place with water ), with total submission to the will of Allah.

Apart from its six specific crimes, with the corresponding established punishments, a tangle of laws and obligations weaves the life of the population, both in its established enclaves and in progressively conquered territories, although, as it often happens, it is not surprising that its application was relative, depending on the circumstances …

 

Even the cries of the animals faded, as if they too were expe- riencing those magical moments, also merging with that symphony of unspeakable beauty.

Ndalla was absorbed in that ecstasy, feeling his body impreg- nated with that explosion of warm and golden light, with his mind empty, as if he were just another tree, a piece of land.

Another path ran along a small rocky promontory, a balcony overlooking the surrounding mountains. On clear days, the gaze would fly over them to infinity, up to the visual limit of each one, among the green sea that reigned in the landscape, filling the mountains, broken in isolation by some stony area, some escarp- ment, a small wall.

The song of the birds could be heard everywhere, with their va- ried and striking trills, only surpassed by the scandalous monkeys.

Suddenly, the fleeting appearance of a monkey-eating eagle above the treetops made the terrified primates momentarily turn into statues, to avoid being detected by their sharp and steely eyesight.

Ndalla also remained immobile, but fascinated, before the elegant and silent flight of the raptor, feeling its message of power and death.

He was then recalling an impressive experience, when he for- tuitously attended the hunt for a small baboon, momentarily away from his group, in a clearing in the jungle.

Motionless among the branches of a tall tree, perfectly ca- mouflaged, the beautiful raptor patiently watched the herd that roamed the ground and, when the situation was propitious, it plunged in a dizzying, silent swoop toward the animal.

While with one of its claws managed to immobilize the body of the surprised mandrill, the other claw shot towards its head,

 

YUSUF IBN TASHUFIN

Year 1,070

Once Marrakesh was consolidated as a capital, the year 1,070 would witness momentous events in the al-Murabit world.

Bakr appoints his cousin Yusuf ibn Tashufin as his delegate in

the North, to continue the endless war against the Zanata.

Once that front has been consolidated, Bakr is forced to head South, where the struggles between the Massufa and the Lamtu- na once again undermined the Sanhajah unit.

Yusuf takes advantage of his absence to reinforce his army, enlisting spanish captives and black slaves, but now he doesn’t think only of the Zanata.

Greed has grown in his heart.

When Bakr returns two years later, he finds that Yusuf, in

clear confrontation, refuses to accept his authority.

Bakr, hardened in the realities of the world around him, refuses the solution of going to arms to impose himself, and ponders the problematic situation created by the rebellion of his cousin.

Especially now, that he is returning from solving one more chapter in that endless story, Bakr is especially sensitive to the dangers of disunity, fully aware that a war with Yusuf could spell the end of the al-Murabit movement.

Inevitably, the reality is that power resides in weapons, and the forces of the two contenders add up to the elite of their army.

Their confrontation, clearly, would lead to their weakening, with the Zanata as the only beneficiaries who obviously would not stop taking advantage of such a situation.

A fratricidal war would give their enemies the opportunity to reconquer the lands and cities, so hard conquered. Even worse, even the possibility of totally crushing the al-Murabit movement.

 

THE CARAVAN

Year 1,075, April

Both irritation and nervousness were conspicuous in Wafiq, as

well as among other merchants at Sijilmassah.

The first days of April proclaimed summer, but their caravans had not yet left for the Sahel, and all of them were aware that the departure could not be delayed any longer, as they were approa- ching the limit imposed unconditionally by the climatology of the Sahara.

A former nomadic camel market had become Sijilmassah, capi- tal of the Talifatel region.

Benefiting from its location in the East of the Middle Atlas, it constituted the gateway to the Sahara desert, the starting point for the caravans heading to the Sahel, also being their goal on their return from the South, and also linking with others from the North.

For all these circumstances, it was always a coveted bastion, frequently changing owners. For al-Murabitun, the possession of him was strategic, the lack of him implied a very serious setback.

Starting from the city, the caravans headed South for about 110 miles, where the route offered two alternatives.

The western route turned towards the southwest, across the hamma of the Dar’a, accessing Tindouf after a journey of about 310 miles. Later, it ran parallel, but inland, to the Atlantic coast until it ended in Audaghost.

Being a longer journey, it avoided directly crossing the Sahara, for which it enjoyed the favoritism of merchants.

The direct alternative to the South, even being the shortest, was the least attractive, being only feasible from the months of November until, at most, the end of May.

 

THE CAMEL

About 8,000 years ago, the arabs received the dromedary from the persians, later using it in their expansion across North Africa, towards Bilad al-Maghrib.

Known as the arabian camel, both this and the camel are perfect animals for loading and survival in deserts, not only in hot ones, but also in cold ones, such as the Gobi.

They are known as the ships of the desert, with extraordinary physiological adaptations that allow them to face the extreme con- ditions of their habitats.

Perhaps the most striking of these, but not the only ones, are the saharan temperatures, with maximums of 130º F in the shade, descending to 4º F in its central mountain ranges.

Modern camels have evolved over time to adapt to current conditions, since in the past milder climates prevailed.

This thermal moderation allowed the development of animals

that reached their maximum expression in the Titanotylopus, in present-day North America, some three million years ago, an impressive animal that reached a height of 11 feet, but lacked a hump.

This was developed gradually, to enable the storage of fats, as the environmental conditions became warmer and drier.

The dromedary has only one hump, the camel two.

In hot and dry climates, animals resort to panting, sweating and perspiration to regulate their body temperature around 98° F, but these responses, generated by the bodies to stabilize the inter- nal temperature of their organisms, entail a loss of water.

All this requires the necessary contributions of water to rehy- drate, but if there is a lack of water, everything is upset.

A dehydrated camel stabilizes its body temperature at 107º F,

 

May 10th

Immersed, dwarfed beneath the vast forest canopy that stret- ched overhead, the small group progressed slowly along the uneven path that ran across the mountains.

A silence, thick and gloomy, enveloped them.

That sad gruop, a score of teenagers, was led by Negri, helped by two other men.

Negri was a splendid human specimen, with a height of 6-foot 7-inch, possessing threatening and confident black eyes, and a powerful musculature, which made him a feared figure for the prey frightened of him.

The color of the skins of these men, black like those of their prey, was not an obstacle for their lives to be dedicated to the capture of adolescents, girls and boys, for their later sale in the markets of the western sahelian cities.

Most of these markets were nourished by inter-tribal wars, with the prisoners of endless brawls, but faced with the con- tinuous growth of demand, various groups specialized in that lucrative trade, staging their own raids.

Such a profession used to carry serious risks, although within that framework of wars and injustices it was but one more mani- festation of the violence that dominated those geographies.

Their step was weary, their bodies dripping with sweat, as

Negri pondered their next steps.

They were a long way from their goal, the western sahelian cities, where the slave market used to bring the most lucrative profits.

But, as had happened before, it might not be necessary for them to get there. On their way they would pass across several cities, and sometimes they would sell all the teenagers there.

 

brave that it is able to face the leopard alone, fell under their spears.

As it was being butchered and skinned, Negri began to doubt aboout this search, although he did not comment on anything with his partner.

They wasted no time eating, wrapping that bleeding flesh, still

throbbing, in a piece of skin. It would be their dinner.

They advanced, leaving marks here and there, scanning the ground.

Nothing.

Only human void, jungle, jungle …

A new night, wrapped in the whisper of fear, between sleep and shock.

May 13th

Another day of slow, exhausting march, attentive to the

ground, to the environment.

Wearily searching for signs of human presence, with the same disheartening result.

At night they openly commented on the possibility of return. But they weren’t just disheartened by the nullity of their pro-

longed search.

Without acknowledging it, the burden of isolation, of that un- nerving and absolute loneliness weighed on both of them, slowly but inexorably fostering the ancestral, innate human awe of those places.

Despite their bravery, they were aware that it was a matter of time before they fell into the web of panic, into the bottomless pit of losing their self-control.

Finally, they decided to continue one more day, returning if that total lack of human traces continued.

 

AL-DJUF

May 17th

Wrapped in deathly silence, under a blazing Sun, the caravan left Tawdeni.

All its members were aware that the adventure, the real dan- ger, began now, on that stretch to Biru.

If, with all the vicissitudes that could arise, they managed to get there in three weeks, in the first days of June, luck would have been propitious. A journey of at least three weeks, without the support of any population, aware that they could not count on the scarce sources of water, which appeared and vanished without interruption, at the mercy of the changing sands.

Trying to get out of their minds the possibility of terrible heat waves.

Except among the nomadic guides and the most hardened men in the caravan, in the rest arose helplessness, fear of the days that were to come.

Externally, they relied on the sense of trust and security that the group gives, but inside, the terrible fame of those places wei- ghed tangibly on their hearts.

Al-Djuf … the emptiness … The purest Sahara desert.

The deep emptiness of the lonely, infinite places.

The Sun, the heat, the thirst, the celestial vault, as immense as

it is unknown, filling the night sky.

All aware that if circumstances turned dire, their lives would ultimately depend on one man.

The taksif.

The nomadic guide who would leave, alone, for Biru, with the mission of getting a relief caravan that would depart urgently

 

Rain.

Incessant drops, spilling uncontrollably from every corner.

Deep as rain, a scent of soggy earth spread throughout the jungle, imposing itself on the variety of scents that permeated the atmosphere.

Slowed down with life, time froze, merging with those ra- in-lashed landscapes.

Cramming under the precarious shelter, their bodies struggled to warm each other, numbed by the humidity that enveloped their surroundings.

Motionless, his gaze lost, Ndalla emulated the forms of life that were paralyzed under that watery curtain with his back shel- tered in a soaked log, against which he stacked some bushes and leaves for shelter.

Unable to light a fire, unable to sleep, Ndalla transmuted into a branch, trying to empty his mind, to control the anguish lurking in his heart.

The rainfall did not cease until midnight, regularly accompa- nied by the roar of thunder, while the lightning repeatedly ignited that deep, primordial forest.

 

During three days, Fatin and his four men had been patiently following the caravan, controlling all the details of their daily routine.

His voracious hawk eyes kept an eye on the horses, of which they had already selected the ten most valuable, a target that, if consummated, would net them an appreciable amount of gold dinars.

Fatin was also aware that luck was with them, intuiting that

the relaxation that the guards gave off was derived from the fact

 

the favor of the protection of Allah.

That day the guard was doubled, under the personal control of one of the merchants, agreeing that throughout the days to come they would take turns among them, in order to increase security.

May 23rd

The last stretchs of the trail required a painful effort, but finally they crowned the mountain pass towards noon, beginning a less difficult descent.

But this area disturbed Negri and his men.

They crossed the Wamba Mountains, places in which the

gloomy halo of witchcraft always floated.

In addition to the fact that the tribes that lived in those dark mountains were known and feared.

Not just because of their hostility.

Although capable of remarkable physical feats, Negri and his men succumbed helplessly in the webs of superstition and fear, before the spirits and creatures of the afterlife.

On the other hand, they knew that those people practiced dark ancestral rites with their dead, which further increased their terror.

That world was an exclusive space, limited to witches and sor- ceresses, with their magical powers and secret ceremonial, among plants and concoctions that, although they could bring extraordi- nary dreams, also caused atrocious deaths to those who, unfortu- nately, attracted their wrath.

To the feared world of witchcraft was added their cannibalis- tic practices, being known that this was the horrible fate of all the people they captured within their domains, normally clearly marked by the terrifying spectacle of impaled corpses.

 

accompanied by a hot breeze that clouded the sky.

Announcing the riah al-sumun.

 

May 25th

Numan, their next goal, was about seven days away.

Now they traveled a path that, although precarious, was a dream compared to the paths they walked for many days. Not only did it allow them a comfortable walk, with less physical effort, but now the danger of getting lost was already forgotten.

Negri stared at the group of teenagers.

The hard days that had elapsed had left their mark, the thin- ness of those bodies being evident that, although they had never been plump, their diet provided them with the nutrients required for their growth needs.

Now, even enjoying a milder weather and the invaluable gift of that road, their health was in serious danger of suffering if he neglected their diet.

On the other hand, the fact that the ropes were wrapped around their bodies implied that they were unable to continue feeding on fruits and roots, as during the march throughout the jungle, so that the responsibility for their food now fell on their three captors.

The adolescents were tied at the waist, spaced just over 3 feet apart, and in order not to slow down their walking pace, they could only urinate or defecate when stopping for meals and for the night.

Negri was aware that they were only at the beginning of a long journey.

Aware of the many external factors, in addition to the unpre- dictable, that would mark his route, he did not even think about

 

Moon, so if the good luck is with us, even in the darkness of the jungle we would have some light.

The maelstrom enveloped their heads, a growing excitement taking over both of them. Still unable to delve deeper, to polish their ideas, they had plenty of decision, with their deep motivation to flee from that nightmare, to escape from those cruel men respon- sible for the tear they suffered..

 

With a slowness similar to the weary passage of the caravan, but extraordinarily virulent, the riah al-sumun began its scourge as soon as the Sun broke troughout the haze.

A hot wind.

In its extreme manifestations, capable even of evaporating the water carried in the wineskins, condemning to death entire cara- vans, unless they had the good fortune to find a well.

No protection against it, except to protect oneself so as not to

die buried under the sands.

Those who survive will never forget its lugubrious sound, not loud, but persistent.

At first, Wafiq and the merchants, supported by the nomadic guides, fought hard to keep the caravan together, to control the te- rrified animals, to finally give up their endeavor, each fighting for their survival, trying not to be blinded by the fine sands, to avoid being buried under the unpredictable and changing dunes.

When calm returned at noon, they evaluated the losses.

A missing guardian, five supply camels that managed to break their leashes and escape, some twenty pack camels that, bound by their tethers, lay buried under the sands, next to the servant who controlled them.

But Wafiq was able to breathe a sigh of relief when he

 

They soon found themselves exhausted, gasping for air, totally

unable to continue that mad rush.

Covered with sweat, they fell to their knees, while the noises that until then their breathing and agitation had silenced now grew inordinately, filling not only the forest but also their ears, their hearts.

They both disarmed. Psychologically broken, their integrity was broken, shrinking from the darkness and the noises, suffering the inexorable blow of those solitudes.

An uncontrollable cry seized Owoola, while her partner strug- gled not to succumb equally to discouragement.

• Cheer up, Owoola – she whispered -, we cannot faint Owoola continued to cry, but tried to respond to his partner.
• It’s just… I’m very scared… if we returned now, we would be safe… again with

Anowa swallowed hard, trying to counteract those feelings, the same ones that gripped her heart, longing for a return to the safety of the group.

But despite this, she brought firmness and security, feeling

instinctively and viscerally opposed to that alternative.

• We have to be strong, Owoola, reconsider where we have escaped, everything that pushes us, the need we have to return to our

Those simple reasonings made the young man relax, stopping his crying, although his body continued to tremble. The mere men- tion of family carried so much strength inside him that, little by little, his breathing recovered, and his spasms faded.

Sensing the effect that her words had on her partner, Anowa breathed a sigh of relief, noticing how security took hold in her again.

 

The entire time he was unable to sleep, startled despite his experience, struggling not to succumb to paralyzing fear, trapped in that dimension where time, slowed down, imposed its relentless law on him.

 

The morning opened with the haze and that suffocating breeze that heralded a new riah al-sumun.

A chill ran troughout their tired bodies, shocked by the inci- pient storm, feeling how the hot breeze increased the temperature significantly.

They huddled together, preparing to face the inevitable storm.

Though shorter, it hit them harder than before, the hot wind scorching their tormented bodies, trying to control the shifting dunes with their eyes blinded by the sands.

In the end, inevitably, the fight turned into a personal battle,

each of them trying not to succumb to that screaming, blind hell. Four guardians succumbed, buried alive in the fateful funnel that formed where they sheltered, quickly filled with fine sands.

About thirty pack camels perished, as did a horse and seven supply camels, all buried in the blackness of their fate.

A wave of fatalism washed over the survivors of that storm, as they rebuilt the caravan and dug up the cargo camels, the incle- ment Sun whipping their bodies without forgiveness.

• May Allah merciful protect us – Asadel implored, at the limit of his strength – … we will not be able to endure this nightmare any longer …

Even the hardened Zaid gave way to despondency.

• I have never endured these conditions, let us each implore the merciful Allah for its

 

Negri said nothing, proceeding to remove the skins that covered Olowa’s arm and then inspect the wound.

His face, hermetic, was expressionless, although a fleeting sign of annoyance flashed in his eyes, then he looked questioningly at Ogoa.

• It was inevitable, because they faced me decisively, and in the struggle I stepped on his
• Certainly – Negri seemed to admit – they have been brave… did they spend the night alone ?
• Yes, and I can assure you that it has been hard, not only for them, but even for
• It seems that they have also been cunning, running away for so
• Of course they are clever, they let me overtake them, patient- ly following me and, when I realized that I had lost them and I backed off, they took advantage of that time to run towards the Luckily, the night fell on us, and I was able to capture them early the next morning, but I admit that it has been more difficult than I anticipated, although finally here they are both.
• Luckily, they did not get to the village, which undoubtedly would have caused us more Well, now I have to deci- de what their punishment will be.

The smile that shone on Gulata’s face clearly contrasted with the serious features of Ogoa, who, without hardly thinking, res- ponded to his boss.

• Couldn’t you forgive them ? … I think that with all that they have suffered, they have enough punishment, especially the

The look Negri gave him, first surprised and then questioning,

was conspicuously lacking in the slant of indulgence.

Ogoa took a moment to insist, in a softer voice.

 

May 30th

When they finished their tiring march at dawn, the merchants

met with their guides.

• I think that, in view of the seriousness of these circumstan- ces, it is necessary that we recapitulate, know our strengths and needs, at what point we are – Zaid’s faint voice opened the turn for

– How far do we still need to get to Biru ? – Wafiq asked, loo- king at al-Sayyid.

• According to my estimates, we have traveled about 235 miles from Tawdeni, so we still have about 200

That calculation fell like a stone on the merchants.

• With the wear and tear that we have suffered during the past days, I am afraid that our capacity to survive is restricted to a few days – Mu’tazz’s comment reflected the general

– But as long as we are able to efficiently ration the water we still have, which to our misfortune and regret did not happen yesterday – Sabir observed.

• Considering all this, we can think that our fate will be fa- tal, if Allah does not protect us – Zuhair’s voice summed up the

The merchants’ gazes converged on al-Sayyid, seeking the wis-

dom of his experience.

• In these circumstances, and considering the possibilities, I believe that our only alternative is the taksif – he replied, after a few moments of
• The messenger … to send your partner Thabit to Biru – Zaid reflected – … without a doubt that only you are capable of making this journey in these terrible circumstances …

 

THE TAKSIF

May 31st

The dawn tore troughout the night, proclaiming another new

day of fire.

The taksif continued to advance, struggling to beat time, while

the temperature rose again, exceeding 113° F.

On the back of his mehari, he was totally wrapped in his clothes, which prevented him from being burned by the rays of the Sun.

Two tiny openings made it possible for him to see, while also shielding his eyes from the blindness that the lingering, glowing glare of the sands would cause if he was not careful.

Around noon he stopped.

His first concern was his mehari, which he stripped of the har- ness and carried it, then provided it with 0.3 gallons of water.

After driving his spear deep into the sands, he tied it to his mehari with a long leather strap, allowing it a relative comfort of movement, and then gave it some caresses, with words of thanks.

He carried water for a week, provided he administered it spa- ringly.

While he ate some dates accompanied by short drinks of water, he devoted himself to carefully observing the surroundings, me- morizing them and then proceeding to point out the direction to follow with some stones.

Finishing his scant snack, he unrolled a skin about 3 by 6 feet, tying a corner above the strap that held his mehari, less than 3 feet high and then, lying close to the skin, outlined his figure in the sands, removing these later in a depth close to 2 feet.

 

As they ate at noon, sitting on the side of the path, they wat- ched another group of girls and boys, also tied, passing towards Kano.

They looked at each other in amazement, seeing each other re- flected in the others, realizing that their situation was not exclu- sive.

All and all participants of the same and still unknown destiny.

• I think … maybe we could ask Ogoa what they are going to do with us – Anowa whispered that night, recalling that
• I don’t know … maybe … but it gives me the impression that he wouldn’t answer us – Okabe’s gaze slipped on the man – also, it seems that … he’s more distant from his companions …
• It’s true, as if he was suspicious of them, but I think Okabe is right, this does not mean that he is going to explain his plans to us – Tandeng agreed with Okabe’s

– I suppose that, in time, we will know … but I do not expect anything good – Anowa’s voice denoted her insecurity in a noto- rious way, while her body involuntarily shrunk.

June 18th

As they walked, they heard a growing noise ahead of the group, announced by a cloud of dust rising from the path.

At Negri’s orders they all stepped aside, clearing the way.

When a group of soldiers mounted on their camels trotted past him, they froze, gazing at the climax of their surprise at the figure that led the group, mounted on an unknown animal, white with black spots, of a shocking beauty.

Not even the whip on their heads could get them out of their daze, so their slave traders had to resort to shoves to get them to resume their march, amid humorous comments.

That horse stuck in Okabe’s mind.

 

After untying them from the walls, they were taken to the cen- ter of the square, where they remained tied on their feet, looking around indecisively.

As the day went by, the number of people who approached them, as in the previous afternoon, increased, examining them to later approach Negri and talk with converse with him while poin- ting to someone in the group.

Anowa was the first sale which, judging by Negri’s gestures,

had been very successful.

At the age of twelve, Anowa proclaimed the path of what would be a few years later.

That girl not only possessed a perfect and slender body, with curly hair and large jet-colored eyes in venusian features, but above all else, her personality gave off an unmistakable halo of security and self-assertion difficult to hide, even in those circum- stances.

A sum of details especially valued by those who, with the wei- ght of the gold coins, were skilled connoisseurs of the possibilities of pleasure that those adolescents offered.

To everyone’s surprise, Gulata separated her from her compa- nions, who watched in bewilderment as two servants took her to the buyer.

Then, when the four of them walked away until they disappea- red into the crowd, they looked at each other, feeling their hearts beat rapidly, while they felt their legs tremble, oblivious to their wills.

Layinka was the next sale.

But now, instinctively, they all pressed together, forming a compact pineapple, hugging each other with the force of their desperation.

 

• Is there anyone who knows everything ? – Okabe’s question confused Ogoa again, who
• I don’t know, maybe the Gods, yes, I think they know

The resumption of the march interrupted the conversation, to the fortune of Ogoa who, on one hand, did not exactly stand out for his loquacity.

On the other hand, he felt increasingly confused the ambiva- lence of his feelings, the changes he had been experiencing lately, unable to focus them, but clearly noticing how they affected him.

He felt better and better with Okabe, but his clenched stomach clearly reflected that the contradictions between his feelings and his behavior might demand an answer, possibly sooner than he wanted to admit.

In general, adolescents managed to survive the different vicis- situdes that affected them, although the unfortunate ones were not lacking either.

The psychological and physical tensions, the fear of their pre- sent and the uncertain future, gradually broke down those who were unable to overcome them, in continuous wear and tear with final tragic consequences.

In those long stages, two girls and a boy died, progressively weakened and unable to keep up with the pace.

Thin and sick, they ended up being abandoned on those lonely places, an easy prey for carnivorous animals, especially hyenas.

Inevitably, Gulata and others like him did not waste such an attractive feast, enjoying with their bodies to satiety.

The heartrending screams that faded behind them accompanied them in their dreams for a few days, reminding them of the fate of Owoola.

 

He taught them how to take care of scorpions, fearsome for their sting, not for a healthy adult, but which used to be deadly for youngsters as they already knew well.

He told them about the dreaded cobra, with a poison more powerful than that of the desert viper, wich is smaller and less robust than that of the jungle.

– But you will see the most surprising animal of all, a huge lizard that lives in rivers, capable of devouring the unfortunate people it captures – their incredulous faces caused him to smile.

Even giving credence to his narratives, thinking of such ani-

mals was difficult for them to accept.

With all the nuances, and especially with Okabe, Ogoa was provisionally playing the role that Ndalla, if they continued toge- ther, would play in his son’s apprenticeship.

Instinctively, in a veiled sense of relief for his increasingly uneasy conscience of him, Ogoa mused that these explanations would add positive elements to Okabe.

When, like, it was already more difficult to specify.

• Where do you live ? do you have family ?

Those questions, unwanted but expected, caused Ogoa to turn

pale and silent for a moment.

• My village is far from here, in the middle of the jungle … and yes, I have a

He swallowed hard, staring at the ground, feeling their gazes focused on him.

• I live with my partner, my three sons and a daughter – he answered, when he could muster up enough

They both fell silent, unable to continue … how could that man be able to capture girls and boys, even perhaps kill them, being the father of several ?

 

IDRIS

July

Idris woke up suddenly, with a strange sensation.

Although it had already dawned, the light outside the tent in which he slept with his family lacked the usual luminosity, being replaced by a diffuse, blurred clarity.

Feeling his heart beat fast, he headed outside, checking that he was not mistaken.

Where the incipient and implacable Sun of July should have been, a blanket of clouds covered the heights, and fine drops of rain began to fall.

The ground, sandy and dry, greedily absorbed that treasure, but other drops continued to fall, even managing to slightly soak it.

The excited cattle began to moo, and that was the signal that woke up the rest of the people, who began to emerge quickly from their jaimas amid exclamations of joy, while they shed their filthy clothes, toasting to their bodies the joy of those rains, as longed for as rare.

The heat of July was temporarily weakening, replaced by those long-awaited clouds from the South, which arose in those places where the Idris’s clan roamed, in a continuous wait for the bles- sing of the water that, later, would bring a harvest of grasses and herbs.

Idris undressed too, enjoying every drop of rain that fell on his hard, sinewy physiognomy. He was 6-foot tall, with a face with serious features and a forehead that already showed the incipient furrows of wrinkles.

His hair was black, very short, brown eyes and a hooked nose that gave him an arrogant appearance.

At the age of twenty-five, he was in command of his clan, some

 

GUELB ER-RICHAT

That morning Idris was looking out not only at that impressi- ve landscape, but also at new feelings, which would sprout and germinate in the hours to come. He sat up, absorbed.

Before his eyes, a circular depression of about 25 miles in diameter, with a depth of about 300 feet and an age of about 6oo million years, framed a fascinating place, the fruit of Nature in its slow but implacable erosive force.

Hundreds of millions of years ago, that area was under water.

As these receded due to the continuous activity and lifting of the crust of Earth, the slowly accumulated sediments were expo- sed, finally transformed into a dome.

The rains, but mainly the saharan winds, throwing their fine sands like roughing jets, were progressively eroding the dome, une- venly wearing down its structure due to its different materials.

From its quartzite center, concentric bands of the same mate- rial were formed, while the intermediate, less resistant areas were worn away, forming intermediate valleys between the harder ones.

Now those layers were manifested stark, forming an unreal geography, with their fascinating colors coming from the minerals that made them up.

Contemplating that landscape, Idris felt new sensations rising to his mind. As if the realization of the different spurred his sen- ses, prompting them to experience the discovery of the unknown, that which was beyond his routine world.

A feeling of search, a need for new horizons and experiences had been implanted inside him and, returning to his clan, Idris matured the need for a new stage in his existence.

The known world seemed small to him, and the attraction of change would be the engine of his life for the times to come.

 

Talking with Ayotunde, the head of the group, he learned about their activities, and above all, about the possibilities that this job could have.

Without hardly thinking about it, he offered himself to the lea- der of the group who, obviously interested in that person of such remarkable physical power, accepted him without hesitation.

Negri went to his hut, telling his parents that he was leaving them, leaving in search of new horizons for his life, without exp- laining them more details.

Although for his parents his departure marked the beginning of their last stage in this life, they accepted it without complaint,

sincerely wishing him that his destiny would have more incentives, more hope than their lives.

They watched him pick up his smalle belongings, and Negri la- ter knew that they barely survived one Moon after his departure.

Then came the time when, under the command of Ayotunde, he learned the tricks and peculiarities of that profession, in addition to realizing, to his surprise, the ease he had in learning different languages, an important advantage, because in such a wide field like the one for which they developed their human hunts, they encountered a wide variety of tribes, each with its own language.

Ayotunde centered its captures in the villages nestled in dis- tant southern lands, in wild and dangerous places, in which their isolation carried the not inconsiderable advantage that their in- habitants were still unaware of that trade, so they had the factor of surprise, and when Negri acquired the experience and knowle- dge necessary to become independent, he decided to form his own group.

From the beginning, and after pondering the subject, he chose to focus his captures on remote lands just like his master, but

 

Timbuktu, he had pondered his latest teachings.

For a few nights, he took the young man to the walls of the settlement where, agreed on the price, some soldiers trained people in the handling of weapons.

Under their expert guidance, Okabe enhanced the knowledge

learned from Ogoa, while also being introduced to new ones.

He would reveal himself to be especially skilled with the hand- ling of the short spear, while with the sword, in hand-to-hand combat, his age carried a clear disadvantage.

But he did not stop learning fledgling tricks and techniques.

Ogoa still hid something more special for him.

Once he considered that the young had an appreciable knowle- dge base, seed of his future, Ogoa accompanied him to the camel stables.

After the usual bargaining, Ogoa agreed with a camel driver to teach Okabe how to ride those animals, apparently tame, but really irascible if lacked the skill required for their riding.

Okabe’s features were transfigured as he found himself riding

the camel.

A part of his dreams, albeit fleetingly, came true there on top of

everyone, in an almost unreal pleasure.

Throughout three consecutive days he trained in the hand- ling of it, and now his age did not represent an impediment in the riding of that animal, surprising even the instructor with his ability.

Able to recognize the rider that he instinctively contacted his mount, he sensed Okabe’s ease in becoming an accomplished rider, commenting on it with Ogoa, who was already aware of it.

Those were his last training sessions. And his last days with Ogoa.

 

BIRU

September

During their waiting time, and despite being in the heat of heat, Wafiq and the rest of the merchants enjoyed the rest of their stay in Biru, forgetting about the desert fire, the endless dunes, the rocky ground.

From al-Djuf …

Although Biru was a small town, in it they found the pleasu-

res of water, shade, food and music, conversation and sex.

Those days were a haven of joy and happiness, a well-deserved reward for the journey across al-Djuf.

When they left behind the glare of the Sun, the torrid streets, and entered the gloomy and freshness of the houses, their cour- tyards, a transmutation took place in their bodies and in their minds.

No, they were not really desert dwellers, saharan nomads.

Throughout those days, Wafiq and the other merchants had proceeded to recompose the goods after the losses of the trip, then gradually selling them.

As usual, salt and horses were the most requested, immediately

obtaining the expected benefits.

Although the lucrative trans-saharan caravan trade also at- tracted jewish and nomadic merchants, it was controlled primarily by berber merchants, with deep ethnic and personal ties.

An elaborate table of moral norms and restrictions worked in favor of their cohesion, as well as in the maintenance of their pri- vileges, because given their economic power, their influence among the political class was very important.

Of the seven merchants who left Sijilmassah, two, Asadel and Mu’tazz, lay buried in the sands of al-Djuf, but honor and

 

the gold they obtained from the sales of Taghaza salt.

2,2 pounds of salt had given them 2.2 pounds of gold, an un- beatable business despite the cost that it had involved.

About two hundred camels were carrying the coveted metal.

The supply camels were reduced to about fifty.

Unless unforeseen troubles, obtaining water on this route would not be problematic, which made it possible to considerably reduce the number of animals required to transport it, nor did they take any camels for slaughter.

The forty servants who survived the al-Djuf crossing were

returning with them, as well as fifty guardians.

Fifteen others had been hired at Biru to make up for their losses, for now, with its cargo of gold, the caravan was a highly coveted target, although the crossing of this route, with more traffic and surveillance, was relatively safe.

Women and men slaves walked alongside the camels, tied in long columns, imprinting their footprints on the saharan sands for the first time in their lives.

Thanks to Okabe, propagator of the information received from Ogoa, and despite the problems caused by the different languages, at the end all those people were aware of their destination when they arrived at Sijilmassah.

At the beginning of September Okabe was 14-year old.

His route led them to Tisit, some 200 miles to the West, pas- sing North of Audaghost, across the lands that separate al-Djuf, to the North, from Aukar, to the South.

At Tisit they were entrusted to the command of a new guide, and now their course was heading towards Wadan, some 190 miles to the North, where they arrived just before mid-October.

 

their undeniable upper world and that black siklabi.

As they shared their knowledge with Okabe, they noticed how, despite the language barrier, he learned it with relative ease, with which their schemes that those wretches were incapable of lear- ning were progressively altered.

Especially for Idris.

That evening, while they were cleaning the area where they would spend the night, the nomad did not notice an scorpion that, irritated by the invasion of its territory, was crushed by a stone when it was about to stab him with its stinger.

Idris paled, knowing how close he had been to suffering a few days of fever and pain, at best.

Okabe, from whose hand the stone came out, looked at him indecisively, while Yasif, tending to the meharis, had not noticed the incident.

Idris finished stamping the animal with his foot, continuing his task in silence, while inside him he felt a deep irritation at this unforgivable carelessness.

Even worse. That he owed something to a dirty siklabi was as incredible as embarrassing.

On a daily basis, especially with Yasif, Okabe increased his knowledge of the berber and arabic languages, eagerly supplying his few skills in this field.

However, in contrast, he easily learned everything related to that environment, so opposite to his, but where his innate venato- rial gifts found fertile ground.

His two mentors, both immersed in their teachings and surpri- sed with themselves, especially Idris, imparted their knowledge with that siklabi intensively, as if they were aware that it was transcendental to make the most of time.

 

SIJILMASSAH

Early December

In contrast to the sad farewell of the month of April, the joy now presides over the entrance of the caravan into the city, with family and friends gathered in the square celebrating the reunion with their longed-for people, who swam blissfully in the emotions of their feelings, so long suppressed, with the belief that their jour- ney, their separation, had lasted for years.

But the sadness for the lost also floated in the air, the cries of those who found that their loved ones had died during the jour- ney. However, life continued its course, and now the joy of the majority prevailed.

After lavish congratulations and hugs, the merchants went to the palace of the wali, to fill him in and inform him of the inci- dents and vicissitudes of the journey, at the same time that they received the first news of the events that occurred during their absence.

Their minds, however, flew to their longed-for homes, where

they went joyfully at the conclusion of their formal visit.

Even so, Wafiq would return to the square before, to make sure

that no problems had arisen.

He noted with satisfaction that everything was jealously guar- ded, not only by his guardians but also by soldiers of the garrison, while the male and female slaves lay in a dirty shed, where they would spend the night.

Later, he also made sure that Yasif and Idris would have ac- commodation, agreeing with them to meet the following day.

In the end, with the shadows of the night already, he entered

the palace he longed for, exuberant with the joy of his return.

In the warmth of his family, on that cold December night, he

 

myself nervous, wanting to get away from here. Idris nodded, sharing his partner’s sentiment.

• True, these narrow streets, full of people are unbearable, but perhaps worst of all are the buildings, the houses, making it impossible for us to see beyond a few
• Besides the fact that many people seem unfriendly, I don’t know how to explain it, they seem distant, rather indifferent with respect to the

Silence, their most normal state, prevailed again between them,

immersed in their reflections.

• At the moment, I feel not only strange … it is also as if some- thing inside me … the feeling that perhaps we are wrong, that this is not really our environment …
• That’s right, Yasif, although on the other hand, I suppose that all our feelings are logical and normal, we must bear in mind that this is a really profound
• It is true, deep down perhaps it is only a matter of time, of adapting to this lifestyle, something that now seems impossible to

They returned to the square, watching how it was filled with people sheltered in their djellabas, despite the warmth of the rays of Sun.

They spotted Wafiq loitering among his merchandise, and he

greeted them with a broad smile.

– How are you ? … although by the expression on your faces, it gives the impression that you do not feel very encouraged – he asked them, after the usual greetings.

They both tried to smile back.

– Right, we are really disoriented, this environment, even peo- ple, is very different from ours.

 

acquire them.

Irremediably, their eyes also took delight in staring at the em- bossed, artistic saddles. Some, like the swords, came from al-Anda- lus, lands that they heard about continuously, although specifying their location was totally impossible for them.

And the horses …

Those wonderful, unattainable and attractive animals, beau- tiful and mysterious, with their fascinating diversity of patterns and colors, so opposed to their sparse and faded meharis.

Idris and Yasif gazed at them with spellbound eyes, delighting in the caress of their soft skin, climaxing as they gazed at their lean gallop which, on firm ground, was able to easily outrun their meharis.

Their incipient noses opened up to new worlds, distant hori- zons, with the aroma of spices and perfumes that permeated a part of the square, contrasting with the normal smells of sweat, dirt, urine, and excrements prevailing everywhere.

The music enraptured their ears, under the deep force of the rhythms, while their pupils dilated in disbelief, enjoying the extraordinary contortions of the dancers, among whom stood out those of the black race, immersed in a trance that dominated their bodies to inconceivable limits, beyond their wills, in a total sym- biosis with the rhythms emanating from flutes and drums.

Or the musical strings of the lute, a fine work of art, as well

as the rabel, the small three-stringed lute, from which the skilled musician, with the help of the bow, plucked an incredible range of notes.

Closer, the wild animals were also a must, gazing at them in amazement, unable to explain the magical mastery that some men achieved over cobras, those swift and deadly snakes before which

 

camel, weapons, equipment, with functions and duties like everyo- ne else.

On the other hand, little by little, that geography began to attract him.

Even with its remarkable hardness, the places were more va- ried, and the earthy areas, pebbles and rocky areas, hills and small gorges, rivers with stretches of water, palm groves and isolated vegetation, made up relatively contrasted places with the predomi- nant aridity in the sea. of sands of desert dunes.

The views were more varied, with mountains to the North, and although their southern slopes, burned by the Sun, were often rather barren and desolate, some bush here or there provided some signs of life.

Isolated, the small palm groves were the main attraction, and they even enjoyed the sight of some small, furtive gazelles.

Despite the temptation, the call of the hunt on their bodies, they gave up chasing them, because it would not only be arduous, but above all dangerous, due to the need to disaggregate the pa- trol, to have any chance of success with those fast animals.

That morning they were passing across a valley, marked out by small hills on its flanks, which gradually narrowed until they almost touched, forming at the end a rather narrow pass, with an especially stony right slope.

• Stop !

They stopped at the command voice of Idris, who looked at Yasif, realizing that he was feeling equally uneasy.

For the two of them, their instinct was unmistakable, there among the rocks a group of bandits stalked them.

• To the weapons ! Pay special attention to the stony area on the right! – at his command, everyone prepared their weapons,

 

THE SEA

With a fledgling Sun behind him gilding the morning, under a blazing blue sky, Idris rode swiftly, eager to check out the fantas- tic tales of Wafiq, until his ears caught a distant rumble behind the dunes, which made him pause, listening carefully.

That continuous, unknown and majestic murmur, mixed with the piars of the seabirds, caught his senses, enveloping him in webs of a strange anxiety.

His nose could not yet distinguish the scent of the sea, but his body already sensed the progressive humidity, and when his meha- ri crowned the small knoll that separated them from the ocean, the breeze enveloped them.

He stopped stunned, while a prolonged chill ran troughout his veins, contemplating that infinite blue-green sea that was shown before his eyes.

Oceans of breezes, of marine immensities, faced the emptiness of its oceans of sand.

His dwarfed eyes, always wrapped in a turban, melted into that line of the horizon, where the brilliant azure blue met the greenish sea.

Those pupils, filled with infinite loneliness, overflowed before the force of that dynamic, murmuring world, while his smell, par- ched by fiery winds, almost oblivious to the nuances, was moiste- ned with that exciting aromas.

His ears, emptying themselves of the deep silence of the Sahara immensities, were filled with the murmur of the waves, the songs of the birds.

An Idris tanned with sweat, adversities and hardships, silently faced his unknown, vital ocean.

 

MARRAKESH

April

As they passed across the alleys, illuminated profusely by the torches, a huge crowd blurred them, flowing quietly towards the square that seemed to be the center of the city.

– We are already in Djena al-Fnaa – the head of the patrol

explained to Wafiq, smiling at the disbelief on his face.

Not only because of its name, the Assembly of the Dead, but also because of its dimensions, which dwarfed that of Sijilmassah.

The heart of the capital was abuzz with people, activity, music, lights and colors, all enveloped in the smells of meat on the embers and spices, and they passed by it as in a dream, stunned and unable to believe what their eyes contemplated.

That night Wafiq and his family slept in a comfortable and luxurious palace, intended for high-ranking visitors, while the ca- ravan spent the night in a nearby square, sheltered by the soldiers.

When he got up, Wafiq was indulging in a long, relaxing bath,

full of optimism and satisfaction.

He had not erred, this was a world full of promising prospects, and next to him Sijilmassah was relegated to a small oasis, almost lost at the gates of the desert sands.

An emissary was waiting for him, and after pick up Idris and Yasif, they went to Yusuf’s palace, where they were received by a personal assistant of the al-Murabit leader, to whom Wafiq presented the wali’s letters, as well as a generous present.

The assistant read the letters carefully, then addressed them.

– On behalf of our leader Yusuf, I welcome you to the city

– said the assistant, although the warmth of his words did not correspond to the coldness of his gaze -, in which I hope you will prosper as you undoubtedly deserve.

 

THE SNOW

Following Wafiq’s recommendations, they left for the sou- theast carrying plenty of warm clothes and food, and hardly any water, which gave them a strange sensation.

For Idris and Yasif, the fertile fields watered with the abun- dant waters from the mountains delighted their eyes, gazing joyfully at the large number of fruit trees that lined their path, unable to resist the temptation to pick a piece of fruit from time to time, especially the few oranges left, their favorite, unknown fruit before reaching Sijilmassah.

Perhaps to compensate for their ancestral thirst, they tirelessly consumed those fruits, tender and juicy, full to ooze with their sweet and appetizing liquid.

Those landscapes continually surprised them, especially the constructions that channeled and distributed the water according to the needs of the crops.

Compared with the meager harvests brought about by the rare desert rains, the fertility of those orchards and plantations, as well as the green color prevailing everywhere at that time, pro- voked their fascination and abstraction.

The cold surprised them the second night, on the slopes of the first mountains, when after their dinner in the heat of the campfi- re, comfortable and relaxed, they wrapped themselves in their furs to sleep.

As the night wore on, they began to shiver, finally being forced

to bundle up with more clothes.

Next day, as they continued their march up the ascending path, the temperatures gradually dropped, forcing them to cover them- selves with more clothing.

• How strange I feel with so many clothes on, in the middle of

 

fruit of a life dedicated entirely to work, locked in minimal rooms.

• They are artists, without a doubt, but… it is hard to imagine that they might spend their lives
• I feel the same as you, Fatin … maybe these people don’t know anything beyond this
• And what is perhaps worse … they may not feel any curiosi- ty, or need, to discover something beyond – starting from totally different worlds, Fatin and Okabe felt even
• You don’t know what you’re saying – the irate protest of Mayi surprised them – I cannot understand your need to know anything new, with how dangerous it is to wander outside the
• Maybe you’re right, Mayi, but even so, doesn’t it seem hard to you that your life always passes in the same place, without feeling the urge to travel, meet other different people, new cities

? – Fatin was also developing the gift of words, and Okabe tuned his ears to learn from him.

• It is that for me the only important thing is to have security, my life has already been too hazardous, and I always have the im- pression that any change is for the worse … no, I do not feel any desire to expose myself, and I hope my life always passes inside of these walls … I would feel

At times, the youthful impetus of the three friends turned their comments into arguments, ending in brawls so festering as ephe- meral. They also wandered around the goldsmiths’ quarter, feeling the attraction, the dazzling of their works.

Their specialty, the work of gold and silver, offered striking necklaces, beautiful bracelets, an endless number of adornments destined to satisfy and perpetuate that innate human need to excel, to make a difference from others.

 

ASIDA

Okabe was doing one of his routine guards at the door of the palace when, around noon, he observed the butler arriving with a young woman carrying a simple bundle on her shoulder, with the characteristic insecurity of the newcomer reflected in her features.

Her appearance was healthy, with a slim but strong comple- xion, and of rather tall stature, about 5.5-foot. Her hair was slightly curly, longer than normal, with a broad forehead above brandy black eyes, a thin nose, and full, prominent lips, giving her attractive features.

Inevitably, Okabe’s gaze also fell on her reduced breasts and broad hips, feeling her penis enter an incipient and spontaneous erection that he managed to restrain.

• Okabe … this is Asida, our new servant – the butler introdu- ced

The girl, whose age would be around twenty, returned his smi- le, entering the butler into the palace, and Okabe kept looking at her until she disappeared behind the door, noticing how his body was dissociated from his mind again.

When, shortly after, he entered the kitchen to eat, he met the young woman, who served him his food.

• Hello, Okabe – her smile caused him a embarrassment that he tried to
• Hello Asida … well … it seems like you’re new … where do you come from ?

– I was serving as a servant in another house, until my owner decided to move to Fas, shedding almost all of his servitude … coincidentally, he is a friend of your owner … now mine too … and he was interested in me, because he needed one more servant … well, you know all these things, and now here I am.

 

Opening his eyes, he managed to dilute his urgency, and his hands caressed Asida’s hair, whose excitement increased gradually and visibly, until after a few moments she stood up in front of him, shedding her clothes.

Okabe could barely delight in the sight of her splendid body when Asida’s hands grasped his head, pulling it close to her breasts.

– Oh, suck my tits – her anxiety dominated her words, despite which she warned him in a whisper – … but be very careful, don’t make any noise …

Okabe’s mouth traveled slowly over those small breasts, deli- ghting as much in licking them and sucking on her nipples as in hearing the contained breath of Asida, tremulous with pleasure, when she pressed the young man’s head until it was level with her vagina.

• Suck my clitoris, eat my pussy, oh, don’t stop, don’t stop …

When orgasms shook her sweaty body, Asida seemed on the verge of fainting, as she clenched her mouth tightly so that no sound came out of her, until again her hands guided Okabe, cau- sing him to sit up as she knelt down, resting her arms and face on the ground, offering himself fully.

Okabe’s penis brushed her legs, until Asida’s hand inserted it into her vagina, dripping and lubricious, moving frantically until he imitated her, causing him to feel close to ejaculating, which Asida intuited.

• Oh, Okabe, be very careful … don’t cum on my pussy … Okabe remembered the warnings of Mayi, stopping
• How do you want … ? what I do ? How do you want me to come ? – he whispered, struggling to control

The breathing of Asida raced when she gently extracted his

 

THE KASBAHS

The settlement of Bulmane, 60 miles distant, was their desti- nation.

To reach it they first would ascend to some plateau areas, later

heading towards the northeast.

From Ourzazate to Bulmane, a succession of peasant-inhabi- ted kasbahs struggled to survive it all.

Isolated, far from each other, they lived in insecurity and fear.

Faced with the raids of the bandits and the threats posed by the soldiers, the only protection that its inhabitants had was cons- tituted by the thick adobe walls of their kasbahs, the resistance of their doors.

Some peasants were also sporadic criminals, for which Qays and his men would go inspecting those settlements that marked their route.

In the end, the mystery of Bulmane awaited them, the most dangerous position in the eastern foothills of the Atlas.

This location, near the impressive gorges of Dades and Todra, was a strategic position in control of the region.

The gorges were the places across which the bandits, crossing their narrow canyons, easily accessed the nearest caravan routes.

Those mountains represented the heart of the villages inhabited by bandits who, protected by their rugged geography, with abun- dant water and cultivated areas, were unassailable.

Sometimes the kasbah of Bulmane, manned by a small contin- gent of soldiers, fell into the hands of bandits.

If, concluding their journey, they found themselves at that juncture, the future of Qays’ company would be in the air.

Surrounded by mountains, without the support of the garrison, isolated and far from Ourzazate, with a shortage of food,

 

subordinate and five soldiers.

Screams reached their ears, but stopped quickly, so Qays and his three subordinates ascended to the roof, to find out what was happening.

A guard soldier told them that the patrols had possibly discove- red a peasant sheltered in the surroundings.

When the shouting began in a rocky area, inspected by a pa- trol, the other approached there quickly, but immediately signaled to the kasbah that everything was under control.

– Okabe, come over there with two men to find out what’s going on – Qays told him, as he watched the soldiers loitering on foot.

Shortly after, the three arrived, observing how the camels nib- bled the herbs under the supervision of a warrior, while two others kept two adult peasants prostrate on the ground, under the threat of their spears.

As they approached, the soldiers gave them a strange smile, looking towards some rocks, which they approached without dis- mounting from their camels.

Okabe paled, seeing how two women were being savagely raped by wild beasts that destroyed them, amid the foul laughter of those who helped them. Those peasant women were unable to scream, since the daggers on their necks kept them mute, swa- llowing all their anxieties and tears without remedy.

Okabe’s hand flew towards his sword, but the hand of Ka- duna, one of the warriors who accompanied him, held it firmly, looking at him without seeing him.

For a few moments, Okabe tried to follow his instincts, but something flared in his mind and, lowering his head, he finally gave up.

 

KARIF

The most important tribe in those mountains was led by Karif, head of one of the mountain clans, whose footsteps kicked up the dust from the winding path that climbed towards the plateau, as he gazed at the resplendent full Moon illuminating his lands.

His small village sat on the side of a mountain, perched like an eagle’s nest, in a place swept by the winds. It consisted of a few stone houses that made up a small fortified enclosure.

The ground floor of these buildings housed their cattle, mainly goats with some sheep, at night, and the fire of the kitchen, while their accommodations were located on the first floor.

A communal era and a small plaza for the jam’ah completed the village.

Both he and his people really considered themselves peasants.

At the bottom of the valley, where a stream flowed with water throughout the year, the cultivation areas were scattered, in which they collected wheat and vegetables, as well as pastures for their livestock.

Their most basic needs were met, and they lived a relatively comfortable life, even though the winters were harsh and cold.

Those mountains were rough, with little vegetation, and the rains, seasonal and often torrential, caused a strong erosion in the materials, mainly limestone and clay, with the formation of numerous deep ravines.

Their religion was not Islamic, and their life was governed by the Kanun, which collected its codes of laws and customs, in which the family was the main element of cohesion among them.

So strong that an injury to the honor of one of its members affected all of them, demanding revenge from everyone.

Like all the tribes that inhabited the Bilad al-Maghrib, from

 

TODRA

The patrol left the kasbah before dawn, reaching Todra around noon.

A chill ran troughout Okabe’s body, gazing at those impressi- ve vertical walls, vigilant of the narrow entrance, the creek that snaked at its bottom.

He admired its ravishing beauty, its innate savagery, and also caught the unnerving silence that it emanated.

He knew the bandits were waiting there, and one glance at Qays and Kaduna was enough to confirm that they shared his certainty, at which his body flushed.

He tried to control the tremor that shook him, coupled with that total paralysis that prevented him from moving, as a host of memories hit him fleetingly and deeply.

The face of Asida, his family and his people fighting to the death not to fade, those jungle places that nested in the depths of his heart …

His mind froze, and his gaze remained fixed, anchored in those

walls, insensitive to time, he alone in the midst of everyone.

Kaduna was trembling as well, feeling a latent anguish begin- ning to grow inside of him, despite all his efforts to dismiss it.

• Relax, those sensations that grip you are normal, I have felt them many times … you have to fight to discard them, because they can grip you and block you completely, and then you would be totally unable to react … take a deep breath …

The words of Qays made his two soldiers react, at least exter- nally, making that internal cold that gagged them dissolve little by little, although an indestructible residue continued to beat in their hearts.

• Attention – Qays voice thundered in their ears -, the five of

 

of Qays, and the vital need for mutual support among all, regard-

less of skin color, had finally been implanted.

 

In one of their outings, they surprised a group of half a dozen mountaineers heading for one of their raids.

In both Okabe and his men, the horrifying experiences of Todra

persisted, and an unstoppable and cold decision guided their steps.

Tenacious, obsessively.

Across scorched ravines and suffocating glens, they did not grant respite to those brave men, and when, after dodging an ambush, they cornered them like animals against the bend of a dry wadi, one and the other observed each other with empty gazes of mercy, eyes full of blood.

Mercilessly, the shattered bodies of the six men once again served as food for the wild animals, while two soldiers perished in that sordid episode, yet another display of endless violence.

Entering Bulmane, a feeling of revenge accomplished floated

ostensibly among them all.

 

Qays reflected on the changes that those months wrought in his

warriors.

All the survivors, both from the encounters with the bandits and the harsh conditions of the kasbah, which took a life from the fevers, had hardened them enough to terminate their mission, returning to Marrakesh from where they would leave assigned to other fronts.

The transformation that affected Okabe was especially remar- kable.

Smiling, he remembered his reactions to the incidents that had arisen in the kasbahs … now, that young man already had the

 

A shabby pallet on the floor, on which dirty woolen blankets were piled up, was the only piece of furniture in the room, besides a basin and a jug filled with water.

Smiling incessantly, the owner lit a candle, wishing them a joyous evening, before retiring with a sly wink at Okabe.

Okabe opened the small window, bringing the joy of light to the small room, while Asida closed the door, and almost instantly their bodies found embraced, yielding joyfully to the gravity that pushed them on the blankets, while their clothes flew despite of the prevailing freshness, enjoying the long-awaited warmth of their bodies that conveyed the fullness of life to them.

Their breaths quickened as the fire of sex, suppressed for so long, returned to their bodies, and although their screams had yet to undergo the rigor of censorship, not pass much beyond the mur- mur, at least now they were free of the fear that someone discove- red them and broke their lives irretrievably.

Time was diluted, prevailing only that excessive pleasure to which their bodies gave themselves relentlessly, melting into the ecstasy of the moment.

Spurred by the despair of tomorrow.

When the sweat faded from their bodies, and the freshness of the room returned, they took shelter in the voluptuousness of the blankets, simply enjoying the silence of the room, the murmur of the street, the contact of their bodies, fighting not to fall in drow- siness, something impossible for Asida.

• Okabe, how I’ve missed you – she whispered before falling into the placidity of

Asida woke up oblivious to everything except the presence of Okabe, hugging him ardently until time imposed the meaning of it, the two going out into the street and mingling with the crowd

 

MIDELT

A cold December morning, Qays informed Okabe that he would leave with his ten men for Midelt, an enclave located South of Fas, in the foothills of the Atlas, as he explained by showing him a map showing those references, that were completely unknown to the young man.

The same year that Tandeng and Okabe were captured, that jewel called Fas fell into the hands of al-Murabitun, a great vic- tory that combined with its psychological implications the strate- gic factor of opening the gates of the North of Bilad al-Maghrib to the fundamentalist movement.

Midelt, nestled in the Middle Atlas, communicated Fas with Sijilmassah across the Zic gorge, so it was a key position for the development of trade between the two populations, the two most important of Bilad al-Maghrib after Marrakesh.

Located among extensive cedar forests, of great economic im- portance, this was a dangerous settlement, far away, surrounded by hostile tribes. Its most striking feature was to be isolated in the middle of winter, when the snows completely paralyzed the commercial traffic.

• It is a very harsh destination, especially in the winter, when the snow and cold strike
• I know something about snow, although that experience was sporadic – Okabe could not but laugh, remembering the village in the middle of the night, and relating that episode to

Qays flushed too, choking with laughter at Okabe’s tale.

• Something is something, at least you know that you can fight the cold … well, the environment is dangerous, although I really think it is the best for you – Qays did not mention that he had influenced so that among the possible destinations, that one was

 

However, Qays’ next comment surprised him.

• Boy … has someone told you about the manumission ?

He didn’t seem too surprised by his puzzled face, continuing

his explanation.

– It is obvious that you ignore it, so I will try to explain it to you without much thought … some of our customs are governed and controlled by written rules, which we know as Islamic laws

… one of them regulates slavery, from the capture to the possible overcoming of that status, known as manumission … because yes, despite your strangeness, it is possible that one day a person will stop being a slave and become a normal citizen. Surprised, right ?

Now, Okabe did not lose any detail of his boss’s explanations, waiting expectantly for his words.

• In practice, as unfortunately you know, the owner has ab- solute power over the people he buys, but theoretically, he is also obliged to free his slaves after a certain time, if he considers that they are people worthy of the degree of
• But then … everything depends on the owner … if for him you are not worthy of that degree …

Qays silence needed no explanation, until he continued after a

while.

• Now your owner is the army and certainly, it also applies ma- There are many people who have achieved it, and you could be one of them, in principle it is assumed that for getting it, everything will depend on your behavior, your dedication, your loyalty to our cause …

As in the last stages of his life, everything would depend on factors totally beyond his control, but now unlike other times, his fondness for Aida added to Qays’s comments gave him a latent hope, a longing for a tomorrow to dream of.

 

• Who is that friend ? What is his name ? – although inquisi- tive and distant, in Tahir’s attitude seemed to prevail more than anything
• His name is Qays, and he patrols the kasbahs, from Ourzaza- te to
• I don’t know him, but I have heard that these missions are risky and dangerous, especially the gorges there … well, you have my permission to see

To Okabe’s comfort, and despite his serious and distant appea- rance, Ali was an approachable person, able to easily bridge the distances imposed by military status.

• May Allah be with you, Okabe, tell me how I can help you
• Ali got off his horse, to walk beside him while he contemplated

some exercises next to several of his subordinates.

Very far from the Okabe that left Marrakesh long ago, he no longer beat around the bush.

• Returning after my stay in Midelt, I was waiting impatiently to hear from a friend I left in Marrakesh … his name is Qays, and he is dedicated to leading the patrols of the kasbahs, from Ma- rrakesh to Bulmane … and I was very surprised not hearing from him, which on the one hand makes me fear the worst …

Ali reflected on his explanations, looking at him carefully.

• I understand that there is something else, right ?
• Certainly … a person I love also stays in Marrakesh, Asida, another siklabi who lives in the Wafiq palace, my old owner … the fact is that before leaving, Qays promised to do what he could to keep up with her, and now …

Despite his fortitude, Okabe felt a lump in his throat, unable to pursue.

– I understand … I will try to find out about Qays, although it

 

THE RIF Years 1,084 – 1,086

After the taking of Sebta, Okabe and his men were again assig- ned to the Rif.

At 23-year old, Okabe was heading for the peak of his physical build.

Idris and Wafiq did not err in their intuitions, since at a height of 6-foot, higher than the average of his tribe, he united a deve- loped musculature. If they were evenly matched in age, he would face Negri with a chance of success.

Parallel to his bodily development, he united the invaluable factor of his experience, with more than seven years of long mili- tary life on different fronts that gave him great security, in addi- tion to an instinct as invaluable as it was important for survival.

A vital mix for his survival and that of his men, in the difficult

scenarios in which they battled.

Luckily for him, this was a fact recognized and appreciated by his bosses, because at his age, it was not often that a black

warrior commanded thirty men on his own missions, with the only help of a guide.

The reverse of the coin was made up of those missions, the toughest and most dangerous, where human losses greater than normal were assumed.

All this entailed for Okabe and his soldiers a highly developed and selective experience, a great capacity to value the enemy, that instinctive appreciation of the small details that, in a moment and circumstance, separate that fine, subtle line between life and death.

The Rif …

That extensive mountain range close to sea, vigilant of

 

A mentality in which personal appreciations simply did not count, after so many years of military rigidity.

The war in the Rif, with its prevailing rugged geography was inhuman, permeated with tension, amidst those extensive pine groves lavish in scrub and vegetation that required constant vigilance, and although instinct was important, its effects were inevitable.

The cruelty of that war shaped Okabe relentlessly, and althou- gh he tried to ensure that his actions were always focused on the armed enemy, never on defenseless civilians, in certain circumstan- ces it was not always possible.

Nor was it easy to contemplate how his men made no distinc- tions, and at the end he felt the bitterness that both in him and in all of them finally prevailed, the instinctive goal of surviving each day, reaching next day.

At whatever price …

 

The shadows and tears of the memory of Asida haunted Okabe as the years passed by, hopelessly wrapped in a feeling of helpless- ness.

Although he sometimes tried to get a fleeting visit to Ma- rrakesh from his chiefs, he always obtained their refusal, more concerned with the war than with his personal follies.

The possibility of the mail was also ruled out, something reser- ved for senior leaders, and his current chiefs had no special inte- rest in bothering about it.

Likewise, his attempts to obtain a manumission were met with the continuous promise to study his case, but without ever rea- ching a final decision.

 

THE GREAM REAPER

That village, hidden in the mountains, fell like afternoon, like the rays of the Sun that impregnated the entire area with a warm orange, devoured and devastated by flames.

Caught in the maelstrom of the Grim Reaper, Okabe’s warriors were relentless, raping at will, dismembering their enemies, den- ying forgiveness.

The contagion of blood splattering the walls and floors, the piercing screams of their victims blinded them, completely diluting their reason.

Okabe was drowning in the smoke that flooded that house, while his men moved away towards others, victims of his impla- cable warrior instinct, after the inhabitants of those rooms, those people with their ancestors and their offspring, completed their life cycle.

They belonged to the past …

He noticed the hidden stairs that led to the roof and tired, he decided to go up to breathe for a while, to interrupt that curse of blood and death.

At least for a few moments …

The smoke from the fires continued to blacken the landscape, but there the declining star managed to cross it, illuminating the roof with a warmth that contrasted with the bleak surroundings.

Once again, Okabe experienced that congenital emptiness in his stomach, the feeling of his deep, heartbreaking loneliness, totally oblivious to everything.

But even now, his instincts did not leave him.

A noise behind him made him turn, swift as a snake, with his reddish sword raised, ready to rip and tear again.

 

Although Las Parias were already a daily tax, their collection

was not always easy.

When the castilian-leonese king Alfonso VI sends the jew Ben Salid to the taifa of Seville, to demand the established Parias,

the taifa Al-Mutamid not only refusedto pay it, but executed the emissary, provoking the anger of Alfonso VI, that besieges Seville in the year 1,083.

Faced with his demand that Al-Mutamid pay him for the Parias, the alfaquíes of most of the taifas united and publicly proclaimed the need to find someone capable of confronting the christians.

As on other occasions, the alfaquíes rely both on the popular rejection of Parias, since as always are the popular classes who bear the greatest fiscal pressure, as well as on the illegitimacy of them according to Koranic law.

The situation is so clearly delimited that the taifas of Seville, Granada and Badajoz see no other solution than, humiliating themselves before their southern enemy, agreeing to send a delega- tion to the champion al-Murabit, a threat wielded by Al-Muta- mid before Alfonso VI.

– This threat is incredible, and my first impression is that

Al-Mutamid tries to intimidate us – Alfonso VI and his military leaders discussed the threat of the sevillian taifa who, to those already known, incorporated new and serious considerations.

– Those al-Murabitun … according to our news, they are bar- barian camel drivers, uneducated and fanatical … but we cannot make the mistake of belittling them for these details. On the con- trary, as enemies they are fearsome, they have shown it by fighting against the Zanata tribes in North Africa, and against the black kingdoms of the South, conquering large territories in a few years.

 

SEBTA

Year 1,086, June

Upon returning from one of his patrols in the Rif, Okabe was ordered to go to Sebta with all of his men, where he was assig- ned command of a company of fifty soldiers, half of whom were al-Murabitun.

In September, Okabe would be 25-year old.

His pride was reflected in his features, although his heart bore the indelible consequences of so many years of despair and destruc- tion, of wars and deaths.

Sebta was witnessing a continuous arrival of troops, with the entire settlement agitated by continuous rumors, in the uncertain- ty of waiting for new orders.

During that intermission, Okabe thoroughly enjoyed being alive. Of the vitality of sex with prostitutes, of the caress of the breeze and the sands of the beaches, of the calm and happiness of sharing with his companions those moments of pleasure, away from the red of blood.

Even if it was ephemeral …

 

One morning in June, all the troops paid honors to their leader Yusuf ibn Tashufin, who from his nervous horse, among the flags whipped by the breeze and accompanied by his military leaders, was proudly reviewing those brave warriors, proclaimers of the purity of their faith.

He stopped, staring at the formations of black soldiers, one of them led by Okabe.

• My intrepid and courageous black warriors – his sharp voice sounded impregnated with the ardor and vitality of the leader, easily achieving the emotional contagion of his men – … not all of

 

you bear the imprint, the strength of our Islamic faith, but ins- tead, you have shown many times on the battlefields your courage and support for our cause, something for which we all thank you

… as a result of this, we note that you have plenty of qualities to deserve the glory of accompanying us, and it is a pride for us to count on your presence in our army … may Allah accompany you and protect you.

The public recognition of the leader raised the frenzied screams of those tough warriors, who raised their swords and spears, roaring passionately.

Yusuf continued his ride, until he was in the center of his for- mations, continuing his harangue.

• Many moons ago … Allah granted the grace of enlightenment to two of his most fervent faithful, who after making a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca returned to our Bilad al-Maghrib with the intention of dedicating their lives to propagating the truths of our Allah among the people around them … as we all know, those enlightened were Ibrahim and

The shouts of his warriors silenced the leader, who continued

his harangue with greater excitement.

• There in distant lands, we have witnessed for a long time the painful spectacle of the Taifas kingdoms, the denigrating division of muslims into small kingdoms, managed by ineffective and co- rrupt walis, who only seek their personal enrichment, far removed from their main duty, to implant the truths of the Islamic faith among its citizens and above all, to fight unceasingly against the christian infidels …

The mention of the hated christians enemies increased the roars of his troops.