The situation now was decidedly interesting, for the commander of the besieging force was none other than Brother Shirkuh who, having struck out for himself after the death of Zenghi, had attached himself to Nur ed-din. He and Ayub came together to discuss the problem which confronted them, objectively and in calmness. Their conclusion must have been that it would be a shame to be at each other's throat, besides slitting those of a lot of other valiant Moslems. The upshot was Ayub's decision to surrender the city. This decision he was able to make known to the leading emirs of Damascus in such fashion as to convince them of its wisdom, and the gates were opened accordingly. Thereafter the brothers held the same high place in the esteem of Nur ed-din that had been vouchsafed them by the latter's father. Shirkuh was made Vice Regent of the territory of Damascus and Ayub Governor of the City. From then on Saladino education was received in this important center of Moslem culture. After the disastrous Second Crusade, the control of Asia Minor was split up among many rulers, including the Emperor of Constantinople, Turks, Turcomans, Seljoucides, the princes of lesser Armenia. The coasts of Syria, the counties of Antioch and Tripoli and all of Palestine were in the hands of the Franks, of whom Baldwin III, grandson of Baldwin II, held Jerusalem, while various Christian nobles ruled elsewhere. While they usually acted together against the Saracens this