All three of them were back for the next month’s meeting, and Jalees had brought each of his brothers a gift.
“I had a new type of lustre arrive from Syria and had to try it straight away!” he said excitedly. “It’s the same as the usual metal oxide paints but this one is much better quality and much easier to paint with...”
Zaki raised an eyebrow at Malik as Jalees waxed lyrical about this miracle paint from Syria. Malik shook his head and examined the pot more closely. He now realised where the hideout’s tea ware came from – the designs on the edges of his usual cup and the inkwell he held in his hand were very similar.
“Jalees,” Zaki said with a small sigh, “did you not think how two simple scribes would explain the presence of quality workmanship like this?”
Jalees flushed with pride at the compliment hidden in the admonishment. “Already thought of, my old friend! Yours was a gift from your son, a travelling merchant. As for Malik, Jerusalem map makers aren’t as poor as Acre scribes. He has no need of an explanation.”
Malik grinned as he carefully put the inkwell back in its protective box. The gold swirls of the detailed patterns shone in the candlelight and Malik smiled as he caught sight of the Brotherhood’s symbol carefully and cleverly woven into the design. “Thank you, my friend,” he said sincerely. “It is perfect.”
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Sleepy anon is sleepy now and has an exam on Friday (boooo) so will probably update this weekend.
Re: Brotherhood within a Brotherhood [3/?]
“I had a new type of lustre arrive from Syria and had to try it straight away!” he said excitedly. “It’s the same as the usual metal oxide paints but this one is much better quality and much easier to paint with...”
Zaki raised an eyebrow at Malik as Jalees waxed lyrical about this miracle paint from Syria. Malik shook his head and examined the pot more closely. He now realised where the hideout’s tea ware came from – the designs on the edges of his usual cup and the inkwell he held in his hand were very similar.
“Jalees,” Zaki said with a small sigh, “did you not think how two simple scribes would explain the presence of quality workmanship like this?”
Jalees flushed with pride at the compliment hidden in the admonishment. “Already thought of, my old friend! Yours was a gift from your son, a travelling merchant. As for Malik, Jerusalem map makers aren’t as poor as Acre scribes. He has no need of an explanation.”
Malik grinned as he carefully put the inkwell back in its protective box. The gold swirls of the detailed patterns shone in the candlelight and Malik smiled as he caught sight of the Brotherhood’s symbol carefully and cleverly woven into the design. “Thank you, my friend,” he said sincerely. “It is perfect.”
-----
Sleepy anon is sleepy now and has an exam on Friday (boooo) so will probably update this weekend.