12. A Trip to Heaven
An alternative origin for the “Assassins” name is that the group referred to themselves as Asasiyun, Arabic for “Foundational People”. Whatever the word’s origin, when an Assassin recruit came to, high on hashish, he awoke to find himself amidst carefully landscaped orchard gardens, through which clear streams meandered between rows of vines heavy with grapes, and trees ripe with fruit. Cute animals such as lambs and tame deer frolicked about. Peacocks wandered around, and ruffled and spread their gorgeous tails. Brightly colored birds flitted through the branches above, and trilled and filled the air with their songs. Amid the breathtaking surroundings of Assassin pleasure gardens were breathtakingly beautiful women, there to seduce the recruit, cater to his physical desires, and satisfy his sexual whims. They plied the youth with wine, kept him high on hash, and fed him delicacies that most recruits never knew existed, let alone tasted.
