Several days had passed since Alar returned to his palace in Libya and one thing was for sure: it was good to be home. But the days spent in prison and the long voyage back home had taken a tool on him as he had caught an unknown disease which not even the capable Arab physicians or his beloved harem could heal... His condition was getting worse and worse and soon rumors of his impeding death began to circulate.

But this did not prevent him from fulfilling his duties and that day's duties were an execution and an office appointment. The man who was about to be executed was no one else but his former servant Saluf, now accused of treason and naturally found guilty. His execution was to be a slow and a very paintfull one and Alar wanted his new servant Mustafa, to make the oath of loyalty at the same time as Saluf was screaming of pain. That should send a clear message to Mustafa and anyone else who even thought of betraying him. Unlike Saluf, Mustafa was the son of a nobleman, a very close friend of Alar's, so he understood perfectly well the mentality of the nobility. Alar had great expectations from him.

A few hours later Alar called Mustafa in one of his more spacious chambers:

QUOTE:
My dear Mustafa, I am so glad your father proposed you for this position. Who else could be better for this office than the son of my best friend? But please, take a seat and by Allah, grab one of those Russian women over there and taste my delight. It came from Anatolia just two days ago.

Now, I have two very important matters to discuss with you:

1. As you know, I have sent my elder sons in Aragon, where they are under the protection of the Aragoneze king. But my spies over there inform me that Rayhan, my eldest son, intends on taking advantage of my incurable illness and is now planning a plot against me. So what I want you to do is find out who are his collaborators. As soon as you learn make sure you tell me. Do not act without first coming to me.

2. The second thing I require of you is of even greater importance. As you know, your...predecessor had the very important mission of assassinating the Grand Master of the Order of the Temple. He failed and his failure had cost us dearly, as it has cost him as well. Unfortunately his failure also meant that the Grand Master is now probably the best protected ruler in the Known World, and attempting to kill him now would be foolish. Instead we could hit him where it hurts him the most: his children. My informants told me he has two sons and two daughters. I would very much love it if you could change that into no sons and two daughters. Kill his sons and with them, his lineage as well! And this time make sure you hire illiterate assassins, as well as cut their tongues.

Oh and one last thing Mustafa: failure will cost you your head and I will make sure your father is stoned to death as well...that if he doesn't kill himself first.

Now leave me!