Post by Ziad on Jun 16, 2010 12:04:58 GMT -5
(takes place after Ziad and Caipra´s conversation in Kriss´ tavern)
It didn´t take him long to get back to his post, the one that was located closest to the port of all, but when he arrived he could tell with a glance at the moon and stars that it was past midnight already. The bustle on the streets had ebbed to a few lonely shadows here and there, some minding their business, others retreating into even deeper shadows at the sight of his robes.
Ziad entered the guards quarters and closed the door behind him, shaking off the cold of the night and along with them, the fears and doubts that had tried to creep up on him on his way here, instead putting up his usual stern attitude that he always displayed when on duty. He knew that what he was about to do was wrong ... he knew it but also knew that this was not going hinder him.
The young guard, merely 16 years old, jumped to his feet when his captain approached. Apparently the boy had been drowsing but for some reason that was a relief. It told Ziad that the place had not become any busier while he had been away. The man who had come to them earlier was in a cell behind the young one. They had arrested him for now, because he had been drunk and by Allah he didn´t need another one of those hoodlums out on the streets if he could help it. And thinking things over, it looked like that circumstance could come in handy. Ziad glanced at the man behind bars when he took off his coat. The man looked back.
"There was nothing unusual going on, my lord." the young guard started his report, his voice a little slurred from drowsiness but still hectical. "And there was no on else reporting..."
"It´s all right, Farid," he said, before the boy could ramble any further. "I think things are about to get solved." The kid gave a nod, but remained standing.
"I need to ask you to not retire to your well earned rest yet." Ziad said, starting to set into motion the plan he had thought of while coming here. "I found another witness and she will be here in a moment. I want you," he nodded at the half drunk civilian "to confirm her story." The man nodded in a way that told him he was not to be questioned. The man felt like he was taken serious and that was all he needed. "And Farid, I will need your help with this. You need to make sure all the witnesses are here, so we can make sure justice is done." While speaking, he placed a hand on the young man´s shoulders, knowing very well how these young ones were. Always eager to please. Proud to serve the Omar, proud to be with the guards and therefore mostly just as eager to suck up to their superiours.
"There was another witness he said," Farid reported "a friend of his, but he wasn´t there to see what the girl did. So...he wasn´t a witness, just someone he told about it later."
"I need that man here," Ziad said, taking his hand off Farid´s shoulder. "Instantly. I don´t want to put any unnecessary inconveniences on a kind citizen of Basra." He gave a curt, polite nod to the half drunk one, knowing that he came from an influencial family. It could never harm to know whom to treat how. He himself didn´t think much of the guy, but that didn´t matter. What mattered was that ... that he managed to break yet another law. What a wonderful night.
Farid nodded eagerly, gave a short bow and hurried out after the other man had told him where to find his friend. When he had hurried out, Ziad turned towards the big wooden table that stood at the long side of the room. Without even considering to release the man from his prison, he sat down, took a new role of parchment and a feather and started to write a report of the night.
"What is your name, young sir?" he asked, trying to ban the trace of mockery from his voice.
"Amir Ibn Hisham", the man replied, getting up from where he had been crouching, head held high. He was tipsy, but not drunk and Ziad reminded himself to exaggerate on the rate of the young man´s alcohol in his blood.
Amir ibn Hisham
he wrote.
"You need not worry," he said. "long before the night is over, you will be at your home again, knowing that the matter has been attended to. I hope you understand that as a loyal servant to our honoured Omar you understand the precautions I had to take by putting you behind those bars."
...was taken into custody for half the night... and here he added the date of the current day ...after having drunk too much and thereafter causing turmoil on the streets. Has been found to be no danger and thus been released again ere sunrise.
For a moment, the sound of the quill was the only sound in the room, in those few seconds when young Amir was trying to muster the courage and mild arrogance he had been taught to display towards people of lesser rank (or at least he, as the son of a rich man considered himself above most), but Ziad knew that, had he given a snarky retort, this would have come off as impolite after his own benevolent and polite words. And therefore, just as he had guessed, Amir just nodded, swallowing whatever arrogant reply he had meant to come up with.
Now he knew he had to wait. And he hoped with a mild annoyance that he would not have to wait for long.
It didn´t take him long to get back to his post, the one that was located closest to the port of all, but when he arrived he could tell with a glance at the moon and stars that it was past midnight already. The bustle on the streets had ebbed to a few lonely shadows here and there, some minding their business, others retreating into even deeper shadows at the sight of his robes.
Ziad entered the guards quarters and closed the door behind him, shaking off the cold of the night and along with them, the fears and doubts that had tried to creep up on him on his way here, instead putting up his usual stern attitude that he always displayed when on duty. He knew that what he was about to do was wrong ... he knew it but also knew that this was not going hinder him.
The young guard, merely 16 years old, jumped to his feet when his captain approached. Apparently the boy had been drowsing but for some reason that was a relief. It told Ziad that the place had not become any busier while he had been away. The man who had come to them earlier was in a cell behind the young one. They had arrested him for now, because he had been drunk and by Allah he didn´t need another one of those hoodlums out on the streets if he could help it. And thinking things over, it looked like that circumstance could come in handy. Ziad glanced at the man behind bars when he took off his coat. The man looked back.
"There was nothing unusual going on, my lord." the young guard started his report, his voice a little slurred from drowsiness but still hectical. "And there was no on else reporting..."
"It´s all right, Farid," he said, before the boy could ramble any further. "I think things are about to get solved." The kid gave a nod, but remained standing.
"I need to ask you to not retire to your well earned rest yet." Ziad said, starting to set into motion the plan he had thought of while coming here. "I found another witness and she will be here in a moment. I want you," he nodded at the half drunk civilian "to confirm her story." The man nodded in a way that told him he was not to be questioned. The man felt like he was taken serious and that was all he needed. "And Farid, I will need your help with this. You need to make sure all the witnesses are here, so we can make sure justice is done." While speaking, he placed a hand on the young man´s shoulders, knowing very well how these young ones were. Always eager to please. Proud to serve the Omar, proud to be with the guards and therefore mostly just as eager to suck up to their superiours.
"There was another witness he said," Farid reported "a friend of his, but he wasn´t there to see what the girl did. So...he wasn´t a witness, just someone he told about it later."
"I need that man here," Ziad said, taking his hand off Farid´s shoulder. "Instantly. I don´t want to put any unnecessary inconveniences on a kind citizen of Basra." He gave a curt, polite nod to the half drunk one, knowing that he came from an influencial family. It could never harm to know whom to treat how. He himself didn´t think much of the guy, but that didn´t matter. What mattered was that ... that he managed to break yet another law. What a wonderful night.
Farid nodded eagerly, gave a short bow and hurried out after the other man had told him where to find his friend. When he had hurried out, Ziad turned towards the big wooden table that stood at the long side of the room. Without even considering to release the man from his prison, he sat down, took a new role of parchment and a feather and started to write a report of the night.
"What is your name, young sir?" he asked, trying to ban the trace of mockery from his voice.
"Amir Ibn Hisham", the man replied, getting up from where he had been crouching, head held high. He was tipsy, but not drunk and Ziad reminded himself to exaggerate on the rate of the young man´s alcohol in his blood.
Amir ibn Hisham
he wrote.
"You need not worry," he said. "long before the night is over, you will be at your home again, knowing that the matter has been attended to. I hope you understand that as a loyal servant to our honoured Omar you understand the precautions I had to take by putting you behind those bars."
...was taken into custody for half the night... and here he added the date of the current day ...after having drunk too much and thereafter causing turmoil on the streets. Has been found to be no danger and thus been released again ere sunrise.
For a moment, the sound of the quill was the only sound in the room, in those few seconds when young Amir was trying to muster the courage and mild arrogance he had been taught to display towards people of lesser rank (or at least he, as the son of a rich man considered himself above most), but Ziad knew that, had he given a snarky retort, this would have come off as impolite after his own benevolent and polite words. And therefore, just as he had guessed, Amir just nodded, swallowing whatever arrogant reply he had meant to come up with.
Now he knew he had to wait. And he hoped with a mild annoyance that he would not have to wait for long.