17. Instead of Murder, the Assassins Sometimes Relied on Intimidation
The Assassins did not always kill their targets. Sometimes the cultists turned to intimidation instead of murder, such as with the Seljuk Sultan Sanjar, who had rebuffed ambassadors from the cult. He changed his mind after waking up one morning to find a note pinned to the ground near his bed by a dagger.
The note informed the sultan that if the Assassins had wished him ill, the dagger stuck into the hard ground could have easily been stuck into his soft breast instead. The message was received loud and clear. Peace reigned between the Seljuks and the Assassins for decades. During that stretch, the Old Man of the Mountain was paid protection money, face-savingly described as a “pension”, and he was permitted to collect tolls from travelers passing near his fortresses.