Governor Iben showed a look of astonishment and hurriedly said, "But King Saladin is a wise ruler. You want me to betray him and seek allegiance with the Franks?"
Maimonides paused in silence. That was indeed his original plan, but judging from Governor Iben's reaction, he clearly could not endure the consequences of such actions. Thus, he offered a compromise: "No, of course not. We only intend to negotiate with the Franks. Whether it's money, provisions, or even craftsmen to create siege weapons, we can provide those to them, as long as the conditions are enticing enough. The Franks may not remain indifferent."
Governor Iben breathed a sigh of relief.
This matched his expectations.
Were it not for exhausting all options, he truly was unwilling to board the treacherous ship with the Franks—who knows if they can establish a foothold in Egypt—the cost of betraying Saladin was too high. He would rather take his accumulated wealth and army to Alexandria to ally with Adil.
